January 1, Comey Cleared, For Now – Impeachment Gains Backers – Trade War with China Intensifies – Pelosi Calls Kushner ‘Slumlord’

Good morning and happy Friday Middle Americans!

Former FBI Director James Comey can take a breath, for now. The Justice Department inspector general’s office had referred Comey for potential prosecution over his handling of classified documents, but the DOJ has decided to let it go. This is essentially the same thing he scolding Hillary Clinton for, during that notorious press conference right be fore the election. Some Democrats say that cost Hillary the 2016 election. Oh the irony. But this is not over for Comey, he still faces potential trouble from other investigations into the origins of the Russia probe.

In other news, despite public opinion polls showing American are mostly against impeaching president Trump, slowly but surely, more House Democrats are backing the idea of the impeachment inquiry. We also have a report about the new tariffs announced by President Trump via twitter yesterday. Are headed for a recession? Progressive film maker Michael Moore is fantasizing about Michelle Obama running for president. Nancy Pelosi calls the presidents son in law a “slumlord”. And the cops who arrested Stormy Daniels at strip club in Ohio will face disciplinary action. Read all about it.

Justice Dept. Won’t Prosecute Comey Over Handling of FBI Memos

Justice Department prosecutors declined to prosecute Comey, in part because they didn’t believe there was evidence to show Comey knew and intended to  violate laws on handling classified information, according to CNN.

Impeachment Gaining Backers in House

Florida Rep. Ted Deutch wrote in the Sun Sentinel this morning that “the question is no longer whether the House should vote to proceed with a formal impeachment inquiry. The inquiry has already begun.”

According to Axios, Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel (N.Y.), who heads one of six committees that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tasked with investigating the Trump administration, bucked leadership in calling for an inquiry on Wednesday. Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey (N.Y.) joined him later that afternoon.

Trump Slaps 10 % tariff on $300B More in Chinese Goods

“We thought we had a deal with China three months ago, but sadly, China decided to re-negotiate the deal prior to signing,” wrote Trump in a series of tweets Thursday afternoon.

Wall Street immediately pulled back on the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling from a 300-point gain to a decline of almost 200 points. The price of crude oil tumbled by 8 percent on concern over the global fallout of Trump’s latest salvo. Caterpillar, John Deere, and Apple, all of which have a large exposure to China, saw their stock fall by around 2 percent on the news; and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to its lowest level since 2016, NBC News reported. 

Michael Moore: Only Michelle Obama Can Beat Trump

“The only way to remove Trump, is to crush Trump,” Filmmaker and political activist Michael Moore said during an appearance on MSNBC Thursday morning. “Who is the street fighter that can crush Trump? And frankly, I think there’s a person that could do this, if the election were held today, there is one person that would crush Trump — and she hasn’t announced yet. And her last name rhymes with Obama. In fact, it is Obama. Michelle Obama.”

Pelosi Says Trump Should Ask ‘Slumlord’ Jared Kushner About Baltimore

According to the Washington Post, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who was born and raised in Baltimore, said “the president — this comes as no surprise — really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “But maybe you could ask his son-in-law, who is a slumlord there, if he wants to talk about rodent infestations.”

She made the remarks in an exchange with reporters at the Capitol.

5 Ohio Police Officers Face Discipline in Stormy Daniels Strip Club Arrest

CNN reports that Five Columbus, Ohio, police officers face disciplinary measures in connection with the July 2018 arrest of Stormy Daniels at a local club, police said Wednesday.

“Chief Tom Quinlan made this decision because these officers violated the Columbus Division of Police rules of conduct,” police said in a news release without specifying the violations or naming the officers, all members of the now disbanded vice section.

The officers may face a reprimand, suspension, demotion or termination, the release said. Quinlan will make a recommendation, and the director of public safety will make the final decision based on that.