Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge releases ‘black paper’ on ‘failures’ of PM Modi’s government in last 10 years
Congress ‘black paper’ highlights ‘failures’ of govt on unemployment, price rise, farmers’ distress.
FBI foils 2022 plot by militiamen to “start a war” at the Texas-Mexico border
A Tennessee man arrested Monday hoped to travel to the southern border with a militia group that allegedly plotted to go “to war with the border patrol,” believing that the country was being invaded by migrants.
Longshot Biden challenger Marianne Williamson drops out of race: ‘Much to be grateful for’
Longshot Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson has suspended her presidential campaign. Williamson announced that she will no longer be pursuing the White House in 2024 in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night. “I read a quote the other day that said that sunsets are proof that endings can be beautiful too, and so today, even though it is time to suspend my campaign for the presidency, I do want to see the beauty and I want all of you who so incredibly supported me on this journey – as donors, as supporters, as team and as volunteers – to see the beauty too,” she opened the video saying. Williamson then went on to list what she felt she accomplished and brought attention to during her campaign, and encouraged those who supported her to continue to have hope. MARIANNE WILLIAMSON APOLOGIZES TO BILL MAHER FOLLOWING ‘PERSONAL’ SPAT ON HIGHER EDUCATION: ‘OKAY, I’M SORRY’ Williamson’s suspension comes as the 2024 presidential match-up begins to solidify on both sides. The Democrats already have their man in President Biden, who is running for re-election to the White House after his first term in office. Williamson first ran for president in 2019 — also against Biden and a slew of other Democrats — and announced in early 2023 that she would be challenging the president in 2024. The move did not go over well with Democrats, who attacked Williamson over her challenge to Biden. This has always posed a major issue for Williamson’s campaign, as political parties often back their incumbent presidents, but Williamson herself hasn’t stepped down from calling her party out. Williamson accused the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of having “manipulated the process” of a primary election in a January interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto. “It’s outrageous, actually. The fact that the DNC feels entitled to just anoint a president,” Williamson said when asked about Biden not appearing on the New Hampshire primary ballot. “I think the people are watching. I think people are horrified,” she continued. “70 percent of Democrats have said they want to hear from other voices. As your coverage just showed, the president is very low in his numbers, maybe not as low as you’ve said. Who knows? But there’s a lot of rumbling out there and people do not appreciate the fact that the DNC has chosen to manipulate the process like this.”
South Korea loves pork and booze. It wants to be the next halal powerhouse
Seoul, South Korea – At the Malaysia International Halal Showcase last September, an unlikely sight caught the attention of many attendees. Nestled among the booths from Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia and Kuwait, a kiosk representing pork-loving, hard-drinking South Korea beckoned visitors to check out halal products ranging from seaweed laver to sanitary pads. “The halal food market is a blue ocean with great potential for growth,” Lee Yong Jik, the head of the food export division at South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, told Al Jazeera. After taking the worlds of film, TV and pop music by storm, South Korea is setting its sights on the global halal industry, which caters to the dietary rules and lifestyle requirements of some 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. Halal is not easily associated with traditionally homogenous South Korea, where the Muslim community is estimated to number fewer than 200,000 people, or less than 0.4 percent of the population. But surging demand for Korean cuisine and snacks in Southeast Asia, where Korean pop culture has a devoted and growing fanbase, has turned Korean exporters onto a potentially lucrative opportunity. Muslims’ spending on halal food alone reached $1.27 trillion in 2021 and is projected to reach $1.67 trillion by 2025, according to research firm DinarStandard. South Korea’s government has been keen to encourage businesses to capitalise on the trend, providing assistance ranging from food ingredient analysis to subsidies for certification fees and promotional events to connect buyers and suppliers. In 2015, then-President Park Geun-hye signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to promote businesses in new markets, including halal food. In Daegu, South Korea’s fourth-largest city, local authorities have spearheaded a “Halal Food Activation Project” aimed at increasing the number of halal-certified companies in the city tenfold and tripling exports to $200m by 2028. Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo recently described the halal market as an opportunity that “cannot be ignored”. Korean food giants such as CJ CheilJedang have rolled out halal products for their Muslim customers [Ahn Young-joon/AP] Lotte Foods, CJ CheilJedang, Daesang and Nongshim are among the Korean food giants to have rolled out halal-certified products from kimchi to rice cakes. Last year, South Korea began exporting halal Korean native beef, known as hanwoo, for the first time after receiving the go-ahead from Islamic affairs officials in Malaysia. Samyang Foods, one of South Korea’s leading food manufacturers, exports halal products to 78 countries, including its wildly popular “Buldak Ramen” instant noodles. Samyang’s sales of halal products reached $200m in 2022, accounting for about 45 percent of total exports. Sales in 2023 were expected to reach about $270m. Samyang has “consistently recognised the importance of the Muslim market” and has been actively working to promote “K-food” globally, a company spokesperson told Al Jazeera. Apart from the food industry, players in the so-called “K-beauty” sector have also cashed in on the trend. Cosmetics manufacturer Cosmax, which has its headquarters in Seoul, has been producing halal products at its facilities in Indonesia since 2016. Despite the growing market, gaining halal certification can seem daunting for many businesses, especially smaller firms. “The first step is to determine if your product is halal and if it is, then assess whether you actually need halal certification,” Saifullah Jo, chairman of the Korea Halal Association (KOHAS), told Al Jazeera. A South Korean national who converted to Islam, Jo founded an Islamic consultancy firm for Korean companies and has translated a book about halal into Korean. “Just because a company requests certification, doesn’t mean we will grant it. Some people come to us seeking certification for things that may technically be certifiable but it’s not always practical,” said Jo, whose organisation is one of South Korea’s four halal certification bodies. “We need to consider the audience and the genuine necessity for certification.” KOHAS is one of South Korea’s four halal certification bodies [Raphael Rashid/Al Jazeera] While alcohol, blood, pork and animals not properly slaughtered in the name of God, and meat from animals that died before slaughter, are considered haram, or prohibited, even seemingly innocuous items like rice and mineral water can be candidates for halal certification. “The complexities arise in the production processes. For example, when rice is separated from husks in the milling process, the machinery involved may utilise lubrication and some oils may contain animal-derived ingredients,” Jo said. “This causes cross-contamination and presents a challenge for ensuring the final product is halal-compliant.” To make matters more complicated, Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, last year announced that food companies would from October be required to obtain halal certification within the country. In November, the South Korean and Indonesian governments reached an agreement to exempt agricultural and food products from certification in the Southeast Asian country so long as they have received the halal label from two of South Korea’s certifiers. While South Korea has made no secret of its ambitions to forge business connections with the Muslim world, social attitudes towards Muslim people and Islamic culture are often not so friendly. “Muslims in South Korea are viewed at best with apathy and, at worst, with fear,” Farrah Sheikh, an assistant professor at Keimyung University who specialises in Islam in South Korea, told Al Jazeera. Sheikh said some Koreans view halal products as a conduit for Islam to “invade” Korean society. In Daegu, where officials are aggressively pursuing the Muslim market, plans to construct a small mosque have encountered fierce opposition from residents and conservative Christian groups. In August last year, rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council expressed “serious concern” to the South Korean government over its alleged failure to address the campaign against the mosque, which included the display of pig heads outside the construction site and banners describing Islam as “an evil religion that kills people”. After the government began promoting the halal industry in 2015, several Christian groups began warning about the potential “Islamification” of South Korea, an alleged influx of Muslims and concerns about security
Amnesty calls for war crimes probe over Myanmar military bombing of church
The January attack in Sagaing killed 17 villagers, including two children, as they attended a Sunday service. Myanmar’s military should be investigated for war crimes over an air attack last month that killed 17 villagers, including two children, as they attended a Sunday church service, Amnesty International has said. Amnesty said photo and video analysis, as well as interviews with witnesses, indicated the Myanmar air force had dropped bombs on three locations near the St Peter Baptist Church in Kanan village on the morning of January 7. The village is in the Sagaing region, not far from Myanmar’s border with India. At least 20 people were injured. The damage is “consistent with air strikes”, the rights group said in a statement on Thursday. “The combined photo and video evidence indicates at least three impact locations, with craters consistent with aircraft bombs of approximately 250kg each.” The Myanmar military has previously denied responsibility for the attack, claiming no aircraft were operating in the area at the time. But Amnesty said a review of video taken during the strikes showed the “distinctive swept-wing silhouette of an A-5 fighter jet flying over the village”, noting that only the military flies the China-made aircraft. Moreover, satellite imagery from the Tada-U airbase near Mandalay showed active A-5 operations on the airfield while plane spotters had reported the takeoff, flight and landing of an A-5 consistent with that morning’s attack on Kanan. “The Myanmar military’s deadly attacks on civilians show no signs of stopping,” said Matt Wells, the director of Amnesty’s crisis response programme. “These attacks must be investigated as war crimes and the UN Security Council should refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The perpetrators of these crimes under international law must be brought to justice.” The bombing caused widespread damage to buildings in the village [Courtesy of Amnesty International] Myanmar was plunged into crisis three years ago when the generals seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi triggering mass protests that evolved into armed resistance after the military responded with brutal force. At least 4,485 civilians have been killed since the coup, and violence has become increasingly widespread. Sagaing has been notorious for brutal assaults by the military, which has launched air attacks and burned villages as part of its long-held strategy known as “four cuts” that aims to separate its opponents from their potential civilian supporters. At the time of the church attack, Kanan village was under the control of a unit of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), an anti-coup armed group established by the National Unity Government of lawmakers removed in the coup and pro-democracy activists. ‘Toothless statements’ There are growing calls for the international community to do more to address the deteriorating situation in Myanmar where the United Nations estimates at least 2.6 million people have been forced from their homes by the fighting and millions are in need of humanitarian assistance. Although the United States and its allies have imposed some sanctions, the response has largely been left to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional grouping that Myanmar joined in 1997. ASEAN agreed to the so-called Five Point Consensus to end the violence at an emergency meeting with Myanmar army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021, but the military regime has ignored the agreement and the bloc has done little to make it comply. “The crisis in Myanmar is escalating rapidly and the Myanmar people urgently need support and protection from the UN Security Council,” Marzuki Darusman, a member of the Special Advisory Council on Myanmar (SAC-M) and former chair of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, said in a statement on Wednesday following a closed-door session of the council. Before the meeting, nine members of the 15-member council issued a statement calling on the military to end its attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and free all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi. “It is simply not good enough for the Security Council to issue toothless statements and defer to an even more toothless ASEAN. The junta must face justice for its deplorable acts,” Darusman added. Attacks on religious buildings are war crimes under international law [Courtesy of Amnesty International] Fellow SAC-M member Chris Sedoti said the Security Council should have referred Myanmar to the ICC long ago. “If it can’t, or won’t, then others must act to finally bring the perpetrators of grave international crimes in Myanmar to justice through the ICC or a special tribunal,” said Sedoti, who was also part of the fact-finding mission. In 2018, the mission called for the investigation and prosecution of Min Aung Hlaing and his top military leaders for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes over its treatment of several ethnic and religious minorities in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states, including the mostly Muslim Rohingya. The SAC-M was set up after the coup by a group of international independent experts to support the people of Myanmar in their fight for justice and accountability. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 715
As the war enters its 715th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Thursday, February 8, 2024. Fighting At least five people were killed and 50 injured, after Russia fired a wave of missiles and Shahed-type drones at six regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv. The Ukrainian military said it intercepted 44 of the 64 drones and missiles that Russia launched. About 20,000 homes were left without power in Kyiv. Moscow claimed it was targeting Ukrainian weapons factories. A preliminary assessment of the Russian attacks concluded that two of the five missiles that targeted Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine were made in North Korea, said Serhii Bolvinov, head of the National Police’s investigation unit in the region. Russia said its air defence systems intercepted two separate Ukrainian air attacks, destroying 12 rockets and drones over the southwestern region of Belgorod. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said two people were injured. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said civilian casualties in the war have begun mounting again after falling last year. Last month, it documented 158 civilian deaths and 483 wounded, up 37 percent from last November. So far, the conflict has killed more than 10,000 civilians and wounded nearly 20,000 others, according to the UN. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, visited the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. He welcomed the reduction in shelling around Zaporizhzhia but said security remained fragile. Politics and diplomacy Sweden dropped its investigation into the 2022 explosions that crippled the Nord Stream gas pipelines transporting Russian gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. Russia, Ukraine and Western countries have blamed each other for the incident. Sweden said it had passed the evidence it had gathered to Germany. An amended bill to lower the age of the military draft and make service harder to avoid passed its first reading in Ukraine’s parliament. Further revisions are expected and it is not expected to become law for weeks. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said he hoped China would “give us a hand” in Ukraine peace talks it agreed to host after a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine has said it invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to participate in the summit of world leaders. A date and venue have yet to be set. Russian courts jailed two Russians in separate cases for treason over their support for Ukraine, according to state-run news agencies. After a brief discussion, the upper house of Russia’s parliament unanimously backed a bill allowing the authorities to confiscate money, valuables and other assets from people convicted of spreading “deliberately false information” about the country’s military. The Ukrainian Olympic Committee asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to investigate the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Olympics following alleged breaches of neutrality. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had granted an interview to right-wing US television host Tucker Carlson who used to work for Fox News. Weapons Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s Western allies to speed up and increase their delivery of artillery shells as he offered his condolences to the families of the victims of Wednesday’s Russian attack. Zelenskyy earlier met visiting European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to discuss weapons deliveries and other aid. Borell said the EU needed to provide Ukraine with “whatever it takes” to defeat Russia. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States “can and will” deliver further military aid to Ukraine, as NATO chief Jen Stoltenberg stressed such support was “vital”. The two men made the comments after a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Adblock test (Why?)
Congress to bring ‘Black Paper’ on PM Modi government’s ten years in response to Centre’s ‘White Paper’
As per the sources, the Congress’ ‘Black Paper’ will be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government’s 10 years of governance.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says migrant overflow site already nearly filled to capacity
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the overflow site for migrant families at a Massachusetts recreation center has quickly filled up — just over a week since the site opened. The 400-person capacity at the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in the city’s Roxbury neighborhood quickly filled up with migrants seeking shelter, Wu said Wednesday on the local podcast, “Java with Jimmy.” The community center was converted to a migrant shelter on Jan. 31, and has already reached near-capacity as migrants have been transported from other temporary housing situations across the state. MASSACHUSETTS CLOSES COMMUNITY CENTER TO PUBLIC TO SHELTER MIGRANTS, PROMPTING BACKLASH “This whole situation is a temporary spot,” Wu said. “I think the state heard loud and clear that the pool is necessary for the community, for all the multi-generational activity that happens in the neighborhood.” The Democrat mayor said that 75 migrant children were registered with the Boston Public Schools, with the students being placed in special “cohorts.” COMMUNITY LEADERS SAYS BOSTON ‘PASSING THE BUCK’ TO MINORITY AREAS AS MIGRANTS RELOCATED TO REC CENTER The cohorts aimed to provide the migrant children with “extra dedicated resources around multilingual learning,” Wu said. Massachusetts Democrat Gov. Maura Healey has committed to closing the site by May 31, after the state faced sharp criticism from the Roxbury community. City Council member Tania Fernandes Anderson, who represents the area where the Melnea Cass Center is located, said many residents feel displaced by the governor’s decision. “The constituents have been stating loud and clear, ‘You are displacing us,’” Anderson said. Despite the community’s response, Healey has said that the decision to move migrants into the recreation center was “just born out of necessity” as other facilities in the state that have served as housing shelters, including Logan International Airport, have become overwhelmed. Massachusetts is a right-to-shelter state, where under law it is required to provide shelter for homeless families. “We just have to do what we have to do at this time,” she said. Fox News Digital reached out to the governor’s office, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey nominates former romantic partner to state’s high court
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has nominated her former romantic partner, with whom she shared a home for several years, to the state supreme court. If approved, Massachusetts Appeals Court Associate Justice Gabrielle R. Wolohojian will serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. She would fill a seat left vacant by Justice David Lowy. “There is no one more qualified or more well-prepared to join the SJC than Justice Wolohojian. I’m proud of that nomination, and I’m proud of nominating someone who is so deserving and so qualified. It is what the commonwealth deserves,” Healey told reporters during a press conference Wednesday addressing the matter. BOSTON HAS BEEF WITH DINERS: STEAK TIPS ARE POPULAR PUB-FARE TRADITION IN CITY FAMED FOR SEAFOOD Healey, the first woman and first open member of the LGBTQ community to be elected governor of the state, defended her choice, given her personal history with Wolohojian. “Of course, I had a personal relationship with Judge Wolohojian for many years, so I happen to also know something about her character and her integrity and the kind of person she is,” Healey, a Democrat, added. Healey said Wolohojian received the unanimous recommendation of the state’s Supreme Judicial Nominating Commission — a five-member board appointed by the governor. She has to go before the Governor’s Council, an eight-member board that reviews and approve judicial nominations. Wolohojian, 63, wouldn’t have to recuse herself from cases involving Healey’s administration because she already presides over matter involving state agencies and the executive office, the governor said. However, some disagree with the nomination. “It is highly inappropriate for the governor to nominate to Massachusetts’ highest court an individual with whom she had a long-term romantic relationship in the past,” said Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party. “This nomination clearly demonstrates a lack of accountability inherent in one-party rule.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor’s office. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Shooting blanks: How Republicans misfired when they tried to impeach Mayorkas
“There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result.” – Winston Churchill Late Secretary of War William Belknap can rest easy. He remains the sole U.S. cabinet official ever impeached. For now. The House impeached Belknap in 1876. The House failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHY REP. BLAKE MOORE FLIPPED FROM YEA TO NAY ON IMPEACHING MAYORKAS For now. Belknap’s ignominious status in American history is still in tact because – get this – a lawmaker required emergency surgery. Then when the infirm member unexpectedly surfaced at the Capitol, the House lacked the votes to propel Mayorkas into that elite pantheon occupied only by Belknap. The Hippocratic Oath may read “do no harm.” But it says nothing about hurting impeachment. Republicans made impeachment of Mayorkas the touchstone of the 119th Congress. And after much braying about the border, the performance of Mayorkas and a myriad of other grievances, the House GOP stumbled when it really mattered. It failed to impeach Mayorkas. The vote was tight. Tighter than a new pair of shoes on a rainy day, as yours truly said live on the air during the vote. 215 yeas. 215 nays. Three Republicans voted nay: Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.). But by rule, a tie vote loses in the House. Suddenly House Republican Conference Chairman Blake Moore (R-Utah), the fifth highest-ranking GOPer, switched his vote to nay. Four Republican noes! The vote tally flipped to 214 yeas to 216 nays. The gig was up. The House would not impeach Mayorkas. SEN. RAND PAUL SLAMS GOP LEADERSHIP FOR ‘DRAGGING’ CAUCUS INTO ‘DEAD’ BIPARTISAN BORDER BILL WITH DEMOCRATS So why would Moore, a senior member of the leadership, change his vote? A change of heart? Was this “Invasion of the Body Snatchers?” Was he turning rogue against his own party? None of the above. Moore’s “nay” vote against impeaching Mayorkas deserves an asterisk compared to the votes of Gallagher, McClintock and Buck. Moore wants to impeach Mayorkas. In fact, Moore’s maneuver preserved the Republican gambit to potentially impeach Mayorkas in the future. To wit: House rules enable any member on the PREVAILING side of a roll call vote (in this instance, the NAYS) to “move to reconsider” a vote. In other words, demand a re-vote. Moore was a yea – but on the losing side. Gallagher, McClintock and Buck certainly weren’t going to move to order a re-vote. They opposed impeachment. So, someone on the GOP leadership needed to switch their vote to nay to potentially resuscitate the Mayorkas impeachment plan. Moore altered his vote to no. Not because he opposes impeaching Mayorkas. But now he was on the “winning” side.” House Republicans could summon the Mayorkas impeachment vote again. In fact, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) probably would have changed his vote had he been present. But Scalise is out for cancer treatments and has not voted this year. Republicans might have the votes when Scalise returns. Republicans could also have reinforcements if the GOP wins the special election on Long Island next week. Republicans hope GOP nominee Mazi Melesa Pilip defeats former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) for the vacant seat once held by expelled former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). Then Republicans might have the votes to impeach. Scalise will be back. But if Suozzi defeats Pilip, it’s possible Republicans may never have the votes to impeach Mayorkas. House Republicans badly bungled impeachment. They violated a fundamental tenet of Capitol Hill. It’s always about the math. The House took two roll call votes earlier on Tuesday. A total of 425 members in the 431 member House cast ballots. After the House finished a lengthy debate on impeaching Mayorkas, it was time to hold another vote series. However, Republicans made a decision not to vote on impeachment first. The House instead voted first on the “Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act.” That proved to be a tactical error by the GOP. It created a false sense of security about the Mayorkas vote. Republicans wanted the House to vote first on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal bill to get a sense of the universe of members voting. The canal bill would serve as a “test” vote to determine how many Republicans the majority could lose on impeachment. Wise move. But it backfired. SENATE TO VOTE ON FUNDING FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE AS IMMIGRATION DEAL SET TO GO DOWN IN FLAMES Putting the canal bill first may have sunk impeachment. Cry me a river. The House approved the bill about the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 427 to 2. So the total number of members voting rose from 425 earlier in the day to a new high-water mark of 429. There were two absences. Scalise and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) who was out for surgery. But that’s where the problem came. Republicans didn’t count on Green voting. Aides and medical attendants dramatically rolled Green into the Capitol in a wheelchair. He wore a blue hospital gown and tan footies. The universe of members casting ballots suddenly swelled to 430 as Green cast his ballot against impeachment. A senior House Democratic aide confided to Fox that putting the vote on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal helped the Democrats “hide” Green. That lured Republicans into a state of illusory comfort. They thought they had the votes to impeach, unaware that Democrats were about to thwart them. Green may have been prone on a hospital gurney earlier in the day. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t put impeachment to bed. “He made it clear to me that it was important for him to be present to cast a vote against this sham impeachment led by (Rep.) Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), targeting a hard-working public servant like Secretary Mayorkas,” said House Minority Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Jeffries noted that he did not request that Green swoop in to short-circuit the impeachment vote. This was all on