PBC News & Comment: Trump’s Latest Trial Distraction: Netanyahu Visit

Trump invites Netanyahu to visit, to comfort fellow accused leader who openly meddled in 2016 US elections and talk “peace”….--Netanyahu’s opponent in upcoming 3rd election, Benny Gantz is also invited, and they will review Crown Prince Jared’s one-sided “peace plan”
--facing war crimes investigation by international criminal court, Bibi calls for sanctions while Americans are sanctioned for supporting BDS
--reacting to coronavirus outbreak, China bans travel from several cities during busy Lunar New Year celebrations
--Trump plans to add more (shithole) countries to his travel ban
--new visa rules target pregnant women, in effort to limit “birth tourism” and “anchor babies”
--Trump’s asylum dodge will force Portugese-speaking Brazilians to wait in Mexico, despite report more than 800 cases of violence on asylum seekers
--at Gitmo, CIA torture consultant James Mitchell testifies about waterboarding, with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—waterboarded 183 times—sitting nearby
--former Gitmo commander convicted of obstructing justice in 5-year-old case where subordinate was found dead after fight with commander who was screwing his wife
--at ConsortiumNews, Caitlin Johnstone comments on Brazil’s charges against Glenn Greenwald
--at Shadowproof, Kevin Gosztola follows up on Canadian libel claims brought by ConsortiumNews
--retired PBS anchor Jim Lehrer dies at age 85
--in fresh in-depth interview, Whitney Webb of MintPress details her reporting on Iraqi prime minister’s claims of Trump bullying over oil profits, with death threats
From the impeachment file
--opening arguments from House Dems lay out a pretty compelling case against Trump, with a few artful omissions
--Trump revs up his Twitter feed, as he slimes Dems and plays the victim
--in one tweet, 45 lies about Adam Schiff in accusing Schiff of lying about him
--new reports shows that 2017 inaugural committee spent obscenely at Trump’s DC hotel
--the Bolton for Biden witness swap is still under discussion, and Uncle Joe wobbles on testifying