News on Youtube Feb 20 2019

JUDY WOODRUFF: President Trump insisted today that he had, in his words, an absolute right

to declare a national emergency, that after California and 15 other states challenged

the declaration in federal court.

They said diverting military funds to build a southern border wall will hurt their economies

and military bases.

Mr. Trump predicted that he will win the court fight.

In a tweet, he also attacked the 16 states, saying they are -- quote -- "led mostly by

open border Democrats and the radical left."

Separately, the president today denied asking Matt Whitaker, who was then, acting attorney

general, to have an ally run a key investigation.

It involved hush money payments to women claiming affairs with Mr. Trump.

The New York Times reports that the president asked for Geoffrey Berman, a federal prosecutor

in New York, to run the investigation.

Berman had previously recused himself from the case.

Mr. Trump today branded it as -- quote -- "fake news."

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will again seek the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

The 77-year-old independent formally announced today that he's joining the 2020 field.

In interviews, he called again for Medicare for all, a higher minimum wage and free college

tuition, just as he did in 2016.

SEN.

BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), Presidential Candidate: All of those ideas, people would say, oh,

Bernie, they're so radical.

They are extreme.

The American people just won't accept those ideas.

Well, you know what's happened in over three years?

All of those ideas and many more are now part of the political mainstream, and a majority

of the American people now support them.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Sanders is the 12 threat major Democratic candidate to enter the race or

to form an exploratory committee.

Longtime adviser to President Trump Roger Stone has been summoned back to federal court

in Washington this week, and may have his bail revoked.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson acted after Stone posted a photo of her with what looked like

the crosshairs of a gun in one corner.

Stone says he meant no threat.

He was previously charged with lying to Congress, witness-tampering and obstruction in the Russia

investigation.

There's word that White House officials tried to override national security concerns in

2017 to share nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia.

The proposal never advanced, but Democrats on the House Oversight Committee opened an

investigation today.

They cited whistle-blower claims.

Saudi Arabia is under scrutiny over the war in Yemen and the murder of journalist Jamal

Khashoggi.

In Kashmir, new tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan are still running high.

Last week, an attack in the Indian-controlled sector of the region left at least 40 soldiers

dead.

Today, India said it has killed the attack organizer.

In turn, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan offered to hold talks, but he also warned

India.

IMRAN KHAN, Pakistani Prime Minister (through translator): If you think that you will launch

any kind of attack, then Pakistan will merely think about the retaliation.

Pakistan will retaliate.

And after that, where things will go, we all know.

JUDY WOODRUFF: In response, India's foreign minister criticized Khan and charged that

his government has not done enough to fight terrorism in Kashmir.

Back in this country, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider a challenge to the scope

of the 1972 Clean Water Act.

At issue is whether the law regulates discharging wastewater into the ground.

More than a dozen states asked the court to take the case.

Meanwhile, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg returned to the bench today.

That is for the first time since having lung cancer surgery in December.

A new teacher's strike in West Virginia got quick results today.

Teachers walked out this morning, opposing a bill to create charter schools and special

savings accounts for private school tuition.

Within hours, the state House killed the bill.

A teachers strike in West Virginia last year led to similar job actions nationwide.

And Wall Street managed a modest advance.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained eight points to close at 25891.

The Nasdaq rose 14, and the S&P 500 added four.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": getting to the bottom of alleged ballot fraud in North

Carolina; the widening gulf between the U.S. and European allies; a look at the tax plans

of 2020 Democratic candidates; and much more.

For more infomation >> News Wrap: Trump attacks 16 states challenging his emergency declaration - Duration: 4:52.

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CDC fears 'zombie deer disease' spreading in US could infect humans - Duration: 0:44.

For more infomation >> CDC fears 'zombie deer disease' spreading in US could infect humans - Duration: 0:44.

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California AG Xavier Becerra says states to sue over Trumps national emergency declaration Politi - Duration: 2:44.

California AG Xavier Becerra says states to sue over Trumps national emergency declaration Politi

The group of states, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

"Were going to try to halt the President from violating the Constitution, the separation of powers, from stealing money from Americans and states that has been allocated by Congress, lawfully," Becerra told CNNs Kate Bolduan Monday.

The attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Virginia joined California in the lawsuit.

Its the latest challenge to hit the Trump administration, which already faces a litany of lawsuits over the national emergency declaration. Over the weekend, the Center for Biological Diversity, Border Network for Human Rights, which marched with Beto ORourke in El Paso, Texas, last week, and the American Civil Liberties Union all announced lawsuits.

At the core of each lawsuit is the argument that Trump is circumventing Congress to fund the wall along the US Mexico border by declaring an emergency.

"The Constitution assigns Congress the power of the purse, and no prior president has ever tried to use emergency powers to fund a chosen project particularly a permanent, large scale domestic project such as this against congressional will. This is obviously improper," said Dror Ladin, staff attorney with the ACLUs National Security Project.

Becerra argued that the states have standing to challenge Trump because money appropriated to them might be at risk.

"If the President is essentially stealing money thats been allocated to go to the various states for various purposes but no longer will, were being harmed, our people are being harmed," he said.

The wave of lawsuits was expected, though fighting them in court will likely be difficult.

The National Emergencies Act allows the President to declare a national emergency and unlock a stash of funds by invoking certain statutory authority. The President has wide discretion over what constitutes a national emergency. As a result, legal experts argue that fighting the declaration on the basis of the emergency itself will likely be difficult. The other question is whether the statute Trump has invoked which in this case, requires the use of the armed forces can be used to fund the wall.

Under the declaration, the administration will tap dollar 2.5 billion of military narcotics funding and dollar 3.6 billion in military construction funding. Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said and determine whether border barriers are necessary to support the use of the armed forces.

Its not just lawsuits that the administration has to face, but also the possibility of a joint resolution put forth by House Democrats to terminate the declaration. The resolution would need to be voted on by the House and then the Senate, before heading to the Presidents desk.

On Sunday, White House adviser Stephen Miller indicated that Trump would cast the first veto of his presidency if lawmakers tried to terminate the declaration.

National emergencies can last for one year and then terminate, unless the President renews the declaration 90 days prior, said Robert Chesney, who served in the Justice Department and teaches at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Every six months, Congress can consider whether to put forward a joint resolution to terminate the emergency.

According to , there have been 58 national emergencies between 1978 and 2018. Of those, 31 are still in effect today.

For more infomation >> California AG Xavier Becerra says states to sue over Trumps national emergency declaration Politi - Duration: 2:44.

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As Islamic States caliphate withers, the fate of its foreign born members looms over European nation - Duration: 5:26.

As Islamic States caliphate withers, the fate of its foreign born members looms over European nation

Islamic States self styled caliphate once spanned territory larger than South Carolina. The extremist group controlled the lives of more than 8 million Iraqi and Syrian residents and established its own currency, a taxation system and a sprawling bureaucracy that went so far as to dictate what its subjects were allowed to wear and to think. Its fighters vowed they would conquer Rome, Paris and Washington.

Four years and a bloody military campaign later, all thats left of Islamic States real estate holdings is a fraction of a square mile in a remote Syrian hamlet near the border with Iraq.

There, hundreds of the remaining militants and more than 1,000 members of their families were holed up on Sunday in Baghouz al Fawqani, surrounded by Kurdish led militiamen allied with the U.S.

In recent days, tens of thousands of people have streamed out of the groups shrinking enclave, many of them die hard followers of Islamic State who moved repeatedly as the militant group ceded territory across Syria and Iraq.

On Saturday, the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces SDF said their offensive had stalled at the edge of one of Baghouzs neighborhoods, where officials said Islamic State militants had prevented the last civilians from leaving and were using them as human shields.

The fate of thousands of foreign born Islamic State adherents now held in makeshift prisons and camps run by the Kurds has become the subject of heated global debate: Their home countries have long refused to repatriate them, viewing them as an unacceptable security risk and a political millstone.

President Trump waded into the issue late Saturday, tweeting that the caliphate was ready to fall and that the United Kingdom and other longstanding European allies should take back more than 800 Islamic State fighters captured in Syria and put them on trial or see them released when some 2,000 U.S. military personnel withdrew from Syria.

The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them, Trump tweeted.

The US does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go. We do so much, and spend so much Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing.

Kurdish officials Sunday reiterated the need to arrange repatriation.

This large number of mercenaries is a burden and a danger to us and all the international community. Its not just fighters, but thousands of women and children, said Abdul Karim Omar, co chairman of the SDF Foreign Relations Committee, in an interview.

The cost of housing families in the Al Hawl refugee camp, home to some 14,000 Islamic State suspects and 1,650 of the groups family members thousands of other Islamic State family members are sprinkled across a number of camps , runs upward of dollar 100,000 per month, said Mohammad Karo, deputy head of the Kurds refugee affairs commission.

The children, Omar said, are especially vulnerable.

Theyre all raised in the mindset of terror. If theyre not sent back to their societies, rehabilitated and reintegrated, they themselves will be potential terrorists in the future, said Omar. Just because these people are in this area, that doesnt mean they dont represent a danger to the international community. Its an opportunity for these nations to round their citizens up and either make them face justice at home or rehabilitate them.

Few countries have heeded the call. In January, the SDF announced that Kazakhstan had taken back five fighters, 11 women and 30 children. Last week, Saudi Arabias foreign affairs minister Adel Jubeir said his government would take back some 50 Saudi men held in Kurdish custody.

Yet there is also the issue of justice for those victimized by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The fight to dislodge the group has left wide swaths of both Iraq and Syria in ruins. Residents singled out foreign members of Islamic State as being particularly vicious in applying harsh forms of their interpretation of Islamic law.

These people appear in the media and say they were tricked. Had that been true, they would have run back when they first came and saw the situation wasnt as Daesh [the Arabic word for the group] depicted it, said Ali Baroodi, a university professor in Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, which in 2014 became Islamic States Iraqi capital. Half of it was later leveled in the fight to remove the militants.

He added that nations should place Islamic State members on trial in Nuremberg style courts like those used to try Nazis.

Shamima Begum, 19, has become a focus in assessing international governments reactions.

The British teen, along with two of her friends, traveled to Islamic State as a 15 year old schoolgirl in 2015. Within three weeks, according to interviews she gave to British media outlets, she had married Yago Riedijk, 26, a Dutch Muslim convert and fighter with Islamic State.

By the time she fled to Al Hawl earlier this week, she had given birth to two children who died as babies and was pregnant with a third. She was desperate to return to Britain, she said, for the safety of her soon to come baby but had nevertheless shown no remorse for joining Islamic State.

The British government, including British Home Secretary Sajid Javid, sought to block her return, cancel her passport and revoke her citizenship.

On Sunday, her family announced that . Both she and the baby were in good health, according to the familys statement.

Tasnime Akunjee, the familys lawyer, said the U.K. should take responsibility for its citizens.

You cant remove someones citizenship and render them stateless, said Akunjee in a telephone interview Sunday, adding that the U.K.s international obligations meant that Begum had to be allowed to return home.

In usual circumstances, states try to track people who commit crimes and bring them to justice. Its interesting how the British government is accusing her of participating in some crime and yet is not interested at all in bringing her back to British justice. Im still wondering why thats the case.

Begum, meanwhile, insisted she represented no threat.

When I went to Syria, I was just a housewife. The entire four years I stayed at home, took care of my husband, took care of my kids. I never did anything. I never made propaganda, I never encouraged people to come to Syria, she said in an interview with British broadcaster Sky News on Sunday, with her newborn at her side.

She was hoping, Begum said, maybe for the sake of me and my child, they let me come back.

Because I cant live in this camp forever. Its not really possible.

The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial. The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them........

....The U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go. We do so much, and spend so much Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100 percent Caliphate victory!

For more infomation >> As Islamic States caliphate withers, the fate of its foreign born members looms over European nation - Duration: 5:26.

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Breaking Celeb News | 16 states sue Trump over emergency order to fund border wall - Duration: 1:56.

For more infomation >> Breaking Celeb News | 16 states sue Trump over emergency order to fund border wall - Duration: 1:56.

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GAO: Unclaimed Retirement Savings Transferred to States - Duration: 1:17.

For more infomation >> GAO: Unclaimed Retirement Savings Transferred to States - Duration: 1:17.

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U.S. states sue Trump administration in showdown over... - Duration: 3:12.

Acoalition of 16 U.S.states led by California sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to obtain funds for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.The lawsuit filed in U.S.District Court for the Northern District of California came just days after Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday after Congress declined to fulfill his request for $5.7billion to help build the wall that was his signature 2016 campaign promise.His move aims to let him spend money appropriated by Congress for other purposes

Joining in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia

'Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power,' California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement

'We´re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states

For most of us, the Office of the Presidency is not a place for theatre,' added Becerra, a Democrat

Three Texas landowners and an environmental group filed the first lawsuit against Trump's move on Friday, saying it violates the Constitution and would infringe on their property rights

The legal challenges could slow down Trump's efforts to build the wall, which he says is needed to check illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but will likely end up at the conservative-leaning U.S.Supreme Court.In a budget deal passed by Congress to avert a second government shutdown, nearly $1.4billion was allocated toward border fencing.Trump's emergency order would give him an additional $6.7billion beyond what lawmakers authorized.In television interviews on Sunday and Monday, Becerra said the lawsuit would use Trump's own words against him as evidence there is no national emergency to declare

Earlier, Trump had said he knew that he did not need to declare an emergency to build the wall, a comment that could now undercut the government's legal argument

'Presidents don't go in and claim declarations of emergency for the purposes of raiding accounts because they weren't able to get Congress to fund items,' Becerra said on MSNBC

The legal challenges could slow down Trump's efforts to build the wall, which he says is needed to check illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but will likely end up at the conservative-leaning U.S.Supreme Court.A woman from Honduras is seen running from tear gas with her two children after trying to breach the border

For more infomation >> U.S. states sue Trump administration in showdown over... - Duration: 3:12.

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Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx Recuses Self From Jussie Smollett Investigation NBC Chicago - Duration: 4:26.

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx Recuses Self From Jussie Smollett Investigation NBC Chicago

Tip That Smollett, 2 Brothers Were Together Unfounded: Cops

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Chicago police say they hope TV star Jussie Smollett will cooperate in questioning. The Empire actor said he was the victim of a hate crime, but investigators are considering whether the entire account was fabricated. NBC 5s Ash har Quraishi reports.

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the investigation into the alleged attack into "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.

First Assistant States Attorney Joseph Magats will be the acting states attorney for the matter, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement Tuesday. No further explanation was given as to why Foxx recused herself.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the decision to recuse herself was made to address potential questions of impartiality based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in the case," the spokesperson said in an email.

Chicago police still want to re interviewabout the night he says he was attacked, but its unclear if or when the "Empire" actor will comply.

Chicago police want to re interview Jussie Smollett about the night he says he was attacked, but its unclear if or when the Empire actor will comply. Lauren Petty reports.

A representative for Smollett said he had no plans to speak with detectives on Monday, despite their requests. A source close to the situation said Smollett had not met with police as of Tuesday afternoon and would not be meeting with them later that day.

Chicago police with Smollett after they said of the reported attack on the actor and singer.

Detectives about the attack but , Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Saturday. Police said they had gleaned new information from their interrogation of the two men and they were no longer suspects.

A source familiar with the investigation told NBCs Andy Blankstein the investigation has shifted to whether Smollett paid the two men to fake the attack.

Guglielmi declined to comment on published reports that police believe Smollett staged the assault or that a grand jury may hear evidence in the case.

"Were not confirming, denying or commenting on anything until we can talk to him and we can corroborate some information that weve gotten," he said.

Last week, police said reports that the attack against Smollett was a hoax.

Smollett, who is black and gay, as he was returning home from an early morning stop at a Subway restaurant in downtown Chicago. He said two masked men shouted racial, anti gay slurs and "This is MAGA country!" as they looped a rope around his neck and poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him before running away.

Smolletts lawyers said late Saturday that the actor felt "victimized" by reports that he played a role in the assault, adding that, "nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying." The statement from attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor P. Henderson also said Smollett would continue cooperating with police.

Police said they combed surveillance video in the heavily monitored area where Smollett said the attack occurred but were unable to find any footage of the incident. They did obtain images of two people they said they wanted to question.

On Wednesday, Chicago police picked up the brothers at OHare International Airport as they returned from Nigeria. They described them as "suspects" in the assault, questioned them and searched their apartment.

One of the men is Smolletts personal trainer, whom the actor hired to help get him physically ready for a music video, Smolletts attorneys said in their statement.

Jussie Smollett has no plans to speak with police in Chicago Monday, a representative for the Empire star said, despite authorities requests for a follow up interview. NBC 5s Ash harQuraishi reports.

"It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussies complicity," the attorneys said.

Police have said they were investigating the attack as a possible hate crime and considered Smollett a victim. Reports of the assault from some politicians and celebrities. Smolletts account of what happened also has been met with skepticism, particularly in the wake of the latest developments.

Smollett, who is also a musician, during a Feb. 2 concert in West Hollywood, California, saying he went ahead with the show because he couldnt let his attackers win.

He also that aired Thursday in which he said he was "pissed" at people who did not believe he was attacked.

"Ive heard that it was a date gone bad, which I also resent that narrative," he said. "Im not gonna go out and get a tuna sandwich and a salad to meet somebody. Thats ridiculous. And its offensive."

"I respect too much the people who I am now one of those people who have been attacked in any way," Smollett told Roberts, adding, "You do such a disservice when you lie about things like this."

The investigation into an alleged attack on TV star Jussie Smollett took another turn this weekend, as the CPD wants to speak to the actor. NBC 5s Trina Orlando has more details.

Producers of the Fox television drama have supported Smollett, saying his character on "Empire," Jamal Lyon, was not being written off the show.

Smollettthat police said were not sufficient for a criminal investigation.

+ showMoreText +

For more infomation >> Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx Recuses Self From Jussie Smollett Investigation NBC Chicago - Duration: 4:26.

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Google Pay picks up the pace, adds more than 40 banks in the United States - Duration: 2:12.

When it comes to mobile payment services, Apple and Google compete against each other in the United States, as both giants are trying to amass as many customers as possible

In fact, Apple Pay and Google Pay add new banks and financial institutions on a monthly basis, but the numbers vary greatly

For example, early this month, Apple Pay support was added for 15 new banks, far from what Google Pay managed to add this month

The updated list of banks and credit unions in the U.S. that offer Google Pay support has been recently updated with 43 new banks

Alpena Community Credit Union, American Bank, NA, Bank of Deerfield, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Baraboo State Bank, BlackRidgeBank, Campbell Employees Federal Credit Union, Coleman County State Bank, Columbia Credit Union, Community Bank of Louisiana, Community Resource Bank, Equishare Credit Union, Federation Bank, First Area Credit Union, FNB Bank, Inc

(KY), FNB Bank, Inc. (WV), GNB Bank, Jefferson Credit Union, KH Network Credit Union, LaSalle State Bank, Liberty Bank, Members Choice West Virginia Federal Credit Union, and Memphis City Employees, Metro Employees Credit Union, Midland States Bank, Monroe Telco Federal Credit Union, NESC Federal Credit Union, NexTier Bank, National Association, Northwestern Mutual Credit Union, Pearl Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Pine Federal Credit Union, Rabobank, NA, Rushville State Bank, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Southwest National Bank, St

Pius X Church Federal Credit, The Citizens National Bank of Bluffton, The Citizens National Bank of Somerset, The Farmers & Merchants Bank, The First National Bank of Ballinger, Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union, Washington Gas Light Federal Credit Union, Windsor Federal Savings & Loan, and Wiremen's Credit Union

If you want to use Google Pay, but your bank is not among those that offer support for the mobile payment service, you can be sure that Google will eventually add it at some point in the future

Be sure to check back next month when Google Pay is expected to add new banks and credit unions

For more infomation >> Google Pay picks up the pace, adds more than 40 banks in the United States - Duration: 2:12.

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Trump unleashes as 16 states sue him over border wall emergency declaration - Duration: 5:02.

 The President was particularly scathing about California's lead role in the legal challenge, claiming the state had "wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train", a project recently scaled back after costs ballooned to $US77 billion

 He also noted that he had predicted last week that the action would be brought in the federal judiciary's 9th Circuit, which has a history of ruling against the administration Mr Trump intends to divert $US8 billion from counter-drug and military funds to build his US-Mexico border wall, after Congress refused to agree to more than $US1

4 billion.  Presidents have declared national emergencies before, but never to get the money they want after Congress refused

 The lawsuit will argue that the move is unconstitutional, and are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop Mr Trump from acting until the case is resolved

They may challenge his grounds for calling an emergency based on his own words, after he told reporters just before signing the declaration: "I could do the wall over a longer period of time

I didn't need to do this, but I'd rather do it much faster." The White House argued Mr Trump only meant he was "not going to ignore the border emergency"

 The 16 states all have Democratic governors, except for Maryland, whose Democratic Attorney-General is named in the action

The others are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Virginia

 The complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco

Mr Trump last week said he believed the lower courts could rule against him, but he hoped he would prevail in the Supreme Court

 The complainants have a tough battle on their hands. The lawsuit states that the President "has used the pretext of a manufactured 'crisis' of unlawful immigration to declare a national emergency and redirect federal dollars appropriated for drug interdiction, military construction and law enforcement initiatives toward building a wall

" He has repeatedly publicly railed against "criminal" immigrants bringing drugs over the border, a claim contested by Democrats, who say narcotics are more likely to enter through legal entry points

 The Justice Department is expected to argue that the court should not look at the facts about the border, but instead must defer to his decision

There is no official standard for what conditions have to be met before a president can declare a national emergency

 The judge will also need decide whether the dispute is properly before the court

The plaintiffs must establish that they are suffering some particular injury, with advocacy group Public Citizen filing a lawsuit on Friday on behalf of Texas landowners

 The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a suit claiming a border barrier would affect wildlife, and the American Civil Liberties Union is preparing a claim that military funds can only be redirected for construction projects that support the armed forces

 California Attorney-General Xavier Becerra told the New York Times he would argue that individual in states that are not on the border could still "lose funding that they paid for with their tax dollars, money that was destined for drug interdiction or for the Department of Defence for military men and women and military installations

" — With wires

For more infomation >> Trump unleashes as 16 states sue him over border wall emergency declaration - Duration: 5:02.

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16 States Join in Suit Against National Emergency Declaration - Duration: 1:35.

For more infomation >> 16 States Join in Suit Against National Emergency Declaration - Duration: 1:35.

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16 States Sue to Stop Trumps Use of Emergency Powers to Build Border Wall The New York Times - Duration: 7:46.

16 States Sue to Stop Trumps Use of Emergency Powers to Build Border Wall The New York Times

By and

WASHINGTON — A coalition of 16 states, including California and New York, on Monday challenged President Trump in court over his plan to use emergency powers to spend billions of dollars on his border wall.

The lawsuit is part of a constitutional confrontation that Mr. Trump set off on Friday when he declared that he would spend billions of dollars more on border barriers than Congress had granted him. The clash raises questions over congressional control of spending, the scope of emergency powers granted to the president, and how far the courts are willing to go to settle such a dispute.

The suit, filed in Federal District Court in San Francisco, argues that the president does not have the power to divert funds for constructing a wall along the Mexican border because it is Congress that controls spending.

Xavier Becerra, the attorney general of California, said in an interview that the president himself had undercut his argument that there was an emergency on the border.

Probably the best evidence is the presidents own words, he said, referring to : I didnt need to do this, but Id rather do it much faster.

The lawsuit, California et al. v. Trump et al., says that the plaintiff states are going to court to protect their residents, natural resources and economic interests. Contrary to the will of Congress, the president has used the pretext of a manufactured crisis of unlawful immigration to declare a national emergency and redirect federal dollars appropriated for drug interdiction, military construction and law enforcement initiatives toward building a wall on the United States Mexico border, the lawsuit says.

Heres how President Trumps border wall fits on the list of emergency declarations.

to challenge the presidents declaration. The Democrat controlled House of Representatives may take a two prong approach when it returns from a recess. One would be to bring a lawsuit of its own.

Lawmakers could also vote to override the declaration that an emergency exists, but it is doubtful that Congress has the votes to override Mr. Trumps certain veto, leaving the courts a more likely venue.

Joining California and New York are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Virginia. All have Democratic governors but one — Maryland, whose attorney general is a Democrat — and most have legislatures controlled by Democrats.

The dispute stems from steps Mr. Trump said he would take after lawmakers granted him only dollar 1.375 billion for new border barriers, legislation he signed last week to avoid another government shutdown.

Mr. Trump asserted the power to tap three additional pots of money on his own: dollar 600 million from a Treasury Department asset forfeiture fund for law enforcement priorities; about dollar 2.5 billion from a military antidrug account, most of which would first be siphoned from other military programs the Pentagon has yet to identify; and dollar 3.6 billion in military construction funds he said he could redirect by invoking an emergency powers statute.

Presidents have invoked emergency powers statutes nearly five dozen times since Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act of 1976, but never before has one been used to make an end run around Congress after it rejected funding for a particular policy.

But as the debate over Mr. Trumps action shifts to courtrooms, legal experts warned that its fate may turn less on such high constitutional principle and more on complex legal issues — from whether plaintiffs can establish that the case is properly before the courts, to how to interpret several statutes.

Even though Trumps political maneuver to get around an uncooperative Congress looks like it stretches the Constitution, the questions presented in court will raise ordinary and complicated issues of administrative law, said Peter M. Shane, an Ohio State University law professor and co author of .

Two cases had already been filed after Mr. Trumps announcement on Feb. 15 — one , representing several Texas landowners and a Texas environmental group, and the other by the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

At least two other lawsuits are expected to be filed later this week. The American Civil Liberties Union has announced its intention to file a case, but has not yet publicly identified its client. The other case will be brought by Protect Democracy, another watchdog group, and the Niskanen Center, a center right policy institute, on behalf of El Paso County and the Border Network for Human Rights.

Many critics have challenged whether an emergency truly exists on the Southern border that a wall would solve, pointing to government data showing that the number of people crossing illegally has dropped significantly over the past generation and that most drugs are smuggled through ports of entry.

The president has argued, without proof, that the emergency declaration is warranted because the migrants invading the United States across the Mexico border have caused epidemics of crime and drug use.

Legal specialists expected the Justice Department to urge a court not to consider facts about the border or Mr. Trumps words, but rather to defer to the presidents decision. The courts have a long history of being reluctant to substitute their own judgment for the presidents about a security threat.

The Trump administration will have a powerful argument to invoke: In the National Emergencies Act, Congress defined no standard for what conditions have to be met before a president may determine that a qualifying crisis exists.

But before a judge could weigh whether Mr. Trump invoked the statute legitimately, he or she would have to decide whether the dispute is properly before the court in the first place.

Plaintiffs will need to establish standing by showing that they are suffering some particular injury from what Mr. Trump is doing. Several of the lawsuits involve people who own land or represent communities along the Mexican border in Texas, where Mr. Trump has put the focus of his emphasis on the need for more barriers.

But it is not clear whether any of the fencing will be built in California or New Mexico, two of the states in the lawsuit, and it certainly will not be built in other states involved in the litigation, like New York, New Jersey or Hawaii.

Mr. Becerra, Californias attorney general, suggested that plaintiffs in the states lawsuits have standing for reasons that are unrelated to whether any portions of Mr. Trumps wall will be built in their territory, arguing that the presidents unconstitutional action could cause harms in many parts of the country.

People in California and other plaintiff states could lose funding that they paid for with their tax dollars, money that was destined for drug interdiction or for the Department of Defense for military men and women and military installations, he said in the interview.

Further complicating matters, the administration has said it intends to spend the funds in sequence, starting with the dollar 1.375 billion Congress appropriated, and reaching the emergency power military construction fund last. The Justice Department is likely to argue that if no disputed spending is imminent, the case is not ripe for litigation and should be dismissed.

Ian Bassin, the executive director of Protect Democracy, said that El Paso County would probably argue that its economy was being harmed by Mr. Trumps emergency declaration because it wrongfully signaled to businesses and potential tourists that they should stay away.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the wave of lawsuits. Mr. Trump has said he expected to be sued and to lose in lower courts, but he predicted he would eventually prevail before the Supreme Court.

But plaintiffs can also challenge whether the administration is interpreting several statutes correctly.

The that gives the secretary of defense authority to transfer some Pentagon money into the antidrug account Mr. Trump is then planning to tap, for example, says its authority may be used in no case where the item for which funds are requested has been denied by the Congress — raising the question of whether extra funding for border barriers counts as such a forbidden item.

And the Mr. Trump plans to use permits military construction spending in an emergency that requires the use of the armed forces for projects to support such use. That has been used before to build up foreign military bases in a war effort, but litigants challenge whether a permanent wall to help civilian agencies police the border qualifies under that wording.

Judges will certainly be aware of the larger institutional context when they address those technical issues, but that awareness will not, by itself, determine how the legal questions get resolved, Mr. Shane said.

An earlier version of this article misidentified one of the states involved in the litigation. Washington State is not a party to the suit.

For more infomation >> 16 States Sue to Stop Trumps Use of Emergency Powers to Build Border Wall The New York Times - Duration: 7:46.

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Trump says the "Radical Left" is behind state lawsuit over emergency declaration - Duration: 12:49.

President Donald Trump anticipated that his national emergency declaration at the border would face legal challenges

It already has. So he's gearing up for battle — including in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that he's lamented before

On Tuesday, Trump reacted to a lawsuit filed Monday by 16 states, including California, New York, and Michigan, over his decision to declare a national emergency in an attempt to get funding for his border wall

"As I predicted, 16 states, led mostly by Open Border Democrats and the Radical Left, have filed a lawsuit in, of course, the 9th Circuit!" he wrote

"California, the state that has wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train, with no hope of completion, seems in charge!" (Trump initially wrote that 16 cities had sued but deleted and rewrote the tweet

) As I predicted, 16 states, led mostly by Open Border Democrats and the Radical Left, have filed a lawsuit in, of course, the 9th Circuit! California, the state that has wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train, with no hope of completion, seems in charge!— Donald J

Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2019 The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, which is based in San Francisco

Cases from that court are appealed to the Ninth Circuit, meaning the case could eventually wind up there, but it won't right away

While announcing the national emergency on Friday, Trump predicted a complaint would wind up in the Ninth Circuit and eventually land at the Supreme Court in a bizarre singsong voice

"We will have a national emergency, and we will then be sued, and they will sue us in the Ninth Circuit, even though it shouldn't be there, and we will possibly get a bad ruling, and then we'll get another bad ruling, and then we'll end up in the Supreme Court, and hopefully we'll get a fair shake and we'll win in the Supreme Court," Trump said

On Tuesday, he also went after California's "Fast Train project," claiming its cost overruns are becoming "world record setting

" As Vox's Matt Yglesias recently explained, California had plans for a statewide high-speed rail network, but newly elected Gov

Gavin Newsom essentially canceled them. Trump seems to be attacking California specifically because that state and Attorney General Xavier Becerra are leading the national emergency complaint

Why the states are suing As soon as Trump declared the national emergency on Friday, California indicated that a lawsuit was on the way, with Newsom and Becerra telling the White House in a joint statement, "California will see you in court

" The 16 states that sued on Friday all have Democratic attorneys general, and all but one — Maryland — have Democratic governors

The complaint seeks a preliminary injunction on the emergency declaration and lays out the objections

The states say they collectively stand to lose millions in federal funding that will now be diverted to the border wall

(Trump has laid out plans to divert some $6.7 billion for wall construction.) They also say that construction will cause "irreparable environmental damages" to the natural resources of California and New Mexico

The complaint argues that Trump's declaration has no objective basis, citing Trump's own comments

On Friday, Trump said he didn't "need" to declare a national emergency but is doing so because it's "faster

" "President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt," Becerra said in a statement announcing the lawsuit on Monday

"He knows there is no border crisis, he knows his emergency declaration is unwarranted, and he admits that he will likely lose this case in court

" "Diverting necessary funds from real emergencies, crime-fighting activities, and military construction projects usurps Congressional power and will hurt Americans across the country," New York Attorney General Letitia James tweeted after the lawsuit was filed

"We won't stand this abuse of power." BREAKING: We've joined 15 AGs in filing a lawsuit challenging President Trump's declaration of a national emergency & his attempt to divert funding appropriated by Congress for other purposes

Declaring a National Emergency when one does not exist is immoral and illegal.— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) February 19, 2019 This is just one of multiple legal challenges Trump is likely to face over the emergency declaration

The American Civil Liberties Union and the nonpartisan nonprofit group Protect Democracy have also said they plan to sue

Trump has a bone to pick with the Ninth Circuit Trump has made no secret of his distaste for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

The court ruled against him on two versions of his travel ban proposal and issued a partial injunction against the third

In June 2018, the Supreme Court overturned its ruling on a ban that was much narrower than Trump's initial attempts and allowed it to remain permanently in effect

Ninth Circuit courts put a hold on Trump's attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects some 700,000 unauthorized immigrants who arrived in the US as children, and on his attempt to strip Temporary Protected Status from immigrants who have lived in the US for years

In November, a Ninth Circuit judge put a temporary hold on Trump's attempt to implement asylum restrictions at the southern border that would ban migrants who cross illegally outside ports of entry from seeking asylum

The Supreme Court upheld that ruling. The asylum ban case ignited a rare public back-and-forth between Trump and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts when the California court ruled in November

Trump claimed the judge ruling against him was an "Obama judge," and Roberts rebuked him, saying there are no "Obama judges, or Trump judges, or Bush judges, or Clinton judges

" Trump responded and insisted that his initial take was correct. Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have "Obama judges," and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country

It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an "independent judiciary," but if it is why

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 .are so many opposing view (on Border and Safety) cases filed there, and why are a vast number of those cases overturned

Please study the numbers, they are shocking. We need protection and security - these rulings are making our country unsafe! Very dangerous and unwise!— Donald J

Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 The Ninth District has for quite some time been a sort of boogeyman for Republicans beyond Trump

As Vox's Dylan Matthews recently explained, it has long been stereotyped as a liberal outlier whose decisions are often overturned in the Supreme Court

But research suggests it's not the most liberal: One study based on law clerk political donations found that clerks in the First Circuit, based in Boston, and the Second Circuit, in New York City, were more liberal

And the Ninth Circuit isn't the most frequently overturned court. But Trump yet again finds himself on a collision course with the Ninth Circuit, this time over his national emergency declaration

So the attacks on the court, merited or not, will continue. The news moves fast

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