By Donald H. Harrison
NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL – As chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey of New York has much to say about what new projects the government will be granted permission to finance. As for President Trump’s demand for over $5 billion for a border wall, or a compromise proposal for $2 billion being mentioned in the media, her spokesman Evan Hollander said, “We will not agree to $2 billion in funding for barriers,” according to a report by The Washington Post. … As chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York verbally sparred with Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker during a hearing on Friday. According to a New York Times story, Nadler asked Whitaker whether he had been asked to approve any action by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in regard to the investigation of Russian influence in America’s elections. Whitaker responded, “Mr. Chairman, I see that your five minutes is up,” a reference to the committee’s own rule for how long each member could question the witness. Nadler smiled and then instructed Whitaker, “answer the question please.” …. Whitaker said that he has not interfered with the Mueller investigation in any way…. In another series of questions, Whitaker was asked whether restrictions on online gambling were put in place at the behest of casino magnate and Republican contributor Sheldon Adelson. Whitaker said he was not involved in the decision, yet rejected suggestions that the process might have been tainted … Michael Cohen, the disgraced former attorney of President Trump, is inadvertently at the heart of potential prosecution against American Media Inc. (AMI), the publisher of the National Enquirer, following accusations by Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos that AMI was trying to blackmail him with threats to publish sexually compromising photographs. At Cohen’s urging, the same newspaper had paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 to keep silent before the 2016 election about her alleged affair with President Trump. In deciding not to prosecute AMI in that case, the U.S. Attorney’s office in New York essentially put the media company on three years’ probation, saying any crimes committed in that period could result in reopening the case alleging campaign finance irregularites. In that regard, the claims of Bezos’ who also owns The Washington Post are under review, according to a story by three Post reporters. … U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent of Vermont, is advocating what he calls the “Green New Deal,” which calls for reducing to zero greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating carbon emissions in all parts of the economy, and weatherizing homes and buildings. “When we talk about our responsibilities as human beings and parents, there is nothing more important that leaving this country and the entire planet in a way that is habitable for our kids and grandchildren,” he said in an email statement.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY – Attorney and San Diego Mayoral candidate Cory Briggs, who opposes incumbent Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan to reduce parking requirements and height limitations for buildings near transit centers, will address a 6:30 p.m. meeting of La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club at 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa, on Wednesday, March 6. According to the Mission Trails Courier, Briggs believes the plan will only benefit wealthy developers.
SIMCHAS – Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila James Kuehl, who many remember as the character “Zelda” in the television series, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, celebrated her 78th birthday today. … Actress Judith Light, who has played numerous roles both on television and on Broadway, while also being an advocate for the LGBTQ community, is 70 today.
OBITUARIES/ MEMORIALS – Walter Munk, whose knowledge of ocean currents helped Allied Forces pick the ideal time for the Normandy Invasion on D-Day, 1944, has died at the age of 101. A longtime scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, he was honored on the sea by having a devil ray fish given a scientific name invoking his name, and on land on his 100th birthday with the dedication of Walter Munk Way along the La Jolla seashore. The Chancellor of UC San Diego, Pradeep Khosia, told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “I stand in awe at the impact (he) had on UC San Diego, from his countless discoveries that put the university on the map as a great research institution, to his global leadership on the great scientific issues of our time.” Although The New York Times had once dubbed him as the “Einstein of the Oceans,” Munk modestly rejected the encomium, saying “I was never on that level.”
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com