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On Saturday, the Womens March on Washington will kick off what opponents of the incoming administration hope will be a new era of demonstrations against the Republican agenda. But in some states, nonviolent demonstrating may soon carry increased legal risks including punishing fines and significant prison terms for people who participate in protests involving civil disobedience. Over the past few weeks, Republican legislators across the country have quietly introduced a number of proposals to criminalize and discourage peaceful protest.

The proposals, which strengthen or supplement existing laws addressing the blocking or obstructing of traffic, come in response to a string of high-profile highway closures and other actions led by Black Lives Matter activists and opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Republicans reasonably expect an invigorated protest movement during the Trump years.

In North Dakota, for instance, Republicans introduced a bill last week that would allow motorists to run over and kill any protester obstructing a highway as long as a driver does so accidentally. In Minnesota, a bill introduced by Republicans last week seeks to dramatically stiffen fines for freeway protests and would allow prosecutors to seek a full year of jail time for protesters blocking a highway. Republicans in Washington state have proposed a plan to reclassify as a felony civil disobedience protests that are deemed economic terrorism. Republicans in Michigan introduced and then last month shelved an anti-picketing law that would increase penalties against protestors and would make it easier for businesses to sue individual protestors for their actions. And in Iowa a Republican lawmaker has pledged to introduce legislation to crack down on highway protests.

Protesters demonstrating againstthe Dakota Access oil pipeline stand on a burned-out truck near Cannon Ball, N.D., whichthey removed a day earlier from a long-closed bridge on a state highway near their camp, Nov. 21, 2016.

Photo: James MacPherson/AP

The anti-protesting bills have alarmed civil liberties watchdogs.

This trend of anti-protest legislation dressed up as obstruction bills is deeply troubling, said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, who views suchbills as violations of the First Amendment. A law that would allow the state to charge a protester $10,000 for stepping in the wrong place, or encourage a driver to get away with manslaughter because the victim was protesting, is about one thing: chilling protest.

In North Dakota, the author of the bill that would permit the killing of protestors has linked his legislation directly to anti-pipeline activists successful protests that involved obstructing roadways. Although the bill ostensibly requires drivers to have acted negligently or accidentally in killing a protestor, the bills co-sponsor, Republican state Rep.Keith Kempenich, has said that some accidents might occur if motorists punched the accelerator rather than the brakes, according to the Bismarck Tribune.

If you stay off the roadway, this would never be an issue, saidKempenich. Those motorists are going about the lawful, legal exercise of their right to drive down the road.

Republican legislators behind the anti-protesting bill in Minnesota have also said that their effort is in response to an increasing number of highway closures by activists. In recent months, Black Lives Matter protests have made national news for shutting down major freeways in Minneapolis, most recently in July when a group of protestors blocked a main downtown thoroughfare to protest the police shooting of Philando Castile. The bill elevates such protesting to a gross misdemeanor, punishable by both a year in jail and a fine of $3,000.

In addition to the highway-protesting bill, Minnesota lawmakers also proposed a separate piece of legislation that greatly increases penalties for nonviolent cases involving obstructing the legal process. Under the bills language, nonviolent obstruction of authorities would carry imprisonment of not less than 12 months and a fine of up to $10,000.

Jordan S. Kushner, a Minneapolis civil rights attorney who has represented Black Lives Matter protesters, said this latter bill was most alarming because of its dramatic penaltyenhancement and its apparent targeting of nonviolent protests.

The statute is very heavily abused by police to charge people with crimes in response to minor resistance to police based on good faith disagreements with what they are doing, Kushner told The Intercept in an email.It is frequently used in response to people who verbally challenge or try to observe/record police at protests.

While other anti-protesting proposals in Washington state and Iowa focus on protesters blocking transit routes, a bill that was floated in Michigan appeared to target labor unions. The legislation, which was passed by the Michigan House of Representatives before being set aside by the state Senate last month, would have enabled the state to fine individual picketers $1,000 per day of picketing and would place a $10,000 daily penalty on a union presiding over such a protest. A companion bill would have made it easier for employers to replace striking workers.

Although its unclear whether Michigan Republicans will reintroduce the legislation, Democrats are not optimistic. I think they absolutely will revive it, Democratic state Rep.Leslie Love told The Intercept.

In Washington, a state where Democrats control both houses of the state legislature, there is little chance that the plan to label protestors as economic terrorists will advance. Prospects are better for the anti-protesting bills in Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota, all of which have Republican-dominated legislatures.

In the case of Minnesota, Kushner says the bills in question are seen as a serious cause of concern, and he characterized the states new legislation as being purely political.

I think that the motivations for the Republican legislators proposing bills to penalize protests are to cater to the general public hostility towards Black Lives Matter in the overwhelmingly white suburban and rural districts they represent, said Kushner in an email.The goal is to criminalize protesting to a greater degree and thereby discourage public dissent.

Correction: Jan. 19, 2017

An earlier version of this article referred to Philando Castile as unarmed. In fact, Castile told the officer who shot him that he was armed and had alicense to carry the weapon.

Top photo: Police form a line across the road as demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles a day after President-elect Donald Trumps election victory, Nov. 9, 2016.

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Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest - The Intercept

LONDON Under the gaze of a life-sized cardboard figure of Donald Trump, some 200 of his supporters gathered at an exclusive club near the Ritz hotel in London to celebrate Friday's inauguration of America's 45th president.

Bunches of red, white and blue balloons, some of them star-shaped, adorned the walls of the Royal Over-Seas League where Trump's appearance on the balcony outside the domed U.S. Capitol was greeted with whooping and cheering.

As he completed the oath, the room broke into a standing ovation complete with high-five celebrations.

Later, Trump's inaugural speech was punctuated with cheers, especially his pledge to eradicate "radical Islamic terrorism", while at the end the room chorused along with Trump's trademark promise to make America great again.

"The speech was great - Mr Trump just touched the most important subjects for America," said Polish-born university professor Victoria Gorska-Rabuck.

"His speech was very appropriate, very uplifting and promises a lot. We hope he can deliver what he promised," she told Reuters.

Businessman David Pattinson said he thought Trump would be a successful president.

"I think he'll succeed in cutting government spending although I don't know whether he will be successful in getting rid of the establishment," he said.

"I wasn't surprised when he won, I was satisfied," he added. "I was expecting him to win. It was the same with Brexit in how the polls got it wrong."

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; writing by Stephen Addison; Editing by Dominic Evans)

WASHINGTON A U.S. air strike on Thursday targeting an al Qaeda training camp in Syria killed more than 100 militants, a U.S. defense official said on Friday.

NEW YORK Drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman appeared in a U.S. court on Friday after his surprise extradition from Mexico and pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world's largest drug-trafficking organization during a decades-long criminal career.

WASHINGTON The Trump administration intends to develop a "state of the art" missile defense system to protect against attacks from Iran and North Korea, the White House said in a policy position posted on its website on Friday.

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Republicans in London celebrate Trump's inauguration - Reuters

Sometime early Thursday morning, Assemblyman David J. DiPietros inauguration caravan will roll into Washington and unload a host of Donald J. Trump's supporters from East Aurora.

All 19 of them.

Im bringing everybody my family, my sisters, nieces, staff, everybody, he said late Wednesday. For me its like a movie to have this happen to a dry cleaner from East Aurora.

DiPietro has been at Trumps side for a long time, unsuccessfully attempting in 2013 to talk the billionaire developer into running for governor. Then, he toiled for presidential candidate Trump through the New York primary, and campaigned for him around the country.

Now it feels especially rewarding, he said, to have been there all the way.

I look back at it now and think its just surreal, he said. To know he is now the president of the United States is incredible. I think he appreciates that I was there from the beginning, and thats pretty cool.

About 75 Republican movers and shakers from Western New York will be among the guests at Fridays ceremony, as will an untold number of rank-and-file citizens who will head to the event on their own.

And many, like DiPietro and Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo, look upon Trump's inaugurationwith a sense of amazement.

Hes a New Yorker so its a great moment for New York, said Lorigo, a Trump backer. But its also a great moment for New Yorkers on the right.

Of course, not everyone is thrilled about the Manhattan billionaire stepping to the Capitol podium at noon Friday to take the oath of office.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are slated to descend upon Washington to rally against a most non-traditional chief executive.

Buses bursting with Buffalonians will roll into the capital over the next few days, each filled with protesters, most planning to attend Saturdays Womens March on Washington.

But for Republican faithful, their journey to Washington resembles something akin to a pilgrimage.

Ive spent 50 of my 90 years as a Republican activist, including 20 as chair of the Town of Tonawanda Republican Committee," said John Long, who celebrated his 90th birthday in Washington on Thursday. And I cant believe Im here today celebrating the inauguration of the 45th president, Donald Trump.

Former Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds of Clarence, now a Washington lobbyist, will help guide around town many of the hometown visitors streaming into the city.

A veteran of such affairs who sat on the Capitol podium for the inaugurations of President George W. Bush, Reynolds will host friends of Rep. Tom Reed of Corning and gather with former Gov. George E. Pataki at a New York State affair.

He views the proceedings of the next few days as a recognition of the transfer of power and a celebration of our freedom.

The masses come dignitaries, spouses, officials of foreign governments and plain citizens who want to watch, he said. Most of them do it as part of celebrating that their guy gets sworn in, then there are the protestors saying this is a new Washington and I dont support it.' "

Reynolds also said capital visitors should expect roadblocks, police, security and not a lot of room to roam.

This town basically shuts down, he said. It will be as full as Fort Lauderdale on spring break.

Some New York Republicans attending the event may have to tread lightly.

Buffalos Carl P. Paladino, a member of the president-elects inner circle who was widely criticized last month for disparaging remarks about President and Michelle Obama, said he will have pretty good seats for the Friday inauguration. He plans to shun the post-ceremony balls and dine with friends at a small restaurant, but also looks forward to celebrating a new president and a new way of governing.

We will be attending an inauguration of a president who beat back the Republicans, beat back the Democrats, beat back the Washington establishment, and helps the middle class in their uprising, he said. I think he will be one of our greatest presidents.

Rep. Chris Collins, of Clarence, has also assumed a prominent role as an early congressional champion and spokesman for the campaign. He remains one of Trumps go to guys in Congress and is expected to maintain a high profile throughout the weekend, despite a recent controversy over stock trades he made in tandem with Rep. Tom Price, the Georgia Republican Trump nominated to serve as health secretary.

Meanwhile, Reed will be joined by friends and family to witness the swearing-in ceremony. Reed, like Collins a key player in Trumps transition team, also plans to attend a Thursday morning press conference with Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Other Western New Yorkers such as former Trump staffer Michael R. Caputo, of East Aurora, plan to be in Washington on Friday, while state Chairman Edward F. Cox is also expected to play a key role in shepherding Trumps home delegation through various gatherings and celebrations.

Of course, Republican activists and protesters wont be the only people crowding into the capital this weekend.

Peter Yacobucci, an associate professor of political science and American Democracy Project campus coordinator at SUNY Buffalo State, will lead a contingent of nine students to Washington to witness the Trump inauguration and the womens march.

Ive always believed you can only learn so much in the classroom, Yacobucci said. What I want people to experience is politics on the ground. It should be a wonderful experience for the students.

It will also likely be a wonderful experience for Mary Ann Hess, founder and owner of Niagaras Honeymoon Sweets Gourmet Chocolate. Just as she did at Obamas second inauguration four years ago, Hess will be displaying her wares before hundreds of people at Thursday nights New York State Society Inaugural Gala.

Of course, chocolate is just about the only thing that Republicans and Democrats can agree upon, and Hess aims to keep it that way. Asked if she is a Trump supporter, Hess said: I am going to stay neutral and refuse to say. Thats what I did last time, too.

For his part, though, DiPietro said hell be happily celebrating Trumps inauguration after more than three years of boosting the billionaires political prospects.

Its been incredible, yet exhausting, he said. Emotionally, its been a roller coaster. But if you told me even two years ago that I would be here, I would say that even Hollywood couldnt script this.

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Republicans, still amazed by Trump's victory, head to inauguration - Buffalo News

Forbes

The Republicans' Healthcare Answer -- The Purple Health Plan Forbes U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Nominee Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) testifies during his confirmation hearing January 17, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Price, a leading critic of the Affordable Care Act, is expected to face questions about ... Key Republicans at Tom Price Hearing Still Wary on Health Law RepealWall Street Journal all 483 news articles »

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The Republicans' Healthcare Answer -- The Purple Health Plan - Forbes

When last we checked in on Donald Trumps vow to drain the swamp, we learned that he has adopted a plan for his businesses that will do nothing to eliminate the possibility of conflicts of interest or even corruption. Meanwhile, its becoming clearer and clearer that congressional GOP leaders have no intention to exercise meaningful oversight when it comes to those conflicts, which is putting us on a journey into uncharted territory, where the possibilities for conflicts and corruption are staggering.

Is there anything that principled individual Members of Congress in either party who want such oversight can do about this? Can individual Democrats or Republicans take steps to compel more oversight, if GOP leaders refuse to exercise it?

It turns out there are some things that individualMemberscan do. And it isnt that crazy to imagine that they might make some kind of difference.

One interesting idea was suggested to me by Richard Painter, the former chief ethics lawyer for George W. Bush. He pointed out that Republican Senators who are willing to buck Trump can refuse to support a piece of legislation that Trump and GOP leaders want or try to block it procedurally in order to force Trump to be more transparent about business holdings that might be impacted by that legislation.

As an example, Painter suggests, if Trump and Republicans are pushing legislation to weaken oversight on Wall Street or big banks, any individual GOP Senator or a handful of them could presumably refuse to support that legislation unless Trump supplies a full list of all the ways in which it might impact his holdings.

Painter notes that any one of these Senators could say, Im not doing anything to change the status quo unless I know how much debt Trump or his companies have to the banking industry, who they owe it to, and how much.

Remember, individual Senators have a lot of power and can wreak havoc procedurally if they so choose. And there are some GOP Senators who appear willing to buck Trump, such as John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and conservative Ben Sasse, among others.

Or take health care. Painter points out that a GOP Senator could try to block any legislation impacting health care until Trump provides a list of any relationships his companies have to insurance companies or to any affected industries in health care. Or, Painter notes, a GOP Senator could try to hold up any initiative involving a foreign country a trade deal or some sort of change in foreign policy until it is disclosed how much money Trumps companies have invested in that country, and where.

Obviously Trump could refuse to cooperate. But the resulting standoff would draw media attention, which would focus public attention on the possibility that Trump has potential conflicts around the initiative in question, which in turn might make it less comfortable for Trump to stick to his posture and harder for GOP leaders to continue refusing to provide serious oversight. The point is, individual Senatorscan find ways to make waves, if they want to.

What about Democrats? I contacted law professor Laurence Tribe, who has argued that under his current arrangement Trump will be in violation of the Emoluments Clause, and asked him what Democrats in Congress can do, if anything, to prod Republican leaders to exercise real oversight. Tribe emailed that their options are limited, but not nonexistent:

They can cajole and pressure and bargain and refuse to cooperate with Republicans on issues where the votes of the Democrats are needed. But there is no legal mechanism they can use to compel the congressional Republicans to perform their proper oversight role. Among the things Democrats can pressure Republicans to do, with uncertain success of course, is to share subpoena power with them on one or more joint investigative/oversight committees. They can certainly try to introduce impeachment resolutions despite their minority status in the House.

And those of them in the House and/or the Senate who have significant constituencies of their own can use their bully pulpits, although of course nobody in either House has a megaphone comparable to the one President Trump will have access to.

That isnt too encouraging. But Democrats are going to have to try to use such tactics to kick up as much noise as they can.

One can imagine a scenario developing in which a handful of Democratic and Republican senators team up to try to hold up legislation until Trump provides a full accounting of how that legislation might impact his companies. The press loves stories about bipartisan gangs of Senators, and this kind of tactic could get some attention.And by the way, if the press uncovers new and increasingly grisly conflicts that draw more public attention to Trumps continued flouting of our norms, individual Senators or small groups of them might suddenly find themselves more inclined to make additional trouble for him.

Make no mistake: There is cause for serious pessimism about Trumps conflicts and what they mean for the country. The vast reach of Trumps global business holdings, and the degree to which they remain ensconced in secrecy, combine to create a potential for conflicts, as well as huge hurdles to tracking those conflicts, that put us in truly uncharted territory. GOP leaders have no apparent intention to do anything about this. But that in turn may end up forcing principled public officials to find innovative ways of trying to change that. And its not preposterously far-fetched to imagine that they might eventually bear some fruit.

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Republicans will not rein in Trump corruption. Can anything be done about this? Yes! - Washington Post (blog)