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London approved WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange extradition.

Jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces extradition to the United States for the 2010 publication of thousands of leaked classified documents after the British government Friday approved his extradition.

Here is a timeline of events leading up to the decision.

- 2010: assault charges -

Assange's WikiLeaks whistleblowing website begins releasing 470,000 US classified military documents in July 2010 about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The site later releases another batch of more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables.

In November, a Swedish prosecutor issues an arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault allegations involving two women.

He denies the claims, saying they had consensual sex, but is arrested after he reports to police in London in December. A week later he is released on bail.

- 2012: embassy refuge -

In February 2011, a British judge rules Assange can be extradited to Sweden.

He appeals, claiming the Swedish allegations are a pretext to transfer him to the US to face charges over publishing the military files.

In June 2012, he takes refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London. Ecuador, then ruled by left-wing president Rafael Correa, grants him asylum in August.

In May 2017, Swedish prosecutors drop the sex assault investigation after failing to obtain Assange's transfer.

In December, Ecuador grants Assange nationality but is blocked by Britain from according him diplomatic status.

- 2019: arrest, prison -

In January 2018, Ecuador, now ruled by right-wing President Lenin Moreno, says hosting Assange has become "untenable".

In March it temporarily cuts his communication links. Tensions peak in April 2019 when Moreno says Assange has "repeatedly violated" the conditions of his asylum.

Ecuador revokes his citizenship on April 10.

The next day, British police drag Assange from the embassy following the withdrawal of his asylum. He is arrested on a US extradition request.

In May, Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for having breached bail in 2010.

The legal process for his extradition to the US begins, and Swedish prosecutors reopen the rape investigation.

- US charges -

On May 23, the US Justice Department charges Assange with violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010.

If convicted, he faces jail terms of up to 175 years.

UN rights experts Nils Melzer says Assange has been subjected to "psychological torture" that had seriously affected his health.

Assange makes his first court appearance since being jailed on June 15 via video-link. Subsequently, he looks frail and confused.

- 2020: Trump claim -

In February court hearings, Assange's lawyers claim then US president Donald Trump had promised him a pardon if he denied Russia had leaked him damaging emails about Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The White House denies the claim.

- Swedish charge dropped -

On November 19, Swedish prosecutors drop the rape investigation because "the evidence is not strong enough" despite "credible" claims from his alleged victim.

- 2021: Victory, then setback -

Assange's supporters celebrate after a London court blocks his extradition in January on the grounds he would be a suicide risk if sent to the US.

But with the whistleblower still behind bars, a High Court appeal overturns the verdict and sends the case back to the original court after a US promise he would not be held in isolation in American jails and would receive proper medical treatment.

- 2022: Permission to appeal -

Judges in January grant Assange permission to appeal, offering a glimmer of hope. But on March 14, the Supreme Court refuses to hear his appeal. A week later he marries Stella Morris at Belmarsh high-security jail.

On June 17, London approves his extradition -- prompting WikiLeaks to slam a "political" decision and a "dark day for press freedom and for British democracy".

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Charges, Arrest And Appeals: Wikileaks' Julian Assange's 12-Year Battle - NDTV

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its allies, meanwhile, only made a small investment at the end, despite requests from members to get involved earlier.

I hope the DCCC learns their lesson with this before it happens across the country, said Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who due to redistricting will face GOP Rep.-elect Mayra Flores this fall in a redrawn district.

They have just forgotten about the brown people on the border, Gonzalez continued. And thats basically what it is. Im not going to try to sugarcoat it anymore. They are taking Latinos in South Texas for granted.

When the House convened Wednesday afternoon, several members approached DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney. Democratic Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar, whose Texas districts are also predominantly Latino, were among them. Garcia said she requested a meeting next week and that Escobar, Gonzalez and fellow Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Joaquin Castro all plan to attend.

I dont know that its an intervention, but its gonna be a hard talk, she said. Its going to be a good, healthy family discussion.

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) speaks during a news conference with fellow congressional Democrats in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room at the U.S. Capitol on September 9, 2019.|Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Gonzalez isnt waiting until next week. He stopped Maloney for a one-on-one conversation on the steps of the Capitol, where he could be heard pleading for the party to step up its investment in a region increasingly skewing toward Republicans and he warned that the loss could have been prevented.

Senior Democrats, including Maloney, say the situation is more complicated. They argue the GOP spent heavily for a symbolic, short-lived victory because the seat will disappear due to a redistricting quirk. The new version of the district will be much more winnable for Democrats.

Look, I think the Republicans spent millions of dollars to win a seat thats going away. Were going to win this seat when it matters, Maloney said in a brief interview. You never like to lose, and I understand why people were upset by that. I think Republicans burned a lot of money, and were going to end up with that seat.

But while the loss of this soon-to-disappear version of Texas 34th district is temporary, the trend it represents is growing more and more concerning for Democrats. The resounding win by Flores a health practitioner and wife of a border patrol agent marks the first flip of the midterm cycle for Republicans, and it also hands them a unique messenger as the GOP looks to capture more border and majority-Latino districts in November.

Republicans seized on the victory, declaring it a preview of Democratic losses to come in November particularly in their one-time stronghold in South Texas. Not only did Flores handily defeat the Democrats candidate, Dan Sanchez, but she also showed how far the GOP has encroached on formerly blue territory in just a few years. In a handful of counties, Flores ran dozens of points ahead of Trumps marks in his first bid for office in 2016. She even narrowly carried Cameron County, a longtime base of Democratic support.

Republicans across the state were jubilant: South Texas has been a Democrat stronghold for over a century. To see South Texas move Republican is a seismic shift, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a brief interview after Flores, whom he endorsed, won.

Democratic leaders said the GOPs win was unfortunate but stressed that the DCCC must be selective about where and when it will invest, especially given the current districts will only exist for the next few months.

I think we made the judgment that it was pretty much a Republican seat, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a brief interview when asked about the partys decision not to prioritize the race. When asked if the party would spend significantly there in November, he said, Were going to invest heavily in every seat we think we can win.

Even so, many rank-and-file Democrats, particularly Latinos, were outraged that their party had missed an opportunity to gain ground with voters that were moving away.

The moment you start getting people to say, Well, its ok to vote Republican, then the next time will be easier, said Cuellar, who will be defending his own South Texas turf in November against whats expected to be an onslaught of GOP spending.

The DCCC needs to sit down and look at South Texas seriously, Cuellar said. I dont think its a political realignment, but this should send a message to the DCCC ... You cant take Hispanics for granted, which they always do.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) speaks during a campaign event on May 4, 2022, in San Antonio.|Eric Gay/AP Photo

Most Democrats still believe that Gonzalez can keep the redrawn version of the seat in November, but they worry the GOPs victory this week will provide a huge morale boost that will be hard to undo.

The DNC, the DCCC and all the Democratic national groups really need to take a hard look at what happened, Garcia said. I realize this is a special, but its still given the Republicans a narrative to say: We flipped a seat. And we should have done better.

It was a sentiment felt across the Texas Democratic delegation.

There is absolutely no logical reason why we should be losing any of these seats, Escobar said, while lamenting the DCCCs decision not to spend in the race.

I dont agree with that strategy, she said. I think its always important to invest in elections like that because I think there are consequences to that narrative. And its deeply concerning to me.

National Democrats didnt entirely ignore the special election: House Majority PAC, a super PAC with close ties to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, made a six-figure buy one week before the election. But many Democrats felt it came too late, and some privately complained that the ad attempted to tie Flores to conspiracy theories related to the Jan. 6 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol.

Republicans pounced on what they saw as an obvious Democratic messaging flop.

Our guys were talking about inflation and the economy and crime and the border. What were they talking about? Jan. 6, said Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who runs the House GOPs campaign arm.

The borders a big deal, and theyre not doing anything about it, the National Republican Congressional Committee chief said. We are actually more in touch with the voters than our colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

Republican polling of the district, conducted in mid-May by Meeting Street Insights, found that the most important issue for voters was border security and immigration (35 percent), followed by inflation (28 percent).

Flores and GOP outside groups slammed Democrats as having a weak border security policy that has led to more crime in the region.

I think our historic disinvestment caught up to us, said Rep. Chuy Garca (D-Ill.), who represents a majority-Latino district in the Chicago area. Were on our heels, and we need to invest heavily.

The GOPs latest surge in South Texas comes as alarm bells were already ringing for Democrats.

House Republicans were shocked in November 2020 at what happened along the Texas border. Three Rio Grande Valley districts that Hillary Clinton had won by double-digits only narrowly backed President Joe Biden four years later. Gonzalez just squeaked by in his bid for reelection in his McAllen-based district.

In 2022, Republicans planned to target all three of those districts, held by Gonzalez and Democratic Reps. Filemon Vela and Cuellar.

Vela gave them an early opportunity when he announced he would resign from Congress before the end of his term, prompting a special election in his district under the current lines. The GOP seized its chance.

The NRCC polled the district in April and found Flores leading Sanchez by 5 points, with 41 percent undecided. The committee helped Flores raise $231,500 in donations from Republican members of Congress. And working with the Texas GOP, the NRCC pumped $1.1 million into the district across multiple platforms.

The committee spent $200,000 on a coordinated TV ad buy with the Flores campaign, while the state party made a large transfer. Both groups invested in get-out-the-vote efforts, including digital ads, texting and robocalls. The Congressional Leadership Fund, the top House GOP super PAC, polled in mid-May and found Flores at 34 percent. It then invested some $200,000 on digital and TV to increase her profile.

Republicans concede the district will become harder in the fall. But they are thrilled to have Flores as a strong ambassador for the GOPs values in new territory.

You have a spokesperson who happens to be Hispanic, female and from the Valley, said Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), who joined Flores to campaign.

I can go down and I can have the same message, he said. But I think it is much more powerful and much more palatable and attractive, and some people who would tune me out will give her just enough time.

The rest is here:
Latino Democrats vent their fury after foreboding special election loss in Texas - POLITICO

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) asked President Biden to oppose a suspension of the federal gas tax in a letter Thursday, warning of severe unintended consequences for infrastructure.

Biden is coming under pressure from other Democrats to embrace a gas tax holiday, and The Hill reported this week that the idea is gaining steam.

But Blumenauer cited a market analysis by the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center indicating that over the past decade, only about 18 percent of state gas tax cuts have been passed down to consumers, with the bulk of the changes in revenue returning to oil and gas companies themselves.

While there is undoubtedly a need to provide American consumers relief from spiking costs, there is no guarantee a gas tax suspension would reduce prices at the pump or stem the broader inflation affecting the global economy, and it may only increase oil companies bottom lines, Blumenauer wrote.

In the meantime, he argued, a suspension of the federal tax would create a massive hole in the infrastructure and transportation budget, in particular the Highway Trust Fund, which has already operated under a deficit for years. Suspending the federal gas tax through the end of the fiscal year would cost the fund a further $20 billion, according to budget modeling from the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business.

Moreover, Blumenauer wrote, the provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure bill Biden signed into law at the end of 2021 assume federal gas tax revenues remain the same.

Delaying, or cancelling outright, the projects this legislation makes possible will waste a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild and renew America, and leave future generations holding the bag for long overdue repairs and improvements, Blumenauer wrote.

Biden cannot unilaterally declare a holiday, which would require congressional approval, but could push lawmakers on the subject.

A number of states have responded to record gas prices with moratoriums on state gas taxes, including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and New York. Similar proposals have been discussed but not yet implemented in Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia. Several Democratic governors have asked Biden to consider a federal gas tax holiday, and the presidents economic team hasreportedlyheld talks on the matter over the past week.

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Democrat to Biden: Dont suspend gas tax - The Hill

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) called on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign on Thursday after news that his wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas, emailed with conservative lawyer John Eastman, who was central in former President Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

In a statement on Thursday, Pascrell said Thomas cannot possibly be seen as a neutral actor, labeling him a corrupt jurist.

Over the last few years, we have become numb to bad acts by powerful actors, but Clarence and Ginni Thomas have participated in one of the worst breaches of trust ever seen in our court system, Pascrell said.

Clarence Thomas cannot possibly be seen as a neutral actor but instead as a corrupt jurist who has poisoned the High Court. Clarence Thomas should have dignity and final respect for our democracy and resign, he added.

The call came less than a day after The Washington Post reported that the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has obtained email communication between Ginni Thomas and Eastman. The sources, however, would not provide details of the correspondence.

That revelation added to the heaps of reporting that details Thomass connections to the efforts to overturn the 2020 results.

In March, news broke that Thomas texted with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the aftermath of the presidential election regarding efforts to reverse the vote.

Earlier this month, the Post reported that she urged 29 GOP state lawmakers in Arizona to choose new presidential electors in an effort to reverse President Bidens win there.

The Jan. 6 committee has asked Thomas to speak with the panel; Thomas said Thursday I look forward to talking to them, adding, I cant wait to clear up misconceptions.

Pascrell, in his statement, referenced reports of Thomas conspiring with Trump and his allies while also noting that Clarence Thomas had heard 2020 election-related cases before the Supreme Court.

The high court has handed down at least 10 rulings regarding the 2020 election. Among the most notable was a January decision allowing the Jan. 6 panel to obtain White House records from the Trump administration.

Thomas was the only justice to dissent the decision.

Last night, we read yet more reports that the wife of the longest-serving justice on the Supreme Court was actively conspiring with Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the election and overthrow American democracy, Pascrell wrote.

And while she was doing all this, her husband, Justice Thomas, was hearing litigation related to the 2020 election at the High Court, he added.

In a tweet, the congressman said, Ginni Thomas was complicit in the insurrection attempt at the Capitol on 1/6 as Justice Thomas was considering litigation around the 2020 election, adding, Thomas has proven himself a corrupt actor who has breached public trust.

For the good of the court and nation, he must resign NOW, he said.

Pascrell is not the first lawmaker to call for Thomass resignation. In March, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) urged the justice to step down. Others have called on him to recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6 attack.

Some of Thomass colleagues, however, are offering support. Justice Sonia Sotomayor this week said her conservative colleague is a man who cares deeply about the court as an institution.

We share a common understanding about people and kindness towards them, she added.

The Hill has reached out to the Supreme Court for comment.

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House Democrat calls for Clarence Thomas to resign following report of wifes email with Eastman - The Hill

An ambulance with a message against Gov. Greg Abbotts Democratic challenger, Beto ORourke, is parked outside a reception hosted by the governor during the kickoff of the GOP convention in Houston.

Texas Republicans kicked off their biennial convention Thursday, taking over Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center to discuss the state party's platform, as well as elect its leaders.

Organizers say about 10,000 delegates, alternates and guests are in attendance this year a time when Republicans have solidified their dominance in Texas.

"Remember, the Republican Party of Texas is a grassroots party," Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, told the crowd. "It doesn't belong to me, the governor, or senators or congressmen, or any elected official. This is your party."

Texas GOP committees have been meeting since Monday to discuss intraparty business. But the big speeches started Thursday.

The kick-off day included appearances from local Republican leaders, like state Senator and Republican nominee for land commissioner Dawn Buckingham, as well as national ones, like Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.

Many of the speeches focused on beating the Democrats in November, and included calls for less negotiation and collaboration with them.

"We need to take the fight directly to the left and go on offense," Rinaldi said, adding that he wanted Republicans to stop appointing Democrats to chair committees in the Texas House of Representatives.

During last years session, House Speaker Dade Phelan named 14 Democrats chairs of standing committees.

Later this week, Sen. John Cornyn, who led the congressional gun reform deal, will be speaking. Many Republicans at the convention told The Texas Newsroom they saw Cornyn as a RINO a Republican in name only for working with Democrats.

"I think he needs to be voted out," said Mary Jo Bloomquist, a lifelong Republican from Granbury who is attending the convention as a guest. "He's been in office way too long, and he hasn't done a lot of good things for Texas."

James Byers, a resident of Montgomery County, said Cornyn's approach with Democrats doesn't work anymore for Republicans.

"John Cornyn really emphasizes on being civil, working with people, not being hateful towards anybody that's why he's a really good Republican," Byers said. "But I'm just saying the mood in Texas is more of We really need a fighter.'"

The issue of gun violence was not at the center of this year's convention, despite last month's mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde where an 18-year-old gunman killed 21 people.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who is not speaking on the main stage this year, hosted a reception off-site Thursday night.

"We will not tolerate what happened in Uvalde," Abbott said in his speech, who briefly talked about making schools safer before moving on to other topics. Abbott slammed President Biden and Democrat Beto O'Rourke, and talked about securing the border and funding the police.

Meanwhile, election fraud has been a big topic during this year's convention, with attendees being able to watch multiple showings of the movie 2000 Mules, a film that falsely claims to have exposed fraud in the 2020 election.

Peter Schroer, a convention delegate from the Dallas area, said the party should focus on attacking Biden's legacy, instead of an election that happened two years ago.

"I want to put that in the rearview mirror ... we need to come out and speak for the best of our country," Schroer said. "Let's run people and win this for our party."

Originally posted here:
Texas GOP conventions main theme: Going on offense against Democrats - Houston Public Media