Replies to post #286916 on Liberal Free Chat Zone (NOLIB)

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Pelosi responds to Trump's State of the Union with smirks and eye roll | Lawmakers roll out bipartisan bill targeting drug prices

MARKETWATCH 7:49 AM ET 2/6/2019

Cupertino, Calif., mayor draws flak for wall joke, while Howard Schultz gets criticized for certain investments

Pelosi expresses opposition with smirks and eye roll: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to smirk, chuckle, shake her head or roll her eyes several times during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday night, including when Trump called for an end to "ridiculous partisan investigations" and when he spoke about the MS-13 gang traversing the southern border, notes a Los Angeles Times report (https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-congress- pelosi-sotu-20190205-story.html).

At the same time, however, the California Democrat made sure that her party did not go too far in displaying its opposition to Trump, as she at least twice lifted her hand to shush rank-and-file Democrats when they began to loudly groan at some of Trump's immigration rhetoric, the report added. Though it was Trump at the lectern, many eyes in the chamber and on screens nationwide were looking over his left shoulder at Pelosi, who has become his toughest domestic rival, according to the LA Times. A Bloomberg News report

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-06/pelosi- gives-vivid-response-to-trump-with-gestures-expression

also highlighted Pelosi's reactions, saying that she delivered a vivid Democratic response to Trump's speech without speaking a word.

Read more:Trump stops short of border emergency and omits infrastructure details in State of the Union (http:// www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-stops-short-of-border-emergency-and-omits-infrastructure-details-in-state-of-the-union- 2019-02-05)

And see:'Totally outrageous' and 'great job' -- what lawmakers are saying about Trump's State of the Union address (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/totally-outrageous-and-great-job-what-lawmakers-are-saying-about-trumps-state-of-the- union-address-2019-02-06)

Among other reactions to the address, conservative commentator Peggy Noonan tweeted (https://twitter.com/ Peggynoonannyc/status/1092991223852343297) that it was "endless and stilted but it was a capable and clever policy speech." A CBS News poll found that most people who actually watched the speech -- 76% of viewers -- approved of what they heard:

(

CBS NEWS POLL: 76 percent of viewers approved of what they heard in Pres. Trump's #SOTU speech; 72 percent said they approved of Pres. Trump's ideas for immigration. pic.twitter.com/VXJ09v6DKv

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 6, 2019

)

Bipartisan group of lawmakers brings out bill targeting drug prices: Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley are part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who have reintroduced legislation that aims to counter rising prices for prescription drugs.

Their Creating and Restoring Equal Access To Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act aims to deter pharmaceutical companies (PJP) from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace, says a Vermont Business Magazine report (https://vermontbiz.com/news/2019/february/05/senators-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-counter-rising-prescription-drug- prices). In the State of the Union speech, Trump urged Congress to pass legislation that would lower drug prices (http:/ /www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-stops-short-of-border-emergency-and-omits-infrastructure-details-in-state-of-the-union- 2019-02-05).

Related:Cummings, Grassley vow to combat rising drug prices in dueling hearings (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ congress-puts-a-spotlight-on-drug-prices-pre-existing-conditions-with-multiple-hearings-on-tuesday-2019-01-29)

Howard Schultz's investments blasted as toxic: Howard Schultz, the billionaire former (SBUX) CEO and possible independent presidential candidate, invested millions of dollars and personally owned stock in Capella University, a troubled for-profit college that overcharged the federal student loan program hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a Politico report (https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/06/howard-schultz-2020-wealth-investments- 1148014) citing federal documents and other records.

Records show that a venture capital group that Schultz co-founded also invested in a financial firm that housed a unit dedicated to helping the wealthy dodge hundreds of millions in capital gains taxes. Schultz acknowledged the investments in a statement, saying he divested from them before any issues became public. Problems were occurring while Schultz was an investor, said the report, which refers to the investments as "toxic" in its headline.

Check out:Howard Schultz has had it with the 'b' word (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/howard-schultz-has-had-it- with-the-b-word-2019-02-05)

Cupertino mayor draws flak for wall joke: In a reference to Trump's promise to build a border wall and have Mexico pay for it, Cupertino Mayor Steven Scharf has suggested that the California city would build a wall around itself and that San Jose would foot the bill.

The apparent joke drew some chuckles when it was delivered, but the comments have drawn ire online, particularly from housing advocates who have criticized the city and other wealthy suburban towns for failing to add enough affordable housing, said a Mercury News report (https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/05/cupertino-mayor-city-will-build-wall-and- san-jose-will-pay-for-it/). Apple's (AAPL) headquarters are in Cupertino.

-Victor Reklaitis; 415-439-6400; [e-mail]


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