Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Dies at 82

The following was written for Wikinews but was never published

Former United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, died Tuesday at his home in Henderson, Nevada. He was 82. In a statement, Reid’s wife of 62 years, Landra, said he died of pancreatic cancer. Reid had suffered from the disease since at least 2018, but claimed to be in remission in 2019.

Advocate Ramsey Clark Dies at 93

As Friday marked the well-publicized deaths of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and rapper DMX, another prominent figure passed away with little notice. Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, the last surviving member of the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, died April 9 at the age of 93.

Clark, the son of a fellow Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice (Tom C. Clark), became a noted defender of free speech and civil liberties, particularly after leaving government. His principled value for the rights of the accused guided him to provide a zealous defense for such notorious clients as Charles Taylor, Slobodan Milosevic, and Saddam Hussein.

Rest in Peace Pi zero

Last week I received some somber news. The greatest Wikinews editor in the site’s history died suddenly at the age of 56. I knew him as Pi zero, his wiki username, but in real life, his colleagues, friends, and family knew him as John.

Stewart Greenleaf Dies

Stewart Greenleaf, a longtime Republican Pennsylvania state Senator (1979–2019), died today, of unknown causes. He was 81.

I never would have known of Mr. Greenleaf if not for his decision to run for President of the United States in first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary in 2012.  It was a puzzling decision and few actually reported on it. I tried to contact Senator Greenleaf about it, at the time, but I did not receive any response. He did eventually put out a lengthy statement highlighting his reasons for entering the race:

How Senate Republicans May Vote on Removal

Photo by Joshua Santos on Pexels.com

With the House of Representatives voting to impeach President Trump yesterday, the Senate will now hold a trial and vote on whether to remove Trump from office. However, unless it goes back in session with unanimous consent, which seems unlikely, the Senate remains in recess until January 19.  Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not call an emergency session until then.

Ten Republicans in the House of Representatives, including Liz Cheney of Wyoming, supported impeachment. At least two Republicans in the Senate, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, have called on the President to resign. Assuming that all 50 Senate Democrats vote for removal and that all 100 Senators vote, at least 17 Republicans must vote for removal in order for it to be successful. Let’s take a look at where all 50 current Republican Senators stand.

Comparison of Five Wikinews Interviews with 2020 Presidential Candidates

This past month, for Wikinews, I conducted interviews with five 2020 third party presidential candidates:

1. Constitution Party presidential nominee Don Blankenship (link)
2. Prohibition Party presidential nominee Phil Collins (link)
3. Unity Party of America presidential nominee Bill Hammons (link)
4. Libertarian Party presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen (link)
5. American Solidarity Party presidential nominee Brian Carroll (link)

2020 Presidential Election Prediction

I predict President Donald Trump will win re-election tomorrow in a closer Electoral College margin than in 2016. Former Vice President Joe Biden will win the popular vote in a margin larger than Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, this will not be enough to overcome the Republican advantage in the Electoral College. Factors in my prediction include opinion polls, the shy Trump voter effect, demographic changes, and candidate favorability.

Full Interview with 2020 Libertarian Vice Presidential Nominee Spike Cohen

Adapted from IPR and Wikinews reports

On May 23 at the online Libertarian National Convention, the Libertarian Party nominated Clemson University psychologist Jo Jorgensen, the party’s 1996 vice presidential nominee, for president on the fourth ballot. The next day, the party nominated podcast host Jeremy “Spike” Cohen for vice president on the third ballot. Cohen, who went into the convention as the running mate of performance artist Vermin Supreme, was not the candidate Jorgensen initially backed for the vice presidential nomination.  Cohen is co-owner of Muddied Waters Media, which features his podcast (((My Fellow Americans))).

Don Blankenship Lawsuit Goes to Trial

Originally posted at IPR

As Ballot Access News reports, Don Blankenship, the leading candidate for the Constitution Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, obtained a procedural victory in his defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and civil conspiracy lawsuit, which now goes to trial.  Blankenship is suing the National Republican Senatorial Committee, multiple media outlets, and individuals that incorrectly labeled him a “felon” during his unsuccessful 2018 run for the Republican Party’s U.S. Senate nomination in West Virginia.  Blankenship was convicted of misdemeanor conspiracy in 2015 for which he served a one-year prison sentence.