Nearly 554,000 people were living on America’s streets last year, according to a government survey. That’s the first increase since 2010, driven, experts say, by a surge in the homeless in Los Angeles and other West Coast cities. Homelessness has been a serious problem for Los Angeles for years, but as the housing crisis intensifies, it seems to have gotten worse. Some say it’s time to cut municipal funding for the homeless, but others want to help. Angelina Bagdasaryan has more.
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Located just outside Washington, Arlington County, Virginia, is one of the richest, most educated and mostly white counties in the United States. It didn’t matter to Cambodian-American Chanda Choun that less than 11 percent of the population is Asian. When a seat opened on the Arlington County Board after the November 2017 election, he decided to run.

Choun, who the Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections believes is the first Asian-American to run for office there, saw his opportunity to be of service to a place he now calls home.

“I didn’t see anybody with a military background, I didn’t see anybody with an immigrant background, and I didn’t see anybody with a tech background stepping up,” he said. “That’s all it came down to.”

But it wasn’t quite so cut and dried. Arlington exerts a pull on Choun, who calls the place “the love of my life.”

“I didn’t get to choose where I was born. I didn’t get to choose where the refugee resettlement agency placed my family. I didn’t get to choose where the Army sent me. But I can choose where I am now. And I choose Arlington,” according to Choun’s campaign website. “I will get married in Arlington. My children will run through the parks of Arlington. I will die in Arlington and be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.”

Part-time position

The five-member Arlington County Board is the jurisdiction’s governing body. Being a board member is a part-time job, one that can be the first rung in the political career ladder. But Choun says he has no aspiration to higher office.

Choun, a 30-year-old program manager at the cybersecurity company Securonix, came to the United States as a baby when his family fled Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, which ruled from 1975-1979, a time when 1.7 million people died.

Grateful that his family was chosen for resettlement in Connecticut from a Thai refugee camp for Cambodians, Choun enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17. He rose from private to staff sergeant and left after 12 years, although he remains on part-time reserve duty.

Choun began campaigning in February to “Make Arlington the North Star of Virginia,” as his campaign literature proclaims.

He secured by the March 29 deadline 125 signatures of registered Arlington County voters, which is required to get on the primary ballot. He believes he can defeat in November independent John Vihstadt, an established incumbent county board member.

First, however, Choun must defeat fellow Democrat Matt de Ferranti in the June 12 primary. Choun and de Ferranti have already faced off in party-sponsored public debates.

Choun says his background has prepared him for working on two critical issues facing the county: the budget shortfall and attracting more tech companies to fill Arlington’s many vacant offices.

He’s also aware of the importance of raising money and has raised more than $28,000, largely through a personal loan. De Ferranti has raised more than $35,000 from small donors.

​Cambodian-Americans

Rithy Uong, the first Cambodian-American elected to any U.S. public office, served three terms on the City Council in Lowell, Massachusetts, which has the second-largest Cambodian community in the nation.

Uong, who says he is tracking Choun’s run, says a candidate must be able to raise funds, but it is critical for a candidate to build trust and rapport with voters. Voters, he says, care less about a candidate’s background and more about issues particular to their community.

Choun says his most immediate priority is building a nimble election campaign organization.

“Essentially, just as in any new endeavor, any sector, it’s a business startup,” he says. “I’d group it down to three domains: people, process, tools.”

Choun is self-managing his campaign until the voters decide his future in the June primary. However, he has hired creative director Minh Pham, a Vietnamese-American, who is also new to political campaigning. Pham also likens their effort to a startup. Choun has also hired a field manager, John Victoria.

While social media is an important tool for reaching out to voters, Choun says that to be seen as a member of the community, he needs to attend as many meet-and-greet events as possible in the 26-square-mile county.

“I’m bringing my message, my person to the community,” he says. “I don’t want the community to come to me.”

​VFW meet-and-greet

To that end Choun asked to hold his first meet-and-greet event at John Lyon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3150, a veteran’s community meeting post in Arlington.

An Air Force veteran with 28 years of service, Patrick Pope met Choun before the event and said Arlington voters are open to candidates like Choun who don’t mirror the county’s white majority.

“I think a lot of Arlington voters are looking for somebody fresh, with some fresh ideas and fresh perspective, looking for someone who doesn’t have deep ties with a political machine, but instead speaks to power as a person of the community,” Pope said.

​Lynn Borton, 56, another Arlington resident, has lived in the county since 1985. She learned about Choun’s event from Facebook and, like Pope, believes that voters need to get to know first-time candidates.

“I think there is value in meeting people,” Borton says. “You can learn something, you can make an assessment that is unmediated, literally un-media-ated, but I don’t know that that’s everything.”

Choun’s main challenges as a first-time candidate, Pope notes, will be getting Democratic Party support and name recognition.

But Pope believes voters also need to make an effort to meet the candidates.

“I think it’s important to get to know who your candidates are. You can’t do that just by watching the television ad or looking at a newspaper advertisement. You’ve got to get out and be engaged,” he says. “If you expect your representative to be engaged, then you need to be engaged as [an] informed voter.”
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Located just outside Washington, Arlington County, Virginia, is one of the richest, most educated and mostly white counties in the United States. It didn’t matter to Cambodian-American Chanda Choun that less than 11 percent of the population is Asian. When a seat opened on the Arlington County Board after the November 2017 election, he decided to run.

Choun, who the Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections believes is the first Asian-American to run for office there, saw his opportunity to be of service to a place he now calls home.

“I didn’t see anybody with a military background, I didn’t see anybody with an immigrant background, and I didn’t see anybody with a tech background stepping up,” he said. “That’s all it came down to.”

But it wasn’t quite so cut and dried. Arlington exerts a pull on Choun, who calls the place “the love of my life.”

“I didn’t get to choose where I was born. I didn’t get to choose where the refugee resettlement agency placed my family. I didn’t get to choose where the Army sent me. But I can choose where I am now. And I choose Arlington,” according to Choun’s campaign website. “I will get married in Arlington. My children will run through the parks of Arlington. I will die in Arlington and be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.”

Part-time position

The five-member Arlington County Board is the jurisdiction’s governing body. Being a board member is a part-time job, one that can be the first rung in the political career ladder. But Choun says he has no aspiration to higher office.

Choun, a 30-year-old program manager at the cybersecurity company Securonix, came to the United States as a baby when his family fled Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, which ruled from 1975-1979, a time when 1.7 million people died.

Grateful that his family was chosen for resettlement in Connecticut from a Thai refugee camp for Cambodians, Choun enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17. He rose from private to staff sergeant and left after 12 years, although he remains on part-time reserve duty.

Choun began campaigning in February to “Make Arlington the North Star of Virginia,” as his campaign literature proclaims.

He secured by the March 29 deadline 125 signatures of registered Arlington County voters, which is required to get on the primary ballot. He believes he can defeat in November independent John Vihstadt, an established incumbent county board member.

First, however, Choun must defeat fellow Democrat Matt de Ferranti in the June 12 primary. Choun and de Ferranti have already faced off in party-sponsored public debates.

Choun says his background has prepared him for working on two critical issues facing the county: the budget shortfall and attracting more tech companies to fill Arlington’s many vacant offices.

He’s also aware of the importance of raising money and has raised more than $28,000, largely through a personal loan. De Ferranti has raised more than $35,000 from small donors.

​Cambodian-Americans

Rithy Uong, the first Cambodian-American elected to any U.S. public office, served three terms on the City Council in Lowell, Massachusetts, which has the second-largest Cambodian community in the nation.

Uong, who says he is tracking Choun’s run, says a candidate must be able to raise funds, but it is critical for a candidate to build trust and rapport with voters. Voters, he says, care less about a candidate’s background and more about issues particular to their community.

Choun says his most immediate priority is building a nimble election campaign organization.

“Essentially, just as in any new endeavor, any sector, it’s a business startup,” he says. “I’d group it down to three domains: people, process, tools.”

Choun is self-managing his campaign until the voters decide his future in the June primary. However, he has hired creative director Minh Pham, a Vietnamese-American, who is also new to political campaigning. Pham also likens their effort to a startup. Choun has also hired a field manager, John Victoria.

While social media is an important tool for reaching out to voters, Choun says that to be seen as a member of the community, he needs to attend as many meet-and-greet events as possible in the 26-square-mile county.

“I’m bringing my message, my person to the community,” he says. “I don’t want the community to come to me.”

​VFW meet-and-greet

To that end Choun asked to hold his first meet-and-greet event at John Lyon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3150, a veteran’s community meeting post in Arlington.

An Air Force veteran with 28 years of service, Patrick Pope met Choun before the event and said Arlington voters are open to candidates like Choun who don’t mirror the county’s white majority.

“I think a lot of Arlington voters are looking for somebody fresh, with some fresh ideas and fresh perspective, looking for someone who doesn’t have deep ties with a political machine, but instead speaks to power as a person of the community,” Pope said.

​Lynn Borton, 56, another Arlington resident, has lived in the county since 1985. She learned about Choun’s event from Facebook and, like Pope, believes that voters need to get to know first-time candidates.

“I think there is value in meeting people,” Borton says. “You can learn something, you can make an assessment that is unmediated, literally un-media-ated, but I don’t know that that’s everything.”

Choun’s main challenges as a first-time candidate, Pope notes, will be getting Democratic Party support and name recognition.

But Pope believes voters also need to make an effort to meet the candidates.

“I think it’s important to get to know who your candidates are. You can’t do that just by watching the television ad or looking at a newspaper advertisement. You’ve got to get out and be engaged,” he says. “If you expect your representative to be engaged, then you need to be engaged as [an] informed voter.”
…

President Donald Trump said Saturday “we want to make everything here” as he promoted his “America First” agenda during an appearance in Cleveland, days before the state’s primary election. 

Trump spent several hours in Ohio meeting with supporters and participating in a roundtable designed to highlight the benefits of the new Republican tax law. Striking a celebratory tone, Trump listed his poll numbers and recounted the successes of his first year in office. He also looked ahead to his meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Trump criticized U.S. immigration policy, saying people entering the U.S. illegally are taking advantage of “catch-and-release” practices and don’t show up for their immigration court dates. He said: “We may have to close up our country to get this straight.” 

He also said U.S. protectionist trade policies and his more isolationist policies would benefit Americans. Trump pledged a strong stand on trade to achieve “a level playing field,” saying that “other countries, they put themselves first. … The fact is we want to be first.” 

“We’ll be taking care of our people,” he added.

Fundraisers

Trump also attended a fundraiser for Trump Victory, the joint committee funding his campaign and the Republican National Committee, meeting first with high-dollar givers and then addressing a larger group of about 250 donors. The RNC said Trump raised $3 million during the events.

Trump sought to boost Republican lawmaker Jim Renacci in his bid for the Senate, saying “we need his vote very badly.”

Renacci, a member of the House, is running for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Trump predicted: “He’ll be fantastic.”

At the official taxpayer-funded event, Trump also criticized Brown, saying he shares Democrats’ “deep-seated” support for what he claims are looser immigration policies. Renacci greeted Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland and was seated next to the president at the event.

Midterm challenges

Trump’s visit comes as Republicans are facing an increasingly challenging midterm election environment.

Ohio has several competitive races this November. The GOP is placing its election hopes on convincing Americans that the tax law is improving their lives, as the party seeks to skirt political headwinds emanating from the White House.
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President Donald Trump appears to be increasingly frustrated that his growing legal challenges are overshadowing his economic and foreign policy accomplishments. Trump complained to reporters Friday that questions about a payment to an adult film star and the ongoing Russia probe are a distraction from an improving U.S. economy and a possible breakthrough on relations with North Korea. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
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President Donald Trump appears to be increasingly frustrated that his growing legal challenges are overshadowing his economic and foreign policy accomplishments. Trump complained to reporters Friday that questions about a payment to an adult film star and the ongoing Russia probe are a distraction from an improving U.S. economy and a possible breakthrough on relations with North Korea. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
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Rudy Giuliani, who last month joined President Donald Trump’s legal team in the Russia probe, lacks a security clearance and may find it hard to get one to see classified documents because of his work with foreign clients, legal experts said.

Former New York mayor Giuliani told Reuters in an interview Thursday that he would apply for top secret clearance, along with another Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow. Trump’s outgoing White House lawyer Ty Cobb has a security clearance, but no one on his outside legal team has had one since lawyer John Dowd resigned in March.

“They said they would get it right away,” Giuliani said.

Red flags

Giuliani’s work as a lawyer and security and business consultant during the past 16 years has included assignments on behalf of the government of Mexico City and the Qatari state oil company.

Many of his clients have not been publicly disclosed.

The contacts could raise red flags during his background check about his susceptibility to foreign influence, according to some legal experts. The security clearances are typically issued by the U.S. Department of Justice after FBI review.

The contacts could “cause a significant delay, if not outright denial,” of clearance, said Virginia lawyer John V. Berry, who specializes in the area.

Berry said a slow clearance may be an issue if Giuliani negotiates with U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into the conclusions of intelligence agencies that Moscow interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.

“It’s hard to represent someone without knowing what’s in the files,” Berry said.

Too much trouble?

Washington national security lawyer Bradley Moss said he thought Trump’s team might ultimately decide it was too much trouble to get Giuliani a security clearance and “just keep him in the big picture.” Moss pointed out Giuliani has acted as the public face of the Trump team since coming aboard.

Both Berry and Moss said Trump has the power to grant a clearance, despite any concerns.

Given the involvement of intelligence agencies and issues of contact with Russia, some of the materials relevant to the investigation would be classified as top secret or higher. 

The Kremlin denies interference in the election, and Trump denies any collusion with Moscow officials.

Giuliani did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday on whether he would have difficulty securing a clearance. On Thursday, he played down the importance of a clearance for his role.

“There are only a few excerpted portions that we have to see,” he said. “I know what’s in them from the newspapers but, to make sure, they’re getting me a security clearance.”

127-page form

Sekulow said he started the process after Dowd left the legal team. He said other lawyers on the team would seek clearance as well.

Giuliani took a leave of absence, rather than resigning, from law firm Greenberg Traurig to join Trump’s legal team.

Virginia Canter, an ethics lawyer with watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said that is a potential problem because he is still tied to a firm that represents foreign governments.

Berry said investigators conducting background checks for security clearances look at how close a person’s ties are, what kind of money they receive from the contacts, and whether the country has interests adverse to the United States.

To get a clearance, candidates must fill out Standard Form 86, a 127-page document that Berry said “goes into every part of your life” and requires listing foreign contacts.

Moss said interim security clearances could be issued but only after the form is reviewed and there are no immediate red flags.

Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a temporary clearance but lost access to highly classified information in February 2018. Kushner had not received his full security clearance because of his extensive business and financial connections.
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Rudy Giuliani, who last month joined President Donald Trump’s legal team in the Russia probe, lacks a security clearance and may find it hard to get one to see classified documents because of his work with foreign clients, legal experts said.

Former New York mayor Giuliani told Reuters in an interview Thursday that he would apply for top secret clearance, along with another Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow. Trump’s outgoing White House lawyer Ty Cobb has a security clearance, but no one on his outside legal team has had one since lawyer John Dowd resigned in March.

“They said they would get it right away,” Giuliani said.

Red flags

Giuliani’s work as a lawyer and security and business consultant during the past 16 years has included assignments on behalf of the government of Mexico City and the Qatari state oil company.

Many of his clients have not been publicly disclosed.

The contacts could raise red flags during his background check about his susceptibility to foreign influence, according to some legal experts. The security clearances are typically issued by the U.S. Department of Justice after FBI review.

The contacts could “cause a significant delay, if not outright denial,” of clearance, said Virginia lawyer John V. Berry, who specializes in the area.

Berry said a slow clearance may be an issue if Giuliani negotiates with U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into the conclusions of intelligence agencies that Moscow interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.

“It’s hard to represent someone without knowing what’s in the files,” Berry said.

Too much trouble?

Washington national security lawyer Bradley Moss said he thought Trump’s team might ultimately decide it was too much trouble to get Giuliani a security clearance and “just keep him in the big picture.” Moss pointed out Giuliani has acted as the public face of the Trump team since coming aboard.

Both Berry and Moss said Trump has the power to grant a clearance, despite any concerns.

Given the involvement of intelligence agencies and issues of contact with Russia, some of the materials relevant to the investigation would be classified as top secret or higher. 

The Kremlin denies interference in the election, and Trump denies any collusion with Moscow officials.

Giuliani did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday on whether he would have difficulty securing a clearance. On Thursday, he played down the importance of a clearance for his role.

“There are only a few excerpted portions that we have to see,” he said. “I know what’s in them from the newspapers but, to make sure, they’re getting me a security clearance.”

127-page form

Sekulow said he started the process after Dowd left the legal team. He said other lawyers on the team would seek clearance as well.

Giuliani took a leave of absence, rather than resigning, from law firm Greenberg Traurig to join Trump’s legal team.

Virginia Canter, an ethics lawyer with watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said that is a potential problem because he is still tied to a firm that represents foreign governments.

Berry said investigators conducting background checks for security clearances look at how close a person’s ties are, what kind of money they receive from the contacts, and whether the country has interests adverse to the United States.

To get a clearance, candidates must fill out Standard Form 86, a 127-page document that Berry said “goes into every part of your life” and requires listing foreign contacts.

Moss said interim security clearances could be issued but only after the form is reviewed and there are no immediate red flags.

Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a temporary clearance but lost access to highly classified information in February 2018. Kushner had not received his full security clearance because of his extensive business and financial connections.
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As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the 1980s, Rudy Giuliani earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor in going after white-collar crime and members of the American mafia. Today, Giuliani finds himself in an opposite role, a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates Russia’s alleged involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The former New York mayor was an informal adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign, and he was a frequent spokesman. Giuliani was the first person to be mentioned by Trump in the latter’s election acceptance speech. “He’s unbelievable,” Trump said. “He’s traveled with us and he went through meetings, and Rudy never changes.”

Giuliani, an attorney, was considered for secretary of state in Trump’s administration and often was mentioned as a possible attorney general. Giuliani’s past legal and consulting work, which raised concerns about his overseas business relationships, thwarted his efforts to become America’s top diplomat.

Giuliani and Trump have known each other for decades and share an aggressive rhetorical style and similar policy beliefs — including support for law enforcement in ways that have marginalized minorities, and adopting forceful positions on immigration enforcement. 

In the early 1990s, Giuliani became the first Republican elected mayor of New York City in two decades. Giuliani served two terms as mayor and during his tenure, which ended in 2001, crime in the city fell significantly. Later, he became known as “America’s Mayor” for his efforts to unite the city following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center towers.

Giuliani’s political ambitions included running for the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by then retiring four-term Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan. After medical, marital and other personal issues, Giuliani withdrew from the race in 2000.

In 2002, the former mayor founded Giuliani Partners, a security consulting firm that had Qatar’s Ministry of the Interior on its roster of clients. The contracts with the ministry were managed by Minister Abdullah bin Khalifah Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s royal family. Abdullah bin Khalifah Al Thani was said to have hosted Osama bin Laden on two visits to the royal family member’s farm, a charge that was repeated in a 2007 Congressional Research Service study.

In 2016, Giuliani began working for the influential law firm Greenberg Traurig, where he led the firm’s global cybersecurity and crisis management team, and served as a senior adviser to executive chairman Richard Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum announced in April that Giuliani would take a leave of absence “to handle matters unrelated to the law firm or its clients.” Giuliani’s work with the firm involved the Turkish government and a Turkish-Iranian businessman who was convicted in connection with a scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Giuliani is a one-time presidential hopeful who sought the Republican candidacy for the White House in 2008, but lost the nomination to Arizona Senator John McCain.

Giuliani has been married three times and reports say his current wife, Judith Nathan, filed for divorce in April. The couple have been married for 15 years. 

Giuliani is a Brooklyn, New York, native. He turns 74 later this month.
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Google said Friday in a blog post that it would do a better job of verifying the identity of political ad buyers in the U.S. by requiring a government-issued ID and other key information.

Google will also require ad buyers to disclose who is paying for the ad. Google executive Kent Walker repeated a pledge he made in November to create a library of such ads that will be searchable by anyone. The goal is to have this ready this summer.

Google’s blog post comes short of declaring support for the Honest Ads Act, a bill that would impose disclosure requirements on online ads, similar to what’s required for television and other media. Facebook and Twitter support that bill.

Google didn’t immediately provide details on how the ID verification would work for online ad buys.
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Another top appointee is leaving his job at Scott Pruitt’s Environmental Protection Agency.

John Konkus’ announcement Friday makes him the fourth senior aide in two weeks to announce departure plans.

Konkus served as the EPA’s deputy associate administrator for public affairs. He had worked as a Republican political consultant and helped on the Trump campaign before his EPA appointment.

Pruitt faces a series of federal investigations and audits over high administrative spending and other issues. Pruitt has blamed subordinates for the problems.

Pruitt’s top spokesperson, his security chief and his Superfund administrator earlier announced their departures.

Konkus will take a communications job at the Small Business Administration. EPA chief of staff Ryan Jackson says Konkus was a valuable member of the EPA.
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