On Wednesday, Time magazine published its “100 Most Influential People” list featuring both Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford, and actress Jessica Chastain is not happy about it.

Jessica Chastain took to her Twitter account to scold the magazine for putting both Kavanaugh and his accuser on the same list, saying it is “disappointing.”

“You put her on the same list as the man she said assaulted her. So disappointing @TIME Christine Blasey Ford > Brett Kavanaugh,” Chastain tweeted on April 17.

Time’s entry on Blasey Ford was penned under the name of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and lauded the judicial accuser as a modern-day hero.

“Her story, spoken while holding back tears, shook Washington and the country. Her courage, in the face of those who wished to silence her, galvanized Americans. And her unfathomable sacrifice, out of a sense of civic duty, shined a spotlight on the way we treat survivors of sexual violence,” Harris wrote of Blasey Ford.

“Christine Blasey Ford’s ambition wasn’t to become a household name or make it onto this list. She had a good life and a successful career — and risked everything to send a warning in a moment of grave consequence,” Harris added.

But none of Blasey Ford’s accusations against the man now serving as our newest Supreme Court Justice were proven in the wide-open national scene that was Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings last year.

Further, it does not seem as if Blasey Ford actually “sacrificed” anything for her testimony. She lost no employment and even became the most celebrated and feted woman of the year.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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Hollywood kicked off this week by melting down over former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation, alternatively calling for her to be jailed or attacking White House advisor Stephen Miller as a “white nationalist.”

Nielsen resigned amid a surge in illegal immigration and chaos at the border. According to reports, President Trump told Stephen Miller that he is “in charge” of immigration policy.

Hollywood naturally melted down, blaming both Nielsen and Miller for allegedly abusing children due to policies that separate migrant parents from their children in detention centers.

John Cusack said the former DHS secretary should be jailed for “child abduction and torture.”

In another social media post, Cusack compared Nielsen to a German who was “just following orders.”

“That evil human belongs in jail with miller and trump,” he added.

Chelsea Handler chimed in, “No word yet if Kirstjen Nielsen left her job on her own will or if she was separated from her job and then locked in a cage. She should be in jail.”

“Those responsible for orchestrating or implementing the policy of separating children from their parents belong in prison #cages,” Mia Farrow said.

Others seized on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) smear that Stephen Miller is a “white nationalist.”

Rob Delenay expressed affection for the Minnesota Democrat Tuesday morning.

Director Morgan J. Freeman went in for the kill, comparing Miller, who is Jewish, to Adolf Hitler.

“We are witnessing the deliberate reincarnation of Adolf Hitler right before our eyes in Stephen Miller, who will stop at nothing to preserve some BS pure white bloodline,” Freeman said. “We should be very scared, and must stop Trump from empowering this evil & hatful man.”

Big Bang Theory producer Bill Prady also ran cover for Omar, saying that even though Miller is Jewish, he can still be called a “white nationalist.”

“People confused as to how Stephen Miller, a Jew, can be a white nationalist—a group that traditionally hates Jews—might consider other examples of self-loathing. For example, think about homophobic gay man Roy Cohn or Starkist spokesfish and canned tuna advocate Charlie.”

Finally, Star Trek actor George Takei ominously panicked, saying that America “can expect the horrors to come to be far worse.”

When I first started speaking at major European events two decades ago, my invitations to be on a panel were few and far between — usually they only arrived when a man had failed to turn up. A male moderator would usually bark at me to “keep it short!”

Things have improved since then — moderators are more often women. Yet the speakers on top policy panels still average three men for every woman. This male dominance of Europe’s most important policy conferences has ripple effects on our policies and, as a result, national laws and European regulations. If we want our policies to reflect our diverse population, it has to change.

Decisions may not get made in conferences in Davos or Munich — where politicians rub shoulders with business leaders and think tankers — but the discussions that take place in these forums influence the choices lawmakers make.

Politicians and policymakers float new approaches, test reactions and hear new ideas. It’s in places like these where ideas on how to steward the economy, enforce justice, guarantee security and address migration are shaped.

These are all issues that affect women just as much as men, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at a speakers list.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, for example, panels only include one woman for every four men. And that’s far from the worst performing conference. The Munich Security Conference has featured 85 percent male speakers over the past five years. At many conferences, it’s not at all uncommon to see several all-male panels.

Excluding female experts reduces the range of viewpoints and life experiences that will shape and influence important debates. This is a problem, because when one group is allowed to dominate, it is likely they will act — consciously or unconsciously — in their own best interests.

Researchers have found that male and female economists take different approaches to key issues such as minimum wage, labor standards and health insurance. Men and women also have very different explanations for the gender wage gap and equal opportunities in the jobs market.

Europe is a diverse place, and our policies need to work for everyone. If they are shaped predominantly by one gender, they’re unlikely to do so.

Elite events may never reflect the complexity and diversity of societies, but gender is one dimension that can be improved rapidly. Chatham House’s successful effort to increase female participation in its London Conference shows how much of a difference can be made in just one year.

Thanks in part to the #MeToo movement’s revelations about men’s abuse of power in a number of institutions, Brussels finally seems to be waking up to its gender problem. European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis this week tweeted that there would be no panel without women at the High Level Conference on Sustainable Finance. Other commissioners — including Mariya Gabriel, Cecilia Malmström and Corina Creţu — are spearheading a #NoWomenNoPanel campaign. They’re pledging not to take part in, or hold, events without women on a panel.

That’s a good start — and a principle all EU institutions should embrace for their events. But given women constitute more than half of our society, let’s be more ambitious.

Governments and businesses sending delegations to conferences should insist that their speakers sit on a gender-balanced panel. To do so they will have to address their own gender gaps: women make up fewer than a third of European ministers, MPs and company boards.

We need to change the false perception that women without seniority can’t contribute expertise. In my experience, the threshold for female participation in policy events is much higher than it is for men. To be considered “expert enough” to speak at the top conferences, women need grander titles, more experience, more publications to our name and more media exposure than our male counterparts.

It’s a self-reinforcing dynamic: If you appear on a panel alongside high-ranking politicians, you’ll be considered important, and other organizations will invite you to speak. If young women don’t get the chance to participate early on, they won’t rise up the ladder on the conference circuit and they’ll miss out on opportunities throughout their careers.

To address rather than reinforce this inequality, event organizers should work harder to find female potential. Initiatives such as the Brussels Binder — a directory of female policy experts set up this year — can act as a resource to organizations looking to give a voice to female experts.

It’s been a century since European countries started recognizing women’s right to vote. Let’s make this decade the one when the European elite fully recognizes women’s right to speak.

Heather Grabbe is director of Open Society European Policy Institute. 

Macron flatters Parliament but keeps his distance

‘I have the right to not enter in your deliberations,’ French president says.

STRASBOURG — French President Emmanuel Macron mounted a charm offensive at the European Parliament on Tuesday but stood by his decision to remain apart from its political groups.

At the same time, Macron insisted that he supports the so-called Spitzenkandidat, or “lead candidate” process, which calls for the next European Commission president to be chosen from the nominees of the major parties.

“I don’t belong to any political family that is represented among you,” he told the Parliament after giving a speech and engaging in debate at a plenary session in Strasbourg. “It is my freedom.”

Macron upended French politics by winning the presidency last year as an independent, shunning his nation’s traditional political parties. And while he has pushed aggressively for big policy changes in the EU, he has refrained from joining any pan-European political family.

With the next European Parliament election just over a year away, there has been intense speculation about whether Macron might reshape the EU political landscape by joining one of the main groups, perhaps the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe.

Rather than affiliating with any of the groups in Parliament, Macron has so far opted to bypass them, and instead build ties between his La République En Marche party and other national parties — fueling speculation that he is working to build his own, new group that he will be able to control.

Many MEPs, particularly from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), have been irritated by Macron’s desire to fly solo in European politics.

They argue that Macron will need to join or form a group if he is serious about exerting influence on European politics, because it is the only way to  secure official funding and nominate a Spitzenkandidat in next year’s campaign.

Standing apart

During his speech on Tuesday, Macron repeatedly flattered Parliament, telling MEPs they were the embodiment of European democracy.

But he chastised the Parliament for not supporting his proposal to create transnational candidate lists for next year’s election, rather than maintaining the current process relying solely on national lists.

And when it came time for him to respond to MEPs’ comments in the debate, Macron said he would keep his distance.

“I have the right to not enter in your deliberations,” he added, “which aren’t those of the Council nor of the French president.

“I am simply not involved in a political family of your parliament.”

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Earlier this year, Macron pushed other EU leaders at a European Council to affirm that a Spitzenkandidat nominee, as a matter of EU law, could not automatically become Commission president and the Council could not commit in advance to choosing such a nominee. Doing so would virtually guarantee a victory for a big, traditional party, most likely the EPP, which currently controls the most seats in Parliament.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Macron said he “believed” in the Spitzenkandidat process. But he argued that the process would have been even better if the Parliament had also supported a single European constituency for the next election by allowing transnational lists.

Earlier this year, Parliament voted against allowing such lists.

“I think it is good,” he said, referring to the Spitzenkandidat process. But supporting transnational lists “would have been more democratic” and a “beginning of European demos.”

The Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service on Thursday will announce a 36-count grand jury indictment filing against disgraced television lawyer Michael Avenatti.

The agencies will discuss the indictment at a press conference at 9:00 a.m. local time, a joint statement reads.

The announcement comes after Avenatti appeared in a Santa Ana courtroom April 1 after being charged with filing false tax returns to secure $4 million in bank loans and withholding $1.6 million from a client.

After a court appearance Monday, Avenatti said he’s long represented “Davids versus Goliaths” in the same justice system in which he now faces charges.

The attorney known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in legal battles against President Donald Trump is accused of fraudulently obtaining bank loans and pocketing funds belonging to a client.

Avenatti waived his right to a preliminary hearing in federal court in Santa Ana. He’s scheduled to be arraigned April 29, but his lawyer says he may seek a waiver so his attorneys can appear on his behalf.

The new charges follow Avenatti’s arrest in New York last month for allegedly trying to shake down Nike for up to $25 million and on two counts of wire and bank fraud from Southern California, where his firm is based. Avenatti has said he expects to be cleared.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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MIDDAY BRIEF, IN BRIEF

Today at Commission, preparing for the Gothenburg social summit

Juncker will travel next Friday to the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Sweden.

On the agenda: What to expect next week.

On the podium: Commission deputy spokeswoman Mina Andreeva.

Agenda for next week: Andreeva said Juncker will travel to Strasbourg next week for the plenary of the European Parliament, before heading on to the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg on Friday. The College of Commissioners will convene in Strasbourg on Tuesday to prepare for the event, which the Commission is co-hosting with the Swedish government as part of its effort to establish a European Pillar of Social Rights.

A short briefing, Andreeva’s time on the podium was sandwiched between a press conference by Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc on the Commission’s military mobility plan and a joint press conference by the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the U.K.’s David Davis to brief reporters on the sixth round of Brexit talks.

Commissioner schedules: Next week’s agenda for all European commissioners is here.

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Disgraced Empire star Jussie Smollett poses as a left-wing Social Justice Warrior (SJW) even as he throws two innocent black men under the wheels of the criminal justice system.

The Osundairo Brothers, Abel and Ola are not completely innocent. Their attorney has already admitted both were willing participants in Smollett’s obscene plan to stage a hate crime hoax. It was their job to perform the attack while wearing ski masks and red baseball caps so Smollett could blame the assault on white, racist, homophobic Trump supporters.

So, no, they are not completely innocent.

They are, however, innocent of a much more serious crime, a crime that could result in substantial prison time, and that is the crime of committing a hate crime and physical assault.

And although they are both innocent of that crime, Smollett is still accusing them of committing it.

In other words, as a means to save his own sorry ass and career, Smollett is willing to allow two innocent black men to stand accused of a crime he knows they did not commit.

By any civilized measure, Smollett is no better than the racist cops his fellow SJW’s rail against.

In his statement Tuesday, just after the corrupt Cook County State Attorney dropped all charges and sealed the record of the 16 felony counts pending against him, he immediately fed the Osundairo Brothers to the wolves:

As you can see, he wants the whole world to believe a couple of desperate wannabe actors, two black men, are guilty of hurling racist and homophobic slurs, beating him up, wrapping a noose around his neck, and pouring bleach on his black skin.

When Smollett says he has “been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one” that’s what he’s saying — that these two black Trump supporters deserve ten years in prison.

If that’s not outrageous enough for you, watch Smollett’s attorney say she has noooooo possible idea what the brothers’ motive could have been…

During a Thursday interview, Smollett’s attorney accused the brothers of wearing whiteface to explain why Smollett told police his attackers were white:

The famous and wealthy and politically connected Smollett stands before the world on behalf of justice! and inequality! and marginalized people! as he falsely accuses two innocent black guys of committing a crime he invented and orchestrated.

When it comes to being a TV star, black lives suddenly don’t matter all that much to this guy.

Jussie Smollett is a monster.

 

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.

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Ahead of Donald Trump’s big Iran speech this week, European companies and diplomats are swarming Capitol Hill to keep Congress from killing the nuclear agreement.

The Europeans are driven by concerns the American president will scupper a landmark diplomatic deal and hurt the Continent’s slowly growing business interests, particularly in energy, in Iran. The behind-the-scenes lobbying push marks an indirect challenge to a White House that the EU has found puzzling and difficult to work with.

In his address, Trump is expected to declare the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — when the U.S., France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China promised to lift sanctions in return for Iran ending its nuclear program — isn’t in America’s national security interest. If he does that, Congress would then have 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions.

An American move on sanctions, even if not followed up by the EU, could ricochet against European investors in Iran. At worst, from the EU perspective, the U.S could freeze the American assets of European companies who do business with Tehran.

The lobbying from Brussels is mainly led by the European External Action Service Secretary-General Helga Schmidt, who was closely involved in negotiating the 2015 accord, with input from commissioners including Miguel Arias Cañete, who oversees energy and climate action and led a business delegation to Tehran earlier this year. In Washington itself, European diplomats to the U.S., including EU Ambassador David O’Sullivan, met with top senators to discuss Iran last week.

EU leaders are weighing in as well. Iran was the main topic of a recent phone call between Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May.

Tackling the Hill

The EU, Germany, France and Britain have put in a “huge amount of effort” on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, said Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “The last few months they have focused their energy on the Trump administration, now they have to shift the focus on Congress, on moderate Republicans, to persuade them that it’s in the interest of U.S. security and global security for the deal to remain intact.”

The priority for European diplomats and businesses is to keep the deal alive. Brussels has received assurances from Tehran that it will continue to adhere to the agreement as long as European investments keep flowing.

“The big players and those who know the market well are saying that even if the U.S. pulled out, they will keep their business operations as long as U.S. does not obstruct European investments,” said an EU official following Iran relations closely, asking not to be named.

“There is a high-level lobbying campaign, kind of like with the Russian sanctions and the Paris climate agreement, on all different levels, mainly led by France, Germany, the U.K. and the European Commission and of course all the companies that have interests there,” the official said.

European efforts failed to keep Trump from pulling out of the climate accord, and European officials only managed to blunt but not kill new American sanctions on Russia adopted in July.

The Europeans are part of a broad front that includes Democrats and former U.S. government officials who are pushing the Republican-led Congress to block Trump on Iran.

Congress is a tough arena for European companies wanting to lobby against reimposing sanctions.

“I know of a few that are taking maybe indirect actions with Congress, but in reality it’s very difficult for a company, even an important North American one, to interfere on this issue,” one European energy industry official said, asking not to be named. “My perception is that the principle interaction will pass through classic channels in the executive branch, or indirectly across diplomacy between the United States and Europe.”

Lackluster investments

U.S. hostility to renewing commercial ties with Iran has already acted as a brake on European investment — with companies worried about falling afoul of U.S. rules that could ensnare banks and other financial institutions. European businesses ranging from oil and gas bigwigs to Italy’s fashion industry were expected to rush into Iran after the nonproliferation deal was reached, but their return has been slow and prudent.

The biggest commitments include French oil and gas major Total’s $4.8 billion, 20-year gas development contract announced in July and three aircraft sales deals: European manufacturer Airbus for 100 aircraft, Franco-Italian ATR for 20 and America’s Boeing for 110 aircraft. The manufacturers had to get U.S. licenses to deliver components, and would have to do so again to sell more. There have also been smaller investments such as the British green investor Quercus’ €500 million agreement last month to build a solar power plant.

Companies such as Anglo-Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, Russia’s Gazprom Neft and Italy’s Eni have so far only signed non-binding memorandums of understanding for oil and gas developments.

It’s not just the chilliness in Washington that’s slowing European investment. Iran’s unattractive conditions for doing business and high financial risk for foreign investors are also keeping companies away, although Tehran is gradually revamping terms such as restrictive contracts for foreign oil and gas producers. As long as the U.S. refrains from reimposing sanctions, those halting efforts to get back into a country largely closed to investors for more than a decade can continue.

“We are also protecting European investment taking place in Iran,” the EU official said. “As long as the Americans are not obstructing the world will go ahead and we’ll keep investing as long as [European companies] are protected by European governments and the EU.”

Kalina Oroschakoff contributed reporting.

This article was updated with new timing for Trump’s speech.

The former Red Devils right-back believes the time has come for the French midfielder to leave Old Trafford

Manchester United should sell Paul Pogba this summer and cut all ties with his agent Mino Raiola in the process, according to Paul Parker.

Pogba’s future has been the subject of much speculation since he publicly expressed a desire to undertake a new challenge away from Old Trafford last summer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ultimately convinced the 26-year-old to stay put for the start of the 2019-20 campaign, but a niggling ankle issue has significantly restricted the midfielder’s contribution.

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Pogba underwent surgery on the injury in January but it is not yet known when he will return to full training.

As revealed by Goal, United are expecting Pogba to leave in the summer and can see him joining either Real Madrid or Juventus.

Raiola has publicly hinted that the World Cup winner would be open to a return to Juve, leading to a feud with Solskjaer which has overshadowed United’s exploits on the pitch over the last week.

Parker, who played for the Red Devils between 1991 and 1996, would like to see a distracting saga draw to a close as soon as possible. He said, as quoted by Daily Star : “The whole thing has to stop, it’s as simple as that. 

“They just need it to move on. It’s not about when he comes back, don’t even wait for that. Just move him on now and take his agent with him.

“His agent has said a lot of stuff, Pogba hasn’t said anything. There are enough opportunities for him to come out and set the record straight.

“If he came out and said he wants to leave, a lot more respect would be had. Don’t let a non-football man do it for you.

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“The fans are not fussed about him anymore, they’ve got no interest anymore. Even if he does come back, they are fed up of ifs and buts.

“If the real Paul Pogba was there, with Bruno Fernandes and Fred around as well, that would be a good combination. But it isn’t going to be.

“Manchester United have to move him on. They need positivity and that’s with players that want to be there.”

Solskjaer must continue to make do without a talismanic figure in the meantime, with a crucial home fixture against Watford up next on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils moved to within three points of the final Champions League spot with a win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday, and another victory could see them close that gap even further.

The Argentine attacker faces an uncertain future and could even return to Italy next season

Mauro Icardi’s agent and wife Wanda Nara does not know if the Paris Saint-Germain loanee will remain in the French capital or return to parent club Inter amid links to Juventus.

Icardi is on loan at Ligue 1 champions PSG, who have the option to make the deal permanent for a fee in the region of €70 million ($75m) at the end of the season.

The Argentina international was unwanted by Antonio Conte’s Inter heading into the 2019-20 campaign and his move to PSG has yielded 19 goals in all competitions.

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Icardi, who has only scored twice in his past 12 appearances, has previously spoken of his willingness to stay at PSG but Nara said she is unsure what the future holds.

“Will Mauro go to Juventus? I really don’t know,” Nara told Chi magazine.

“I don’t know if next season we will return to Milan or Paris. In football you never know.

“He will choose and we will follow him. It’s difficult for you to argue because I know Mauro very well and I know exactly what he wants as a footballer and what makes him feel good as a man.

“I will follow him in his choices as wife and as his agent for extra security.”

Icardi was an unused substitute as PSG lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the opening leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday. Ligue 1 leaders PSG and Icardi host 10th-placed Bordeaux in Paris on Sunday.

Nara has previously ruled out the prospect of her husband joining Juventus but it appears that stance has now softened. 

“No, no. The present of Mauro is in Paris, he is very well there and is realising some crazy goals as he always did,” she told Rete 4 in December 2019 when asked if Icardi could join Juventus.

“The only thing that interests me is his happiness and he is very happy at PSG.”

Speaking in January, Icardi himself said he’d be content to remain in Paris.

“I feel well in Paris, for the moment we still haven’t spoken with the club,” he told reporters last month.

“There are still four months until the end of the season. When the season ends in May, we’ll sit down and talk. If I have the chance to stay I would be happy.”