Paul Krugman warns Trump just tipped off what he’ll do if Dems take the House

Initially responding to a tweet from President Donald Trump accusing early voters of “voting fraud,” before adding “Cheat at your own peril,” New York Times columnist Paul Krugman predicted how Trump will react if the GOP loses big in the midterms.
In a short tweet storm, the Nobel Prize-winning economist warned that — along with Trump already beating the drum over what he will inevitably call election fraud — the president will also commit illegal acts to remain in power if the Democrats take the House.
In the first tweet, Krugman wrote, “If Democrats don’t at least take the House, God help us. But even if they do, we’ll be facing a nightmarish political scene. Republicans will claim that the election was stolen, and deny the majority’s legitimacy.”
He then noted that Trump appointee, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, is refusing to turn over documents to Congress with Trump’s blessing, adding Wilkie’s defiance is a preview of what is to come.
“Democrats will gain subpoena power — but expect the Trump administration to simply defy requests for information, the way they already are on issues like the Mar a Lago crowd’s influence on the Veterans Administration,” he tweeted, “They’ll also probably abuse executive power in many other ways. And they’ll use claims of voter fraud to justify their disregard of the law and Constitution. If you don’t think this is going to happen, you haven’t been paying attention.”
He then warned, “In the very near future, many government officials will probably face hard decisions about whether to defy illegal orders from their political superiors. And remember, this is the good scenario.”

President Donald Trump is touting high job

President Donald Trump is touting high job numbers as the reason his Republican Party should win the midterms as a new poll shows him with a record high approval rating - and Democrats winning in November.
'Best Jobs Numbers in the history of our great Country! Many other things likewise. So why wouldn't we win the Midterms? Dems can never do even nearly as well! Think of what will happen to your now beautiful 401-k's!,' Trump tweeted on Sunday.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent in September, the lowest since December 1969.
Trump and Republicans have made the strong economy a central reason to keep their party in power next year.
And a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump with his highest job rating yet as president but it also has Democrats holding a 9-point lead in November's election.
Trump's job approval among registered voters came in at 47 percent with 49 percent disapproving.
That's his highest rating as president in the NBC/WSJ poll, the network noted.
Women, Latinos, and young voters are fueling the Democrats lead over Republicans, even as the GOP receives high ratings for their work on the economy.
In the poll, 50 percent of likely voters prefer Democratic control of Congress versus 41 percent who want Republicans to stay in power.
But Republicans have a 15-point advantage on the question of which party better deals with the economy — their biggest lead on this question in the poll's history, NBC noted.
Republicans also hold a 17-point advantage on trade, a 3-point advantage on handling the Supreme Court nomination process and a 1-point advantage on changing how Washington works.
Democrats have a 29-point advantage on looking out for women's interests, an 18-point advantage on health care, an 8-point advantage on looking out for the middle class and a four-point advantage on immigration.
Asked which one or two issues would be the most important factor in deciding their vote, 38 percent said the economy and jobs; 31 percent said health care, 23 percent said changing how things work; and 22 percent each said looking out for the middle class and immigration.
'It's a barnburner,' Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Fred Yang and Hart Research Associates, told NBC News

Sarri first conference

The press conference began with Sarri speaking in English about how big a pleasure it is for him to be in London and in Premier League which, at the moment, is the best league in the world according to him. He then went on to apologize for his command of the English language, or lack thereof, and that he’d be answering the questions in Italian instead and hopes that in a few weeks, he is able to improve upon this aspect and answer in English instead.
The first question was about the delay in appointing him as Chelsea head coach and whether that has affected the preparation or if it’s something that he had been planning for sometime. Sarri gave a fairly diplomatic answer to this question, saying that it was a complicated situation with Napoli that needed to be solved, thus he wasn’t planning anything.
He further went on to say that he knew Chelsea were interested in him and that the situation was resolved only a few days ago. Thus, there are concerns with regards to lack of time, but it’s something that he intends to solve together with his staff.
Moving on, the next question was the standard softball about the Premier League, and whether he had talked to other coaches such as the man who replaced him at Napoli, Carlo Ancelotti.
“Well for me this is a difficult challenge, but a fascinating one. I know it will be very difficult and here we have the strongest coaches in the world and the strongest players in the world. It is difficult, but I have not asked anyone anything. I want to have this experience by myself, including mistakes. The Premier League is different from Serie A because it is stronger while Serie A is tactical but here there are stronger players.
“However I need to have fun to do well and I have noticed that in the last year something has changed in the Premier League as well. It is not a typical English style of playing and this has given me confidence but I know it will be difficult.”
Speaking of world class coaches, Sarri was asked about his opinion on his friend, Pep Guardiola and not his friend, Jose Mourinho. Here is what he had to say about both the managers.
On Pep:
“Well he is a class act, a champion and a genius. It is difficult to explain his insights. Clearly he had some difficulties in the first year, but 100 points in PL is extraordinary, might not be repeated. For us we need to fill in a gap. I hope last year was an occasional gap.”
On Jose:
“He has won everything and I think that is enough as a manager. He has won everything repeatedly and I think someone who has this track record does not need a description. We are talking about a world level manager. I esteem Pep, and the other managers but I am friends with Pep because my style is closest to Guardiola.“
Of course, no press conference can be complete without transfer talk. Thus, the next question was regarding the futures of Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Willian, all three who are linked with moves away from the club and Gonzalo Higuain, a player who is linked with a move to the club.
Sarri’s answer was fairly reserved stating that he’d obviously like to keep the best players at the club as that is what every manager and club wants to do. Regarding Higuain however, Sarri said that he, as a manager, is bored with the transfer window. According to him, he is more of a head coach rather than a manager and thus, his focus is always on the pitch and what he can do to improve the players, rather than focusing on the transfers. Incidentally, this is a paradigm that Conte emphasized quite often as well, though while also having more of an opinion on the market itself.
“Well, clearly, we would always like to keep the strongest players, this is what any manager and club wants to do. We will have to see what the transfer market goes. But I would like to clarify that I see myself as more of a field manager, a pitch manager rather than a general manager. I think that I am one of the few managers who is bored by the transfer market. I don’t want to talk about the transfer market and I’m not that interested in it. I think that our task as managers is growing the players we have.”
Less sonorous may have been his emphasis on fun and style over setting trophy goals. While Sarri obviously wants to be competitive and go far in ever competition the club enters, his personal objective is to have fun. One of the biggest gifts you can receive in life, he says, is to have fun while doing your job, so he’s certainly grateful for that.
The next question was regarding what kind of football will Sarri bring to Chelsea and if the Chelsea fans can expect entertaining football.
“I hope so, I really hope so. Clearly, football can be entertaining or not but much depends on the players. A good manager is something whose team has a lot of physicality otherwise there has to be a lot of technical players. This depends on the characteristics of the final squad but I am convinced that if a team has fun often the fans have fun too. This is very important and then there are the high level objectives as well but we must start by having fun. This is important for our fans.”
Conte’s one word was work.
Sarri says he hopes to implement his footballing philosophy at Chelsea as quickly as possible, and he wants to make his side's style of play fun to watch for our supporters.
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It’s good to see that Sarri is not a purist in the sense that he only desires technical players but he also sees the importance of having physicality in the squad. However, the squad that finished 5th last season still needs some adjustments and Sarri had this to say regarding his transfer targets.
“I cannot name names, because I don’t know. I spoke with the club and ideally I think that a pinch of quality was lacking in our centre-halves [translation error: midfielders] for a certain type of play. Of course, I cannot change 20 players, I must adapt and then I will see if we change some thing in my game. Because of their characteristics.“
Sarri hints at Rugani: "I spoke with football club and said ideally I think  a pinch of quality is lacking in ourbacks for a certain kind of play, otherwise they are at higher level.
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One common theme amongst most of the players Chelsea have been linked with this summe is their familiarity with Sarri’s complex system. The idea is that players like Higuain, Rugani, anyone from Napoli are being targeted as a workaround to the amount of time that it will take for the rest of the squad to get used to the new system.
According to Sarri, this familiarity process should not take more than three months at the worst as at Napoli, that’s the amount of time which was needed but he hopes that he has improved on this aspect in the last three years.
“Well it depends. In my previous experiences I needed a long time. Last time I needed three months in Napoli and we suffered in the three matches and then went along a positive path. I hope this initial time can be shortened and I hope the quality of the team will help me with this while I’m still building the team.”
Speaking of quality in the squad, Eden Hazard’s future at Chelsea is still in doubt but most are hoping that appointment of Sarri can be enough to convince Eden to stay. This is what Sarri had to say about our Belgian talisman:
“I was not talking about having fun on the pitch, during the week and want to win matches. Hazard is a high level player and I think he is one of the top two or three European players. I would like to have fun during the week with him, this would mean good results and being competitive at the end of the season.
“I hope I will manage to improve him, this is very difficult as he is already at a very high level. With Mertens it is different. Dries had always been an external striker, everybody thought by necessity he became a high level player but it’s a different situation. These are two top players. I hope I will improve Hazard too, but this will be very difficult.”
Last but not the least, Sarri was also asked Chelsea’s tendency to sack managers and if it’s something that worries him. To which the Italian replied that he is not worried and he hopes that he can work well with the rest of squad and that he can win a few trophies as well.
“If I was someone who always worried probably I would do another job. Our job means risks but also a lot of satisfaction. I don’t want to be afraid.
“With respect to the rest, I haven’t won anything but in Serie A nobody has won anything due to the dominance of Juventus. For three years in a row we achieved records [with respect to Napoli] with points. I think that we have worked very well and the difference in working well and winning is often minimum. I hope I will be able to fill in this gap. I hope so.”

United sold one and agree move for another

Ajax have resigned 28-year-old Daley Blind from Manchester United, four years after he left the Amsterdam club to join The Red Devils.
Blind, who has 54 caps for the Netherlands and can play in midfield or defence, struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho last season, featuring only 17 times for Man Utd in all competitions.
An initial £14m deal has been agreed between the clubs, according to
TeamTalk , with the fee possibly rising to £18.5m with performance-based add-ons.
Blind was part of the 2017 United squad which won the League Cup against Southampton and the Europa League, in which he started against his former club Ajax.
After completing his move ‘home’, Blind said on Twitter :
“First of all I want to say how proud I am to be a part of the Manchester United family,”
“To play for the biggest club in the world with such a history meant a lot to me. I had 4 great years with 4 trophy’s!”
“I want to thank everyone, the managers, coaches, the medical department, everyone who helped me to settle in so quick at the beginning, of course my teammates and last but definitely not least the fans!”
Blind originally signed for United in 2014 for a £13.8m fee, and was entering the final year of his contract so the Red Devils have decided to cash-in before losing him for nothing in 12 months.
He is the latest Premier League player to sign for Ajax this summer, after Southampton’s Dušan Tadić also joined the Amsterdam club earlier in the window.
Man Utd’s bid for Guedes accepted
And it looks like Jose Mourinho has already spent the Blind money as
TeamTalk are citing a report from Don Balon that claims Manchester United have seen a £71m bid for Goncalo Guedes accepted by Paris Saint-Germain.
Mourinho has been looking to strengthen his attacking options this summer and Guedes could be lined-up as a potential replacement for Anthony Martial amid speculation surrounding his future at Old Trafford.
The Spanish publication says Mourinho has set his sights on the Portuguese international and PSG have now accepted United’s £71m bid for the talented attacker.
Guedes made his name after coming through the youth ranks at Benfica and was considered to be one of the most exciting young players in Europe when he joined PSG in January 2017.
However, the 21-year-old struggled to make an impact at the Parc des Princes and was sent out on loan to Valencia last summer where he rediscovered some of his best form with 6 goals and 11 assists.
It’s reported that Valencia want to make the move permanent but have refused to meet PSG’s asking price which has left the door open for Manchester United to swoop in.
Guedes would be an exciting signing for Mourinho as he could add a spark that was lacking in the final third at times last season but we’ll have to wait and see how accurate these reports turn out to be.

Madrid and united battle for Psg star

Real Madrid have set about replacing Cristiano Ronaldo by placing an opening bid for a PSG star, a report claims.
The Portugal forward, 33, has agreed a four-year contract with the Serie A champions in one of the most dramatic moves in European football, which was confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Ronaldo scored a record 451 goals over nine years at the Bernabeu, having signed from Manchester United and helping deliver four Champions League triumphs.
However, Real have set about replacing Ronaldo by making an opening bid for a player who would surely be their new Galactico.
According to TransferMarketWeb , Los Blancos have tabled an offer for Kylian Mbappe, though it was rejected out of hand by PSG who consider the France World Cup star too important to sell.
Mbappe joined the Parisians from Monaco last summer, but admitted he was tempted to move to the Bernabeu.
“I chose PSG because I will play more, it was the main criteria,” the 19-year-old revealed.
“It’s a dream come true to wear this shirt and feel the unique atmosphere at the Parc des Princes. The club’s project is one of the most ambitious in Europe and I want to keep progressing with my new teammates and reach the goals the club set.”
Spanish outlet Don Balon sensationally claimed on Monday that Manchester United hope to be able to recoup €150million (£132m) by selling Paul Pogba this summer, and use that money to fund a move for Mbappe

Madrid agree deal with hazard

Eden Hazard wants to leave Chelsea this summer and has reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid, according to reports in France.
After an impressive World Cup campaign with Belgium, the 27-year-old’s future at Stamford Bridge remains uncertain ahead of the new season.
Following Belgium’s win over England in their third-place playoff, Hazard gave a clear indication that he is aiming to leave Chelsea.
‘After six wonderful years at Chelsea it might be time to discover something different,’ said the midfielder.
‘Certainly after this World Cup. I can decide if I want to stay or go, but Chelsea will make the final decision – if they want to let me go. You know my preferred destination.’
Manchester City devise contingency plan after missing out on Jorginho
According to RMC Sport , Real Madrid are actively looking to sign Hazard this summer.
And the report claims that the Belgian already has a verbal agreement in place with the Spanish club’s management.
Madrid, however, have not yet agreed a fee with Chelsea.
The midfielder still has two years remaining on his contract but his value will drastically reduce if he fails to sign a new deal and remains at Stamford Bridge for another season.
Last week, reports claimed that Chelsea will demand at least £200 million from Madrid for Hazard .
While on Tuesday, RMC Sport also reported that Chelsea and Madrid have agreed a £31m transfer fee for Thibaut Courtois and the Belgian goalkeeper is set to sign a four-year contract with the Champions League holders.

Nigerian killed in haryana

Gurugram: A Nigerian national was killed and a Ghana citizen was arrested in a joint operation by Haryana’s Crime Branch of Gurugram and Faridabad, police said on Friday, adding that cocaine and a pistol was seized from them.
Police said Gurugram’s Crime Branch unit 17 chief Narendra Chauhan and his team was following the Nigerian, a suspected drug peddler, early on Friday.
The foreigners were in an Ola taxi on the Gurugram-Ghata-Faridabad road.
The police stopped the taxi and tried to catch the men but one of them opened fire, a police officer said. During a scuffle, the Nigerian was killed by a bullet fired from his own pistol, the officer said.
The deceased was identified as Michael Charles, who lives in the Faridabad’s Green Field Colony in a rental accommodation.
The arrested Ghana citizen was identified as Inchiku Ehanacho.
Police spokesperson Sube Singh said the body had been sent to the Badshah Khan Hospital in Faridabad and the Nigerian embassy had been informed.
A pistol and white and brown powder (which prima facie seems to be cocaine) were recovered from them.
SUICIDE
A 37-year-old Bhondsi jail inmate committed suicide on Friday by hanging himself in one of its washrooms, police said.
Bhupender Sahani was jailed since March 19 after he was accused of raping his minor daughter, a jail official told IANS.
The accused, hailing from Madhubani district of Bihar, was living in Pataudi area of Gurugram district. His wife had lodged an FIR at Pataudi police station against him.
“Prisoners were out of barracks around 10 a.m. when he went to the washroom and hanged himself with an iron grille of a ventilator,” the official said.