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Putin critic Navalny detained by police before pre-election rally | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained by police as he left his Moscow home on Friday to attend a pre-election rally in a provincial town. Russia holds a presidential election in March which incumbent Vladimir Putin is widely expected to contest. Navalny hopes to run despite Russia s central election commission declaring him ineligible because of a suspended prison sentence which he says was politically-motivated. Navalny said on social media on Friday that police had detained him in the lobby of his apartment block and told him they wanted to interview him at a police station. He was released around 11 hours later and told to appear in court on Monday to face charges of repeatedly violating laws governing the organization of public meetings and rallies, Navalny s spokeswoman told Reuters. He faces up to 30 days in jail if found guilty, she said. The press service of Moscow s interior ministry was cited by the TASS news agency as saying Navalny had been detained due to his repeated calls to take part in unsanctioned public events . The authorities say opposition protests must be pre-approved by them, but Navalny has in the past said that the Russian constitution enshrines the right to hold such events freely. On Friday, he denied the police s latest allegations, writing on social media: I ve never done that. Navalny had been due to address a pre-election rally in the city of Nizhny Novgorod later on Friday, part of a series of regional events he hoped would help him build support for his presidential run. | 0fake |
Pamela Geller: Universities Normalizing Anti-Semitic Voices like Linda Sarsour but Silencing Jewish Conservatives | On Monday’s Breitbart News Daily, Pamela Geller, president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, discussed her group’s upcoming protest against a speech by Muslim activist Linda Sarsour at City University of New York. [“I’m a free speech activist. This is not about free speech,” Geller explained. “Linda Sarsour is free to speak on college campuses and, by the way, frequently does. ” “We are protesting the invitation by CUNY, City University of New York — a university, and by the way, with a student body that’s over 25 percent Jewish — of a vicious a leader of the BDS movement, Boycott Divestment and Sanction of Israel movement, a supporter of sharia,” she continued. “The idea that this was the best that CUNY could do, this is the role model that they are holding up to our children to emulate, is just obscene,” Geller declared. “If you look at history, this idea of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement, the inspiration was the German boycott of the German Jews, which preceded Kristallnacht, the economic boycott,” she said. “This is the same thing, and the Nazi boycott of the Jews was the antecedent to BDS. ” “Here you have a woman, Linda Sarsour, who has said that Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Brigitte Gabriel deserve an and should have their vaginas cut off,” Geller said of Sarsour. “She has said that the Christmas Day underwear bomber who tried to blow up a plane on Christmas Day over Detroit was a CIA plot. We could go on and on. This is who CUNY University of New York is holding up as the example? She stands on a stage with a convicted terrorist who murdered Jews, Rasmea Odeh. She stands on a stage with her. Her family has been convicted of jihad terror. Her brother, I think, is still in jail. ” “I could go on and on,” said Geller, before proceeding to do so. “There’s a list of things. She has said nothing is creepier than Zionism, Israel is an apartheid state, Prime Minister Netanyahu is a waste of a human being and a racist, and on and on. She faked a hate crime against herself to score political points nationally by portraying a mentally ill black homeless man as a violent racist. By the way, everyone in the neighborhood knew the man and sort of likes the man. ” “It really was a disgusting display, a P. R. stunt — which, by the way, she’s very good at,” Geller continued. “When she supposedly raised money after there were hundreds of Jewish cemetery gravestones — I think it was in Philly — that were desecrated they’re knocked over. She pulled off this publicity stunt, which, by the way, the media loves, to raise money to help restore the stones. She loves dead Jews, okay? Live ones, not so much. ” “So yes, this Thursday at noon — so if you’re in New York, it’s your lunch hour, no excuses! — you come to the CUNY offices, which is 205 East 42nd street,” she announced. “We’re having a demonstration against the invitation of this to give the keynote speech, when universities have disinvited Ayaan Hirsi Ali, disinvited Nonie Darwish, disinvited Ann Coulter. ” “We cannot sanction this. This is the mainstreaming. This is the norming of evil. This is the norming of ” she contended. “Milo is coming in to speak — yes, Milo!” said Geller, referring to former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos. “Assemblyman Dov Hikind is speaking. Nonie Darwish is flying in to speak. My friend Caroline Glick is giving me a statement. She’s in Israel. John Guandolo, the counterterrorism expert and founder of Understanding the Threat is speaking. ” “Ambassador John Bolton is trying to come in to speak,” she continued. “We have Lauri Regan for the Endowment for Middle East Truth and National Women’s Committee [of the Republican Jewish Coalition]. We have David Wood, Acts 17 Apologetics. ” “You have to come!” she urged. “Because if you don’t come, what you’re saying is you don’t care. Silence is affirmation. ” “It reminds of in the 1920s, Hitler’s party. Before it was the National Socialist Workers’ Party, it was the National Socialist Party — and they were a violent group of rabble that were on the absolute fringe of German society,” she recalled. “They were not taken seriously. He had some popular following in the beer halls — German white trash, as it were. He was nowhere. It was not until 1929 when a coalition of political parties invited him to join them in the German referendum of 1929 it was a referendum against the Versailles treaty. It was at that moment, in my estimation of studying history, where history turned, where you normed Hitler, where you sanctioned Hitler. You invited him to join the mainstream. Everything changed for him after that. ” “This is what I see happening now, where voices of freedom like myself and my colleagues are marginalized, demonized, and rendered radioactive — and you norm a Linda Sarsour, who made her bones on the backs of Jews, who made her bones on . That’s her racket. ” “And for CUNY, whose student population is over 25 percent Jewish, to invite her to keynote the commencement on Shavuot they made it on a Jewish holiday!” Geller exclaimed. “That’s the Jewish holiday where God gave the Jews law, Jewish law. To make it on that day — what are observant Jews supposed to do? Choose between Sarsour and Shavuot? The whole thing is vile and disgusting, and it needs to be opposed. ” Marlow suggested it was the provision of public funds for Sarsour’s “ garbage, garbage” that was supremely objectionable when so many other speakers have been turned away in recent years. “They couldn’t find anyone better?” Geller asked rhetorically. “Go to Facebook. Just search ‘Sarsour protest.’ All the information is there. Bring signs. Bring your friends. Stand up. Show them we will not be steamrolled by this alliance. ” Breitbart News Daily airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 weekdays from 6:00 a. m. to 9:00 a. m. Eastern. | 0fake |
Seeking to regain ground, Trump calls Clinton corrupt and a liar | NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump staged a harsh attack on his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, accusing her of corruption and dangerous incompetence as he tried to put his campaign back on track after recent setbacks. In a speech in New York that Clinton’s campaign called “nutty” and that was criticized by some Republicans, Trump argued that the former secretary of state is part of a political establishment that has cheated American workers through bad trade deals and endangered U.S. national security. Both candidates are seeking to overcome their high unfavorable ratings among voters at the Nov. 8 election by painting the other as a villain who puts personal gain over the interests of less powerful Americans. Even by the standards of modern presidential races, the sparring between Clinton, a former secretary of state and U.S. senator, and brash businessman Trump has made for unusually acidic rhetoric. “Hillary Clinton may be the most corrupt person ever to seek the presidency of the United States,” Trump told a small crowd of supporters at a hotel he owns in Manhattan, accusing her of having run the State Department “like her own personal hedge fund.” Clinton’s staff quickly dismissed that attack and others as “lies.” Trump read his speech from a teleprompter to curb his off-the-cuff comments but he pulled no punches. He said Clinton “has perfected the politics of personal profit and theft” and described her as “a world-class liar.” Republican Lindsey Graham, a U.S. senator from South Carolina who has so far declined to support Trump, said he disagreed that Clinton may be the most corrupt person to have run for the White House, and challenged Trump to become more presidential. “My advice to Mr. Trump would be to make the case that you have the temperament, knowledge and judgment to be president,” he said on CNN. “That’s the mountain you’ve got to climb.” Trump’s campaign has been distracted in recent weeks by racially-charged comments he made about a Mexican-American judge and the Republican’s firing of campaign manager Corey Lewandowski this week. The New York real estate mogul is trailing Clinton in most opinion polls, and campaign finance figures released on Monday show he has raised only a fraction of the amount Clinton has brought in, although Trump has said he is willing to loan his campaign more money. In his speech, Trump repeated accusations that Clinton’s decisions as America’s top diplomat were influenced by donations to the Clinton Foundation and associated charities. Clinton and her staff have denied this and similar allegations, dismissing them as politically motivated smears. “The only thing Donald Trump offered today was more hypocritical lies and nutty conspiracy theories,” Clinton spokesman Glen Caplin said. The State Department has said it is not aware of any evidence of improper influence, although it has acknowledged that new donations from foreign governments should have been submitted to the department’s ethics advisers for prior review but were not, in breach of an ethics agreement Clinton signed before taking office. Trump attacked the Clinton Foundation for accepting millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia and other countries criticized by the United States for not protecting the rights of women and gay people. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, has said that accepting such funding is not an endorsement of everything a foreign government does. Clinton added a pointed defense of the Clinton Foundation in a speech later on Wednesday. “The Clinton Foundation helps poor people around the world get access to lifesaving AIDS medicine,” she told cheering supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Donald Trump uses poor people around the world to produce his line of suits and ties.” Trump also said Clinton had used bad political judgment in her four years as secretary of state, failing to stop the rise of Islamic State, keep strong sanctions on Iran or avoid chaos in Libya. “Her decisions spread death, destruction and terrorism everywhere she touched,” Trump said. On Tuesday, Clinton delivered her own blistering attack on Trump, saying that putting him in the White House would be a disaster for the U.S. economy. On Wednesday, Clinton won the endorsement of former U.S. National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft, a Republican who served under Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed that 44.5 percent of likely voters backed Clinton, while 35.5 percent supported Trump. Some of the accusations made by Trump on Wednesday appeared to contradict the public record. He said Clinton would admit hundreds of thousands of refugees to the United States without any prior screening. But under the current process, refugees must wait months or years in foreign camps while U.S. security agencies review their backgrounds, a system Clinton supports. Trump said Clinton was sleeping “soundly” in her bed as a deadly attack unfolded in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 in which four Americans were killed. State Department records show Clinton was in her State Department office when news of the opening assaults came through. She has said she later worked through the night on the U.S. response. | 0fake |
Stabbing Attack in Australia Is Linked to the Islamic State - The New York Times | SYDNEY, Australia — A man who stabbed and critically wounded another man in a park in a Sydney suburb on Saturday was inspired by Islamic State extremists, the police here said on Sunday. Catherine Burn, a deputy police commissioner for the state of New South Wales, said at news conference that a Sydney man, whom police did not name, had been charged with committing an act of terrorism and attempted murder. He was expected to appear in court on Sunday morning. Ms. Burn said the man was known to the police for other unrelated crimes. “We will be alleging before court this was an act that was inspired by ISIS,” she said. “It was a deliberate act yesterday. It resulted in a person receiving extremely serious injuries. ” The unidentified victim was attacked while walking through a nature reserve in Minto, about 30 miles southwest of downtown Sydney. He was listed in serious condition at an area hospital. The police said that the two men did not know each other. “We know that this person has strong, extremist beliefs inspired by ISIS,” Ms. Burn said at the news conference. “What made him act we don’t know. ” She said that counterterrorism police officers had searched the man’s home and found material that linked him to the extremist group. On Thursday, the New South Wales police arrested another man, 18, in an unrelated incident at the Sydney Opera House. He was charged with threatening to destroy or damage property, after the police arrested him outside the music venue. Last week, Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, warned that the Islamic State had called for terror attacks at popular tourist sites in Australia, including the Opera House and at Bondi Beach. | 0fake |
EVERY U.S. CITIZEN TAKEN HOSTAGE IN IRAN To Be Awarded Millions…With A Catch…Iran’s Not Paying…YOU Are! | Just another slap in the face to US citizens. Our government arranges massive payments to hostages taken by the terrorist nation of Iran, as they walk away unscathed .A fund of over $1 billion has been created for the U.S. embassy personnel taken hostage by Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but it is the U.S. taxpayer, not Iran, who will be paying for it.The new fund, known as the United States Victims of State Sponsors of Terrorism Fund, was an addition to the omnibus bill put forward by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama Dec. 28. As much as $4.4 million could go to each of the 52 Americans held by Iran, with another $600,000 going to each spouse and child of the victims. The provision authorizes $1.025 billion from the Department of the Treasury to be used to pay for the new fund. Additionally, the legislation includes a 25 percent cap on any attorney s fees, which could lead to as much as $250 million total going to lawyers of the various victims involved.The victims were taken hostage during Iran s Islamic Revolution led by former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Hundreds of student protesters stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran taking 52 U.S. personnel hostage for 444 days. Several months after the takeover, former President Jimmy Carter authorized Operation Eagle Claw, a rescue attempt by U.S. special operations forces which would later fail. The hostages would eventually be released after a lengthy negotiation process the day of President Ronald Reagan s inauguration in January, 1981. Victims of the embassy attack have been seeking compensation for their captivity for some time, but have been prevented from taking legal action against Iran. The 1981 Algiers Accords, the agreement which secured the release of the hostages, had a provision barring the victims from suing the Iranian government. Iran is not paying the money, but it s as close as you can get, says Thomas Lankford, an attorney for one of the victims, speaking to The Washington Post. Lankford refers to a clause in the new law which mandates that any money collected from the BNP Paribas scandal will be used for the new fund and the various 9/11 victim funds. The U.S. levied a fine of $9 billion on the French bank in June 2014 for its evasion of sanctions against countries like Iran, Cuba and North Korea.The staggering amount of compensation being paid to the victims is remarkably higher than the $262,000 suggested by the George W. Bush administration in 2003. Some may be surprised that a fiscally conservative Republican-controlled Congress would authorize payments of more than $250 million from the U.S. Treasury to private attorneys, even on behalf of victims of terrorism deserving compensation, writes attorney John Bellinger in the Lawfare blog. Via: Daily Caller | 1real |
Clinton offers her vision for U.S economy, rebukes Trump's | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that if the U.S. Congress does not act to close tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy and corporations, she will ask the Treasury Department to take up the issue if she is elected president. “Let’s make sure that Wall Street, corporations and the super rich pay their fair share of taxes,” Clinton said in Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The former U.S. secretary of state used her campaign stop to offer her vision for bolstering the economy after using a speech on the topic on Tuesday to attack presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, predicting a “Trump recession” if he becomes president. Trump delivered his own speech attacking Clinton on Wednesday, saying she is part of a political establishment that has cheated American workers through bad trade deals. In her speech on Wednesday, Clinton said, “I think it’s an understatement to say Americans face a choice in November. “I’m here today to offer an alternative. “When people say the game is rigged, the best evidence is the (U.S.) tax code. It is riddled with scams, loopholes and other special breaks,” added Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. She said that if the Republican-controlled Congress does not enact reforms to end tax breaks for the wealthy, she would use her presidential authority to direct the Treasury Department to do so. Democratic President Barack Obama has faced criticism for using executive action. In one example, he used executive power to shield certain groups from the threat of deportation when immigration legislation stalled in Congress. Clinton said modifying the tax code is one prong in a five-part plan the federal government would follow to jump-start the American economy if she is elected on Nov. 8: - Large-scale investment in rebuilding infrastructure to create well-paying jobs; - Enabling debt-free college educations; - Giving companies incentives to share profits with employees; - Creating national family-friendly policies such as paid family leave. In a nod to populists within the Democratic Party who may have supported U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during the Democratic Primary, Clinton also said she would aim to raise the federal minimum wage, strengthen labor unions and reject international trade deals that do not benefit U.S. workers. “As I said during the primary, I am a progressive who likes to get things done, and we can do this,” Clinton said. | 0fake |
Pope urges skeptical Colombians to accept peace with guerrillas | VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia (Reuters) - Pope Francis urged Colombians skeptical of a peace deal with guerrillas to be open to reconciliation with those who have repented, speaking hours after a top rebel leader asked the pontiff for forgiveness. Dear people of Colombia: do not be afraid of asking for forgiveness and offering it, he said, at an emotional meeting that brought together victims of the 50-year civil war with former guerrilla and paramilitary fighters. The Argentine pope, leader of the world s Roman Catholics, is visiting Colombia with a message of national reconciliation, as the country tries to heal the wounds left by the conflict and bitter disagreements over a peace deal agreed last year. Francis flew to the city of Villavicencio in Meta province, a vast cattle ranching area which was a hotbed of right-wing paramilitary and Marxist guerrilla violence during a conflict with successive governments. As he arrived, former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, now the head of a new political party, issued an open letter to the pope asking for forgiveness for the suffering the group inflicted. [nL2N1LP0UZ] Your repeated expressions about God s infinite mercy move me to plead your forgiveness for any tears or pain that we have caused the people of Colombia, Londono, who goes by the alias Timochenko, said in the letter. Tens of thousands of ecstatic people in this humid area of savanna and shantytowns packed the roads as the pope, riding in the front seat of a simple car, passed by on Friday morning after his plane arrived from the capital Bogota. The pope s afternoon prayer meeting in Villavicencio with about 6,000 survivors of the brutal conflict was the centerpiece of his five-day trip to overwhelmingly Catholic Colombia. He listened to personal accounts from four people, including a woman who joined a paramilitary group when she was 16, a former FARC guerrilla, and two victims of violence between the guerrillas and paramilitary squads. One of the victims, Pastora Mira Garc a, told how she lost her father, husband and two children in the conflict. To great applause she urged forgiveness to break the cycle of violence and said she could now name the unnamable and forgive the unforgivable . On the wall of the stage was a destroyed statue of Jesus Christ recovered from a church attacked by the FARC in 2002 in the rain forest village of Bojaya. About 80 people were killed as they sought refuge from rebel bombings inside the humble church. The plaster figure, without arms or legs, has become an enduring symbol of the war. As we look at it, we remember not only what happened on that day, but also the immense suffering, the many deaths and broken lives, and all the blood spilled in Colombia these past decades, the pope said. Conflict between right-wing paramilitary squads, Marxist rebels, and government forces since the 1960s has killed more than 220,000 people and left millions more displaced. Now Colombians are deeply polarized as they prepare to receive 7,000 former fighters, such as Londono, into society. Many are furious that under last year s peace deal, FARC leaders accused of kidnapping and murder will avoid jail sentences and may receive seats in congress as members of a new political party. [nL1N1DN22O] Francis addressed this hesitancy head-on. Undoubtedly, it is a challenge for each of us to trust that those who inflicted suffering on communities and on a whole country can take a step forward, he said. Let us heal that pain and welcome every person who has committed offences, who admits their failures, is repentant and truly wants to make reparation. As he left Villavicencio, he stopped to pray at the Reconciliation Cross, a memorial to survivors and those killed during the war, and planted a tree as a symbol of peace. Earlier, Francis celebrated a Mass for hundreds of thousands of people on a muddy field to beatify Pedro Maria Ramirez, a priest who was killed in 1948 during a period of political violence known as La Violencia, and Bishop Jesus Emilio Jaramillo, killed in 1989 by the National Liberation Army (ELN) for suspected collaboration with the military. | 0fake |
BREAKING! INVESTIGATION: Hillary Clinton Did NOT Comply With Records Rules | Was Hillary Clinton negligent or was she doing this on purpose? Either way, it s a really bad situation and gives more fodder for the Trump campaign. Keep at it!The State Department inspector general concluded that Hillary Clinton did not comply with the agency s policies on records, according to a report released to lawmakers on Wednesday that also revealed that Clinton and her top aides chose not to cooperate with the review.The agency on Wednesday released the long-awaited report to Capitol Hill, copy of which was obtained by POLITICO, providing just the latest turn in the headache-inducing saga that has dogged Clinton s campaign.While the report concludes that the agency suffers from longstanding, systemic weaknesses with records that go well beyond the tenure of any one Secretary of State, it specifically dings Clinton for her exclusive use of private email.The watchdog s findings could exact further damage to Clinton s campaign, and they provide fresh fodder for Trump, who has already said he will go after Clinton for the email scandal bigly. The Democratic frontrunner s bid for the White House has already been hindered by high unfavorability ratings, with people saying they don t trust her. The report represents the latest pushback in this case by a nonpartisan government entity against her campaign s claim that she did not break any rules and that her use of a private server was completely allowed. The report also details how some technology staff said they were instructed to not talk of Clinton s email set-up after they raised concerns about the unusual arrangement. It also includes conflicting information about whether the private email server had been approved by the State Department s legal staff. Read more: POLITICO | 1real |
Review: They’ve, Sob, Remade ‘Beaches’ - The New York Times | “Beaches,” directed by Garry Marshall and released three decades ago, was a curio even in its own time: a pastiche of 1950s that was set, strangely and uncomfortably, in the 1970s and ’80s. Portraying the lifelong friendship of two women, one of whom dies too young — you could say that’s a spoiler, but it’s really the only thing the movie’s about — it was a shamelessly retrograde and soap opera with a veneer of fake feminism. (Careers and single motherhood were fine as long as they involved constant suffering.) Depending on your susceptibilities, it could inspire cultish devotion or impel you to yell at the screen. It was not, by any measure, a movie that needed to be remade. But here we are, 29 years later, with a new television version of “Beaches” on Lifetime on Saturday night. Idina Menzel has taken the Bette Midler role of C. C. Bloom, the brassy Jewish (originally from the Bronx, now from Venice Beach) and Nia Long succeeds Barbara Hershey as Hillary Whitney, who originally was a lawyer. The Lifetime “Beaches” is a reduction of the original — smaller emotions, smaller performances, fewer songs, shorter running time (about 87 minutes versus 123) — and while that could have been an improvement, it’s not. The things that made the original worth sitting through, whether you were or are mostly gone. Stuffing the story into 70 percent of the time makes C. C. and Hillary’s cycle of fights and reconciliations feel more arbitrary than ever, especially in the absence of Ms. Midler, whose vivid portrayal of C. C. provided motivations that weren’t in the script. The new things in the Lifetime film, written by Bart Baker and Nicole Beckwith (based on a novel by Iris Rainer Dart) and directed by Allison Anders, add nothing to the story. Casting Ms. Long, who’s black, would seem to add diversity, but so much of the (admittedly clichéd) and California flavors have been stripped away from C. C. and Hillary that the characters feel more indistinguishable than they did before. Some of the film’s precious time is devoted to a new character, Hillary’s lawyer father, so that when he dies, she can make a statement about black men and the justice system. Meanwhile, you watch it noting the things that are missing, even those that made you cringe. No more Ms. Midler singing “Under the Boardwalk. ” No more Mayim Bialik as the frighteningly confident C. C. belting out “The Glory of Love. ” No more John Heard supplying a touch of grace as the theater director whom both C. C. and Hillary love. No more “That’s my robe. ” There is one improvement: Ms. Menzel sings “Wind Beneath My Wings” a sooner than Ms. Midler did. Just in case that’s what you’re waiting around for. | 0fake |
Latest Assault on Aleppo: West Covers Up Terror-Ties | By Ulson Gunnar Militants led by designated terrorist organisation, Jabhat Al Nusra, now obliquely referred to by the Western media as “Jabhat Fateh al-Sham,” has... | 1real |
U.S. Secures Vast New Trove of Intelligence on ISIS - The New York Times | WASHINGTON — The United States is poring over a vast trove of new intelligence about Islamic State fighters who have flowed into Syria and Iraq and some who then returned to their home countries, information that American officials say could help fight militants on the battlefield and prevent potential plotters from slipping into Europe. Syrian Kurdish and Arab militias have seized more than 10, 000 documents and 4. 5 terabytes of digital data in recent weeks while fighting insurgents in Manbij in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, a major hub for Islamic State fighters entering and leaving Syria, American officials said. An initial American review of the material offers new clues about “foreign fighters, the networks, where they’re from,” according to Brett McGurk, President Obama’s special envoy for combating the Islamic State. Other officials said the information included the fighters’ identities, countries of origin, routes into Syria and the illicit networks that recruited and ferried them to the region. Those details are being shared with allies to help stanch the flow of militants. “We want to make sure that all that information is disseminated in a coherent way among our coalition partners,” Mr. McGurk said last week, during a meeting of foreign and defense ministers in Washington, “so that we can track the networks from the core and all the way to wherever the dots might connect, whether that is in Europe or in North Africa or Southeast Asia. ” It is the largest single trove seized in the fight against the Islamic State since Delta Force commandos raided the home of a top Islamic State financier in eastern Syria in May 2015. That operation carried off laptops, cellphones and other materials that led to airstrikes against top terrorist leaders and opened a valuable window into how the group manages its finances, brokers hostages for ransom and delegates duties within its caliphate. The latest seizure comes as a failed coup in Turkey has cast new doubts on that country’s ability and willingness to deploy military and other security forces to seal its long border with Syria. Many senior Turkish officers have been detained in a crackdown, leading American officials to worry that Turkish counterterrorism efforts will be weakened. Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, among others, has repeatedly criticized Turkey for not doing to enough to stem the flow of fighters across its frontier. That complaint had only recently started to fade as the Turkish authorities responded to attacks in their country linked to the Islamic State. American intelligence agencies estimate that nearly 43, 000 fighters from more than 120 countries — including 250 Americans among 7, 400 Westerners — have gone or tried to go to Syria and Iraq since 2011. While Turkey’s border tightening and other intelligence and law enforcement measures have by some estimates cut in half the monthly flow into Syria and Iraq, American analysts say as many as 500 to 1, 000 fighters a month are still pouring in, with hundreds of others heeding the Islamic State’s call to go to affiliates in Libya or Afghanistan instead, or remain at home and carry out attacks from there. Earlier this month, a top United Nations official said that nearly 30, 000 of those foreign fighters remained in Syria and Iraq — far more than Western intelligence agencies had estimated. The official, Laborde, a United Nations assistant secretary general and head of its counterterrorism committee, told reporters in Geneva that as the Islamic State loses territory in Iraq and Syria, “we are seeing them return, not only to Europe but to all of their countries of origin, like Tunisia, Morocco. ” American military and intelligence analysts are combing through the documents and electronic data recovered in Manbij, hoping to add to their growing knowledge of the rosters of Islamic State fighters and to help identify, locate and attack fighters in Syria and Iraq. In a speech Wednesday at Fort Bragg, N. C. Mr. Carter described Manbij as “a key transit point for external plotters threatening our homelands. And there we’re already beginning to gain and exploit intelligence that’s helping us map their networks of foreign fighters. ” Another use of the documents is, as Mr. McGurk said, to alert foreign intelligence and counterterrorism services across Europe, the Mideast and North Africa, even as a spate of terrorist attacks in France and Germany — some apparently inspired by the Islamic State — have roiled Europe. Any information from the Manbij trove would augment the activities of a sensitive center at a military base in Jordan called Operation Gallant Phoenix. At the base, military, counterterrorism and law enforcement agencies from several countries use publicly available software to sift through information. The effort has caused turf war tensions with the C. I. A. in Jordan, but supporters of the program have prevailed, sending names and other leads back to foreign capitals for investigation. The latest trove of documents was collected in various locations in the region around Manbij, where Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters, backed by American Special Operations commandos, have battled Islamic State fighters at a crucial junction between the Turkish border and Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria. “The operation in Manbij is about shutting down the main corridor from Raqqa and then out, in which some of the attackers that launched the Paris attacks we know traveled through that route,” Mr. McGurk said, referring to the Islamic State’s assault on Paris in November. “By shutting that down, you make it harder for them to kind of plan the kind of more coordinated attacks. ” The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, has reported that more than 100 civilians have died in airstrikes in and around Manbij since late May, when the militias started their offensive against Islamic State fighters there. The documents recovered in Manbij recall an American commando raid in the summer of 2007 on a suspected Qaeda safe house in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border. That assault yielded documents containing information about Syrian smuggling networks used to move foreign fighters into Iraq to fight for Al Qaeda. The most significant discovery was a collection of biographical sketches that listed hometowns, dates of birth, aliases and other details for more than 700 fighters brought into Iraq since August 2006. American officials later used the information to pressure the fighters’ home countries to crack down on the flow. American officials express confidence that the latest cache will yield similar insights. “We are learning more about Daesh at all levels from this,” said Col. Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the United States military in Iraq, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. “We’ve learned about how they organize their governance structures to ensure they can completely control all aspects of daily life, from religious practice, to education to tax collection and management of central services. ” “We have a better understanding of how Daesh facilitates foreign fighter movements into and out of Syria and Iraq, which gives us valuable insight into stopping the flow of foreign fighters into the region,” Colonel Garver said. | 0fake |
Alec Baldwin Returns To SNL To Shower Trump With Jokes About Russian Lady Pee (VIDEO) | Admit it: Ever since news broke that Donald Trump allegedly hired a couple nice Russian ladies to squat over a bed and ruin the maid s day by draining the swamp all over the place, the foremost thought in your mind has been What will Alec Baldwin do with this? Don t worry you re not alone, and the wait is over.Saturday Night Live s cold open this week was everything you hoped it would be: not only did it hit Trump on a number of key issues like his plan to repeal Obamacare and replace it with, well, nothing, as well as Trump s refusal to acknowledge that Russia hacked the election. But it was also overflowing with references to the golden shower fiasco that is going to follow Trump around for the rest of his life no matter where he goes or what he does.The allegations first surfaced when Buzzfeed opened the floodgates and published full memos that included allegations that Trump hired Russian prostitutes to urinate on a bed President Obama once slept in because he s a small, hateful man-child. The story, in this context, not only seems plausible but probable. Four sources confirm with the BBC that the allegations are legitimate, with at least one telling the network video and audio exist of some of Trump s escapades in St. Petersberg (Russia s leader in child prostitution) and Moscow.We re not going to ruin this for you. You need to see it for yourself, which you can do below:Featured image via screengrab | 1real |
WATCH: Trump Disgracefully Attacks President Obama In Poland | Donald Trump just sank to a new embarrassing low on the world stage.Sitting presidents usually do not attack their predecessors, especially during visits to other nations. And especially not in nations where the predecessor is popular.Such as the case in Poland, where President Obama is respected and supported.But Trump launched an attack on President Obama anyway during a press conference alongside Polish President Duda on Wednesday that included a whole lot of lies and a suggestion that Obama committed treason.After being asked to definitively admit that Russia meddled with the 2016 Election, Trump teeter-tottered before blaming President Obama and claimed Obama knew about Russian interference and did nothing. I think it was Russia and I think it could have been a lot of people interfered, Trump said. I said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia, but I think it well could have been other countries, and I won t be specific, but I think a lot of people interfere. Why did he [Obama] do nothing about it? Trump continued. He was told it was Russia by the CIA as I understand it. It was well reported and he did nothing about it. I think it s been happening for a long time. It s been happening for many years. Now, the thing I have to mention is that Barack Obama when he was president found out about this in terms of if it were Russia. Found out about it in August. Now, the election was in November. That s a lot of time. He did nothing about it. Here s the video via YouTube.In fact, President Obama did warn Russia in September to cease their hacking activities. Russia didn t obey and President Obama slapped sanctions against them in retaliation. Also, there was not a lot Obama could do since Trump was out there claiming that the election is rigged. Had Obama stopped Russia from helping Trump win, Trump would have accused Obama of rigging the election against him.If Trump is so confident that President Obama is to blame for Russian interference, why is he trying so hard to sabotage the Russia investigation?Once again, America becomes even more of a laughingstock around the globe because Trump refuses to keep his mouth shut and remain civil in public.Featured Image: Screenshot | 1real |
White House Defends Boehner’s ‘Lucifer’ Comment About Cruz: ‘He Was Just Looking To Be Honest’ (VIDEO) | Ever since former House Speaker John Boehner aired out his true feelings about Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, everyone has been having a field day and running with it.It all started on Wednesday, when John Boehner was asked about the 2016 election during a forum at Stanford University. It just so happened that Cruz s name came up in the discussion, and Boehner couldn t hold back his disgust for his fellow conservative. Referring to Cruz as Lucifer in the flesh, Boehner mocked the Texas senator: I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life. This is a thought that many Republicans would actually agree with, as it s been well-documented that Cruz is one of the least-liked politicians with several of those opinions coming from within the GOP. This fact only gets proven time and time again.On Thursday, the White House hilariously failed to come to Cruz s defense during a daily briefing, clearly amused by the Republicans in-party fighting. The room broke out in giggles when CNN s Michelle Kosinski asked Press Secretary John Earnest if he felt Obama would agree with Boehner s Lucifer comment, and whether those remarks were appropriate or not.Earnest, trying to hold back laughter, suggested that Boehner was just trying to be as truthful as possible. Earnest was barely able to keep a straight face as he replied: Obviously, Speaker Boehner was speaking based on his own experience. I don t know that he was looking to be helpful or harmful, I think he was just looking to be honest about his own view. Weighing in on whether Boehner s comments had crossed a line, Earnest simply said that if Kosinski was looking for somebody to come to the defense of one Republican who s being attacked by another, you should probably ask somebody else. You can watch the hilarious moment below:Featured image via Adam Berry / Getty Images | 1real |
National Immigration Law Center Exec Director: Sessions Has a ’Very Clear White Supremacist Agenda’ - Breitbart | National Immigration Law Center executive director Marielena Hincapie discussed illegal immigration Saturday on MSNBC’s “AM Joy. ” Hincapie said Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who earlier this week vowed the Trump administration would be tougher on United border security than previous administrations, has a “very clear white supremacist agenda. ” “We are deeply troubled, Joy,” Hincapie stated. “This is a situation in this country where a man who has very clear white supremacist agenda, a nativist agenda is now in authority. He has the power now to use Department of Justice to prosecute and criminalize immigrants. The fact that we are seeing that federal prosecutors one of their top priorities is to detain and deport immigrants is really critical. ” Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent | 0fake |
LISTEN TO JEH JOHNSON’S BIZARRE REASON We Must Remove Confederate Statues…”Homeland Security” Threat? [Video] | This is rich! The guy who opened our borders to criminals during the Obama era is now telling us that statues are a homeland security threat? Former Obama administration official Jeh Johnson said on This Week with Martha Raditz that the removal of Confederate statues was a matter of public safety and homeland security on Sunday Oh brother!A single protest against the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee turned violent last week. Charlottesville, WV was the sight of the engineered confrontation of two groups that got out of hand because the police officers were told to stand down.Jeh Johnson served as Secretary of Homeland Security under Obama but failed miserably to keep our homeland secure. We now have a mess that President Trump is trying to clean up. Johnson allowed violent gangs like MS13 to enter towns across America. He allowed thousands of illegal alien minor children to just roam free. Johnson is responsible for much of the illegal alien crime we re seeing now. The lawless policy of Obama and Johnson hurt many Americans.So now Johnson is saying that it s a problem that rallying Americans who want to keep Confederate statues are the violent ones??? THE VIOLENCE IS COMING FROM ANTIFA AND BLACK LIVES MATTER ON THE LEFT!THIS IS NOT TRUE: What alarms so many of us from a security perspective is that so many of the statues, the Confederate monuments, are now, modern-day, becoming symbols and rallying points for white nationalism, for neo-Nazis, for the KKK, and this is most alarming, Johnson said. We fought a world war against Naziism. The KKK reigned terror on African Americans for generations. I salute those in cities and states who are taking down a lot of these monuments for reasons of public safety and security, he added. And that s not a a matter of political correctness. That s a matter of public safety and homeland security and doing what s right. Host Martha Raddatz said she felt the Trump administration would call that a slippery slope, referring to local Washington locations like Washington-Lee High School and Jefferson Davis Highway. Where should that stop? Raddatz asked.Johnson said those kinds of decisions should be made at the local level.President Donald Trump slammed the removal of such monuments as foolish and for ripping apart the history and culture of our great country. TRUMP IS RIGHT! | 1real |
They’re already trying to steal 2016: Inside the GOP voting-rights scheme intended to derail democracy | Ever since African-American men were granted the right to vote with the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, programs were enacted to make it impossible for them to exercise the franchise. And needless to say, the passage of the 19th Amendment 50 years later, which opened the franchise to women, only resulted in even more programs to deny African-Americans their ability to vote in many states. All of this was quite legal under the states’ rights doctrine until the 1960s, when President Johnson and Congress finally passed the Voting Rights Act, which put the federal government in charge of monitoring the election processes of jurisdictions that were proven to have discriminated in the past. Trying to keep racial and ethnic minorities from voting is as American as apple pie.
Over the years, the right wing, which has always been hostile to the idea of “too much” democracy, worked to create an illusion that there was a great threat of “voter fraud” in America that needed to be dealt with by enacting extremely restrictive voter eligibility requirements. There is no evidence of systematic voter fraud anywhere in America, but that hasn’t stopped the right from doing everything in its power to make it difficult for ordinary people to exercise the right to vote. (If only they were as vigilant about preventing the very real threat of gun violence.)
And they have been helped in this task, unbelievably, by Democrats who are so afraid of right-wing hysteria that they actually helped the Republicans destroy one of their voting rights institutions, ACORN, when a right-wing con artist produced a doctored video to tarnish its reputation. They didn’t even wait for the facts; they immediately wrung their hands and joined the metaphorical lynching. It was a low point in recent civil rights history and it proved that voting rights activists cannot count on the political class to have their backs even when it means their own party will suffer.
Vote suppression was, of course, the way they kept African-Americans from voting during Jim Crow, so even as they destroyed ACORN, the usual suspects simultaneously worked to undermine the VRA and finally succeeded in having a right-wing Supreme Court majority overturn it. Now Republican state governments are much freer to restrict voting so that the undesirable minorities, whom they assume will vote for the Democratic Party (and rightly so since Republicans are openly hostile to them), will have a much more difficult time voting. They will naturally keep up their assault on the ability of urban black voters to participate by eliminating polling places and reducing early voting, which makes it difficult for hardworking people to participate. But the latest attacks are coming from a number of other directions, some of which are openly undemocratic, and are increasingly focused on Hispanics.
For instance, the argument in Evenwel v. Abbott, the latest voting case to come before the Supreme Court, is that only eligible voters are entitled to representation by the government. This means, essentially, that children, legal residents, former felons or the mentally ill have no representation. Obviously, it will mean that undocumented workers, many of whom are counted in the census, will not be represented. As a practical matter this will have the fortuitous result (for Republicans) of making voting districts more rural and more white. And that is the point.
Nobody knows how such a thing can be implemented because there is no count of “eligible voters” — the census doesn’t ask the question and there would be no way of determining its validity anyway. But the consensus among legal observers seems to be that the court will likely divide along the usual partisan lines and thus change the way representation is apportioned to favor white Republicans once again.
That’s not the only thing they are doing. For obvious reasons, the biggest fear among Republicans these days is no longer the threat of black Americans voting. They will certainly continue to do everything in their power to make it hard for them to exercise their rights — they are the Democrats’ most reliable constituency. But the major threat today comes from the fast-growing Latino population. Indeed, the campaign to deport immigrants and end birthright citizenship is hugely influenced by their fear that they will be demographically smothered in a few years by the American offspring of undocumented workers. The “path to citizenship” has them terrorized as they see it as an obvious electoral advantage for the Democratic Party.
There was a time when this prospect was actually considered an opportunity for Republicans who believed that they could appeal to this voting bloc through their shared belief in family values and small business entrepreneurship. One of George W. Bush’s greatest assets was considered to be his ability to attract Hispanics and he managed to get almost 40 percent of the vote in 2000. Unfortunately for Republicans, their older white constituency wants nothing to do with this — indeed, they are repelled by the idea of being in the same party as a group of immigrants who don’t look and sound like them. George W. Bush was abandoned by his party not only because of his Iraq debacle, but because he was widely considered to be soft on immigration.
As you can see from the presidential campaign, notwithstanding the party leaders’ understanding of their electoral challenge, this has hardened into a litmus test within the party. Republican voters want immigration stopped, they want a wall, they want deportation of undocumented immigrants and they want birthright citizenship to be repealed. (The last may require a constitutional amendment, although there are some cranks who insist it can be done legislatively. With this right-wing majority, they may even be able to get that endorsed by the Supreme Court.) GOP presidential candidates are required by the older white base to be openly hostile to Latinos, which ensures they will not get their votes. In that case, since the Latino population is growing very fast and is younger than the white population, the only option (aside from ethnic cleansing) is to try to prevent them from voting for Democrats by making it difficult at the voting booth and diluting their representation. Jim Rutenberg is writing a series on this subject for the New York Times Magazine that exposes the depth and breadth of this program. It’s being road-tested in Texas where there exists a serious possibility, if they are unable to succeed in turning back the tide, of a Democratic majority in a very few years due to the rapid growth in the Hispanic population. They are pulling out all the stops from local reapportionment of city council seats to the above-mentioned Supreme Court case attempting to deny representation to people who are ineligible to vote. And unfortunately, the Republicans have one very big advantage: fear. They have managed to make the process so harrowing that many Latinos don’t feel comfortable voting even though they have a perfect right to do so. And perhaps more relevantly, they are discouraged and depressed about participating in the system because of the invective and hostility coming from so many white Americans, particularly those in power. Getting them to turn out to vote is a huge challenge. But then that’s nothing new either. Historian Rick Perlstein quoted documentation on the subject back when he was researching his book “Before the Storm” about the 1964 Goldwater campaign and the right-wing takeover of the Republican Party. It’s a memo written by a Johnson staffer outlining the GOP vote suppression scheme called “Operation Eagle Eye.” This quote from the memo says it all: “Let’s get this straight, the Democratic Party is just as much opposed to vote frauds as is the Republican party. We will settle for giving all legally registered voters an opportunity to make their choice on November 3rd. We have enough faith in our Party to be confident that the outcome will be a vote of confidence in President Johnson and a mandate for the President and his running mate, Hubert Humphrey, to continue the programs of the Johnson-Kennedy Administration. But we have evidence that the Republican program is not really what it purports to be. It is an organized effort to prevent the foreign born, to prevent Negroes, to prevent members of ethnic minorities from casting their votes by frightening and intimidating them at the polling place.” Operation Eagle Eye was in every state in 1964, for all the good it did them. One Republican lawyer very assiduously worked in Arizona that year to keep Hispanic voters from the polls and was reputed to have been very effective at intimidation. His name was William Rehnquist. He went on to become chief justice of the Supreme Court. His successor, John Roberts, worked with the recount team during the infamous election theft of 2000, presided over the 2008 “voter fraud” case that allowed states to require ID, and wrote the opinion overturning the Voting Rights Act in 2014. These people play a very long game. But it’s unlikely they will be able to suppress the Latino vote forever. Their hostility may be intimidating to an older generation but the new generation is not going to accept this. And there are a whole lot of young Americans of Hispanic descent. If they vote, this right-wing program will finally fail and fail spectacularly. And it will likely take the whole Republican agenda down with it. These young Americans will never identify with such a party. These conservative bigots are sowing the seeds of their own demise. | 0fake |
Agencies Clashed on Classification of Clinton Email, Inquiry Shows - The New York Times | WASHINGTON — Documents released Monday in the Hillary Clinton email investigation show intense disagreement last year between the State Department and the F. B. I. over whether some of Mrs. Clinton’s emails should be considered classified, including a discussion of a possible “quid pro quo” to settle one dispute. The new batch of documents indicated that in one particular case, a senior State Department official, Patrick F. Kennedy, pressed the F. B. I. to agree that one of Mrs. Clinton’s emails on the 2012 Benghazi attack would be unclassified — and not classified as the bureau wanted. What remained unclear from the documents was whether it was Mr. Kennedy or an F. B. I. official who purportedly offered the “quid pro quo”: marking the email unclassified in exchange for the State Department’s approving the posting of more F. B. I. agents to Iraq. Officials at both the F. B. I. and the State Department said Monday that no deal had been struck, or even offered, over the classification of Mrs. Clinton’s private emails. They noted that the Benghazi email in question had been made public with a sentence blocked out, meeting the F. B. I. ’s demand for classification. They also said no additional F. B. I. agents had been posted overseas. There is no indication from the documents that Mrs. Clinton was aware of the discussion. Donald J. Trump and other Republicans nonetheless quickly seized on the new documents as evidence of what Speaker Paul D. Ryan called “a . ” The F. B. I. ’s latest release of 100 pages of internal investigative files prolonged the intense public scrutiny of Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state, which has been perhaps more damaging to her presidential campaign than any other issue. The new documents also cast particular attention on the role of Mr. Kennedy, a State Department civil servant for more than four decades, in working to oversee the review and public release of tens of thousands of Mrs. Clinton’s private emails. One of the F. B. I. reports said State Department employees who reviewed nearly 300 of Mrs. Clinton’s emails on the Benghazi attacks in early 2015 in response to requests from Congress had “felt intense pressure” from Mr. Kennedy and other senior State Department officials to complete their review quickly and “not label anything as classified. ” Mr. Kennedy was part of a battle between the State Department and the intelligence agencies over Mrs. Clinton’s emails. As the emails were prepared for release, officials from the intelligence agencies argued in some cases that information in them should have been marked classified, while State Department officials countered that they contained the routine business of American diplomacy. State Department officials, who argue that the intelligence agencies are overzealous in classifying information, remain sensitive to criticism that they were sloppy in handling the material. In one of the newly disclosed documents, an unidentified F. B. I. employee told investigators that Mr. Kennedy, through another F. B. I. official, had sought in one case “assistance in altering the email’s classification in exchange for a ‘quid pro quo. ’” The F. B. I. had deemed the email classified, but the State Department disagreed. The employee told investigators that “in exchange for marking the email unclassified, State would reciprocate by allowing the F. B. I. to place more Agents in countries where they are presently forbidden,” according to the F. B. I. ’s summary of the employee’s questioning by investigators. A second F. B. I. interview included in the documents provides a somewhat different version of the dispute over the classification of the Benghazi email, with the suggestion that the F. B. I. — and not Mr. Kennedy — had offered to make a deal. In the interview, an unidentified F. B. I. official in the international operations division said Mr. Kennedy had complained to him that the F. B. I. classification of the document “caused problems for Kennedy” and that Mr. Kennedy had wanted to give it a different designation and file it in the State Department basement — “never to be seen again. ” The unidentified F. B. I. official said he was the one who then “told Kennedy he would look into the email matter if Kennedy would provide authority concerning the F. B. I. ’s request to increase its personnel in Iraq. ” The email they were struggling over was sent on Nov. 18, 2012, by William V. Roebuck, who oversaw the department’s office for North Africa and is now the American ambassador to Bahrain. In it, he notified five other officials of the arrest of “several people” in Libya on suspicion they were connected with the Benghazi attack two months earlier. It was subsequently forwarded to senior officials at the department and then to Mrs. Clinton on her private email account by her deputy chief of staff, Jake Sullivan, with a short “f. y. i. ” note. Mark C. Toner, a State Department spokesman, said that no favors had been exchanged in the discussions of Mrs. Clinton’s emails, and that there had been no change in the number of agents in Iraq as a result of the conversations. “The allegation of any kind of quid pro quo is inaccurate and does not align with the facts,” Mr. Toner said. The F. B. I. also said there was “never a quid pro quo,” but it said the accusations had been referred to the bureau’s inspection division, which handles internal ethics issues, to investigate. The F. B. I. official who discussed the issue with Mr. Kennedy has since left the bureau, an official said. One of Mr. Trump’s foreign policy advisers, Michael T. Flynn, a retired general who headed the Defense Intelligence Agency, said the documents provided “undeniable proof” that Mrs. Clinton had “colluded with the F. B. I. D. O. J. and State Department to cover up criminal activity at the highest levels. ” Two prominent members of the House — Jason Chaffetz of Utah, the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Devin Nunes of California, the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence — called on Secretary of State John Kerry to relieve Mr. Kennedy of his position pending an investigation. In a letter to Mr. Kerry, they accused Mr. Kennedy, the State Department and the F. B. I. of collusion. They charged that the State Department had altered its normal process in reviewing Mrs. Clinton’s emails, consulting directly with the Justice Department and bypassing the F. B. I. ’s input. A spokesman for Mr. Trump’s campaign, Jason Miller, said Mr. Kennedy should resign. Mr. Toner said Mr. Kennedy would remain in his position with the full support of Mr. Kerry. After the email issue emerged in March 2015, Mrs. Clinton insisted for months that she had never sent or received emails that contained classified information. But she was forced to backtrack, as the F. B. I. concluded this summer that at least 110 emails had contained classified information, even if they had not been marked as such at the time. | 0fake |
Obamanation: Watch Black Mob Attack Fair Ride Operator For The Lamest Reason Ever | Black mob goes crazy and attacks fair ride operator at the Delta Fair in Tennessee. what they attacked him for is just so lame he wasn t loading kids fast enough. so the poor kids looked on in horror as the ride operator was pummeled. Update: Memphis Police have arrested a man who allegedly started a fight at the Delta Fair Sunday afternoon.24-year old Antonio Butler is the man seen at the center of what appeared to be an all-out brawl in front of a ride at the fair. Police say the fight started because Butler wasn t admitted on the ride because it was full at the time. After Butler was denied he, along with a few others, became irate and the attack began.A fair patron recorded the fight and put the video on Facebook, which has since received millions of views. Many of the comments on the video express concerns about safety at the fair, and whether or not it will return for another year. Sunday was the last day for the fair.Everyone involved in the fight was escorted off the premises shortly after. Butler now faces assault charges. | 1real |
MUSLIM PROFESSOR A NO-SHOW AT LECTURE: Afraid to be Called Out Again On Teaching Sharia Practice of Cutting off Hands is Good [Video] | Recall that in 2016 a Muslim professor was caught on video [see below] explaining why cutting off hands as punishment for theft is a good punishment. Bassam Alhalabi believes in Sharia law and was explaining why it s such a great idea and that it would cut down on crime. Here s the video below:JUST TO BE CLEAR THIS MAN BELIEVES IT S OK TO CHOP OFF HANDS! Where there is no Sharia, Islamic Sharia, they die in dozens and hundreds every day because of organized crime. People kill people, other people or steal pizza for $10 and so so when Islamic Shariah is saying about capital punishment so even though it sounds like it is severe but if that is the solution to prevent any crimes, then it still has a lot of rules and regulations. I will just mention one and stop here, which is let s say cutting off the hands of a person if they steal. It sounds very severe. It sounds very barbaric, I know. But if takes one or two people to have their hands cut off, and then there s no more stealing and there s no more stealing in the whole nation that s a much better resolution than having hundreds of people die every day. RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY! THE PROFESSOR HIGHTAILED IT OUT OF THERE WHEN HE SAW UNITED WEST THERE TO RECORD HIM AGAIN!On August 17, 2017 Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Professor and President of the Islamic Society of Boca Raton, FL, Bassem Alhalabi, agreed to publicly defend the Shariah Islamiyya (Islamic Law) but ran away in shame from the venue minutes before the programs starting time.The title of the meeting was, Interfaith Cafe: Sharia Law and U.S. Law Nothing To Fear. Dr. Alhalabi was to defend Islamic law, making the case that we non-Muslims have nothing to fear from Shariah.Deep down Dr. Alhalabi knows the facts are not on his side. I suspect what Dr. Alhalabi fears most are Americans who are educated on Islamic Law and use Islamic sources with consensus/Ijma to distinguish his lies from truth.When those knowledgeable people from The United West showed up to film, Dr. Alhalabi ran out of the venue faster than you can say chop chop adios. Dr. Alhalabi left his audience and event organizers dumbfounded. We suspect the fear that he d be caught on video again might be the reason why.Via: Dr. Rich Swier | 1real |
A century on, UK's Jewish homeland declaration stirs celebration and mourning in Middle East | LONDON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - In a 67-word statement composed 100 years ago, Britain endorsed the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East, triggering a process that would culminate in the creation of Israel - and with it one of the world s most intractable conflicts. On Thursday, British and Israeli leaders commemorated the centenary of that statement, known as the Balfour Declaration after the foreign minister who penned it, with a banquet in the gilded halls of London s Lancaster House mansion. But as Prime Minister Theresa May and Israel s Benjamin Netanyahu dine, protesters gathered to demand that Britain acknowledge the suffering they say the declaration has caused to Palestinian people, and recognize their claim to statehood. The reason it is getting so much attention is because the conflict which it launched ... is still very much in existence and there is a sense, particularly on the Palestinian side, of continuing injustice, said Ian Black, an academic at the London School of Economics. It really is an issue which is alive and toxic and bitterly divisive. While Israel reveres Arthur Balfour, naming streets and a Tel Aviv school after him, Palestinians decry his declaration as a promise by Britain to hand over land it did not own. The contested declaration is at the root of the Israeli-Palestinian territorial conflict which, after several wars and decades of international diplomacy, remains unsettled. Marches, each drawing about 1,000 demonstrators, were held in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Nablus and in Gaza, a modest turnout for political protests in those areas. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held banners demanding Britain rectify its historical sin . In Gaza, Ahmed Helles, a senior official from President Mahmoud Abbas s Fatah movement, said: Britain should feel ashamed and stigmatized because of this promise and not hold celebrations. Netanyahu met May and foreign minister Boris Johnson separately before the dinner, which was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and other high profile guests. Sadly, Balfour remains unfinished business as his fundamental vision of peaceful co-existence has not yet been fulfilled, May said at the dinner according to a copy of her speech distributed by her office. I believe it demands of us today a renewed resolve to support a lasting peace that is in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians and in the interests of us all. Britain held Palestine, which had been under Ottoman Turkish rule, from 1922 until after the end of World War Two. Israel declared independence in 1948, at the end of British Mandatory rule and after the U.N. General Assembly voted in 1947 in favor of a plan, rejected by Palestinian representatives, to partition Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state. The ensuing regional conflict, played out over a series of wars fought along Arab-Israeli lines, has left the Palestinians seeking to establish an independent state in territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Thursday s commemoration, culminating in the dinner hosted by descendants of Balfour and of the recipient of his declaration, Jewish community leader Walter Rothschild, required Britain to strike a delicate diplomatic balance. Britain regards Israel as a close and important ally and supports international efforts to find a peaceful solution that results in separate Israeli and Palestinian states. Attempting to strike the right balance, Johnson on Monday praised the declaration for helping to create a great nation , but he also said the spirit of the declaration had not been fully realized. He was referring to a clause in the document which said nothing should prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities. Israel has traditionally focused less on that clause and more on the declaration s landmark endorsement of a Jewish homeland, and plans to celebrate the anniversary. The Israeli parliament will hold a special commemorative session next week. While the state would not have arisen without settlement, sacrifice and a willingness to fight for it, the international impetus was undoubtedly the Balfour Declaration, Netanyahu told a meeting of his cabinet ahead of his visit to London. Israel does not oppose international efforts to make peace, but says - as do international sponsors - that a solution cannot be imposed and should stem from talks between the two parties. Some Arab lawmakers in the Israeli parliament said they would boycott the celebrations, and protests were planned across several days in London by organizations pledging solidarity with the Palestinians. Earlier this week Abbas used an article in Britain s Guardian newspaper to reiterate calls for the British government to acknowledge the declaration as a mistake. The creation of a homeland for one people resulted in the dispossession and continuing persecution of another now a deep imbalance between occupier and occupied, he wrote. The balance must be redressed, and Britain bears a great deal of responsibility in leading the way. Britain has refused Palestinian demands for an apology and does not recognize Palestine as a state. Johnson said on Monday Britain would be willing to offer recognition, but wanted to time it to give maximum impetus to peace efforts. | 0fake |
Inside Uber’s Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture - The New York Times | SAN FRANCISCO — When new employees join Uber, they are asked to subscribe to 14 core company values, including making bold bets, being “obsessed” with the customer, and “always be hustlin’. ” The service particularly emphasizes “meritocracy,” the idea that the best and brightest will rise to the top based on their efforts, even if it means stepping on toes to get there. Those values have helped propel Uber to one of Silicon Valley’s biggest success stories. The company is valued at close to $70 billion by private investors and now operates in more than 70 countries. Yet the focus on pushing for the best result has also fueled what current and former Uber employees describe as a Hobbesian environment at the company, in which workers are sometimes pitted against one another and where a blind eye is turned to infractions from top performers. Interviews with more than 30 current and former Uber employees, as well as reviews of internal emails, chat logs and meetings, paint a picture of an often unrestrained workplace culture. Among the most egregious accusations from employees, who either witnessed or were subject to incidents and who asked to remain anonymous because of confidentiality agreements and fear of retaliation: One Uber manager groped female ’ breasts at a company retreat in Las Vegas. A director shouted a homophobic slur at a subordinate during a heated confrontation in a meeting. Another manager threatened to beat an underperforming employee’s head in with a baseball bat. Until this week, this culture was only whispered about in Silicon Valley. Then on Sunday, Susan Fowler, an engineer who left Uber in December, published a blog post about her time at the company. She detailed a history of discrimination and sexual harassment by her managers, which she said was shrugged off by Uber’s human resources department. Ms. Fowler said the culture was stoked — and even fostered — by those at the top of the company. “It seemed like every manager was fighting their peers and attempting to undermine their direct supervisor so that they could have their direct supervisor’s job,” Ms. Fowler wrote. “No attempts were made by these managers to hide what they were doing: They boasted about it in meetings, told their direct reports about it, and the like. ” Her revelations have spurred over how unfriendly Silicon Valley workplaces can be to women and provoked an internal crisis at Uber. The company’s chief executive, Travis Kalanick, has opened an internal investigation into the accusations and has brought in the board member Arianna Huffington and the former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. to look into harassment issues and the human resources department. To contain the fallout, Mr. Kalanick also began more disclosure. On Monday, he said that 15. 1 percent of Uber’s engineering, product management and scientist roles were filled by women, and that those numbers had not changed substantively over the past year. Mr. Kalanick also held a meeting on Tuesday, during which he and other executives were besieged with dozens of questions and pleas from employees who were aghast at — or strongly identified with — Ms. Fowler’s story and demanded change. In what was described by five attendees as an emotional moment, and according to a video of the meeting reviewed by The New York Times, Mr. Kalanick apologized to employees for leading the company and the culture to this point. “What I can promise you is that I will get better every day,” he said. “I can tell you that I am authentically and fully dedicated to getting to the bottom of this. ” Some Uber employees said Mr. Kalanick’s speedy efforts were positive. “I am pleased with how quickly Travis has responded to this,” Aimee Lucido, an Uber software engineer, wrote in a blog post. “We are better situated to handle this sort of problem than we have ever been in the past. ” As chief executive, Mr. Kalanick has long set the tone for Uber. Under him, Uber has taken a pugnacious approach to business, flouting local laws and criticizing competitors in a race to expand as quickly as possible. Mr. Kalanick, 40, has made pointed displays of ego: In a GQ article in 2014, he referred to Uber as “ ” because of how the company helped him attract women. That tone has been echoed in Uber’s workplace. At least two former Uber workers said they had notified Thuan Pham, the company’s chief technical officer, of workplace harassment at the hands of managers and colleagues in 2016. One also emailed Mr. Kalanick. Uber also faces at least three lawsuits in at least two countries from former employees alleging sexual harassment or verbal abuse at the hands of managers, according to legal documents reviewed by The Times. Other current and former employees said they were considering legal action against the company. Liane Hornsey, Uber’s chief human resources officer, said in a statement, “We are totally committed to healing wounds of the past and building a better workplace culture for everyone. ” Uber’s aggressive culture began with its 2009 founding, when Mr. Kalanick and another founder, Garrett Camp, created a that would let customers hail a cab with little more than a few taps of their smartphone — bypassing many of the headaches people had with the taxi industry. Mr. Kalanick also started putting into place what eventually became Uber’s 14 core values, inspired by the leadership principles at one of the biggest public tech companies, Amazon. To grow quickly, Uber kept its structure decentralized, emphasizing autonomy among regional offices. General managers are encouraged to “be themselves,” another of Uber’s core values, and are empowered to make decisions without intense supervision from the company’s San Francisco headquarters. The top priority: Achieve growth and revenue targets. While Uber is now the dominant company in the United States, and is rapidly growing in South America, India and other countries, its explosive growth has come at a cost internally. As Uber hired more employees, its internal politics became more convoluted. Getting ahead, employees said, often involved undermining departmental leaders or colleagues. Workers like Ms. Fowler who went to human resources with their problems said they were often left stranded. She and a others said human resources often made excuses for top performers because of their ability to improve the health of the business. Occasionally, problematic managers who were the subject of numerous complaints were shuffled around different regions firings were less common. One group appeared immune to internal scrutiny, the current and former employees said. Members of the group, called the and composed of executives who were personally close to Mr. Kalanick, were shielded from much accountability over their actions. One member of the was Emil Michael, senior vice president for business, who was caught up in a public scandal over comments he made in 2014 about digging into the private lives of journalists who opposed the company. Mr. Kalanick defended Mr. Michael, saying he believed Mr. Michael could learn from his mistakes. Uber’s aggressive workplace culture spilled out at a global meeting in late 2015 in Las Vegas, where the company hired Beyoncé to perform at the rooftop bar of the Palms Hotel. Between bouts of drinking and gambling, Uber employees used cocaine in the bathrooms at private parties, said three attendees, and a manager groped several female employees. (The manager was terminated within 12 hours.) One employee hijacked a private shuttle bus, filled it with friends and took it for a joy ride, the attendees said. At the Las Vegas outing, Mr. Kalanick also held a companywide lecture reviewing Uber’s 14 core values, the attendees said. During the lecture, Mr. Kalanick pulled onstage employees who he believed exemplified each of the values. One of those was Mr. Michael. Since Ms. Fowler’s blog post, several Uber employees have said they are considering leaving the company. Some are waiting until their equity compensation from Uber, which is restricted stock units, is vested. Others said they had started sending résumés to competitors. Still other employees said they were hopeful that Uber could change. Mr. Kalanick has promised to deliver a diversity report to better detail the number of women and minorities who work at Uber, and the company is holding listening sessions with employees. At the Tuesday meeting, Ms. Huffington, the Uber board member, also vowed that the company would make another change. According to attendees and video of the meeting, Ms. Huffington said there would no longer be hiring of “brilliant jerks. ” | 0fake |
Virtual Fidget Spinner Rockets to the Top of iOS App Charts - Breitbart | Fidget spinners, the heir apparent to fad toys like Pogs, Tamagotchi, and Furby, is now also dominating the digital realm, becoming the free iOS app. [Whether or not it has anything to do with treating ADHD or autism, this newest fad has definitely proved therapeutic for toy companies across the country. Fidget spinners are dominating sales on Amazon and now feature everywhere from Walmart to . Now, Ketchapp’s appropriately titled Fidget Spinner is the most popular free addition to the Apple iTunes marketplace. Players have five chances to give their virtual spinner an exceptionally healthy swipe, in an attempt to achieve the highest possible number of spins. Better spins offer more coins, which can be used to buy — you guessed it — more spins. Players can also unlock different spinners and stickers to customize their digital fidget toys. Spinning will cost you $1. 99. Meanwhile, real fidget spinners can range from about $5 all the way up to $700. Follow Nate Church @Get2Church on Twitter for the latest news in gaming and technology, and snarky opinions on both. | 0fake |
George W. Bush ends exile, helps Republicans raise money | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President George W. Bush had every intention of sticking to his self-imposed exile from politics, but found that the phone kept ringing with appeals from Republican U.S. Senate candidates for help, friends say. As a result, Bush has embarked on a rescue mission to try to preserve the Republicans’ narrow Senate majority in a year in which many party figures fear presumptive nominee Donald Trump will drag them down to defeat in the Nov. 8 elections. Republicans control 54 seats in the 100-member Senate. “I think that this is a one-off, temporary thing that where he can be helpful he will be,” said Dana Perino, who was Bush’s White House press secretary. Condoleezza Rice, who was Bush’s secretary of state and is now a political science professor at Stanford University, is also raising money for Republican candidates, but on Friday ruled out speculation that she might be drafted as Trump’s vice presidential running mate. “Dr. Rice has repeatedly said in past cycles as well as this one, she’s not interested in being vice president. She’s happy at Stanford and plans to stay,” said Rice chief of staff Georgia Godfrey. Friends say Bush was initially reluctant to get involved, feeling his time in the limelight had passed. They said he was surprised at the appeals he was receiving to get back into politics more than seven years after his eight-year White House run ended. So far Bush has headlined fund-raising events for Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. He plans to help senators Rob Portman of Ohio, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Roy Blunt of Missouri. Bush is no fan of Trump, but to a certain extent, he is doing Trump a favor in spite of the continuing antagonism toward the Bush family from the bellicose New York businessman. Typically, the party’s nominee is the chief fund-raiser in election years, but Trump’s fund-raising effort has lagged. Meanwhile, Trump continues to take swipes at the Bush family, particularly at Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who was defeated by Trump in the Republican presidential primary race. On Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina, Trump complained about Jeb’s decision not to honor a pledge made last year to support the Republican presidential nominee whoever it is. “He signed the pledge but he hasn’t endorsed me,” Trump said. Like his brother, Jeb Bush is helping raise money for Republican congressional candidates. “The Bush family has a deep love for the party and cares about the future and in light of Trump’s capacity to damage the brand, I think this is part and parcel of doing what they can to preserve the party,” said Jeb Bush’s spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell. | 0fake |
Jeb Bush gets a brotherly hand from George W. in South Carolina | CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Former President George W. Bush came to the aid of his brother Jeb Bush’s Republican presidential campaign in South Carolina on Monday with a rousing endorsement of his character and a call for voters to reject the angry bluster of Donald Trump. The appearance of the elder Bush on the campaign trail may help Jeb Bush with South Carolina Republicans who hold the former president in high regard. But it also carries some risks, given his launching of the Iraq war in 2003, which ended up being unpopular with many Americans and which Republican front-runner Trump has seized on to criticize him. George W. Bush, who has stayed out of politics for the most part since leaving office in early 2009, showed he remains an engaging speaker, generating cheers repeatedly over 20 minutes from the biggest crowd Jeb Bush has enjoyed in his campaign. Without mentioning Trump by name, the 69-year-old George W. Bush left no doubt he was talking about the New York billionaire who uses incendiary rhetoric at his campaign events. “These are tough times and I know that Americans are angry, but we do not need someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our anger and our frustrations,” the former president said. Real strength, he said, means facing challenges and prevailing. “Strength is not empty rhetoric. It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength comes from integrity and character. And in my experience, the strongest person isn’t usually the loudest person in the room,” George W. Bush said. Whether the elder Bush’s presence will help his 63-year-old brother in the South Carolina Republican primary on Saturday remains to be seen. Jeb is running fourth in polls in South Carolina, behind Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Trump, at a news conference in Charleston earlier in the day, continued a stream of insults directed at the Bush family, insisting that the former president bore responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that took place on his watch. “Excuse me, the World Trade Center came down during the reign of George Bush, right? It came down. That was the greatest attack in the history of the United States – worse than Pearl Harbor.... We weren’t safe,” Trump said. George W. Bush offered some vivid imagery of what took place on Sept. 11 without addressing Trump’s criticism and saluted U.S. military personnel, a key constituency in South Carolina. In his first public campaign appearance of the year for his brother, George W. Bush also met privately with South Carolina’s Republican governor, Nikki Haley, who has yet to endorse a candidate for the primary vote. George W. Bush’s standing has risen among all Americans since he left power in 2009 and he has stayed on the sidelines of his brother’s presidential bid, headlining private fundraisers but otherwise staying off the campaign trail. That he is getting out in public now shows the urgency Jeb Bush sees in a good performance in South Carolina. Bush finished in sixth place in the Iowa caucuses and in fourth place in the New Hampshire primary - the first contests in the state-by-state battles to pick a party nominee for the Nov. 8 presidential election. Jeb Bush predicted a good showing on Saturday, telling the crowd that “Saturday is going to be a surprise.” Trump is also keeping an eye on Cruz and trying to prevent him from gaining ground on him. He issued a statement accusing Cruz of dirty politics for running a negative ad against him. Trump also threatened to sue Cruz to determine whether he can legally serve as president since he was born in Canada and therefore might not meet the requirements set out in the U.S. Constitution. “One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him,” Trump said. (Additional reporting Andrea Shalal in Washington; Editing by Frances Kerry and Dan Grebler) SAP is the sponsor of this content. It was independently created by Reuters’ editorial staff and funded in part by SAP, which otherwise has no role in this coverage. | 0fake |
Greeks march to mark 1973 student revolt against junta, clashes break out | ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police clashed with hooded youths in Athens on Friday after thousands marched to mark a bloody 1973 student uprising that helped topple the military junta which then ruled the country. More than 10,000 people marched peacefully to the embassy of the United States, which some Greeks accuse of having supported the seven-year military dictatorship. About 5,000 police were deployed in the streets of central Athens. At the tail-end of the demonstration, hooded youths hurled stones and petrol bombs at police in the Exarchia district in central Athens, often the setting for such clashes. Police used teargas to disperse them. Earlier on Friday, Greeks laid flowers at the Athens Polytechnic University to honor those killed during the revolt. The junta collapsed less than a year later. The annual protest often becomes a focal point for protests against government policies and austerity measures mandated by the country s international lenders in exchange for bailout funds. The crisis that broke out in 2010 has left hundreds of thousands of people unemployed. Protesters held banners reading: We will live freely and No pensioner will be fired! After seven years of belt-tightening Greeks hope that they will emerge from lenders supervision in August 2018, when the country s third international bailout expires. Many of them accuse a political elite of driving the country to bankruptcy. | 0fake |
Colbert’s Rundown Of The ‘Harriet Tubman On The 20’ News is Gonna Piss Off Some Righties (VIDEO) | Stephen Colbert hit the nail right on the head and surely touched on some conservative nerves when he did a little ditty on the US Treasury s announcement they d be putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. Colbert starts by pointing out that to do that you first have to remove Indian stabber ummm Native American stabber Andrew Jackson.Jackson, who was considered a kind slave owner because he gave the nearly 300 human beings he kept shackled and owned a place to sleep and food and allowed the women to have children. The last one is a no-brainer if you own people babies are just free slaves. Jackson s rise to the presidency was also the beginning of the Democratic party that opposed Lincoln and ultimately seceded from the union.Colbert does quite a bit of poking fun at the founding slave owners, because, well they owned people. Jackson, in particular, was all about preserving the 3/5ths of a person slaves were counted as for census, which gave the South s big plantation enormous blocks of voting power within their state. And just how will Tubman feel being carried around next to the likes of Washington and Jefferson?Colbert also brought up the gender pay gap, noting that the $20 bill with a woman on it will now only be worth $17. Yet another dig at the conservatives who are at this moment trying to put out fires in racist back country congressional districts where they don t like to be left out of the decision-making process for such important things as denying African-Americans and their heritage any role in American history. Remember, these are the same people who oppose black history month, because why should they get their own month when whites only have the other 11?Racism, plain and simple, will be the thing people will remember most about Tubman s debut on the $20 bill. Sad but true.Featured image via screen capture | 1real |
Tim Kaine BURNS Unhinged Trump: He’s ‘Swinging At Every Phantom Of His Own Imagination’ | Donald Trump has been coming apart at the seams before our very eyes. The public has noticed, certainly, but so has someone else: Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine. Hillary Clinton s veep said the following of Trump s attempts to blame the rest of the world for the accusations of groping that keep coming out against him: He is swinging at every phantom of his own imagination because he knows he s losing. These remarks were made on ABC s This Week, and Kaine also made it crystal clear that Trump s allegations that Hillary s campaign had anything to do with the avalanche of unflattering stories that have come out ever since Trump was caught on a hot mic with then-Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, insisting that he could do anything he wanted to women because he is a star.While discussing Trump, Kaine also reminded America of the orange buffoon s bullying behavior, and said that the hot mic tape is what gave these women the courage to tell the stories of their experience with Trump: That s what s going on. It s not because of our campaign, but it s very characteristic of Donald Trump that now he s blaming these women.He s making weird claims that, no, I couldn t have assaulted this person, she s not attractive enough to assault. How bizarre is that? He s blaming the media; he s blaming the GOP; he s saying that America can t run a fair election. And this is what bullies do. Tim Kaine is right. Trump bullies and threatens anyone who he can t get his way with. He makes sure that people understand that he ll make their lives a living hell if they dare to go against him, no matter how horrible his behavior has been.Well, it looks like Trump has finally met his match, and the tantrum he throws when he loses on election night is sure to be one for the ages.Featured image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images | 1real |
S.African prosecutors extend deadline for Zuma to file arguments over revived graft charges | JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Monday it had extended the deadline for President Jacob Zuma to submit arguments on why he should not be prosecuted for corruption. They must submit their representation on the 31st of January, said NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku. The 783 charges against Zuma relate to a 30 billion rand ($2.20 billion) government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s. They were filed but then dropped by the NPA shortly before he ran for the presidency. ($1 = 13.6572 rand) | 0fake |
Kurdish leader Barzani resigns after independence vote backfires | ERBIL/BAGHDAD Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani said he would give up his position as president on Nov. 1, after an independence referendum he championed backfired and triggered a regional crisis. There was high drama at the Kurdish parliament, which was stormed by armed protesters as it met to approve the veteran leader s resignation as Kurdish president. Some MPs were barricaded in their offices on Sunday evening. In a televised address, his first since Iraqi forces launched a surprise offensive to recapture Kurdish-held territory on Oct. 16, Barzani confirmed that he would not extend his presidential term after Nov. 1 under any conditions . I am the same Masoud Barzani, I am a Peshmerga (Kurdish fighter) and will continue to help my people in their struggle for independence, said Barzani, who has campaigned for Kurdish self-determination for nearly four decades. The address followed a letter he sent to parliament in which he asked members to take measures to fill the resulting power vacuum. The region s parliament met in the Kurdish capital Erbil on Sunday to discuss the letter. A majority of 70 Kurdish MPs voted to accept Barzani s request and 23 opposed it, Kurdish TV channels Rudaw and Kurdistan 24 said. Demonstrators, some carrying clubs and guns, stormed the parliament building as the session was in progress. Gunshots were heard. Some protesters outside the building said they wanted to punish MPs who they said had insulted Barzani. Some attacked journalists at the scene. A Kurdish official had told Reuters on Saturday that Barzani had decided to hand over the presidency without waiting for elections that had been set for Nov. 1 but which have now been delayed by eight months. The region, which had enjoyed unprecedented autonomy for years, has been in turmoil since the independence referendum a month ago prompted military and economic retaliation from Iraq s central government in Baghdad. In his address, Barzani vigorously defended his decision to hold the Sept. 25 referendum, the results of which can never be erased , he said. The vote was overwhelmingly for independence and triggered the military action by the Baghdad government and threats from neighboring Turkey and Iran. He added that the Iraqi attack on Kirkuk and other Kurdish held territory vindicated his position that Baghdad no longer believed in federalism and instead wanted to curtail Kurdish rights. Barzani condemned the United States for failing to back the Kurds. We tried to stop bloodshed but the Iraqi forces and Popular Mobilization Front (Shi ite militias) kept advancing, using U.S. weapons, he said. Our people should now question, whether the U.S. was aware of Iraq s attack and why they did not prevent it. Asked for reaction to Barzani s resignation, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said: I would refer you to Kurdistan officials for information on President Barzani. Also, we are not going to get into any private diplomatic discussions. Barzani has been criticized by Kurdish opponents for the loss of the city of Kirkuk, oil-rich and considered by many Kurds to be their spiritual home. His resignation could help facilitate a reconciliation between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq s central government, whose retaliatory measures since the referendum have transformed the balance of power in the north. Barzani has led the KRG since it was established in 2005. His second term expired in 2013 but was extended without elections being held as Islamic State militants swept across vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces, Iranian-backed paramilitaries and Kurdish fighters fought alongside each other to defeat Islamic State but the alliance has faltered since the militants were largely defeated in the country. After the Kurdish vote, Iraqi troops were ordered by the country s prime minister Haider al-Abadi to take control of areas claimed by both Baghdad and the KRG. Abadi also wants to take control of the border crossings between the Kurdish region and Turkey, Iran and Syria, including one through which an oil export pipeline crosses into Turkey, carrying Iraqi and Kurdish crude oil. The fall of Kirkuk - a multi-ethnic city which lies outside the KRG s official boundaries - to Iraqi forces on Oct. 16 was a major symbolic and financial blow to the Kurds independence drive because it halved the region s oil export revenue. Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga started a second round of talks on Sunday to resolve a conflict over control of the Kurdistan region s border crossings, Iraqi state TV said. A first round was held on Friday and Saturday, with Abadi ordering a 24-hour suspension on Friday of military operations against Kurdish forces. He demanded on Thursday that the Kurds declare their referendum void, rejecting the KRG offer to suspend its independence push to resolve a crisis through talks, saying in a statement: We won t accept anything but its cancellation and the respect of the constitution. | 0fake |
Holding keys to debt limit, Democrats weigh tax demands | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress wield little clout nowadays, but they will likely have plenty of influence on the looming issue of the U.S. debt ceiling and party leaders are considering whether they should try to convert that advantage into bargaining power on tax reform. Even though they control the White House and both chambers of Congress, Republicans are again divided among themselves as pressing fiscal issues rattle financial markets and test President Donald Trump’s ability to keep the country’s accounts in order. The debt ceiling is a legal cap on how much money the federal government can borrow to fund its budget deficits and meet debt obligations. Failure to meet payments could lead to a default and a downgrade in America’s credit rating, with the potential to trigger global financial shockwaves. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was “100 percent confident” that the debt ceiling would be raised in September. “There is no scenario where the government won’t be paying its bills,” Mnuchin said. Action is needed to raise the debt ceiling by Sept. 29, the administration has warned, although some fiscal experts say the deadline may actually be mid-October. The Trump administration wants Congress to pass a “clean” increase, without extraneous political measures attached. But, reflecting long divisions in the party over fiscal policy, many conservative Republicans have said they will not vote for a debt-limit bill that does not also contain promises of federal spending cuts. So, analysts say, Trump and Republican leaders will need the votes of Democrats, who generally favor a clean bill, to raise the debt limit and avoid a default. Armed with this edge, Democrats are considering using the debt debate to press Republicans for bipartisan tax reform, said Democratic Senate aides, which would inject new uncertainty into the debt limit issue. Overhauling the tax code is a top priority for Trump and his fellow Republicans, but they have made little progress since the president took office in January. Their behind-closed-doors planning process so far on tax reform has ignored the Democrats. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi are skeptical about supporting a debt ceiling increase while Republicans pursue tax cuts that Democrats say would cause the federal deficit to balloon. “We’re telling Republicans that if it is their intention to use that debt limit increase to allow for tax cuts for the wealthy, that they are going to have a harder time getting Democratic votes,” said a Senate Democratic aide. Senate Democrats offered earlier this month to move forward with bipartisan legislation on taxes, on condition that changes do not add to the deficit or benefit the wealthy. For now, Senate and House Democrats are watching Republicans and the Trump administration wrangle over the debt ceiling, with no clear plan yet in sight. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have not said if they want a clean bill. Ryan said on Thursday that Congress will pass legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling, noting that lawmakers have several options. McConnell has said the debt ceiling will be raised, a spokesman said on Thursday. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in an email: “Leader Pelosi has expressed support for a clean debt ceiling hike, but has also echoed the concerns that many House Democrats have about supporting such a move while Republicans simultaneously blow a multi-trillion dollar hole in the deficit with tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.” Given the stakes, Schumer and Pelosi would face a daunting task in holding their parties’ lawmakers together if they want to squeeze concessions out of Republicans with the country on the brink of a potential default. Some Democrats are skeptical such a strategy could work. “We ought to get the debt ceiling done. It’s a bad precedent to try to use the debt ceiling for leverage for other political objectives,” said Representative John Yarmuth, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell expressed concern on Friday about the possibility of the debt ceiling not being raised. “If the debt ceiling were not to be raised, the United States would not be able to pay all of its bills. That’s never happened before; it would be unprecedented and that could be a major shock to the economy,” Powell said in an interview with CNBC during a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Democrats have been talking about using the debt ceiling as a lever against Republican tax reform since June and laid out their conditions for working together on tax legislation in an Aug. 1 letter to Trump and Republican leaders. McConnell flatly rejected the idea of broad bipartisanship. But it could be the only way forward on taxes if Republicans cannot agree on a budget resolution for fiscal 2018. That is needed to unlock a legislative provision that would allow them to pass a tax bill in the Senate, where Republicans have only a slim majority, without Democratic support. | 0fake |
Harry Reid: Obama to Name Scalia Replacement in 3 Weeks | U.S. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Thursday he believes President Barack Obama will nominate a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a little over three weeks.
"I think it will be a little over three weeks," Reid said in an interview on MSNBC, adding that he spoke to Obama about the nomination on Thursday. | 0fake |
Exclusive: As Democratic attorneys general target Trump, Republican AGs target them | (Reuters) - For years the national political organizations of both Democratic and Republican state attorneys general observed an agreement not to target the other party’s incumbent office-holders in elections. That hands-off stance ended this month when Republican AGs voted to abandon the agreement and spend money to help unseat Democrats in other states, according to the Republican Attorneys General Association. The decision has not been previously reported. The move comes as Democratic attorneys general in states across the country have assumed lead roles in opposing some of Republican President Donald Trump’s policies. State AGs in Washington and Hawaii successfully sued to block Trump’s executive orders restricting travel from some Muslim-majority countries, and California’s attorney general has pledged to defend the state’s environmental standards. Republican attorneys general who supported the change reasoned that AGs should join other national political campaigns which target incumbents, two sources familiar with the closed door process said. Additionally, a desire by some to roll back same-sex marriage and the potential for increased corporate contributions played a role in the decision, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the deliberations. The so-called ‘incumbency rule’ observed by the state attorneys’ party fundraising arms reflected a rare bit of bipartisanship in the polarized environment of U.S. politics, aimed at promoting cooperation across state lines on issues of common interest, such as consumer protection. Attorneys general are the top public lawyer in each state, charged with defending state agencies from lawsuits as well as initiating litigation on their own. AGs took tobacco companies to court in the 1990s, and pursued mortgage lenders in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. In larger states, an attorney general commands hundreds of lawyers and other resources. Twelve Republican state AGs on Monday filed a federal appeals court brief supporting Trump’s revised travel restrictions. Scott Will, executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, confirmed the decision to abolish the incumbency rule, but declined to discuss specifics of the vote. “The stakes are too high for us to leave winnable races on the table,” Will said in a statement to Reuters. The vote was taken over the phone with a tally of 15-8, the two sources said. Not every Republican AG participated. Some of those who supported the change argued that every other national campaign committee targets incumbents, so AGs shouldn’t be any different, the sources said. Those opposed expressed fears about threats to bipartisanship, and noted that Republican AGs had grown their ranks under the current system, showing there was no need to change the rules now, the sources said. In 2000, Republicans held 12 of the 51 state AG positions, including the District of Columbia, but that number is about to hit 29, if a nomination made by New Hampshire’s Republican governor this month is confirmed. One of the first fights after the rule change will likely come in Virginia, where Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, is seeking reelection this November. In all, 31 AG elections are scheduled for 2018. Republicans currently hold 18 of those seats, compared to 13 for Democrats, but some of the incumbents may not run for re-election. Karl Racine, attorney general for the District of Columbia and current co-chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, said the Republican group’s decision likely means Democrats will follow suit. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” Racine said in an interview. Colorado attorney general Cynthia Coffman, a Republican, is up for election next year in a state that has been trending Democrat. A well-funded push to unseat her, something the Democratic AG group wouldn’t have participated in under the incumbency agreement, could spell trouble. Coffman opposed the incumbency rule change, the sources said. Her office did not respond to a request for comment. In laying out the reasons for the rule change, Will pointed to the key role Republican AGs played in opposing some of President Barack Obama’s policies. Rolling back same-sex marriage was another issue cited during deliberations, said the two people familiar with the discussion. More Republican state AGs could help further that effort, though the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court would make any sweeping rollback unlikely. Additionally, the group discussed a pledge from corporate interests to pour money into unseating Democratic AGs, the two sources said. Participants in the vote were told that the group had received pledges totaling millions of dollars from organizations including from the company that makes the caffeinated beverage 5-Hour Energy, the sources said. The money depended on the Republican group changing its rules to target incumbent Democrats. The company that manufactures 5-Hour Energy, Innovation Ventures, declined to comment. A spokesman for the Republican AG group declined to answer questions about the debate, including the role of 5-Hour’s pledge. Innovation Ventures has been sued by attorneys general in at least five states for alleged deceptive advertising of its energy drink, with varied outcomes. Last month a Washington state judge issued a judgment against the company for nearly $4.3 million in one such case, brought by Bob Ferguson, the Democratic attorney general whose lawsuit caused a judge to block Trump’s first travel restrictions. The company has said it would appeal the ruling. In at least two other cases, in Oregon and Indiana, Innovation Ventures prevailed. Oregon has appealed. The precise dollar amount of the company’s pledge to Republican AGs could not be determined, nor is it clear if it is the only company that promised a contribution to target Democrats. Already, the Republican Attorneys General Association has built a fundraising advantage. In 2016, it raised about $14.5 million, including donations from companies and conservative interest groups like the Judicial Crisis Network and Koch Industries, according to tax filings. Sean Rankin, executive director of the Democratic AG group, said it raised about $5.2 million in 2016. The group’s tax filings show a mix of contributors including companies, plaintiff law firms and labor unions. | 0fake |
Hollywood Suffers Meltdown Over Trump’s Withdraw from Paris Climate Deal | Hollywood is having kittens over US President Trump s recent snub of the Paris Climate Agreement. Especially upset are the elite cadre of multi-millionaire celebrities, along with various and sundry billionaires like Elon Musk, who still believe the earth is heating up because of anthropogenic global warming, aka man-made Co2. Already, the EU has rejected Donald Trump s offer to renegotiate the Paris Agreement, opting instead to bypass Washington DC by working with US CEOs, city mayors and state governors to implement the climate accords.What Hollywood, Elon Musk, Bernie Sanders and the rest, will not tell you is that the earth is already entering a global cooling phase which could lead to a mini ice age. Unlike trace warming over a 500 year period, a cooling phase can radical alter the viability of normal life in the Northern Hemisphere, including frosts that will lead to the failure of large parts of the agriculture sector which can lead to severe food shortages which can make food scarce and much more expensive.More on this report from Lifezette .Leonardo DiCaprio on his private yacht, incredibly worried about global warming.Todd Barnes LifezettePresident Trump s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord has sparked widespread hysteria in juice bars and luxury spas across Hollywood.As a candidate, Trump vowed to cancel the Paris climate deal slamming what he called draconian climate rules. The Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States, the president told a gathering Thursday in the Rose Garden.House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the president s decision and thanked him for withdrawing from this bad deal. The Paris climate agreement was simply a raw deal for America, Ryan said. Signed by President Obama without Senate ratification, it would have driven up the cost of energy, hitting middle-class and low-income Americans the hardest. But some of Hollywood s most esteemed scientists fear the president s decision will put the nation on a slippery slope to the hothouse an apocalyptic future with melting igloos and polar bears unable to put their Coca-Colas on ice. If this is true he will have the death of whole nations on his hands, warned scientist-actor Mark Ruffalo. People will be looking to the USA for retribution for what they loose [sic]. I wonder which nation will be the first to spontaneously combust Iceland? Liechtenstein? Beauty and the Beast star Josh Gad took a break from playing make-believe to ponder our fate. Our children & our grandchildren have all just been handed a dark future because of a man who tweets at 3:00 AM & doesn t trust science, Gad tweeted.Cher, who apparently has some sort of graduate level degree in climatology, posted a bizarre rant, suggesting the nation has been held hostage by Insane DICTATOR. Don Cheadle, known for his esteemed role as a Juicy Burger s employee in the 1985 film Moving Violations, decided to bring Trump s little boy into the debate. Today, our planet suffered, declared Leo DeCaprio on Twitter. If you care about your kids maybe reconsider your #ParisAgreement decision. Barron will thank you when he sees you, whenever that is, Cheadle tweeted.Leonardo DeCaprio, who became a famous Hollywood star because of an iceberg, was devastated by the news. Today, our planet suffered, he declared on Twitter.Do you feel his pain, America? I suspect he will evacuate to some far-flung, exotic island in a private jet to mend his wounded psyche Continue this story at LifezetteREAD MORE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Climate Change FilesSUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV | 1real |
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Just SAVAGED Trump For His F*cking Terrible Spelling (TWEETS) | On Monday, in a tweet intended to intimidate a witness, Donald Trump demanded that the Senate ask Sally Yates the former acting Attorney General whom he fired for refusing to support an unconstitutional executive order if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to White House Council. After seemingly half the internet showed up to tell him what an embarrassmnet he is to both himself and our country, Trump removed the tweet and replaced it with one that was almost as stupid, but was lacking the glaring error that told the world our alleged leader is so stupid that a literal piece of shit would do a better job running the show.One of the many, many people who mocked Trump was his greatest nemesis outside of facts and good hair stylists: the Merriam-Webster Twitter person.Okay, fine. We weren't going to do this, but here you go. Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 8, 2017counsel: a lawyer appointed to advise and represent in legal matters council: ?an assembly or meeting for consultation or discussion Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 8, 2017Happy Monday, Internet. https://t.co/OhlWCIpEVB Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 8, 2017@MerriamWebster You know we love you, right? Hissy Fitz (@HissyFitz2) May 8, 2017@HissyFitz2 Yes. Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 8, 2017This isn t the first time Merriam-Webster has razzed President Asterisk for his atrocious spelling. When Trump talked about the unpresidented act of China seizing an unmanned U.S. Navy vessel, the Dictionary responded perfectly:Good morning! The #WordOfTheDay is not 'unpresidented'. We don't enter that word. That's a new one. https://t.co/BJ45AtMNu4 Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) December 17, 2016Merriam-Webster s phone number is (413) 734-3134. We strongly encourage you to call and demand that their social media person be given an immediate 10% raise and three extra paid vacation days per year. He or she (or even they) deserves it.Featured image via Getty Images (Pool)/screengrab | 1real |
Parliamentary defeat will not stop preparations for Brexit day: UK government | LONDON (Reuters) - The British government is disappointed by a vote in parliament to change Prime Minister Theresa May s Brexit blueprint, but it will not stop legal preparations for Britain to leave the European Union, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. We are disappointed that parliament has voted for this amendment despite the strong assurances that we have set out, the government spokeswoman said in a statement. This amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day. We will now determine whether further changes are needed to the (EU withdrawal) bill to ensure it fulfils its vital purpose. | 0fake |
Halloween Fireside Book of Suspense Vol. 2: Boiler Room EP #133 | Tune in to the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR) for another LIVE broadcast of The Boiler Room tonight 6:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM CST | 9:00 PM EST for this special broadcast. Join us for uncensored, uninterruptible talk radio, custom-made for bar fly philosophers, misguided moralists, masochists, street corner evangelists, media-maniacs, savants, political animals and otherwise lovable rascals.Join ACR hosts Hesher and Spore along side Jay Dyer of Jays Analysis, Daniel Spaulding (of Soul of the East) Andy Nowicki (The Nameless One.) Randy J & Fvnk$oul (ACR & 21Wire Contributors) for the hundred and thirty third episode of BOILER ROOM. Turn it up, tune in and hang with the ACR Brain-Trust for this weeks boil downs and analysis and the usual gnashing of the teeth of the political animals in the social reject club.On this episode of Boiler Room the ACR Brain-Trust is kicking back with a Halloween vibe, discussing the absurdity of the British government creating a beef with the U.N. over the linguistic virtue of referring to pregnant women as pregnant people so as not to offend any trans people (I ve never put so many sarcastic quotations in one sentence before now.) The Boiler gang is also discussing Twitter, Google, Facebook and Youtube suppressing freedom of speech in the U.S. while serving as a lapdog to the intelligence agencies and the left leaning technocrats to literally do social engineering (not kidding, that is in Mark Zuckerberg s own words.)Direct Download Episode #133 Please like and share the program and visit our donate page to get involved! Reference Links, for your consideration and research: | 1real |
What Muslims Do on Hajj, and Why - The New York Times | JIDDA, Saudi Arabia — It is incumbent upon every Muslim who can afford to do so to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Islam’s holiest site, at least once in his or her lifetime. The annual pilgrimage is known as the hajj, and it is one of the five pillars of Islam, prescribed in the Quran: This year, 1437 according to the Islamic calendar, I am making my first hajj. I will be joining two million Muslims from around the world — though the writer Abu Muneer Ismail Davids joked that it may feel more like 10 million people. During the hajj, we must not swear, cut our hair or nails, have sex or crush a plant. I will be chronicling my journey for The New York Times and on social media. To better follow along, here’s a glossary of terms, names and places that help explain the rites and rituals Muslims will participate in during the six days of the hajj, which begins Saturday. Ibrahim, the prophet who, following God’s commandment, left his wife, Hajar, and their son Ismail in the Arabian desert. (I am using the Islamic spellings for these figures, who also appear in the Bible as Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael.) It is with Ibrahim that one of the stories of the origin of Islam begins. For Muslims, like Jews, he is considered a patriarch of our faith. Hajar was Ibrahim’s second wife. After she and Ismail were left in the desert, Hajar ran seven times between two hills, Safa and Marwa, searching for water for her thirsty son. Ismail is said to have kicked his leg in the sand, causing water to trickle out. This became the spring of Zamzam, from which we’ll drink during the hajj. Ismail is considered the ancestor of the Arabs. He was reunited with his father after many years when Ibrahim returned to the desert. Ismail is said to have helped his father build a temple, called the Kaaba, or cube, to honor his one God. To test Ibrahim’s faith, God commanded him to sacrifice Ismail. Three times the devil tried to tempt Ibrahim to abandon his mission, and each time Ibrahim hurled seven stones at the devil to ward him off. We’ll the stone throwing during the hajj. As the Quranic story goes, God replaced Ismail with a ram, which was slaughtered instead. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, made the hajj with his followers and wives in 632 A. D. Muslim pilgrims imitate what the Prophet Muhammad did on his journey, which is also called the “farewell pilgrimage. ” The Kaaba, which is also known as Bait Allah, or the House of Allah, is in the Grand Mosque of Mecca. It houses or black stone, which is believed to have descended from paradise whiter than the color of milk, but was later stained by the sins of humans. At the start of the hajj, pilgrims dressed in white circle the Kaaba seven times, trying to kiss the black stone. This is one of the most iconic images of the hajj and is known as the tawaf. Safa and Marwa, the two hills where Hajar searched for water, are now part of the Grand Mosque that includes the Kaaba. On the first day of the hajj, pilgrims will honor Hajar by walking seven times between the sites of the two hills, though our journey will be more comfortable than her trek: the walkways between Safa and Marwa are . Pilgrims will also drink water from the spring of Zamzam from taps installed in the mosque and sleep in an enormous tent city built three miles east of Mecca in Mina, where Ibrahim was to have sacrificed Ismail. Mount of Arafat, southeast of Mina, is where Muhammad delivered his final sermon on the first Muslim hajj, and it is the commemoration of this event on the ninth day of the Islamic month of — the Day of Arafat — that is the indispensable part of the hajj. All two million pilgrims are to visit Arafat on the second day of the hajj, before traveling to Muzdalifah, on the way to Mina, to pray and sleep. Meqaat is the entire area in and around Mecca that includes the holy sites of the hajj. Muslims entering the meqaat are required to announce their intention to participate in the pilgrimage. Flights carrying Muslims to Saudi Arabia for the hajj announce when the plane is approaching the meqaat so that passengers can make their intentions known. Men chant loudly, “Here I am, oh Lord, here I am,” and women repeat this phrase audibly, but in a low voice. Jamarat is a ritual that commemorates Ibrahim fending off temptation from the devil. On the third day of the hajj, pilgrims throw stones at three pillars near Jamarat Bridge that are meant to symbolize the devil’s efforts to derail Ibrahim on his way to Mina to sacrifice Ismail. The ritual stoning is repeated daily for three days before pilgrims return to Mecca to circle the Kaaba one last time. Jamarat is a notorious choke point for hajj crowds. It was during the Jamarat ritual last year that hundreds, maybe thousands, of pilgrims died in a crush of people. Hadi is the ritualistic slaughter of a sheep, cow, goat or camel to commemorate Ibrahim’s sacrifice of the ram. Muslims are forbidden from slaughtering animals during the hajj until after the Day of Arafat, when it their duty to do so. Modern pilgrims usually appoint a slaughterhouse near Mecca to do this for them. Ihram is the traditional dress that men wear during the hajj and consists of two sheets of white fabric. Women dress modestly, and must cover their hair and body. Once the hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women are expected to snip a piece of hair. | 0fake |
Trevor Noah And The Daily Show Correspondents Collapse With The Giggles Over This GOP Nightmare (VIDEO) | The Republican Party is busy with a pitted civil war between those who are willing to jump on Trump s crazy train, and those who realize the party has to be saved from the ultra-conservative extremism which handed a trust fund tycoon the party leadership. But as the Daily Show attempted to report events this week, things were so crazy, the team couldn t keep a straight face.Noah begins by outlining the GOP dilemma. Now the voting is over, and Republicans have chosen a mutant from a carrot juicing accident. As the party wakes up to that devastating reality, the GOP is splitting along the Trump fault line. Noah describes their plight with typical relish: You ve got the people who support Trump. You ve got the people who aren t ready to support Trump. And the most interesting people are a group who spent the whole race throwing sh*t at Trump. And now, they re picking it back up, spreading it on a sandwich, and taking a big bite. The host then shows clips of come-lately Trump supporters railing against the candidate in the most personal and vivid terms earlier in the race. Bobby Jindal calls Trump weak and a narcissist, and claims he would not back him in the event of his becoming nominee. But the real gold comes from Rick Perry, who refers to Trump as a cancer on the party and America, then chooses to back him. But even more insane, is that Perry now even wishes to become Trump s running mate! This left Noah almost tearful with laughter: So wait he says. You want to be running mates with cancer? That s what you re saying? I mean, I guess it has a pretty sturgeon history of winning .but still! Noah goes on to compare the GOP split like that of commuters waiting for a subway train. The doors open, and there s some crazy guy screaming. For some they think, well, it s my train, I m just going to have to get on board the crazy train. While others simply refuse, and to hell with the consequences.But when Noah reaches out to his correspondents for their take on the situation, no one can keep a straight face. Jordan Klepper collapses laughing, saying: They were all such assholes for so long and they completely did this to themselves! Noah turns to Hasan Minhaj in hopes of getting more sensible commentary, but he also falls apart when comparing the GOP to a dog that chewed its own balls off. You can enjoy the full section below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKrwupFg5WM Featured Image via Screengrab | 1real |
European Parliament suspends negotiations with Turkey on EU membership | European Parliament suspends negotiations with Turkey on EU membership November 24, 2016 - Fort Russ News - RIA Novosti - translated by J. Arnoldski - At a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament approved a resolution calling on the EU to suspend negotiations on Turkey’s membership over the actions of the Turkish authorities. The head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, said during a debate in the European Parliament session that relations between Ankara and the EU are at a crossroads and that “the transition from rhetoric to action on the issue of the death penalty will be a signal that Turkey does not want to be a member of the European family, nor the Council of Europe, nor the European Union.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Wednesday that the adoption of the resolution means nothing to Turkey. Commenting on the results of the vote in the European Parliament, the Turkish Minister for EU Affairs, Omer Celik, said that “while Turkey, due to threats from Syria and Iraq, is undergoing a difficult period in the fight against terrorism, unfortunately, short-sided and one-sided discussions are happening in Europe.” Brussels has repeatedly asserted that Ankara’s behavior calls into question its desire to join the bloc. In early November, in its yearly report on Turkey’s progress on the road to joining the EU, the European Commission highlighted Ankara’s failures in policy in the fields of civil society, human rights, and freedom of speech. The report also noted that Turkey’s authorities are not doing enough to bring legislation in line with European norms. The agreement on association between the European community and Turkey was signed in 1963. Ankara applied for membership in 1987. However, negotiations on joining the EU, which began only in 2005, have repeatedly been complicated by disagreements that have now led to their suspension. Now only 16 out of 35 chapters of the negotiation file on Turkey joining the EU are open. In March 2016, the leaders of EU member countries agreed to intensify negotiations in exchange for Ankara’s agreement to contribute to reducing the influx of migrants to Europe via Turkish territory. Follow us on Facebook! | 1real |
US elections don't meet ‘international standards,’ OSCE observer warns | US elections don't meet ‘international standards,’ OSCE observer warns US elections don't meet ‘international standards,’ OSCE observer warns By 0 48
The US electoral process hardly meets “international standards,” a German OSCE observer warns, citing shortcomings that would make it easier to influence voters. The remark comes amid accusations from both presidential campaigns of election interference.
Juergen Klimke, a German observer of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has told the Bild magazine that “the US electoral process still needs to catch up and adapt to international standards.”
Klimke, who is also a foreign policy expert in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, cited difference in time zones as a major flaw.
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Because of the time shifts, “the first election results would already be announced at the time when in other states the polling stations are not yet closed,” he said, adding that it could have “an enormous influence on voters.”
His remarks were echoed by Michael Georg Link, head of German OSCE observer group, who also voiced his concerns in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Up to 6 million Americans “are exempt from the vote,” Link stressed, meaning an estimated 3.2 US citizens serving prison terms or being convicted of crimes. In addition, some 2.6 million people have already served their sentences and are still not allowed to vote.
In an unprecedented move, the OSCE has decided to deploy dozens of observers to the US. Around 500 of the organization’s officers are expected to arrive for the Election Day, marking a tenfold increase from 2012 election, when it had just 44 observers.
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Last Friday, Thomas Rymer, the spokesperson for OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, told Sputnik that eleven observers are already on the ground in Washington, DC, to examine “legal framework, candidate and voter registration, and media coverage, among others.”
OSCE officers will not be able to monitor voting elsewhere in the US as 13 states explicitly prohibit international election observation, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
For the most part, however, states do not regulate the issue, leaving the decision on admitting or rejecting both international and US observers to state or county election authorities.
With less than two weeks to go until the 2016 Election Day, the most controversial and expensive presidential race that will likely cast a shadow over US politics for years to come is nearing an end.
Both camps accuse each other of having a capacity to manipulate voters and falsify the results. Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has recently warned of a “rigged” election, urging his supporters to act as “citizen observers” as well. In turn, Hillary Clinton’s staff and Obama administration officials speak of alleged Russian attempts to influence the US election.
Via RT . This piece was reprinted by RINF Alternative News with permission or license. | 1real |
Justice Dept. reviewing Supreme Court immigration decision: Lynch | PHOENIX (Reuters) - The Obama administration is looking into whether it can challenge the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Barack Obama’s plan to spare millions of illegal immigrants from deportation, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Tuesday. “We will be reviewing the case and seeing what, if anything else, we need to do in court,” Lynch told Reuters in an interview. Lynch did not say what legal options the Obama administration may pursue following a split decision by the Supreme Court justices last week that left in place a block on the executive action by a lower court. She said any future executive actions Obama may take on immigration would be left to the White House. In a wideranging interview on topics from gun control to the effect of the planned exit of Britain from the European Union, Lynch identified espionage from foreign nationals on U.S. companies as a “tremendous problem.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reported a 53 percent increase in cases of economic espionage between 2014 and 2015 and the majority of cases involve Chinese nationals as culprits. Most recently, Xu Jiaqiang, 30, was charged with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets, for stealing software source code from his U.S. employer with the intent of benefiting the Chinese government. “It is a matter of priority for us,” Lynch said. “When companies or industries are preyed upon by others, be they individuals, be they state actors who literally steal the fruit of their intellectual labors, essentially they are stealing from future generations also.” Asked to comment on the impact of Britain’s decision at a referendum last week to leave the European Union, Lynch said the law enforcement relationships between the United States and both Britain and the European Union would remain strong. “We have very strong and positive relationship with law enforcement in the United Kingdom and, as of now, I do not see that changing in respect to the United Kingdom or the European Union,” Lynch said. Asked about changes that should be made in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando on June 12, Lynch did not say if the Justice Department or the Obama administration was working on more executive actions on gun control but would continue research on “smart-gun” technology. A smart gun is one that can only be fired by the authorized user, often by requiring a palm print, in order to prevent gun theft or accidental shootings. “That’s going to be a longer-term project. One of the things that we want to make sure is that people who do own guns lawfully have a way to make sure that their family members are safe in the house with them,” Lynch said the Justice Department is looking to see if the federal government can move smart-gun research forward, including on technology that can be used by the military. Lynch also said that it was important for the Justice Department to look at individuals in the ongoing criminal investigation into the Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) emissions scandal. | 0fake |
Tillerson arrives in Bonn amid questions over U.S. foreign policy | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rex Tillerson arrived in Bonn on Wednesday on his maiden foreign trip as U.S. secretary of state to attend a summit of G20 top economies at a time when many are wondering how far President Donald Trump’s “America First” message will reshape U.S. foreign policy. From North Korean provocations and reports Russia has deployed a new cruise missile, to concerns about China’s actions in the South China Sea and conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, there is no shortage of global challenges. Tillerson did not make any remarks on his arrival in Bonn. Senior U.S. officials said Tillerson’s two-day trip was mostly to listen to what G20 counterparts had to say, conceding that this might frustrate some. Tillerson will also participate in a series of sessions on a shifting global order, cooperation with Africa and conflict prevention. It will be a prelude to the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany in July, which Trump is due to attend. “I think he is mostly going on a listening tour,” said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying that may disappoint U.S. allies. “If our (guy) says, ‘well, I am just here to listen,’ that’s going to be dispiriting.” U.S. allies worry about Trump’s unpredictability. They wonder how far he will go in warning China and Iran about their behavior, whether he will back out of long-standing treaties and trade deals, tear up the nuclear agreement with Iran, build a border wall with Mexico, or cozy up to Moscow. Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil CEO, has international business experience but none in government. State Department officials said he would meet with counterparts from Britain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy and Oman while in Bonn, and participate in larger meetings on Yemen and Syria. He also will hold his first meeting as secretary of state with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a time when Trump administration contacts with Moscow are under the spotlight with the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn had been the new administration’s main contact for many foreign ambassadors to the United States. “The conversation with Mr. Lavrov will be a very important one,” a senior State Department official said, speaking to reporters ahead of Tillerson’s departure. During his meeting with Lavrov on Thursday, Tillerson will seek “pragmatic and constructive cooperation in areas where our interests overlap,” the official said. “The obvious ones which have been discussed many times are counter-ISIS and counterterrorism would be areas that the Secretary would hope to develop some possible avenues for cooperation,” the official said. He will also press Russia to fully implement the Minsk peace accords to end violence in eastern Ukraine. The G20 is made up of developed economies and emerging nations such as China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil. Jim Wilkinson, a senior adviser to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said it was vital for Tillerson to establish a relationship with fellow ministers during his first trip. “That chemistry with counterparts begins on the first trip,” he said. “Secretary Tillerson and his counterparts will be working on some of the toughest issues around the world and that’s going to require trust.” While Tillerson has been on the job for just two weeks and may not be immersed in all subjects yet, Wilkinson said: “Foreign ministers will be understanding that in the early days he may not have all the answers, but they will want to know they have a conduit to someone who can speak for the U.S.” | 0fake |
Hateful Klansman Praises GOP Ticket For What They Just Did | Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke is over the moon with happiness after Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence refused to call him deplorable. In a CNN interview on Monday afternoon, Pence told CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer that he doesn t name call, and would not call avowed racist and anti-Semite David Duke deplorable, as Hillary Clinton has repeatedly done during the campaign. Later asked to do so in a Fox News interview, Pence again refused.This has made Duke, currently running as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana, very happy. It s good to see an individual like Pence and others start to reject this absolute controlled media, Duke told BuzzFeed News. The truth is that the Republican Party in Louisiana I received the vast majority of Republican votes for United States senator before and for governor before that in my state. The truth is the Republican Party is big tent. I served in the Republican caucus. I was in the Republican caucus in the legislature. I had a perfect Republican voting record. It s ridiculous that they attack me because of my involvement in that nonviolent Klan four decades ago. Duke is a former Grand Wizard, part of the leadership of the Ku Klux Klan, a hate group with a very long history of terrorizing black families all across the country. The Klan was very involved in the lynching deaths of blacks, other killings, and initiated the practice of burning crosses on the property of blacks in order to frighten them.In addition, Duke is also an anti-Semite who has promoted the concept of Holocaust denial and the conspiracy theorists who promote the fake history surrounding that idea.Duke has endorsed the Trump/Pence presidential ticket, and while Trump now says he rejects the move, Trump also refused on three occasions in one CNN interview to condemn Duke and his support.Featured image via YouTube | 1real |
[Video] MONTEL WILLIAMS BROUGHT TO TEARS OVER TREATMENT OF US MARINE JAILED IN IRAN #FreeAmirNow | Find out how many are going to sign up to go to war when we keep doing this to those who protect us. Montel WilliamsMontel Williams got emotions during his appearance on Greta Van Susteren s On The Record, when discussing U.S. Marine veteran, Amir Hekmati who has been held in an Iranian prison for more than three years.Amir Hekmati, 31, has been jailed in the most dangerous Iranian prison for more than 1,300 days. The Iranian-American was born in Arizona but held dual citizenship when he flew to Iran to visit his dying grandmother.Hekmati was arrested and charged with spying for the United States government. He was sentenced to death, but that sentence was reversed. Hekmati was then convicted of a lesser charge and sentenced to 10 years in prison.Williams told Greta Van Susteren that the jailed Marine has been whipped and even made addicted to drugs just so that he could be tortured with withdrawal.Hekmati recently renounced his Iranian citizenship in an effort to be freed. It has become very clear to me that those responsible view Iranian-Americans not as citizens or even human beings, but as bargaining chips and tools for propaganda, Hekmati said. Considering how little value the Ministry of Intelligence places on my Iranian citizenship and passport, I, too, place little value on them and inform you, effective immediately, that I formally renounce my Iranian citizenship and passport. Williams said that it s an abomination that Americans don t know that a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq is now imprisoned in Iran. The State Department has not been speaking to Hekmati s family, Williams said.Williams had a request tonight for Fox News viewers. Please, hashtag #FreeAmirNow, start blasting this tonight so that by tomorrow morning when these [Iran nuclear weapon] discussions get ready to come to an end, we don t leave another Marine behind, Williams said.Via: FOX News | 1real |
Trump Jr. Suspiciously Helps Arizona Woman Push Stalled Car, Uses It As A Photo Op (VIDEO) | Trump Jr. Suspiciously Helps Arizona Woman Push Stalled Car, Uses It As A Photo Op (VIDEO) By Stephanie Kuklish
It is amazing how Trump Jr., known for his rich boy attitude, would suddenly feel the need to get out and help push a stalled car while campaigning in, the now swing state, Arizona .
Of course, he didn’t leave without a photo op or video footage being recorded. Tyler Bower, the Maricopa County Republican Party Chairman, posted the footage on Twitter and told the Arizona Republic : “She was just stunned. She was taken aback.” This is why I'm voting Trump! @DonaldJTrumpJr helping push a ladies car off the road in 101 degree heat in Arizona after a rally today #MAGA pic.twitter.com/ngp1ZhS8Wm
— Tyler Bowyer (@conservatyler) October 27, 2016
Even the woman who Trump Jr. helped was extremely surprised that any politician would stop to push a car to the side of the road. And seeing as Arizona has been stampeded by Republican rallies this season, it’s a little hard to believe this just happened to take place in Arizona. AZCentral talked about Trump’s presence in the swing state stating : “Donald Trump, whose grip on Arizona’s 11 electoral votes appears to be in jeopardy, will appear in downtown Phoenix for a Saturday rally, his seventh Arizona event this election season.”
Arizona, a historically red state through and through, has now been determined as a swing state for the 2016 election season. Arizona residents began evening out their party preference when Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, started making insane remarks about building walls to keep out immigrants and having Mexico pay for it. We are sure his tasteless conversations and sexual assault allegations didn’t help the situation at all.
Arizona being a border state is no stranger to immigrant issues, but even with Trump’s hardcore attack on border patrol, Arizona residents still think he is a little hard to swallow. A collaborated effort between The Arizona Republic , Morrison Institute For Public Policy , and The Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication resulted in a poll showing Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton pulling ahead of Trump in the election. Data from Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll from Oct.10-15,2016
If Arizona votes for Hillary Clinton it will be the second non-red candidate that Arizona has ever voted for, the last being Mrs. Clinton’s husband, Bill Clinton in 1996.
Though Trump Jr. made an interesting choice when showing his caring side, we still don’t think it will help his dad win over, what should have been, one of the easiest states for the Trump campaign to snag.
Featured Image Via Tyler Bowyer/Twitter About Stephanie Kuklish
I am a 30 something writer passionate about politics, the environment, human rights and pretty much everything that effects our everyday life. To stay on top of the topics I discuss, like and follow me at https://www.facebook.com/keeponwriting and https://facebook.com/progressivenomad . Connect | 1real |
Long-time Arizona sheriff Arpaio trails in re-election bid: poll | PHOENIX (Reuters) - Embattled Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio, whose get-tough policies to fight illegal immigration and praise of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump brought him nationwide attention, trails his opponent in this year’s election by nearly 15 percentage points, according to a Thursday poll. The poll, conducted by The Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News, shows Democratic challenger Paul Penzone has the support of nearly 45.9 percent of those surveyed as he attempts to unseat the six-term Maricopa County sheriff. Arpaio garnered 31.1 percent. Roughly one-fifth of those surveyed said they were still undecided on the Nov. 8 race for the top law enforcement job in the state’s most populous county. The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 5.6 percent. The poll was taken as federal prosecutors announced that the U.S. Justice Department would seek a criminal contempt charge against Arpaio for violating a court order in a 2007 racial profiling case. The charges center on unlawful traffic stops and detentions by deputies of Latino drivers for 18 months after the judge ordered them to cease. Arpaio, who has denied any intentional wrongdoing, has already been cited for civil contempt stemming from his actions in the case. Political observers have said prospects of a criminal prosecution for the 84-year-old hardline sheriff seem to have raised the ante in recent days in what already promised to be Arpaio’s sternest election test. Arpaio campaign manager Chad Willems disputed the poll results, saying that the campaign’s own survey has the sheriff leading Penzone by 7.5 points. “The recent ‘poll’ by the Arizona Republic is a complete joke,” said Willems in a statement to Reuters, adding that Democrats were disproportionately included in the survey’s sample size. “The numbers in NO way accurately depict the electorate of Maricopa County, Arizona,” he said. “Why they chose to conduct their survey this way is beyond any comprehension.” A Penzone campaign official could not immediately be reached for comment. Arpaio has continued to play on a national stage during his tenure as sheriff despite his legal battles. His calls for a crackdown on undocumented immigrants, opening a tent city to house inmates and making them wear pink underwear all have proved popular. He also has appeared for Trump, praising the Republican nominee’s border policies, including building a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. | 0fake |
U.S. Senate Judiciary chairman to call ex-Trump aide Manafort to testify | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said on Wednesday he intends to call former Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, to testify before the panel, an Iowa newspaper reported. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said Manafort would be subpoenaed if necessary and could be questioned on anything including his presence in a June 2016 meeting in New York involving the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian lawyer, the Des Moines Register said. “We’re working very close on this and we’ve already agreed that we’re going to bring Manafort before our committee,” the paper quoted Grassley as saying in a call with reporters, describing his cooperation with Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee. | 0fake |
The Clinton-Trump Election Is About Vaginas And Phony Scandals | Monday, 31 October 2016 1/2 of The Political Circus Parade
Henry Louis Mencken was an American journalist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of American English. He is regarded as one of the most influential American writers and prose stylists of the first half of the twentieth century. He died in the 1950's.
He keeps me awake at night by speaking to me about American politics and urges me to print his thoughts. In that sense, I am attempting to "channel" Menken but imperfectly. No one can equal his brilliant, acerbic take on the imperfections of the American political system and his contempt for ordinary voters politicians, and government employees.
""The American political system! It spawns an obvious lunatic by the name of Trump, and an obsessive compulsive secrecy -unimaginabed Clinton, who is a dangerous war hawk willing to risk world war III by challenging Russia in Syria! The American political system! A clown show of an election dominated by the grabbing of vaginas, penis pictures of Weiner's wiener, and trips down memory lane about Bill Clinton's cock," he tells me.
He comments to me about the FBI's interference in the current election.
"FBI director James Comey should be fired immediately by Attorney General Loretta Lynch or President Obama. He serves at their pleasure, they are his bosses. Comey is in violation of the Hatch Act. He was told by his superiors in the Justice Department not to discuss developments in the on going investigation of Hillary Clinton's e-mails 11 days for the Presidential election of 2016. It's crazy, Comey admits there is no evidence of any sort of a scandal," Menken tells me.
"The Hatch Act says that that a federal employee may not use their position to influence the outcome of elections. His letter to congress, which of course was made public, casts suspicion on Clinton, although there are no specifics about supposed wrongdoing. Comey clearly knew that his actions could implicate Clinton by insinuation, "Menken states.
Menken says neither Obama nor Attorney General Lynch will fire Comey. "If they did, that would subject them to vicious attacks from the right wing. Comey went public about investigating Clinton back in July. Why? Because he was under intense pressure by the right wing to prosecute her. No FBI Director had ever gone public about an ongoing investigation before. Comey weakly gave into Tea Party-alt.right influence then and has done it again. Both Obama and Lynch cowardly stood by and let Comey get away with violations of the Hatch Act."
"Obama! Such a hero to the liberals! He presides over I a country whose economic basis is oligarchy, whose political system is authoritarianism and spying on citizens, and whose political culture is murderous toward the rest of the world resulting in endless wars. Obama is now on pace to deport more people than the sum of all 19 presidents who governed the United States from 1892-2000! What a progressive!" cries Menken.
"But In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. A plague upon both Democrats and Republicans. And democracy! Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. Some 50 million of these enlightened will vote for a narcissistic meglomaniac in 2016! But Trump isn't crafty enough. Wait 'till someone more clever comes along and the U.S. will elect another Adolph Hitler," exclaims H.L.
Having written this, Menken is silent inside my brain as I lie down and I can resume my slumber.
" Make Keith Shirey's day - give this story five thumbs-up (there's no need to register , the thumbs are just down there!) | 1real |
White House aims to speed U.S. drone, wireless technologies | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is bringing together drone makers, wireless companies and venture capitalists on Thursday to look at ways government can help speed new technologies to the marketplace. President Donald Trump will meet with the chief executives of General Electric Co, Honeywell International Inc and AT&T Inc AT&T Inc, major drone industry firms and venture capitalists in the latest effort by the White House to focus on innovative technologies as a way of spurring job growth. Michael Kratsios, the White House’s deputy chief technology officer, told reporters the goal of the sessions is to find ways the United States “can maintain its leadership creating and fostering entirely new technologies that will drive our economic growth.” The chief executives of several unmanned aerial system, or drone, companies including Kespry Inc, AirMap, Airspace Inc, Measure UAS Inc, Trumbull Unmanned, and PrecisionHawk Inc are attending the White House sessions. Senior executives at Xcel Energy Inc, Verizon Communications Inc and CenturyLink Inc are also taking part as are venture capital firms including AOL co-founder Steve Case who heads Revolution LLC, 500 Startups, Cayuga Ventures, Epic Ventures and Lightspeed Ventures. The administration wants to promote the development and commercialization of emerging technologies and speed the development of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones and 5G wireless technology, Kratsios said. The Obama administration implemented rules that opened the skies to low-level small drones for education, research and routine commercial use. The Trump administration is considering whether to expand drone use for purposes such as deliveries where aircraft would fly beyond the sight of an operator. Security issues would need to be resolved. The FAA in March estimated that by 2021 the fleet of small hobbyist drones will more than triple and the commercial drone fleet will increase tenfold to about 442,000. Last year, the FCC cleared the way for 5G, a lightning-fast next generation of wireless services. Testing is under way and deployment is expected around 2020. New 5G networks are expected to provide speeds at least 10 times and maybe 100 times faster than today’s 4G networks. The next generation of wireless signals needs to be much faster and far more responsive to allow advanced technologies such as virtual surgery or controlling machines remotely, regulators say. The networks could help wirelessly connect devices such as thermostats or washing machines to facilitate the internet of things. | 0fake |
Counter Terror Police Arrest Man Carrying Axe, Knives Near UK Army Base | Armed police have arrested a man with knives and an axe near an Army Reserve centre in the Midlands. [The suspect was apprehended at the base in Kidderminster and held on Sunday night by West Midlands Police Counter Terrorism Unit and officers from the West Mercia force. The incident came just hours after the Finsbury Park terror attack, but officers said the incidents were not linked and claimed there was nothing to indicate a threat to the premises on Birmingham Road. Martin Evans, Assistant Chief Constable at West Mercia Police, told the Express and Star: “On identifying the man our officers took prompt action to contain the threat and take him into custody. “I understand that this will be extremely concerning for the residents of Kidderminster but I would like to reassure you that at this time we believe the suspect was acting alone and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. “At this stage, we do not believe this incident is linked to the tragic events in Finsbury Park in London. “I would urge people not to speculate on what has happened. As I am sure you will appreciate, this is an extremely sensitive investigation but I can assure you that we will make information available as and when it is appropriate. “In the meantime, we will have additional officers on patrol in Kidderminster to provide reassurance to our communities. “Our advice to residents remains the same as before remain alert but not alarmed and to report any suspicious activity to the police by calling the confidential hotline on 0800 789321. In an emergency always dial 999. ” The West Midlands Unit said in a statement: “The arrest took place near a TA centre although there is no suggestion of any threat to that premises at this stage. “The motives of the man are not yet known the arrest is being investigated by West Midlands Unit, supported by West Mercia Police. ” | 0fake |
WikiLeaks: ’Just 1% Of Vault 7 Has Been Released So Far’ - Breitbart | WikiLeaks stated yesterday that only one percent of the CIA material leaked to the organization has been published so far. [A tweet posted from the verified WikiLeaks Twitter account on Wednesday stated, “WikiLeaks has released less than 1% of its #Vault7 series in its part one publication yesterday ‘Year Zero’. ” WikiLeaks has released less than 1% of its #Vault7 series in its part one publication yesterday ’Year Zero’. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 8, 2017, Given the information found in the leaks so far, such as claims that the CIA has “lost control” of their hacking arsenal and had hoarded “zero day exploits” directly breaching commitments made by the Obama administration, many are speculating on what revelations could be on the way. WikiLeaks has made multiple tweets since the leak of Vault 7, including a comedic video ridiculing Former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden. Former CIA+NSA director Michael Hayden blames ”millenials” for CIA leak #Vault7 https: . pic. twitter. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 8, 2017, WikiLeaks also held a live press conference which can be found here: WikiLeaks press conference on high quality audio recording https: . See also: https: . — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 9, 2017, Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan_ or email him at lnolan@breitbart. com | 0fake |
World’s Oldest Man, After Century Wait, Celebrates Bar Mitzvah at Last - The New York Times | Yisrael Kristal, like many a bar mitzvah boy before him, celebrated the event last weekend, reading the Torah and enjoying the company of his family, who danced, sang and threw candies. But Mr. Kristal was surrounded at the ceremony in southern Israel by his two surviving children, nine grandchildren and 30 . He is 113, and he had to wait a century to mark the occasion. “My father is a religious man, and it was his dream his whole life to have a bar mitzvah,” his daughter Shulamith Kristal Kuperstoch said by telephone from her home in Haifa, Israel. “It was a miracle after everything that he has been through in his life. What else can you call it?” When Allied troops liberated Auschwitz in 1945, she said, Mr. Kristal weighed 82 pounds. He was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust. She said her father had smiled widely after the bar mitzvah, which celebrates the moment when a boy can participate fully in Jewish life and traditions, including being allowed to be called in religious ceremonies to read from the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. Mr. Kristal was born Izrael Icek Krysztal in the village of Malenie, in what is now Poland, on Sept. 15, 1903. When he was 11, Franz Joseph, the emperor of passed through his town. The boy threw sweets at the emperor, perhaps presaging Izrael’s career in the chocolate and candy business. By his 13th birthday, World War I was raging and he missed his bar mitzvah, Ms. Kristal Kuperstoch said. His father was in the Russian Army, and his mother had died three years earlier. By age 16, after his father had died of typhus, he was an orphan. After the war, he opened a candy store in the Polish city of Lodz with an uncle and prospered. But after Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Mr. Kristal, his wife and their two children were moved to the ghetto in Lodz, where the children died. In August 1944, he and his wife were sent to Auschwitz, where his wife was killed. After the war, he returned to Lodz, remarried, and in 1950 he moved to Haifa with his second wife and their son. He rebuilt his life, again becoming a successful confectioner. In March, at the age of 112 years and 178 days, he was declared the oldest man in the world by Guinness World Records. Ms. Kristal Kuperstoch said her father had prayed every morning for the past 100 years. She attributed his longevity to “the above. ” “He believes in God,” she said. “He is a simple man, a wise and intelligent man. He believes in himself. He is someone who takes happiness in everything. ” She said part of his secret for getting to age 113 was “eating to live rather than living to eat. ” When he does eat, Ms. Kristal Kuperstoch added, he enjoys daily helpings of pickled herring and, as a younger man in his 80s, had a taste for wine and beer. He lives in his own home with a housekeeper. He remains sharp and still likes speaking Yiddish and listening to Yiddish songs, Ms. Kristal Kuperstoch said. “He wakes up early each morning, catches up on the news and eats a simple breakfast,” she said. “He is interested in politics and used to read the newspaper every day. Now I read it to him since his eyesight is failing. ” Mr. Kristal’s granddaughter Liat Bashan, a social worker, said that seeing her grandfather at his bar mitzvah ceremony, in a room spilling over with relatives and loved ones, had left her overcome with joy — and mindful of all those who perished in the Holocaust. “All those people from one person,” she said. “Imagine how many rooms could be filled if six million had lived. ” She added: “Every time I see my grandfather, I want to make a blessing. ” | 0fake |
This Female U.S. Senator Just Said What We’re All Thinking About Trump, And It’s PERFECT (TWEET) | If you couldn t figure out that Donald Trump was a scam artist and a fraud before the election, you re likely figuring that out now. And if you still haven t, just wait, you will soon.Throughout the course of Trump s campaign for the presidency he promised that he d bring change to Washington DC. That he would be the outsider to come in and save the day. Shake things up. Rattle the chains.By the end of Trump s campaign he even kept using the ridiculous bumper sticker-like slogan Drain the Swamp to describe what he would do the establishment politicians in DC and lobbyists. He campaigned on getting rid of politics as usual, but now we re learning, nope, he s just the same and he scammed everyone who voted for him.Calling this bulls*t out perfectly was none other than this badass female Senator from the great state of Missouri, Senator Claire McCaskill (D).Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) (Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images)In response to the repeated appointments of not only DC insiders to Trump s cabinet, but also Wall Street scam artists, Senator McCaskill tweeted: Anxious to find any swamp drainers in Trump cabinet nominees. So far all Wall Street and consummate DC insiders. #fillingswamp Anxious to find any swamp drainers in Trump cabinet nominees. So far all Wall Street and consummate DC insiders. #fillingswamp Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) November 30, 2016And she s exactly right. Trump isn t Draining the swamp he s adding to it, as anyone with any foresight into Trump s scam artist ways could have told you long before he became the president-elect.Good on McCaskill for calling Trump s BS out where no one else seems to want to. He still the scam artist and fraud we always knew he was and is only in this for his self-interests and the interests of his corporate cronies.Featured Photo by Steve Pope/Getty Images | 1real |
Bernie Sanders urges progressives to seek more electoral wins | CHICAGO (Reuters) - Buoyed by the British Labour Party election gains this week, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday urged a summit of progressive activists who propelled his presidential candidacy to ramp up efforts to win elections and help remake a Democratic Party he deemed a failure. “They won those seats by standing up to the ruling class,” he said, referring to the British elections and citing wins by progressive U.S. candidates in several state and local races while writing off losses as evidence liberal progressives could still be competitive even in conservative states. But Sanders, who lost the Democratic nomination nearly a year ago to Hillary Clinton, showed little interest in a push by “Draft Bernie” activists who want him to start his own “People’s Party.” Many activists blame establishment Democrats for losing to President Donald Trump by failing to embrace a more populist left-leaning agenda. Sanders headlined the three-day “People’s Summit” in Chicago, attended by celebrity activists including actors Danny Glover and John Cusack, which brought together main progressive groups such as National Nurses United, Democratic Socialists of America and People for Bernie. Many activists said they hoped to transform the momentum from recent protests such as January’s Women’s March in Washington into concrete plans to support a growing wave of grassroots candidates to secure electoral power. “We could have 10,000 people marching, but if we don’t have some means of translating that into winning political office and enacting a legislative progressive agenda, at the end of the day, what does it amount to?” said Nick Brana, the former staffer for the Sanders campaign leading the “Draft Bernie” group. With Trump mired in controversy over incidents such as the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, and Democrats having lost ground in statehouses and in Congress, RoseAnn Demoro, head of the nurses union, said the movement Sanders began was at a “tipping point” of broadening its support. Leaders with the Democratic Socialists of America said their membership has bloomed from 6,000 before the election to 22,000. Others warned that progressives don’t have the fundraising firepower they need or that gains were still fledgling. “We’re closer but we’re not yet winning,” said activist and writer Naomi Klein. Still, Sanders credited progressives with increasing public acceptance of proposals such as a $15 minimum wage, renegotiating trade policies and offering free college tuition. He got a standing ovation when he said the California Senate recently passed a single-payer health care plan. | 0fake |
What Happens When You Fight a ‘Deep State’ That Doesn’t Exist - The New York Times | The Trump administration, in its fight against the “deep state,” could risk exacerbating the very problems it has pinned on shadowy bureaucratic forces: leaking, internal conflict and the politicization of institutions like intelligence agencies. American institutions do not resemble the powerful deep states of countries like Egypt or Pakistan, experts say. Nor do individual leaks, a number of which have come from President Trump’s own team, amount to a conspiracy. The diagnosis of a “deep state,” those experts say, has the problem backward. Mr. Trump has put institutions under enormous stress. He has attacked them publicly, implied he would reject intelligence findings that cast his election in a poor light, hobbled agencies by failing to fill critical positions and cut off bodies like the National Security Council from shaping policy. That has forced civil servants into an impossible dilemma: acquiesce, allowing their institution to be sidelined, or mount a defense, for example through leaks that counter Mr. Trump’s accusations or pressure him into restoring normal practices. Those defensive acts have deepened perceptions in the Trump administration of a “deep state” that must be rooted out. This cycle, scholars say, risks substantially weakening both Mr. Trump and government institutions. In the long term, they warn, this could undermine the government’s ability to function — and to serve the millions of Americans who depend on it. Though Mr. Trump has not publicly used the phrase, allies and sympathetic news media outlets have repurposed “deep state” from its formal meaning — a network of civilian and military officials who control or undermine democratically elected governments — to a pejorative meant to accuse civil servants of illegitimacy and political animus. It is akin to Mr. Trump’s appropriation of “fake news,” a term that originally described rumor mills but one that he has used against any outlet that reports real news unfavorable to his administration. Much as his use of “fake news” miscasts reporting as lying, “deep state” presents apolitical civil servants as partisan agents. And it mischaracterizes those officials, who seek to defend their place within the system, by presenting them as acting against that system. Both phrases have become tools that Mr. Trump or his allies use to deflect perceived criticism by attacking the legitimacy of the critic. The effect is to twist basic functions of democratic governance into partisan disputes. This might serve Mr. Trump in the short term, but in the long run it carries risks. Elizabeth N. Saunders, a George Washington University political scientist, compared this dynamic to the way that science had been “politicized” by fights over climate change. When opponents of environmental regulations disputed basic climate science, researchers felt compelled to push back. Science became an increasingly partisan issue, which hurt scientists’ ability to shape public understanding and government policy. Government agencies and institutions, Dr. Saunders warned, could face a similar fate. “The more they’re publicly drawn into these battles, the more there will be polarization and politicization of them, too,” she said. Those battles are unwinnable: Publicly pressuring the president reduces influence with him and feeds into perceptions that agencies are irredeemably politicized. Acquiescing makes their politicization a fact. When, for example, Mr. Trump accused former President Barack Obama of tapping his phones, he forced the F. B. I. into an unappealing choice: Let the accusation slide, though it implies the bureau broke the law, or rebuke the president and risk the appearance of playing politics. Either way, the bureau loses some of its internal influence, public stature or, quite possibly, both. Losing stature can be especially dangerous, as the bureau needs public trust to effectively operate. Intelligence agencies faced similar dilemmas under President Richard M. Nixon, who publicly attacked the agencies, threatening to sideline them, while also asking them to distort intelligence or violate laws on his behalf. Though the agencies had varied responses, none came out unscathed. Some complied with Nixon’s requests, tarnishing their reputations for a generation. Others demurred and were attacked as disloyal and excluded from policy making. Throughout, Nixon was convinced that the agencies were conspiring against him. W. Mark Felt, an F. B. I. official, leaked details of the Watergate that led to Nixon’s impeachment. This gets to an important difference between an deep state and the American government. In the United States, civil servants can be most influential by staying apolitical, which allows them to influence policy from within. This is why government officers, Dr. Saunders said, “want to go back to being behind the scenes and doing their jobs, because it preserves their legitimacy and credibility. ” Casting those officials as a “deep state” forces them to choose between options that are bad for the agencies but also bad for the Trump administration. Almost any outcome increases the perception that institutions are politicized or in conflict with Mr. Trump, which hurts him as well. Even a pliant institution, if it is seen as politicized, will struggle to enact Mr. Trump’s policies. If the president and his institutions come to see each other as an enemy, trust could be difficult to restore. Susan Hennessey, a former National Security Agency lawyer, and Helen Klein Murillo, a law student, wrote in Lawfare that Mr. Trump’s accusations that career civil servants are partisan agents, along with his administration’s aggressive internal investigations, could be read as “an intention to use the pretense of leak investigations to engage in political retaliation. ” This risks deepening mistrust of Mr. Trump, which Ms. Hennessey and Ms. Murillo believe helped motivate initial leaks. The cycle of mutual suspicion could well spiral, further breaking down the relationship between the president and the institutions through which he is meant to govern. Trump administration officials may earnestly believe that they were pulled into this institutional conflict against their will. But the longer this conflict continues, the closer it will bring the government to what Stephen K. Bannon, a senior White House adviser, called a primary administration goal: the “deconstruction of the administrative state. ” Each round, even if it ends in a policy defeat for the White House, galvanizes supporters against the institution blamed for his setback. This is driven by political polarization, in which Americans who see themselves as aligned with a political tribe come to support that group’s positions and oppose its perceived adversaries. Mr. Trump, for instance, portrayed his immigration ban’s legal defeat as the fault of politicized judges. The attacks did not resurrect his order, but it did tell millions of supporters to distrust the judiciary as politically motivated. His attacks on the news media send similar messages. This undermines the ability of these institutions to act as checks on the president or other powerful actors, because they can be more readily dismissed as serving narrow partisan agendas. Polarizing supporters against intelligence agencies — which, in response to leaks, he has called “ ” and has said echo “Nazi Germany” — makes it easier to reject their policy recommendations, freeing up Mr. Trump to pursue policies at home or abroad that those agencies might oppose. That is one potential parallel with real deep states, which leaders such as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey have used as foils to justify consolidating power. Timur Kuran, a Duke University professor of political science, wrote on Twitter, “Team Erdogan used the ‘deep state’ narrative to destroy political institutions and restructure the bureaucracy. Happening now in USA. ” That polarization can work both ways. Some critics of Mr. Trump have championed the perception that institutions are working to broadly oppose Mr. Trump. Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, wrote on Twitter: “We are press, judges, legislators, cooks, teachers. We are #DeepState. We are the American people. ” When it was suggested that “deep state” could be a risky rallying cry and that institutions could suffer if they were seen as a political opposition, Mr. Lieu wrote in response, “Unless you believe the President is a danger to the Republic, which I do. ” But Dr. Saunders saw the administration as shooting itself in the foot. Treating the bureaucracy as an adversary, she said, had mostly served to mire Mr. Trump in controversies and weaken his ability to put policy into effect. “You get the feeling that Trump doesn’t understand that working invisibly through the bureaucracy would strengthen him,” she said. | 0fake |
Vladimir Putin declares victory in US Presidential elections | Wednesday 9 November 2016 by Davywavy Vladimir Putin declares victory in US Presidential elections
Vladimir Putin has been elected the 45th President of the United Stares after a stunning victory last night.
Putin, who was a surprise contender when he entered the race last year, consistently outperformed expectations outpolling all challengers and besting his competition in debates.
Putin has announced that he will run the United States through a proxy as he is much too busy running the far more important country of Russia.
In a shock victory, American voters showed they were prepared to overlook Putin’s history of running the KGB in favour of his perceived strong leadership and no-nonsense attitude.
Doubts over his economic record were also waved aside, with uncomfortable facts such as Russian GDP halving in the last three years being dismissed as scaremongering.
“You fellow Americans,” said Putin in his acceptance speech.
“I have so many people to thank for my victory; Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, but not least of all the Democratic Party, who put up the only candidate even I could beat.
“Oh, and I mustn’t forget to congratulate myself too for putting the whole thing together.
“God bless America,” he added with a smile. Get the best NewsThump stories in your mailbox every Friday, for FREE! There are currently | 1real |
Bill O’Reilly Just Made The Most Offensive And Outrageous Claim About Black Lives Matter EVER | If there is anyone who is as big a bully as Donald Trump, it is Fox News Bill O Reilly. Whenever he has a guest on his show that has a differing opinion than him, he cuts them off, yells at them and all around treats them like shit. In addition to the way he treats his guests, he lies all the time to his audience and makes inflammatory claims about Democrats and liberal organizations. His love for outrage was showcased on the Wednesday night episode of The O Reilly Factor where he accused Black Lives Matter of killing Americans. O Reilly introduced the Talking Points segment of his show by saying, How Black Lives Matter is killing Americans: that is the subject of tonight s talking points memo. He went on to say that the movement is a violent subculture within the African-American community. Yes, because fighting for the rights, through protests and demonstrations, is SUPER offensive and violent. He claimed: The media will not spotlight that much of the violent crime in America is being committed right now by young black men. Blacks of all ages commit homicide at a rate of 8 times higher than whites and Hispanics combined. Conclusion: There is a violent subculture in the African American community that should be exposed and confronted. I would love to know where Bill gets his statistics from. Obviously, it s The Bullshit Center For White Supremacist Studies. This tired old narrative that black people commit more crimes than white people is, exactly that, bullshit. According to FBI statistics, African-Americans were arrested more than whites for murder and manslaughter, but the numbers varied by ONE percent.However, white people committed far more violent crimes than African-Americans. Sixty-five percent of the people arrested for forcible rape were white, that s double the 32 percent that were black. Aggravated assaults? 62.8 percent were committed by whites, 34 percent by blacks. Burglaries? 67.1 percent were committed by whites, 30.8 percent by blacks. The FBI found that 58.7 percent of all violent crimes were committed by white people and 38.5 percent by African-Americans.Table via FBI.govDon t expect O Reilly to amend his false claims, though, he needs to keep his audience nice and outraged. He needs his viewers to believe that black thugs are murdering, raping and robbing. The Republican Party needs him to spread this racist, bombastic nonsense because the more fearful white folks are of black people, the more likely they are to vote for people like Trump who are promising to take the country back. They HATE that a black guy has taken up residence in their White House and they want to make their Oval Office white again. O Reilly and the GOP know that this is how their vapid base feels so they are fear-mongering HARD.Featured image via Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images | 1real |
Tradesman keeps promise | October 27, 2016
Ivy Pollard, 73, from the backend of Brighton was all set for a binge-watching session of her favourite TV series when the tradesman who said he would arrive between 7am and Midday arrived between 7am and Midday.
‘I’d just finished skinning up the first spliff of the day when the miracle took place’ she said. ‘There was this unexpected knock at the door which I was hoping would be the new clown costume and accessories that I ordered 3 weeks ago!’
‘But it wasn’t! It was the guy from Swirlpool! The one thing I wasn’t expecting! Someone actually doing what they said they were going to do! The only time I experience that level of follow-through is on the toilet, or in my pull-ups, but even that doesn’t happen all that often.’
‘It was all a bit embarrassing actually, because there wasn’t anything wrong with the oven yet. The warranty had just expired so I knew it was only a matter of time. I thought I was being clever by booking an engineer straight away, confident that by the time he turned up, there would be something wrong with it.’
‘Mind you, he didn’t mind. It turns out he’s a big Game of Thrones fan as well. So we had a smoke and cracked on with the show. We had a jolly old day in the end, much to the chagrin of the other customers he was scheduled to see that day, but, then again, that’s tradesmen for you.’ Jodster | 1real |
Thai Leader Links Attacks on Tourist Sites to Constitution Change - The New York Times | MANILA — The head of the Thai junta urged his countrymen on Friday to have patience while investigators determine who was behind a wave of deadly bombings in Thailand this week. Gen. Prayuth the junta chief and prime minister, hinted that the perpetrators were “bad people” opposed to a new Constitution that was approved by voters on Sunday in a nationwide referendum. “There are still bad people, and they have been acting since before the referendum,” he said in an address to the nation. The bombings in five provinces on Thursday and Friday, including in Phuket and Hua Hin, areas popular with tourists, killed four people and wounded dozens. The authorities said arson attacks elsewhere in the country appeared to be related. Analysts said the bombings did not appear to be aimed at killing many, but rather at damaging the tourism industry, a bright spot in Thailand’s economy. “Whatever the motives are, the explosions and arson attacks undermine the junta’s claim that the situation would be stable,” said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “These attacks create effects that discredit the authorities, terrorize the public and harm the economy. ” The police have portrayed the attacks as “local sabotage,” not as terrorism. The timing and location of the attacks carried strong political symbolism. The bombings occurred as people prepared to celebrate the birthday of Queen Sirikit on Friday, which is considered Mother’s Day in Thailand. Four bombs struck the royal residential town of Hua Hin, about 125 miles from Bangkok. The police there detained two men for questioning on Friday in connection with the attacks, Reuters reported. The Constitution will diminish the influence of political parties and give greater power to the military even after it returns the government to civilian control. The junta ensured its victory by preventing opponents from campaigning against it. Murray Hiebert, an expert on Southeast Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, noted the military’s suspicion that the attacks had been carried out by people disgruntled over the vote. The bombings were “clearly coordinated but obviously intended to create fear and anxiety rather than massive damage and deaths and injuries,” he said. Last year, a bombing in Bangkok killed 20, most of them tourists from China. Thai officials attributed the bombing to Uighur militants angry over the return of more than 100 Uighurs to China. General Prayuth, who has led the junta since a 2014 coup ousted a civilian government, said this week’s bombings “hurt the hearts” of the Thai people. “Why now, when the country is getting better, the economy is getting better, and tourism is getting better?” he said. “We have to ask why, and who did it. ” | 0fake |
South Africa's ANC needs to put an end to scandals: official | JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa s ruling African National Congress (ANC) needs to put an end to scandals that are tarnishing its image, an ANC official said, after a court ruling that paved the way for President Jacob Zuma to face nearly 800 counts of corruption. Zweli Mkhize, one of the ANC s top six leaders, also called for an end to factionalism within the party at a public lecture late on Friday, saying it was playing into the hands of the opposition. Mkhize is in the running to replace Zuma as ANC leader at the party s elective conference in December, and his campaign has been gathering momentum in recent weeks. The battle between the two frontrunners for ANC leader - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, an ex-wife of Zuma and former chairwoman of the African Union - has bitterly divided the party that has governed South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Affable and a long-serving cadre, Mkhize is touted as a compromise candidate who could soothe tensions between the party s primary factions. He is also well-liked by investors unnerved by the party s swing toward populist policies. We see fractions and divisions in the regions, at the national level. And you ve got court cases all over, Mkhize told ANC supporters packed into a hall in the Kagiso township to the west of Johannesburg. We need to say to each other enough is enough. ... The image of the African National Congress rests on the behaviour of its own leaders, Mkhize said. Earlier on Friday, South Africa s Supreme Court of Appeal upheld a High Court ruling reinstating 783 corruption charges against Zuma from before he became president. Zuma, who has denied numerous other corruption allegations since taking office, has asked prosecutors to consider representations before deciding whether to proceed against him. Mkhize avoided mentioning Zuma by name in his speech in Kagiso. He hails from Zuma s home province of Kwa-Zulu Natal and was formerly a staunch Zuma supporter. Asked whether Zuma should step down as president after a new ANC leader is elected in December, Mkhize said that would be up to the party to decide. Zuma s term as president ends in 2019, when South Africa next holds a general election, but his predecessor Thabo Mbeki was ousted before the end of his term in 2008 after losing out in a power struggle with Zuma. We believe the ANC is strong enough to survive all of this, and we want to be able to show that the ANC is serious about acting on corruption, Mkhize said. | 0fake |
Center-right leads narrowly in Sicily regional vote: exit polls | PALERMO, Italy (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi s center-right coalition has a narrow lead over the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in Sicilian regional elections held on Sunday, according to exit polls, with the center-left a distant third. The election to pick a new regional governor on the Mediterranean island is widely seen as a test of trends across Italy ahead of parliamentary elections due by next May. RAI state television said Nello Musumeci, backed by center-right parties, including former Prime Minister Berlusconi s Forza Italia (Go Italy!), would win between 35 percent and 39 percent of the vote. The 5-Star s Giancarlo Cancelleri was seen taking between 33-37 percent. Another exit poll for private broadcaster La 7 put Musumeci on 36-40 percent and Cancelleri on 34-38 percent. The center-left s candidate Fabrizio Micari, backed by the ruling Democratic Party, was seen almost 20 points behind the frontrunner in both polls, followed by Claudio Fava, the candidate of a cluster of left-wing parties. The vote count will not begin until Monday at 8 a.m (0700 GMT) with the full result expected later that day. | 0fake |
BOOM! WATCH VIDEO FOUND Proving Gen. Kelly Right On ‘Grandstanding’ Cowgirl Congresswoman [Video] | Sounds to me like Gen. Kelly got it right. This portion of her speech seems to emphasize her role in getting the naming done. That was his point, she needs the spotlight hence her using the death of a soldier and the families grief as a political football trying to score political points.In case you missed the wonderful message from Chief of Staff Kelly:White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says he was stunned to learn that Congresswoman Frederica Wilson listened in on the president s call to a fallen soldier s wife. He came into the White House press briefing and let the press have it too. He goes through the steps of what happens when someone in the military is killed. He says that the members of our military are the best 1% of our population. He said he was brokenhearted when he found out what a member of congress did. This is a heartfelt moment that is amazing:KELLY DOES A GREAT JOB OF CUTTING THROUGH THE BS FROM THE PRESS:The retired general who lost his own son in Afghanistan said the call to Sgt. La David T. Johnson s wife should have been sacred. It stuns me that a member of congress would have listened in on that conversation. Absolutely stuns me. I thought at least that was sacred, he said.The White House official found himself at the center of a charge that President Barack Obama didn t make calls to the families of fallen soldiers this week after President Trump claimed that Obama didn t call Kelly when his son Robert died.Kelly said Thursday at a White House news conference that it s true but he wasn t offended.In fact, Kelly says he counseled Trump not to call Gold Star families and to instead write letters.Read more: Daily Mail | 1real |
#FreeChrisChristie: Twitter Reacts To The ‘Hostage Situation’ At Trump’s Speech (TWEETS) | Last Friday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie decided that endorsing GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump was a good idea. Since then political pundits have all been asking, What was he thinking? Well, on Tuesday night when Trump was giving his Super Tuesday victory speech, Christie seemed to come to the realization that he made a BIG mistake and that sudden awareness came as he stood behind the billionaire on stage. The governor s facial expressions as he listened to his candidate spew his usual nonsense created a Twitter storm, talks of a hostage situation and an epic hashtag: #FreeChrisChristie.Christie introduced Trump after the votes were tallied and he was declared victorious in six states. The NJ governor welcomed the next President of the United States onto the stage, stood behind him and promptly upstaged the GOP front-runner:Pop quiz: New York billionaire takes New Jersey governor hostage. What do you do. WHAT DO YOU DO? #freechrischristie pic.twitter.com/ucXKPfk7jh Anthony Zurcher (@awzurcher) March 2, 2016 Anyone who hasn t seen the stare of Chris Christie, described so brilliantly in the piece I just RT d, it s this. https://t.co/DktHWj2ZXO Rhodri Marsden (@rhodri) March 2, 2016On the next Arrested Development #ChrisChristie #FreeChrisChristie pic.twitter.com/YXO4rwCXTt Melanism (@Melanism) March 2, 2016 I ve made a huge mistake. #FreeChrisChristie https://t.co/VOfFLeAAuS Carissa Klarich (@theactivelife) March 2, 2016I believe we have a hostage situation on our hands @CNNPolitics https://t.co/dWcdYjcXg1 #FreeChrisChristie Vasco Sousa Cotovio (@VascoSCotovio) March 2, 2016 Send snacks. @ChrisChristie, probably #FreeChrisChristie pic.twitter.com/T6kSll1NK5 Holly Fussell (@redhairbluevote) March 2, 2016Chris Christie seems to be realizing just what he s signed on for up there. #FreeChrisChristie #SuperTuesday Burnt Orange Report (@BOR) March 2, 2016Even Trevor Noah joined the fun: There s just one question on Chris Christie s mind. #SuperTuesdaypic.twitter.com/sSDnCXgxBE The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 2, 2016Christie did look like he was Donald Trump s hostage and we don t feel bad for him at all. The governor knew what he was getting himself into, he has said what a liar and horrible president Trump would be on multiple occasions. The only reason he even endorsed him is because he loves the media attention just as much as the billionaire loudmouth does. Now, he gets to live with the consequences of endorsing a racist, egotistical fool.On a side note, Trump is going to be soooo pissed that Christie stole the show. I wouldn t be surprised if we didn t see the two of them on stage together again.Watch a mash-up of his faces below:https://www.facebook.com/Vox/videos/488810047973269/ Featured image via Twitter | 1real |
Le Pen: ’Totalitarian’ European Union Plan to Become Nuclear-Armed Power ’Madness’ | French populist and Front National leader Marine Le Pen spoke out against claims the European Union has eyed France and Britain’s nuclear arsenals with a view to take them over for the common use of EU nations. [While the plans have been considered by fringe Europhile diehards for decades as a means to force European military unity, the idea of taking over the nuclear weapons already possessed by EU member states for the common good have never been taken seriously. However, a flurry of articles in recent weeks discussing the plans and a resurgence of interest has caused concern — prompting presidential candidate Marine Le Pen to speak out against the idea. According to the claims, these fringe European defence theorists are speaking up for the plans in the wake of the election of President Donald J. Trump, as European leaders look for defence alternatives should they fail to maintain their NATO commitments, and therefore jeopardise their relationship with the U. S. While Britain’s withdrawal from the EU would preclude the independent nuclear deterrent being by Brussels, the approximately 300 French warheads will for now remain within the political reach of the Union. Speaking at a campaign event on Saturday, Le Pen slammed the present diminished state of French defence, and called any attempts by the EU to seize elements of member state’s defence apparatus “totalitarian”. She said: France, throughout her history, has rarely been so disarmed. Of course, we still have — but for how long? — our nuclear deterrent. I hear voices who talk in favour of a gloomy project which would lead to sharing our nuclear deterrent on a European scale. This would be madness and a crime against France, her safety, her power and her independence. For decades now, we have denounced the totalitarian drift of the European Union. It is therefore out of the question to enable this supranational techno structure to gain access to any kind of military capacity! This would mean an intolerable threat to the fundamental freedom of the people of Europe. Marine Le Pen has hit out repeatedly at the EU in recent weeks, most recently saying she would work with Britain, Poland, and Hungary to “dismantle” the continental power bloc. The FN leader said in the future “each country is free and sovereign to defend their own interests”. Follow Oliver Lane on Facebook, Twitter: Follow @Oliver_Lane or : olane[at]breitbart. <! [CDATA[ ! function( d,s, id){var js, fjs=d. getElementsByTagName( s)[0],p= ^ | 0fake |
MAJOR Trump Donor Says Rape is Just ‘Regret’ | Very few people with significant money or power in this country are voting for Donald Trump. Even the Koch brothers are publicly backing off supporting the toxic, self-described billionaire. One Silicon Valley billionaire is happy to be on the Trump train, even after the allegations of sexual assault surfaced. Perhaps that s because PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel, who is also a Facebook investor and a $1.25 million Trump donor, doesn t really think sexual assault is a big deal.In 1995, Thiel wrote a book called The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and Political Intolerance on Campus. If you think that sounds like a Trump-esque screed against political correctness, you d be right.The book isn t just about saying offensive words or about cultural appropriation. According to The Guardian s article on it, Thiel complained that in many cases, complaints of date rape were just regret by the victims.In a case about a 17-year-old Stanford freshman who said she was raped in a dorm room while drunk, Thiel and his cowriter and PayPal partner, David O. Sacks, wrote: Although [the alleged perpetrator] was clearly guilty of serving alcohol to an underage woman and taking advantage of her resulting lack of judgement, there was no sexual assault Understandably, however, the woman regretted the whole incident afterwards. This argument has never made sense to me. In rape cases, the benefit of the doubt always goes with the accused rapist. A rape victim opens herself up to slander, to character assassination and to accusations exactly like the one above. Wouldn t the more logical response to regret to be to deny it ever happened?Thiel also believes that rape necessarily involves physical injuries, which would mean that those influenced by date rape drugs would likely have no claim, at least in his perfect world. It is ludicrous to believe that anyone who had been forcefully violated would not know it and bear physical marks. Then, there s this, because you know, men are always the victims: The purpose of the rape crisis movement seems as much about vilifying men as about raising awareness.' Thiel s book, as described in The Guardian, goes on to complain about the many ways whites, and white men in particular, are victimized and vilified in this country. Is it any wonder he is supporting Donald Trump?Featured image by Alex Wong via Getty Images. | 1real |
Trump Tells Reporters: ‘Walls Work - Just Ask Israel’ - Breitbart | President Trump stood by his campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border Thursday, telling reporters: “Walls work — just ask Israel. ”[Trump made the remarks at a White House press conference with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Santos was asked about comments Trump made in his remarks when he cited his proposed border wall as an important tool to stop drugs from coming into America. Santos avoided discussing the wall directly and instead pointed to areas where the U. S. and Colombia were working together. “I believe the best way to fight drug trafficking is by collaborating,” Santos said. “It is a world problem and we have to all work together. We declared the war on drugs 40 years ago … and it’s a war that has not been won, so we must be more effective and more efficient. ” He pointed to a number of areas the U. S. and Colombia are working together to fight the international drug trade and said that they had agreed to double down on that commitment in the meeting at the White House. “By working together we can be much more effective and that was the commitment we ratified this afternoon,” he said. Trump, however, was much more direct in his answer. “That was a long and a very diplomatic answer to your question,” Trump joked. “I will say it a little bit shorter — walls work, just ask Israel,” he said. “They work, believe me, they work, and we have no choice. ” Trump was referring to the multiple barriers Israel has set up along its border to combat both the influx of terrorists and illegal immigration. Israel’s borders are frequently heralded as proof that such barriers can in fact work. In January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted his support of Trump’s policy and pointed to the wall along Israel’s southern border as proof of success. President Trump is right. I built a wall along Israel’s southern border. It stopped all illegal immigration. Great success. Great idea 🇱🇺🇸 — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) January 28, 2017, Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Breitbart News. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY. | 0fake |
Obama immigration win at Supreme Court could benefit Trump | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming days decides a high-profile immigration case in favor of the Obama administration, the ruling could have an unexpected beneficiary: Republican presidential contender Donald Trump. The Obama administration is asking the high court to revive its 2014 proposal to protect up to 4 million people from deportation, a plan that was blocked by lower courts. The court could rule that a president has broad authority to interpret and enforce federal immigration law. Such a ruling would allow Obama to implement his signature executive action on immigration, aimed at the parents of U.S. citizens’ children, before he leaves office. It could also help Trump, who has put forth his own sweeping and controversial plans on immigration ahead of the Nov. 8 election. “To the extent the court has language about the president’s wide authority in immigration law generally, that would certainly strengthen Trump’s hand.” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law expert at Cornell Law School. The Supreme Court’s ruling will come at a key phase in the presidential election cycle, with candidates Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton trading jabs over immigration policy following the mass shooting in a Orlando nightclub in which a gunman killed 49 people. Trump has proposed curbing immigration from countries with a history of terrorism, blocking the entry of Muslims and deporting the estimated 11 million people in the United States who entered the country illegally. If he wins the race for the White House, Trump might need to invoke his own executive authority - as happened with Obama - if the U.S. Congress does not approve his proposals, which have sparked outrage at home and abroad. The current case is unlikely to provide any support for Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims, which legal experts say would face other legal hurdles because it targets people on the basis of religion. But legal experts say it could help Trump if he seeks to block entry from certain countries under a provision of immigration law that gives the president the power to suspend entry of noncitizens whose entry “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” That provision has previously only been used block entry of small groups of people, such as officials linked with foreign governments hostile to the United States. Applying it to entire countries could prompt a similar lawsuit to the one filed against Obama. Clinton could also seize on an Obama victory in the case, but her own immigration proposals are more modest. She has said that absent action by Congress to reform the system entirely, she would keep Obama’s program in place and seek to expand on it. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress passes laws and the executive branch enforces them. In the immigration context, Congress has traditionally given the president considerable leeway to interpret how to implement the laws. The high court, evenly split 4-4 between liberals and conservatives following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February, could decide the case on narrower grounds than the broad question of executive power. It could avoid touching on immigration law at all by finding that the states challenging Obama’s proposal did not have legal standing to sue. The court could also split 4-4, which would leave in place the lower court decision blocking the plan but without setting any legal precedent. U.S. presidents generally have discretion to enforce immigration law, but the plan’s challengers said Obama exceeded the limits of his authority by setting up a program that would allow millions to gain temporary legal status and work permits. Critics say his plan was unlawful in part because it effectively granted relief from deportation to a much bigger class of people than had ever benefited from any similar programs in the past. Texas and 25 other states who filed suit said it was an unconstitutional abuse of power. Obama’s lawyers told the Supreme Court that Obama was acting within the government’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion to decide who to deport. | 0fake |
There’s Only One Trump Administration Position That’s Gaining Popularity And It’s Going To Shock You - Breitbart | While support for the Trump administration’s positions on many issues has declined in recent months, one of the president’s most controversial policies has held its ground or perhaps even grown in popularity. [Some of the administration’s most popular positions have seen their popularity decline, according to CNBC’s quarterly “All American Survey. ” The share of Americans who say they somewhat or strongly support the administration’s plans to rebuild American infrastructure, for example, has declined to 62 percent from 75 percent three months earlier. Support for individual tax cuts has fallen to 59 percent from 64 percent, while support for cuts to business taxes fell to 50 percent from 54 percent. Renegotiating trade deals has lost support, falling to 50 percent from 58 percent. Support for regulatory relief has declined to 44 percent from 47 percent. Public support for repealing Obamacare very nearly held steady, losing just one percentage point of support from 45 percent to 44 percent. But the public remains strongly divided on healthcare, with opposition to the administration’s repeal and replace plans edging up to 38 percent from 37 percent in April. So which issue has gained popularity? Banning immigration from specific Middle Eastern and African countries. Public support for the ban rose by a percentage point, with 44 percent of Americans now saying the strongly or somewhat support the ban. That slight rise was due to a one percentage point gain in the “strongly support” category. Opposition to the ban has slightly declined, falling to 49 percent from 50 percent. The share of respondents who said they “strongly oppose” the plan, however, saw a steeper decline, to 32 percent from 36 percent. | 0fake |
Pope Francis plane shifts course to avoid Hurricane Irma | ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis flew out of Italy on Wednesday headed for Colombia, with his plane forced to change route because of Hurricane Irma, which is powering across the northern Caribbean. The Alitalia aircraft had been expected to fly over the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, but will instead shift south and cross the islands of Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad, a Vatican official said. Recent forecasts show that Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, will hit Puerto Rico later on Wednesday. Francis, making his 20th foreign trip as pontiff and his fifth to his native Latin America, will spend five days in Colombia to encourage a peace process that ended half a century of war between the state and the guerrilla group FARC. | 0fake |
Son of Russian lawmaker sentenced in U.S. for role in cyber crime ring | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The son of a Russian lawmaker was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Thursday for his role in a cyber crime ring that stole and sold people s credit card numbers, the U.S. Justice Department said. Roman Valeryevich Seleznev, who pleaded guilty in two criminal cases out of Georgia and Nevada stemming from a hacking probe in September, was sentenced for participating in a racketeering enterprise and conspiring to commit bank fraud. The Justice Department also said he was ordered to pay more than $52 million in restitution. | 0fake |
OUTRAGE! Student Threatens Violence Against Trump In High School Yearbook Quote | The double standard here is unbelievable! We just reported on a high school student in big trouble for saying Build the Wall in her yearbook quote. That s pretty harmless but the school took back the yearbooks .Fast forward and a high school student wrote out their thoughts on President Trump in the yearbook I would like to behead him. I do not like him. See the huge difference here?MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) Just under a month after a Big Lake trap team s photo was banned from the high school yearbook, another high school yearbook photo is making news.For its 2017 yearbook, Brainerd High School dedicated a page to President Donald Trump. Editors asked students their thoughts on the president, and shared the quotes next to their picture.One sophomore said, I would like to behead him. I do not like him. The photo went viral, sparking controversy on Twitter. Now, that student is telling her side of the story. I was so confused, because at first, I didn t ever remember saying that, 15-year-old Camryn said.Camryn who asked WCCO not to reveal her last name says she had no idea a conversation with a classmate last September would lead to nationwide attention. She says the classmate never said she was working for the yearbook when she asked about then-candidate Donald Trump. I did not say, I want to behead him. I did not say, I am going to behead him. I just said, Well I m sure we all wouldn t mind him being beheaded, something along those lines, Camryn said. But there was never the direct quote, I do not like him. I would like to behead him. That conversation exploded on social media 8 months later, with the help of at least one celebrity. Former Joanie Loves Chachi actor Scott Baio shared the photo, tagging the president, the FBI, Sean Hannity and Kellyanne Conway.Read more: CBS | 1real |
Federal judge being considered for US Supreme Court nomination: Law Journal | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ketanji Brown Jackson, a federal trial judge in Washington, is being considered to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, the National Law Journal reported on Friday, citing a lawyer who was contacted as part of the vetting process. The unidentified lawyer was contacted this week and was asked about Jackson’s tenure on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the context of her being a potential nominee for the Supreme Court, the Journal said. The lawyer described the conversation, which lasted less than 30 minutes, as a “preliminary inquiry,” the Journal reported. The White House did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the Journal story. President Barack Obama is expected to announce a nominee in the next several weeks to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Feb. 13. Scalia’s death left the court with four liberals and four conservatives, and Republican leaders in the Senate have vowed to block anyone Obama nominates. The Senate must confirm the nominee. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, a moderate Republican, took himself out of consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court this week after his name surfaced as a possible nominee. If nominated and confirmed Jackson, 45, would be the first African-American woman on the Supreme Court. She was confirmed to the federal district court in Washington in March 2013. During her confirmation hearing, she received support from U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who is related to her by marriage, the Journal reported. Jackson’s husband, Patrick Jackson, is the twin brother of Ryan’s brother-in-law William Jackson. Jackson served as a federal public defender in Washington and then at a law firm. In 2010, she was appointed to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. | 0fake |
BREAKING: Trump’s Newest Endorsement PROVES He’s A Racist Piece Of Crap (VIDEO) | Donald Trump is obsessed with himself. So obsessed that he covers his wall with covers of magazines and newspapers that have his face on them, because it s cheaper than wallpaper. Well just recently The Crusader, the KKK s official newspaper, has endorsed Trump. Do you think that ll make it up on his wall? Or does he not know anything about them? In the past when talk of David Duke and the KKK endorsing Trump was circulating he claimed to know nothing about them. Shouldn t someone who s the potential president of the United States know what the KKK is? You can see more on that here:So while Donald Trump claims to have know idea who the Klu Klux Klan is, there have been ties from Trump s inner circle to the KKK. With his support taking a sharp nosedive in the polls, it s not hard to imagine him accepting support from just about anybody. Or maybe this time he ll pretend he doesn t know what the KKK is again. | 1real |
Clinton regrets 1996 remark on ‘super-predators’ after encounter with activist | COLUMBIA, S.C. — Black voters are the linchpin of Hillary Clinton's strategy for winning the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, and as a result, her campaign has put racial justice issues at the forefront of her agenda. But at an event on Wednesday night, Clinton was vocally confronted by an activist questioning her past support for policies that had a disproportionately negative effect on African Americans.
Ashley Williams, a 23-year-old activist from Charlotte, interrupted Clinton during a private fundraiser in Charleston on Wednesday night. Williams stood and demanded an apology from Clinton for the high incarceration rate for black Americans, and confronted her with the words of a speech Clinton delivered 20 years ago voicing support for the now-debunked theory of "super-predators."
"They are often the kinds of kids that are called 'super-predators,' " Clinton said in 1996, at the height of anxiety during her husband's administration about high rates of crime and violence. "No conscience, no empathy, we can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel."
The last part of the quote was written on a large, hand-lettered sign that Williams held up as Clinton spoke to her donors and supporters.
Clinton took note of the sign and read it aloud, squinting to read it and apparently unaware that it was her own quote.
Williams addressed Clinton, asking whether Clinton would "apologize to black people for mass incarceration."
Clinton first told Williams, "we'll talk about it," but grew irritated as Williams continued to speak.
“Do you want to hear the facts, or do you just want to talk?” Clinton asked sharply.
Off camera, guests at the fundraiser, apparently held in a private home, can be heard saying "shhhhh," which then turns to such comments as "this is inappropriate," and "you're being rude."
Williams asked again about Clinton's words from 1996, as a man approached Williams to escort her out.
"You know what? Nobody’s ever asked me before. You’re the first person to do that, and I’m happy to address it," Clinton said, but did not elaborate.
In a written response to The Washington Post's on the issue Thursday, Clinton said: “Looking back, I shouldn’t have used those words, and I wouldn’t use them today."
"My life’s work has been about lifting up children and young people who’ve been let down by the system or by society, kids who never got the chance they deserved," Clinton continued in the statement. "And unfortunately today, there are way too many of those kids, especially in African-American communities. We haven’t done right by them. We need to. We need to end the school to prison pipeline and replace it with a cradle-to-college pipeline."
[Hillary Clinton responds to activist who demanded apology for ‘superpredator’ remarks]
In an interview Thursday, Williams said that she wanted Clinton to address her past role in supporting the country's current system of mass incarceration. Williams also said she sought an apology from Clinton for the "damage that she’s done to black communities."
"I thought that quote was important not only because it was her own words, but because that was her pathologizing black youth as these criminal, animal people," Williams told The Washington Post. "And we know that’s not right and we know that’s really racist."
"I wanted her to be confronted with that very racist thing she said," Williams said.
[A crime bill from 1994 haunts Clinton and Sanders as criminal justice reform rises to top in Democratic contest]
"As a black queer person, I understand how I don’t always get to be in control of how I’m perceived in spaces," Williams said. "I’m especially not always in control of the way I'm perceived when I'm raising my voice to speak out against injustices. So I’m not surprised that I was told that I was being rude."
In recent weeks, Clinton's 1996 comments have re-emerged as a problem, just as she has sought to push a new agenda focused on unwinding 90s-era policies that are now viewed as having had a disproportionately negative effect on African-Americans.
In a recent essay, author and law professor Michelle Alexander described Clinton's endorsement of the "super-predator" concept as "racially coded rhetoric" that was used to "cast black children as animals."
Yet, the idea wasn't Clinton's, but rather it had been invented by researchers studying crime in the 1990s. And it was used to explain the rise in violence perpetrated by youths -- particularly in predominantly minority inner cities. The concept has since been largely abandoned and decried for its racial undertones.
Twenty years later at the Charleston event, Clinton said that it was the first time that she had been asked about the comments. But Williams said she expected more.
"She’s had 20 years to respond to my question," Williams said. "And so her inability to do it last night to me is just kind of representative of how she has been absent in terms of racial justice in a meaningful way, in a material way."
The evening fundraising event was not disclosed by the Clinton campaign, although the campaign has voluntarily released information about other fundraisers in the past. The event also was not advertised to news outlets covering Clinton as she campaigns ahead of the primary vote Saturday.
Williams said she is an "independent organizer for the movement for black lives" and not part of Black Lives Matter organizations. Williams added that someone paid $500 to allow the activists to gain access to the fundraising event. Williams would not specify who contributed the money to the protest action.
Clinton has called for an end to "the era of mass incarceration" and disavowed much of the 1994 crime law signed by her husband, former president Bill Clinton. It was the disproportionate effect of that law on black people that was the protesters' main complaint.
The Clinton campaign has also pointed to her presidential primary opponent Bernie Sanders's vote in favor of that law.
Williams, who is working on a master's degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, wants all candidates -- including Bernie Sanders -- to be held accountable for their past actions and statements about racial justice.
"All the candidates who are running for president need to be held to the same kind of scrutiny in terms of the way that they have been complicit in mass incarceration and damaging communities of color across the United States," Williams said. "Bernie can get it, too. They can all get it."
In a statement, Sanders's campaign manager Jeff Weaver said that Sanders voted for the 1994 crime bill to protect provisions embedded in it that preserved the assault weapons ban and included domestic violence protections for women.
Weaver noted that Sanders criticized mass incarceration at the time that the bill was being considered.
“When this so-called crime bill was being considered, Bernie Sanders criticized its harsh incarceration and death penalty provisions," Weaver said. "Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, resorted to dog whistle politics and dehumanizing language."
"Bernie Sanders has always known jails and incarceration are not the answer," Weaver added. "Nor is heated rhetoric against young people of any race. You can’t throw vulnerable people under the bus just because it’s politically expedient.”
Correction: An earlier version of this post said Hillary Clinton told activist Ashley Williams "you're being rude." It was a guest at the fundraiser who made the comment. | 0fake |
Harry Reid Just Accused FBI Of Hiding “Explosive Info” About Trump & Putin | Comments
Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid just sent a scathing open letter to FBI Director James Comey, calling him out for smearing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton while hiding a sinister truth about Donald Trump that the public deserves to know. In it, he accuses the controversial FBI Director of sitting on secret “explosive” intelligence information about the Republican presidential campaign’s coordination with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Reid wrote :
The double standard established by your actions is clear.
In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government – a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity. The public has a right to know this information. I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released to the public. There is no danger to American interests from releasing it. And yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information.
By contrast, as soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to Secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicize it in the most negative light possible. Moreover, in tarring Secretary Clinton with thin innuendo, you overruled longstanding tradition and the explicit guidance of your own Department.
You rushed to take this step eleven days before a presidential election, despite the fact that for all you know, the information you possess could be entirely duplicative of the information you already examined which exonerated Secretary Clinton.
Senator Reid continued by notifying Comey of violating the Hatch Act, whic forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan acts. Even further, Reid said that he regretted helping President Obama break a long Republican filibuster of his nomination to head the FBI just three short years ago.
It’s not surprising that there is a tangible link between Putin and Trump, especially after an interview of the Republican claiming he has a relationship with the Russian dictator was unearthed by the Democratic Coalition Against Trump and authenticated by MSNBC host Thomas A. Roberts this week .
Which begs the question, what is the Republican Party’s standard bearer hiding regarding his dealings with Vladimir Putin? Related Items: | 1real |
Video: ‘Rude’ CNN Reporter Asks Trump Why He’s Taking Time Off To Open A Hotel | Meanwhile Hillary Clinton is at home sleeping
Steve Watson Prison Planet.com October 27, 2016
GOP nominee Donald Trump took time out of a relentless campaign schedule Wednesday to spend around an hour opening a new hotel, prompting one CNN reporter to accuse Trump of “taking time out of swing states.” Meanwhile Hillary Clinton is again nowhere to be seen.
CNN’s Dana Bash suggested that Trump should be more concerned with campaigning in swing states, yet Trump had three campaign stops scheduled for the same day. Dana Bash: Is your DC hotel opening free advertising?Donald Trump: “No, not at all” https://t.co/6OZtrfIwim https://t.co/9HHqooom8r
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 26, 2016
“So to people who say you’re taking time out of swing states to go do this, you say?” Bash asked.
“I say the following: You have been covering me for the last — long time. I did yesterday eight stops and three major speeches, and I’ve been doing this for weeks straight,” Trump responded.
“For you to ask me that question is actually very insulting because Hillary Clinton does one stop and then she goes home and sleeps. And yet you’ll ask me that question. I think that’s a very rude question, to be honest with you.” Trump exclaimed.
Trump added that the opening of the hotel also served to prove a point that he can get things built under budget and ahead of schedule, suggesting that the country needs to be able to follow suit.
While CNN has continuously run defense for Hillary Clinton amid a myriad of scandals, and even rigged its own polls to suggest she won the debates, the network has been forced to admit that Hillary is running an extremely light campaign schedule.
Last month, for example, Hillary went six days without an event except for a short speech she gave in Orlando, Florida.
And in August, Hillary took seven of the first 14 days of the month off and even went four days without a single campaign appearance.
“Her speeches are so short – they don’t last long, they’re like 10 minutes and ‘let’s get out of here,’” Donald Trump said about her schedule. “Go back home and go to sleep.” This article was posted: Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 8:12 am Share this article | 1real |
Trump Only Cares About Trump; Why He Is Recognizing Jerusalem Today | President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he plans to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While this is left most pundits perplexed, the reasoning is clear. Trump wants to divert attention from Robert Mueller s investigation. It is no coincidence that the day after the news broke that Deutsche Bank has received subpoenas for information on the Trump family s assets, that this Jerusalem decision was announced. What could be a bigger news story than getting this information? A blow up in the Middle East.Look at the reaction world leaders have had to this announcement. American allies throughout the Middle East and Europe have asked Trump not to do this and have stressed how dangerous a statement this is. US News and World Report put this out today: The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed U.S. security warning on Tuesday. America s consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem s Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. It is worth noting that while Trump will formally announce that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israel s capital, there is no movement underway to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv. In fact, he has signed an order to delay that decision for another six months. This move is necessary due to the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which mandated the embassy be moved. It also allowed the president to delay that by six months and every president since that act became law has done so this way.The Atlantic has even compared this decision to Trump wagging the dog, a reference to a movie where a U.S. president goes to war with Albania to take the public s attention away from his own scandals involving a mistress. The film was viewed as a parody of President Bill Clinton s military actions in Afghanistan and Sudan after he acknowledged an affair with Monica Lewinsky.While whether or not Clinton attacked other countries to distract the nation from his actions with Lewinsky may be a point that is up for debate, it is clear that Trump likes to do things to distract the public s attention. Catherine Rampell wrote about this tactic late last year in the Washington Post. She wrote: Welcome to 2017, the ouroboros of distractions, where every terrible thing is a head-fake for a ruse for a diversion for a misdirection from something else much, much worse. Trump makes announcements, sends tweets and says things without any thought to the real world consequences that follow. Experts in the Middle East fear that the Jerusalem announcement will lead to real deaths. Many people worry that his thoughtless and impetuous tweets will lead to a nuclear war. His thoughtless comments confuse and enrage many.By making such a move, for such purely personal reasons, Trump is proving, once again, that he is not fit to be president of a condo association, much less of the United States.Featured image by Andrew Burton/Getty Images. | 1real |
OFFENDING THE GLOBALISTS: Teen Kicked Out Of UN Building For Wearing Bill Clinton “Rape” Shirt [VIDEO] | Freedom of speech is not a universally accepted right, which is just one more reason the U.S. has no business funding the globalist UN and their activities When you re visiting the UN Building in NYC, it might be a good idea not to offend the globalists or anyone in a leadership role with the globalists https://youtu.be/yvLrss1H4G8The Bill Clinton RAPE shirt can be purchased at InfoWars at this LINK. We are in no way affiliated or benefitting from the sale of this t-shirt. We just thought you might like to know where you can pick one up and spread the truth about the sexual predator husband Hillary has enabled for decades . | 1real |
Trump Went ‘BALLISTIC’ When Sessions Recused Himself From Russia Investigation | Donald Trump reportedly flew into a fit of rage when Attorney General Jeff Sessions decided to recuse himself from the investigation into Russia.Sessions resigned on Thursday after it was revealed that he had met with the Russian ambassador and then lied about it during his confirmation hearing. Sessions made the choice after officials at the Justice Department advised him to recuse himself, but Trump didn t take the news well at all.Robert Costa, a reporter for the Washington Post, tweeted that Trump stormed out of the White House in a fury on Friday, fuming about [Jeff] Sessions recusal and telling aides that Sessions shouldn t have recused himself. Trump left WH in a fury on Friday, fuming about Sessions s recusal and telling aides that Sessions shouldn t have recused himself Robert Costa (@costareports) March 4, 2017President remarked to staff that Sessions/WH/DOJ should have done more to counter Sessions story, that it was bull, per aides familiar Robert Costa (@costareports) March 4, 2017According to ABC News, Trump went absolutely ballistic when he found out that Sessions was going to recuse himself.Before leaving for Mar-a-Lago yesterday, Pres. Trump summoned some senior staff to the Oval Office and went ballistic, sources tell @ABC. Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) March 4, 2017Trump expressed his full support of Sessions just hours before the attorney general announced that he was recusing himself from the investigation. Trump has defended Sessions unwaveringly and continues to dismiss the accusations against him.Trump s reaction isn t exactly surprising. At this point, more people close to him have met with Russia (and lied about it) than haven t. Chances are slim to none that Trump himself wasn t involved. As the investigation continues, evidence keeps mounting up and the list of Trump officials who have been in contact with Russia continues to grow.Trump s former national security adviser was forced to resign after it was revealed he told Russia not to worry about the sanctions imposed by President Obama before Trump was sworn in. In recent days, Trump s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has also been caught meeting with Flynn and the Russian ambassador.Featured image via Jim Lo Scalzo Pool/Getty Images | 1real |
GOOD MORNING AMERICA Travels All The Way To Melania Trump’s Homeland Of Slovenia To Trash Her [VIDEO] | The GMA reporter shows several random people on the streets of Sevnica, Slovenia a picture of Donald and Melania Trump and asks, Do you know who this is? Here are their responses: I have no idea. Oh yeah. That s Donald Trump s wife that is from Slovenia. I don t particularly like Donald Trump, because she s also ashamed from being from Slovenia. Oh it looks like to be the new American President, so that would be his quasi-English speaking wife. I don t like this Trump Melania, she s there because she was searching for really better life. So that s why she found a husband. We are small nation, so everyone who succeeded in the world is a story of success. She s a bad ad for Slovenia. She talks like, I don t know, like she doesn t like us anymore. I don t know, she s more for Hollywood than for the White House. | 1real |
Brother of Clinton’s Campaign Chair is an Active Foreign Agent on the Saudi Arabian Payroll | Free Thought Project – by Claire Bernish
Tony Podesta — brother of the now-disgraced Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, whose files Wikileaks has been publishing — is not only a powerful Democratic Party lobbyist, but a registered foreign agent receiving a hefty monthly paycheck from the nefarious government of Saudi Arabia.
No — as tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorist as it might sound — that scenario is the absolute truth.
In 1988, John and Tony Podesta formed the Podesta Group and have used their bigwig party-insider status to lobby and influence government policies — while, at various times, simultaneously holding positions of power — which has created a number of glaring conflicts of interest.
According to the March 2016 filing made in accordance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, Tony Podesta is an active foreign agent of the Saudi government with the “ Center for Studies and Media Affairs at the Saudi Royal Court ,” and acts as an officer of the Saudi Arabia account.
At this point, the web of pay-for-play between the Washington, political heavyweights, and foreign governments comes lurching into the spotlight.
For starters, the Podesta brothers’ lobbying firm receives $140,000 every month from the Saudi government, which, in no uncertain terms — and despite a status as privileged U.S. ally — wages a bloody campaign of censorship, murder, suppression, human rights abuse, and worse against its civilian population, while bombing hospitals, schools, and aid convoys in neighboring nations.
John Podesta previously served as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, founded the think tank Center for American Progress (which oh-so-coincidentally touts the need to reframe Saudi Arabia’s hopelessly tarnished image), counseled President Obama, and now chairs Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Tony Podesta acts as a foreign agent for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — lobbying to influence government policy in favor of the Kingdom — while also contributing to and bundling for Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Think about that for a moment.
One brother uses the influence of money to both affect United States foreign policy and infuse the Clinton campaign with cash — while the other wields the influence of power as a political insider for the same entities.
As the Washington Post reported months ago in July, Tony Podesta’s lobbying efforts “raised $268,000 for the campaign and $31,000 for the victory fund.”
“The Saudis hired the Podesta Group in 2015 because it was getting hammered in the press over civilian casualties from its airstrikes in Yemen and its crackdown on political dissidents at home, including sentencing blogger Raif Badawi to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes for ‘insulting Islam,’” Alternet reported . “Since then, Tony Podesta’s fingerprints have been all over Saudi Arabia’s advocacy efforts in Washington DC. When Saudi Arabia executed the prominent nonviolent Shia dissident Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, causing protests throughout the Shia world and inflaming sectarian divisions, The New York Times noted that the Podesta Group provided the newspaper with a Saudi commentator who defended the execution.”
Notably, the Saudis’ reputation has only worsened as further atrocities pile up — concerning not only a record number of barbaric beheadings this year, but suspiciously reckless and errant U.S.-backed coalition bombings of civilian sites in several regions of active conflict.
Additionally, Tony Podesta’s status as a registered foreign agent for Saudi Arabia is at least obliquely discussed in an email from April 15, 2015 — ironically revealed by Wikileaks’ publishing of his brothers personal communiques — in which former Clinton Foundation chief development officer and now campaign national finance director Dennis Cheng wrote to a small group of insiders:
“Hi all – we do need to make a decision on this ASAP as our friends who happen to be registered with FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act] are already donating and raising.
“I do want to push back a bit (it’s my job!): I feel like we are leaving a good amount of money on the table (both for primary and general, and then DNC and state parties)… and how do we explain to people that we’ll take money from a corporate lobbyist but not them; that the Foundation takes $ from foreign govts but we now won’t. Either way, we need to make a decision soon.”
To which general counsel to the Clinton campaign, attorney Marc Elias, replied [all errors original and emphasis added],
“Responding to all on this. I was not on the call this morning, but I lean away from a bright line rule here. It seems odd to say that someone who represents Alberta, Canada can’t give, but a lobbyist for Phillip Morris can. Just as we vet lobbyists case by case, I would do the same with FARA. While this may lead to a large number of FARA registrants being denied, it would not be a flat our ban. A total ban feels arbitrary and will engender the same eye-rolling and ill will that it did for Obama.”
As the exchange continues, how to precisely handle the campaign’s image with potentially controversial donors — while, at all costs, maintaining the flow of cash — becomes even more apparent. As strategist and campaign manager Robby Mook responds,
“Where do we draw the line though?”
Elias suggests a particularly intricate solution:
“If we do it case by case, then it will be subjective. We would look at who the donor is and what foreign entity they are registered for. In judging whether to take the money, we would consider the relationship between that country and the United States, its relationship to the State Department during Hillary’s time as Secretary, and its relationship, if any, to the Foundation. In judging the individual, we would look at their history of support for political candidates generally and Hillary’s past campaigns specifically.
“Put simply, we would use the same criteria we use for lobbyists, except with a somewhat more stringent screen.
“As a legal matter, I am not saying we have to do this – we can decide to simply ban foreign registrants entirely. I’m just offering this up as a middle ground.”
Mook eventually decides plainly,
“Marc made a convincing case to me this am that these sorts of restrictions don’t really get you anything…that Obama actually got judged MORE harshly as a result. He convinced me. So…in a complete U-turn, I’m ok just taking the money and dealing with any attacks. Are you guys ok with that?”
All of this political wrangling appears to have had the desired effect — despite increasing calls for the United States to either rein in or sever completely its support for the bloody Saudi regime — the U.S. approved a stunning $1.29 billion sale of smart bombs to the Kingdom in November 2015.
Tony Podesta’s specific contract with the government-run Center for Studies and Media Affairs at the Saudi Royal Court, which will earn $1.68 million by year’s end, does, indeed, suggest the infusion of a pro-Saudi message into the U.S. media propaganda machine.
“Saudi Arabia is consistently one of the bigger players when it comes to foreign influence in Washington,” Sunlight Foundation spokesman Josh Stewart told the Washington Post . “That spans both what you’d call the inside game, which is lobbying and government relations, and the outside game, which is PR and other things that tend to reach a broader audience than just lobbying.”
That broader audience — the American public — has indeed been manipulated courtesy of at least the thoroughly-corrupt Clinton campaign if not surreptitiously by the Saudis, as well.
As The Free Thought Project has repeatedly reported , the evidence of collusion among the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and the mainstream presstitutes is indisputable — including no less than 65 so-called journalists listed by name in various leaks as darlings of the campaign.
Although this level of corruption and collusion would be considered intolerable in nearly any other nation on the planet. And yet, at the center of this shit storm of contention is an official nominee for the White House — who will not be held responsible for any number of questionable and criminal acts.
The system isn’t rigged — it’s performing exactly as intended — and always will as long as the vote validates its existence. Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/clinton-podesta-campaign-saudi-arabia/#gYcjBFazk755MGcp.99 Share this: | 1real |
Oklahoma legislation aims to ensure punishment for sex crimes | OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma lawmakers will take up legislation next week aimed at ensuring sex crimes do not go unpunished in the state because the victims were unconscious or intoxicated when they occurred. In March, Oklahoma’s highest criminal court ruled the state’s rape law addresses sexual assault cases involving people who were either unconscious or intoxicated when they were victims of abuse. But the court ruled that Oklahoma’s forcible sodomy law, which also pertains to oral sex, did not address such cases. The ruling was in response to allegations that a Tulsa teenager sexually assaulted a girl who had passed out after a night of drinking. A lower court judge had dismissed the case last year. Oklahoma Representative Scott Biggs, a Republican, said on Friday he is filing legislation to define forcible sodomy in a way that includes unconscious victims. The bill, which is widely supported, is expected to be heard by the Oklahoma legislature in the coming week, Biggs said. “The judges made a grave error, but if they need more clarification, we are happy to give it to them by fixing the statute,” Biggs said in an interview. The state’s highest criminal appeals court said in its ruling: “Sodomy cannot occur where a victim is so intoxicated as to be completely unconscious at the time of the sexual act of oral copulation.” It added, “we will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language.” The ruling in March had gone mostly unnoticed until the public interest journalism site Oklahoma Watch reported on it this month, sparking a public outcry. The case from 2014 involved two high school students who were drinking and smoking marijuana with friends. The boy testified the oral sex was consensual but the girl said it was not, according to Oklahoma Watch, which added that the teen’s DNA was found on the girl. “Unfortunately, legal minds often get stuck on questions of semantics, when it is clear to most of us what the intent of the law is,” Biggs said. “I can’t stress enough how sorry I am for the victim and that she was denied justice,” he added. | 0fake |
Lynch vote deal reached on human trafficking bill | Washington (CNN) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday that negotiators had reached a "bipartisan" deal on the anti-human trafficking bill, clearing the way for a vote to confirm attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch in the coming days.
An agreement would end the latest Washington standoff, which has tied the Senate in knots for weeks. A skirmish over a provision in the anti-human trafficking bill quickly grew into a larger debate over abortion and race that resulted in the longest delay of an attorney general nominee in decades.
On Tuesday, McConnell seemed ready to move on.
"I'm glad we can say there is a bipartisan proposal that will allow us to complete action on this important legislation, so we can provide help to the victims who desperately need it," he said on the Senate floor.
Minority Leader Harry Reid said Republicans had "agreed not to expand the scope of the Hyde language," the abortion provision that had been the sticking point for Senate Democrats who had been filibustering the bill.
McConnell said Tuesday that "as soon as we finish the trafficking bill," they'll take up Lynch's confirmation vote — "hopefully in the next day or so." Reid and McConnell thanked Senators Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, and John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, as the lead negotiators on hammering out a compromise.
Lynch's nomination has taken on historic significance — and not just because she would be the first African-American woman to lead the Justice Department. No other nominee for attorney general has had to wait this long for Senate confirmation — 165 days, and counting — since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Lynch supporters have accused Republicans of delaying in part because she's an African-American woman, a charge they dismiss.
At issue was the addition of the so-called Hyde Amendment to the anti-human trafficking bill, by Republicans without the knowledge of most Democrats. The amendment is a common provision attached to most government funds for health programs that bars such funds from being used to pay for abortions, but Democrats said it was an unprecedented expansion to non-taxpayer dollars.
The deal is essentially a cosmetic fix that lets both parties claim a win. It allows Republicans to say they've won their battle against funding abortions with government money, and Democrats to say they've avoided expanding the Hyde Amendment.
According to sources in both parties, the Murray-Cornyn deal pools two sources of funding to support victims of human trafficking, and each is subject to distinct restrictions.
One funding stream, from fines levied against sex traffickers, could be used for survivor services that do not include health care or medical services, like legal aid and law enforcement. That effectively bars the money from being used to fund abortions, but does not technically include the Hyde Amendment.
The latter funding stream, which comes from community health center funds included in the doc-fix bill President Barack Obama signed into law this week, is already subject to the Hyde Amendment.
While the agreement paves the way for the Senate to move past the controversies, there are still a number of procedural hurdles in the way of a final vote on both the anti-human trafficking bill and Lynch's confirmation.
Republican and Democratic leaders are still hammering out which amendments to the anti-trafficking bill to bring up, but votes on those amendments could begin as early as Tuesday night, with a final vote on the bill expected Wednesday.
Lynch is still facing a filibuster from GOP opponents in the Senate, but McConnell is expected to take procedural steps Tuesday to set up a Thursday-morning vote to break the filibuster. That would pave the way for a vote on full confirmation later that day. Both face just a 51-vote threshold are expected to easily win approval.
The movement on the paired issues is the latest signal that the years of gridlock that ground legislative business in the Senate to a halt may be lifting, and further evidence McConnell wasn't merely bluffing when he promised to prove the GOP could govern when they took control of the Senate this year.
The deal was a rare legislative compromise on abortion that drew praise from both sides of the debate.
Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, used the announcement of the deal to praise Reid and Murray for preventing expansion of the Hyde Amendment.
"Thankfully, Sens. Reid and Murray and other women's health champions held the line and today's agreement prevents Hyde from being extended even further into other funding streams, and provides survivors of human trafficking with immediate access to needed health care services," Richards said in a statement.
And Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, said the group is "pleased" with the proposal.
"This deal ensures no money in the fund is used for abortion and that any funding for health services is subject to the longstanding Hyde amendment. It ensures taxpayers will not be in a position of facilitating human trafficking by keeping victims on the street," she said.
Lynch's nomination faces a few GOP critics, but has enough votes to get confirmed.
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who plans to vote against Lynch's confirmation, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the "Situation Room" Monday he expects a vote "fairly soon."
McCain pushed back against the notion that Republicans' five-month refusal to bring Lynch's nomination up for a vote was a form of retribution against Democrats.
Earlier on Monday, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow called the delay "politics at its worst." | 0fake |
Skeptics Unconvinced After Release of Feds’ Latest Report On ‘Russian Hack of DNC’ | 21st Century Wire says In the wake of the Friday release of the ODNI s 25 page report from US intelligence agencies (notice how they don t even specify the agency names anymore in these reports) on the alleged Russian hack of Clinton campaign related DNC computers, cyber security experts are still not convinced that there is any credible evidence supporting the theory.The Feds site the need to keep their sources secret as the reason for the lack of specific evidence of the hacks (see full 25 page report embedded at WIRED) in the report but is this a legitimate concern when the forensic evidence is likely located in simple text files and virus protection software logs. Doesn t the government have the biggest data collection network monitoring facility in the world? Can the evidence not be shown via server traffic logs that wouldn t expose any sources ?Wired brings some analysis on the 25 page report and cyber security professionals response to it Take notice of the language when WIRED is discussing the other side of this argument, referencing unknown sources speaking to The Washington Post, (WashPost, who ve just been caught more than once pushing fake Russiaphobia stories in recent weeks). Andy Greenberg WIREDOn Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence finally released a declassified report on Russia s role in influencing the US election. And though it offers the most detailed official analysis yet of Russia s operations, critics in the cybersecurity community say it lacks the still-secret evidence needed to persuade skeptics that analysis is true.The ODNI s 25-page report (embedded below) from US intelligence agencies lays out a vast Russian intelligence operation that extends from hacking both Democratic and Republican targets to propaganda campaigns to troll-fueled social media disinformation. It re-asserts the intelligence community s findings that the Kremlin is behind breaches of the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Hillary Clinton s campaign, and even state election board websites. And the express intention of those operations, the report states, was to not only disrupt the American electoral process, but to elect Donald Trump. Russia s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency, the report reads. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments. Even so, the report leaves out the much hoped-for technical evidence that informed these conclusions. In its Scope and Sourcing section, the report explains that this evidence exists, but can t be declassified. And that means the report won t satisfy the majority of the cybersecurity community that believes Russia hacked Democratic targets but has demanded more evidence, let alone the diehard deniers of the Kremlin s fingerprints. Seeing more of the context in which this happened does make me a little more trusting that this really was Russia, says Robert Graham, an analyst for the cybersecurity firm Erratasec who has closely followed the Russian hacking investigation. But knowing what data they probably have, they could have given us more details. And that really pisses me off. Knowing what data they probably have, they could have given us more details. And that really pisses me off. Robert GrahamOver the past weeks, rumors circulated that senior intelligence officials had pushed for far more of the agencies evidence pointing to Russia to be declassified and revealed to the public, according to Susan Hennessey, a former NSA attorney. But that cards-on-the-table approach, which likely would have sacrificed intelligence sources and methods in favor of more public transparency, didn t make it to the final report. This isn t a remotely risk-embracing document, says Hennessey. There s alway a tension between those who think it s worth bringing forward sources and methods and those that don t. It s clear that those with very conservative views about protecting sources and methods prevailed. 1The unclassified report is underwhelming at best. There is essentially no new information for those who have been paying attention. Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) January 6, 2017One skeptic, at least, has somewhat altered his viewpoint based on the intel agencies case: Donald Trump. After the president-elect was briefed Friday by the heads of the NSA, FBI, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence, he offered an oblique statement that neither confirmed nor denied his belief that Russia hacked Democratic targets. While Russia, China, other countries, other groups and people are constantly trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our government institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democratic National Committee, Trump s statement reads, there was no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. But even that mealy-mouthed comment no intelligence officials had claimed Russia hacked American voting machines contrasts sharply with Trump s past denials. Until now, the president-elect has remained doggedly skeptical and even willfully ignorant of the evidence tying Russia s government to the attacks. He s blamed the intrusions on everyone from China to a 400-pound hacker in New Jersey to the Democratic party itself. Rather than call for investigations into the hacking, he s said the country needs to move on. At times he has even refused to admit any hacks took place. He continued those assertions even after he began receiving classified briefings on the attacks as the Republican presidential candidate, and then after US intelligence agencies stated that the Kremlin was responsible in early October, and even after he was elected and gained full access to presidential briefings from the intelligence community. As late as Friday morning, ahead of his own personal briefing on the full report, he continued to refer to China as the possible source of the attack and called the investigation into Russia a political witch hunt. (He also wrote on Twitter that he s asking Congress to investigate the unauthorized early leak of today s report to NBC News, showing that he has interest in investigating some leaks, at least.)The report makes a few new assertions: stating plainly that WikiLeaks received hacked DNC data from Russian intelligence, and outlining a broader history of Russian meddling in US elections. It spends significant ink on Russia s state-sponsored propaganda efforts, and delves into state-sponsored social media disinformation strategies and widespread Russian media claims that the US is not a functioning democracy. The report points out, for example, that the RT America television channel has been running stories about the US s weak voting infrastructure and alleged election fraud since November 2012.RT s role as a distributor for Russian government propaganda is hardly news, though. And while data leaks and disinformation campaigns were central to last year s campaign meddling, the report seems to give them disproportionate weight over technical hacking, perhaps because those sections of the report were redacted.In terms of proving the core claim that Russia hacked American political targets, though, Friday s report is sure to leave any skeptic not privy to classified briefings briefings unconvinced: It fails to include even the already public evidence visible to the cybersecurity community over the last six months, which drew a thick dotted line from the DNC hack to the Kremlin. A hacker calling himself Guccifer 2.0, for instance, in June claimed to be a lone Romanian hacker responsible for the breach. But the stolen DNC files he published on the web and also said he d leaked to WikiLeaks contained telltale Russian-language error messages. A piece of malware known as X-Agent was used in both the DNC hack and previous attacks long believed to be Russian intelligence operations. And an analysis of the URL shortening service used by the hacker who stole the Gmail password of Clinton staffer John Podesta shows that the same account was used to target more than 5,000 other Gmail accounts, including Russia-focused journalists and authors, and the spouses of American military officials.Early leaks from a classified version of the report revealed some of the evidence intelligence agencies have to implicate Russia. Unnamed intelligence officials told the Washington Post that US agents had intercepted the communications of senior Russian officials celebrating Trump s win. In another leak to Reuters, intel officials said that they d identified the intermediary who had passed files stolen by Russian hackers to WikiLeaks.The Obama administration, for its part, has for months harbored little doubt about Russia s involvement in the political attacks. In fact, it s already responded: In late December, the White House announced new targeted sanctions against Russian intelligence officials and contractors, ejected 35 Russian diplomats from the country, and seized two Russian-owned properties on American soil it said were being used for intelligence gathering. James Lewis, a cybersecurity-focused fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told WIRED at the time that it was the the biggest retaliatory move against Russian espionage since the Cold War. But critics from Trump s presidential transition team have accused Obama of acting against Russia before proving the sanctions were warranted Continue this report at WIREDREAD MORE RUSSIAN HACK NEWS AT: 21WIRE Russian Hack Files | 1real |
U.S. to stage drill with three carriers as Trump visits Asia | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups will exercise together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a rare show of force as President Donald Trump visits Asia with warnings about the nuclear threat from North Korea, U.S. officials say. The drill will include the USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt and their accompanying warships, the first time three U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups have exercised together in the region in a decade. A Japanese destroyer, the Inazuma, will join the armada, two Japanese government officials said, following a separate three-day exercise with the Reagan and two Indian warships in the Sea of Japan that ended Monday. U.S. officials have previously said the drill was under consideration and that planning was under way. The decision to soon go forward with the exercise in the Western Pacific has not been previously published. The four U.S. officials and two Japanese sources who discussed the drill with Reuters spoke on condition of anonymity, and did not disclose the precise date or location of the exercise. The Pentagon and the Navy’s Pacific Fleet declined comment on future operations. Reuters was not aware of any plans for Trump to visit the carriers. Trump has reiterated his tough rhetoric against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs since starting a 12-day trip to Asia on Sunday. Speaking in Tokyo on Monday, Trump renewed his warning that the “era of strategic patience” with North Korea was over. The U.S. leader, who began a visit South Korea on Tuesday, has rattled some allies with his vow to “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary to defend the United States or its allies, and with his dismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a “rocket man” on a suicide mission. Kim has called Trump a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard.” The last time three U.S. carrier strike groups exercised together was in 2007, when the Nimitz, along with the John C. Stennis and Kitty Hawk carrier strike groups participated in drills near Guam. Such large-scale drills serve as a potent reminder of the U.S. ability to rapidly mobilize military force, a capability the Trump administration has been keen to emphasize as Pyongyang races ahead with tests to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the United States. Since taking office, Trump has vowed to expand the fleet of U.S. carriers, even as some military strategists and experts believe the massive ships would be increasingly vulnerable to modern Chinese and Russian weapons in any conflict. Singapore-based military expert Tim Huxley said the presence of the U.S. carriers still sent an unmistakable message, with each one carrying 70-odd aircraft. “Beyond the capability to project military power at great range, their ability to project political and psychological power is arguably unmatched, and we are seeing that play out,” said Huxley, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “While in a war against China, U.S. carriers might be vulnerable, they wouldn’t be in any conflict against North Korea...and three U.S. carriers can deliver a tremendous amount of airpower.” Carrier commanders say the strike groups are kept combat ready at all times, with jet fighters and surveillance planes flying constantly from their flight decks to maintain a protective screen. U.S. defense officials noted recently the presence of the three U.S. carriers in the region was reassuring allies, even though it was long scheduled. “It does demonstrate a capability that no other nation in the world can do,” Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie Jr said earlier this month. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called for restraint during a regular news briefing on Tuesday when asked about the carriers, saying the situation on the Korean peninsula was complex and severe. “All relevant sides should exercise restraint, avoid irritating each other, dedicate themselves to lowering the tense situation on the peninsula, and at the same time make positive efforts to get the North Korean nuclear issue back on a track to a resolution via talks as soon as possible,” Hua said, reiterating the long-held Chinese position. The CIA has said North Korea could be only months away from developing the ability to hit the United States with nuclear weapons, a scenario Trump has vowed to prevent. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, on a trip late last month to South Korea, was at pains to stress that diplomacy was America’s preferred course to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Still, he warned Pyongyang that its military was no match for the U.S.-South Korean alliance, and that diplomacy was most effective “when backed by credible military force.” | 0fake |
MEDIA GOES NUTS After Trump Tweets HILARIOUS VIDEO Showing Him Body-Slamming CNN | President Trump on Sunday tweeted a video of him body-slamming World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon whose face was replaced by the CNN logo.The tweet, which said, #FraudNewsCNN #FNN, linked to a video of the president decking, pummeling and then shaving off McMahon s hair during a Battle of the Billionaires stunt at WrestleMania XXIII in 2007.#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017McMahon is the husband of Linda McMahon, who heads Trump s Small Business Administration.President Barack Obama hosted felon and radical organizer Bob Creamer (the guy who was caught on video talking about how he was organizing paid protesters to incite violence at Trump rallies) at the White House over 100 times while he was in office. After the undercover video was released that exposed the Democrats plan to incite violence against innocent Trump supporters, the media was silent. The media was also silent when it was discovered that Obama s Attorney General Eric Holder, used taxpayer funds to pay people to protest against George Zimmerman in the heated Trayvon Martin case, which was the birthplace of the violent Black Lives Matter movement. Those protests marked the first step in Obama s plan to divide America.In a statement on Twitter, CNN recalled comments from White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders last week that the president doesn t condone violence against the media. The President in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary. @SHSanders45 6/29/17, the CNN tweet said.Bipartisan condemnation against the take-down video continued to build Sunday morning.GOP Rep. Eric Swalwell urged all Republicans to rebuke the Tweet or be complicit in its message. I am calling on EVERY @HouseGOP Member of Congress to condemn this. You were elected to be a check on power. Check it, or you condone it, the California representative tweeted on Sunday.Minority House Leader Nancy Pelosi also blasted the tweet. Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected. This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy, she wrote on Twitter.Paul Joseph Watson sums up the media hypocrisy beautifully with this one tweet:Trump is "inciting violence" with a wrestling meme, says same media that literally painted a crosshair target on Trump's head. pic.twitter.com/m8V8XjYHU0 Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) July 2, 2017A Trump administration official said he doesn t view Trump s tweet as inciting violence against the media. Certainly not, though I think that no one would perceive that as a threat. I hope they don t. I do think that [Trump is] beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to, Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert said on ABC s This Week. He said cable news shows are not always very fair to the president, who developed a social media platform to speak directly to the American people. Trump is the most genuine president and the most non-politician president we ve seen in my lifetime, he said.Watch #FakeNewsCNN experts call Trump Dangerous and a Fascist :The president was also the subject of bipartisan scorn last Thursday when he posted the bleeding badly tweet about Brzezinski, with many lawmakers saying it was beneath the dignity of the office.Trump defended his use of social media in a tweet on Saturday. My use of social media is not Presidential it s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!, he wrote. NYPNOTE TO CNN: Re-tweeting a video that s been around for years showing a fake body-slam by then businessman Trump is a far cry from promoting violence. If you were so concerned about violence, why didn t you do any stories on felon, husband of a United States Congresswoman and Democrat operative who was caught on tape planning to incite violence at Trump rallies before he even became our President? | 1real |
We Are about to Witness the Biggest Supermoon Since 1948 | We Are about to Witness the Biggest Supermoon Since 1948 Nov 10, 2016 0 0
We are to witness something amazing on the eve of November 14 . On that day, the distance between our planet and the moon will be the shortest in almost 70 years! The last time it happened was in January 1948.
Earth’s natural satellite will appear about 14% bigger and 30% brighter in comparison with an average full moon. It is estimated that the next supermoon of this size will take place on 25 November 2034 , so make sure you don’t miss this beautiful celestial event (if the weather conditions in your region are favorable for skywatching, of course)!
As NASA reports:
“The full moon of November 14 is not only the closest full moon of 2016 but also the closest full moon to date in the 21 st century. The full moon won’t come this close to Earth again until 25 November 2034.” What Is a Supermoon
Almost all celestial bodies have elliptical orbits; that’s why the distance between our planet and the moon is not always the same. The further side of the moon’s orbit is called apogee and the closer one is called perigee. In short, when a full moon occurs on the perigee, then we get a supermoon phenomenon , which causes our natural satellite to appear closer and brighter in the night sky.
While supermoons are quite frequent (this year, we will have three of those), the full moon of November 14 will be within approximately 2 hours of perigee , which makes it a truly rare phenomenon. How to Watch a Supermoon
A perfect location to enjoy the coming supermoon (as well as any other astronomical phenomenon) is somewhere away from the city so that the urban lights don’t interfere with skywatching.
Don’t forget that the difference between a regular full moon and a supermoon is best seen to the human eye when the moon is close to the horizon.
According to NASA, “ When the moon is near the horizon, it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects.”
The moon will be at the peak of its full phase and, therefore, will appear the biggest at 8:52am EST. For those of you living in Australia, the moon will reach its full phase at 12:52 a.m. AEST on November 15. Vote Up Anna LeMind Anna is the owner and lead editor of the websites Learning-mind.com and Lifeadvancer.com , and staff writer for The Mind Unleashed . She is passionate about learning new things and reflecting on thought-provoking ideas. She writes about technology, science, psychology and other related topics. She is particularly interested in topics regarding introversion, consciousness and subconscious, perception, human mind's potential, as well as the nature of reality and the universe. | 1real |
NFL’s NEWEST ATTENTION SEEKER Takes Place of Unemployed Kaepernick…Calls Anyone Who Disagrees With Him “RACIST” | Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat during the national anthem over the weekend, ahead of a Saturday preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, the AP reports.The NFL player was photographed on top of an orange cooler with a banana in Glendale, Ariz.Last year, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat and kneeled during the national anthem and protested police brutality.Lynch previously backed Kaepernick, telling comedian Conan O Brien in September 2016, I d rather see him take a knee than stand up, put his hands up and get murdered. If you re really not racist then you won t see what he done, what he s doing, as a threat to America, but just addressing a problem that we have, Lynch said at the time.Raiders coach Jack Del Rio says he didn t know about Lynch s plans ahead of the game, according to NFL.com. On Marshawn, talked to Marshawn trying to make sure we re on the same page, the coach said. He said, This is something I ve done for 11 years. It s not a form of anything other than me being myself. I said, So you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem. But I m going to respect you as a man, you do your thing. We ll do ours. It s a non-issue for me. Via: Fox News | 1real |
Clinton is banking on the Obama coalition to win | Hillary Rodham Clinton is running as the most liberal Democratic presidential front-runner in decades, with positions on issues from gay marriage to immigration that would, in past elections, have put her at her party’s precarious left edge.
The moves are part of a strategic conclusion by Clinton’s emerging campaign: that it can harness the same kind of young and diverse coalition as Barack Obama did in 2008 and 2012, bolstered by even stronger appeal among women.
Her approach — outlined in interviews with aides and advisers — is a bet that social and demographic shifts mean that no left-leaning position Clinton takes now would be likely to hurt her in making her case to moderate and independent voters in the general election next year.
The strategy relies on calculations about the 2016 landscape, including that up to 31 percent of the electorate will be Americans of color — a projection that may be overly optimistic for her campaign. It factors in that a majority of independent voters already support same-sex marriage and the pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that Clinton endorsed this month.
The game plan also hinges on a conclusion by Clinton strategists that the broad appeal of issues such as paid family leave, a higher minimum wage and more affordable college will help outweigh any concerns about costs. And while the early liberal tilt focuses on domestic issues more likely to drive voters this cycle, Clinton will also have to win over liberal voters still skeptical of her hawkish reputation on foreign policy.
The campaign’s overall calculus relies on a mix of polling — including both internal and public surveys — internal focus groups and what advisers described as gut feelings about the national mood. It also reflects what Clinton backers say are her firmly held personal convictions and her pragmatism.
“Her approach to this really is not trying to take a ruler out and measure where she wants to be on some ideological scale,” Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said. “It’s to dive deeply into the problems facing the American people and American families. She’s a proud wonk, and she looks at policy from that perspective.”
[How Hillary Clinton is running against parts of her husband’s legacy]
Clinton’s full embrace of same-sex marriage in the first days of her campaign was followed by clear statements in favor of scrapping get-tough immigration and incarceration policies — many of which took root during her husband’s administration. She has also weighed in with liberal takes on climate change, abortion rights and disparities in income and opportunity between rich and poor.
All are issues that have been divisive in the past for both Democrats and Republicans. But none are now judged to be radioactive for Democrats, which gives Clinton more elbow room.
By taking such positions, aides and advisers hope Clinton will not only inoculate herself against a serious challenge from the left in the primaries, but that she also will be able to push on through the general election. Her campaign believes American public opinion has moved left not only since Bill Clinton won election in 1992 on a centrist platform, but also since Barack Obama won on a more liberal one.
Republicans — as part of a broader critique of her trustworthiness — accuse Clinton of flip-flopping on some positions and hiding on others, such as free trade, to cater to the liberal base.
“Clinton’s already moved her position leftward on numerous hot button issues to the base, including immigration, gay marriage, Wall Street and criminal justice reforms,” conservative America Rising PAC director Colin Reed wrote in a position paper Friday.
“Clinton’s moves reinforce all her worst attributes as a candidate and hurt her image among voters of all stripes,” Reed said. “Progressive voters know that she’s not truly one of them,” while swing voters “see a desperate politician staking out far-left positions that are outside of the mainstream of most Americans.”
Many political strategists also say Clinton will be hard-pressed to re-create Obama’s winning coalition and that the 30 percent to 31 percent non-white turnout that some of her outside backers are projecting may be out of reach. Exit polls show non-white turnout was 28 percent in 2012 and 26 percent in 2008. Clinton will have to expand Hispanic support, increase turnout among independent women and still hold on to a large share of black voters who were drawn to the first African American major-party nominee.
The bold stance on immigration is widely seen as one way to jump-start the expansion of Hispanic support Clinton will need, although advisers say she had already made up her mind about citizenship and there was no reason to put off an announcement. When outlining her position in Nevada, where 1 in 4 residents is Hispanic, she made a point of saying that no Republican would go as far — and alleged that the GOP wanted immigrants to have “second-class status.”
“People often talk about the electorate moving left,” said Clinton senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan. “I think it’s more that the electorate is just getting more practical. For Hillary Clinton, that matches her evidence-based approach. The arguments that persuade her are evidence-based and progressive.”
He cited the growing consensus that mass incarceration is expensive and unworkable, and that the country is never going to deport all of the more than 11 million people who are here illegally.
[Clinton campaign’s dilemma: What to do with Bill?]
Advisers do not dispute that Clinton has a finger to the wind of the national mood, but they insist the timing and substance of her positions are not driven by polling. The still-cautious candidate has declined to make clear her position on two key proposals that many liberals oppose: the Keystone XL pipeline and Obama’s free-trade deal.
Sullivan also noted that some of Clinton’s early proposals “cut against the grain” of political liberalism, such as her emphasis on improving the playing field for American small businesses.
Clinton will debut policy proposals to ease lending bottlenecks for small businesses on campaign trips to Iowa and New Hampshire this week. The impetus came largely from conversations Clinton had in the run-up to the campaign and a six-month policy review led by Sullivan that looked at how Clinton might address a variety of national concerns.
“The thing she is most interested in is not what position is most popular, it’s what do people worry about,” Sullivan said.
Clinton’s 2008 campaign was so focused on polling data and the consequences of saying the wrong thing that it sometimes appeared paralyzed. Some of that campaign’s infamous staff battles focused on the advice from senior adviser Mark Penn, a pollster, to avoid more liberal positions in the primary that year for fear they would hurt her in a general election contest.
This time is different, backers say. “The strategic advantage the Democrats have is that the distance between our base and the middle is shorter than for Republicans,” said Neera Tanden, president of the liberal Center for American Progress and a longtime Clinton confidant.
In other words, Clinton’s strategists say, she does not face the same whiplash as Republican candidates who seek to dial back hard-right positions on issues such as abortion or immigration adopted during a competitive primary.
Senior campaign officials acknowledged that trade is a divisive and fraught issue for Democrats and for her. Clinton’s past support for the Pacific free-trade pact makes her current silence awkward at best, but her advisers are gambling that the issue won’t leave an enduring rift within the party.
Clinton campaign leaders and outside loyalists also bridle at the perception that she is less of a progressive politician than, say, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). They point to Clinton’s early career as a crusading lawyer in Arkansas and lifelong professional commitments to improving women’s lives.
[The making of Hillary 5.0: Re-imagining the Clinton brand]
Warren has said she isn’t running but has declined so far to endorse Clinton. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is running a strongly populist challenge to Clinton, and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley — who has suggested Clinton is too hesitant and poll-driven — is expected to enter the race this month.
“If Clinton and other candidates are not seen as standing with Warren on the [Trans-Pacific Partnership] trade deal and a number of other economic issues critical to working families, it could create an even greater sense of urgency” to get Warren into the race, said Gary Ritterstein, an adviser to the support group Ready for Warren.
The clearest shift in national attitudes, and Clinton’s own, has come on same-sex marriage. She moved from saying she considered marriage to be between a man and a woman when she was first lady to backing civil unions as an alternative to marriage in 2008 to full support of gay and lesbian marriage now.
Public opinion polling suggests she is on safe ground, despite ongoing legal fights in several states. The firmest opposition to gay marriage is centered in red states and among Republican voters unlikely to consider voting for Clinton.
Pew Research polling shows that in August 2008 — when Clinton endorsed Obama as the Democratic nominee — 52 percent of Americans opposed legal same-sex marriage and 39 percent supported it. The same poll now shows 54 percent support for such marriages while 39 percent are opposed.
Shifts on criminal justice issues are less dramatic, but there are bipartisan efforts now to repeal some of the harshest and least flexible laws on the books for two decades. Outrage and revulsion over police killings of black men over the past year made the issue more urgent for many young, African American and socially liberal voters.
Last month, Clinton gave an address calling for dramatic changes in policing and prosecution to lessen the rate of incarceration. The remarks echo calls among both Democrats and some Republicans, such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
“Two or three years ago,” said Clinton policy adviser Ann O’Leary, “that speech might have been seen as a very left-leaning speech.” | 0fake |
Supreme Court Nominee Calls Trump’s Attacks on Judiciary ‘Demoralizing’ - The New York Times | WASHINGTON — Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, privately expressed dismay on Wednesday over Mr. Trump’s increasingly aggressive attacks on the judiciary, calling the president’s criticism of independent judges “demoralizing” and “disheartening. ” The remarks by Judge Gorsuch, chosen by Mr. Trump last week to serve on the nation’s highest court, came as the president lashed out at the federal appellate judges who are considering a challenge to his executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The president called their judicial proceedings “disgraceful” and described the courts as “so political. ” Those remarks followed Mr. Trump’s weekend Twitter outburst in which he derided a Seattle district court judge who blocked his travel ban as a “ judge” whose “ridiculous” ruling would be overturned. Judge Gorsuch expressed his disappointment with Mr. Trump’s comments about the judiciary in a private conversation with Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, as he paid courtesy calls on Capitol Hill to build support for his confirmation. An account of the discussion was confirmed by a White House adviser working to advance the Gorsuch confirmation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment. The spectacle of a Supreme Court nominee breaking so starkly with the president who named him underscored the unusual nature of Mr. Trump’s public feud with the judiciary. Speaking to a group of sheriffs and police chiefs on Wednesday, the president said the appellate judges had failed to grasp concepts even “a bad high school student would understand. ” “This is highly unusual,” said Michael W. McConnell, a former federal judge who directs the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford University. “Mr. Trump is shredding longstanding norms of etiquette and interbranch comity. ” Presidents have traditionally tried to refrain from even appearing to intervene in court cases that concern them or their policies, or from impugning the motives and qualifications of jurists charged with deciding them, according to judges and legal experts from across the political spectrum. The tradition is important to preserving the separation of powers that is a pillar of American democracy, establishing an independent judiciary to serve as a check on the executive branch, they argued. Mr. Trump’s rhetorical battle with the judiciary may also end up harming his cause in a case that may end up before the Supreme Court, by potentially stiffening the resolve of judges who feel their independence is under attack. Mr. McConnell called Mr. Trump’s comments “extremely and ” because of their potential to sway judges to rule against Mr. Trump. “Judges who hear criticism of this sort are not going to be inclined to knuckle under it’s going to stiffen their spines to be even more independent,” said Mr. McConnell, who was nominated to his judgeship by President George W. Bush. Jeffrey Rosen, the president of the National Constitution Center, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia devoted to explaining the Constitution, said there was a rich history of presidents strongly criticizing judges on matters of law. “But those criticisms were based on constitutional disagreements about the rulings, and it’s hard to think of a president who has challenged the motives of specific judges by name repeatedly, especially before a case is decided, or used the same kind of invective as Mr. Trump has toward the court,” Mr. Rosen said. “Judicial independence is a fragile and crucial achievement of American constitutionalism,” he added, “and it depends on the public seeing the judiciary as something more than politicians in robes. ” Yet Mr. Trump, who as president has the power to nominate members of the federal judiciary, appears bent instead on portraying independent judges who hold the fate of his travel ban in their hands as partisans who refuse to give him the power to which he is entitled to protect the nation. “I don’t ever want to call a court biased, so I won’t call it biased,” Mr. Trump said on Wednesday. “But courts seem to be so political, and it would be so great for our justice system if they would be able to read a statement and do what’s right. ” Mr. Trump, who opened his remarks to law enforcement officers reciting the passage of the United States code that gives the president the power to restrict immigration whenever he deems the influx of foreigners detrimental to the country, said he had watched “in amazement” Tuesday night as a federal appeals panel heard arguments on his executive order and the limits of presidential power in cases of national security. “I listened to a bunch of stuff last night on television that was disgraceful,” Mr. Trump said. “I think it’s sad. I think it’s a sad day. I think our security is at risk today. ” His comments came the morning after a lively, roughly hourlong hearing — the audio of which was carried live on national television — during which three judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit expressed skepticism about the arguments of a Justice Department lawyer defending Mr. Trump’s order. Judge James L. Robart of the Federal District Court in Seattle blocked the travel ban on Friday, and the appeals court is considering whether to uphold that action, with a ruling expected as early as Thursday. Mr. Trump took aim at one of the judges without specifying which, saying, “I will not comment on the statements made by, certainly one judge. ” The panel was made up of Judge William C. Canby Jr. appointed by President Jimmy Carter Judge Richard R. Clifton, named by Mr. Bush and Judge Michelle T. Friedland, nominated by President Barack Obama. “If these judges wanted to, in my opinion, help the court in terms of respect for the court, they’d do what they should be doing,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s so sad. ” By contrast, he lavished praise on Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, a federal district judge in Boston who last week ruled that the travel ban could stay in place. “Right on — they were perfect,” Mr. Trump said of Judge Gorton’s comments. Mr. Trump is hardly the first president to criticize or seek to apply pressure to the courts Mr. Obama admonished Supreme Court justices as they sat before him in the House chamber during his 2010 State of the Union address for their ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case that allowed corporations to spend freely to influence elections. John Yoo, a former counsel to Mr. Bush, argued that Mr. Trump was using a potent weapon that has been used throughout history — the presidential prerogative to provoke a constitutional crisis when a vital issue is at stake — on an insignificant matter. “I hate to see a president waste that kind of authority, which should only be deployed for our most important questions, on this immigration order, which the president could easily withdraw, fix and resubmit,” said Mr. Yoo, now a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “President Trump is pressing the accelerator down to 120 miles per hour on every single issue. He will exhaust himself and exhaust his presidency. ” Peter Wallison, a former White House counsel to Ronald Reagan, said the president often wished to weigh in on legal matters concerning personal friends or issues important to his administration, and Mr. Wallison always advised against it, both to protect the tradition of judicial independence and avoid undercutting the courts’ legitimacy. “It’s not illegal, it’s not a violation of the law to say these things, but it’s bad policy because it raises questions about the independence of the courts, and it raises questions about the judicial system as a whole when the president says this,” Mr. Wallison said. Mr. Reagan did not always take his advice, he added, and in those instances, “I always cringed. ” Mr. Trump defended the process that yielded the executive order, saying he had initially wanted to wait a week or even a month before issuing the travel ban. But he said he was told by law enforcement officials that doing so would prompt a flood of people, including some with “very evil intentions,” to rush into the United States before the restrictions took effect. That account appears to be at odds with the one given by several senior officials, who have said they were not fully briefed on the details of Mr. Trump’s order until the day the president signed it at the Pentagon. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump told the law enforcement officers that he was acting solely out of a concern about terrorism, a threat he said had deepened since he took office and gained access to information about the risks facing Americans. “Believe me, I’ve learned a lot in the last two weeks, and terrorism is a far greater threat than the people of our country understand,” Mr. Trump said. “But we’re going to take care of it. We’re going to win. ” | 0fake |
Here's How To Increase Human Energy According To Nikola Tesla | Share on Facebook The most fundamental principle, the basic program of all life, is energy saving. Whatever you do, whatever you like, whatever feels good for you, it's just a psychological response that shows you how to be more energy efficient. Life craves energy and subconsciously you'll always choose the path of least resistance because of that. That's why high calorie food tastes better, that's why whenever your beliefs are questioned you naturally refuse any arguments, that's why people feel more depressed when there is no sunshine outside. All default responses are just energy saving reactions; ‘more calories’ means more energy, changing the structure of your beliefs requires energy, and it's more efficient to do less when you are lacking the energy of the sun. However, a momentary ‘energy waste’ can result in a more sustainable energy consumption in the future. This requires higher levels of intelligence. For this to be achieved we must apply conscious effort in the right time and place. But what is the source of our energy? How can we gain more energy? How can we raise our consciousness and increase our intelligence? Nikola Tesla perfectly concluded what’s the main, most fundamental source of human energy and how to increase our energy and evolve as species. More energy means higher levels of operating power for our consciousness. If you apply time to this ‘equation’ it means that the longer we sustain higher levels of energy for our consciousness, the more intelligence we download from The Universe, the more intelligence we integrate into our being. So What's The Source Of Our Energy? “First let us ask: Whence comes all the motive power? What is the spring that drives all? We see the ocean rise and fall, the rivers flow, the wind, rain, hail, and snow beat on our windows, the trains and steamers come and go; we here the rattling noise of carriages, the voices from the street; we feel, smell, and taste; and we think of all this. And all this movement, from the surging of the mighty ocean to that subtle movement concerned in our thought, has but one common cause. All this energy emanates from one single center, one single source, the sun. The sun is the spring that drives all. The sun maintains all human life and supplies all human energy.” How To Increase The Human Energy? The following answer will make you understand almost everything about Nikola Tesla's lifestyle; why he was vegan; why he was obsessed with free energy; why he despised ignorance and imbeciles; How to increase human energy? There are actually 3 steps. The First Step Is Increasing The Human Mass: In order to increase the energy we have to think in terms of speed. If, let's say, there is a train and you add one more wagon, 3 things can happen. Either the wagon is of the same velocity as the train; in this case the speed of the train will slightly increase . The wagon is with a smaller velocity; in this case the whole train will decrease its speed . Or the wagon is of higher velocity; in this case the whole train will significantly increase its speed . We can think of it like this: ‘If there is a family with children of the same degree of enlightenment as the parents, that is, mass of the “same velocity,” the energy will simply increase proportionately to the number added. If they are less intelligent or advanced, or mass of “smaller velocity,” there will be a very slight gain in the energy; but if they are further advanced, or mass of “higher velocity,” then the new generation will add very considerably to the sum total of human energy.’ In Nikola Tesla's opinion growing muscles is “equivalent to adding mass of “smaller velocity,” and I would not commend it” but moderate exercise “insuring the right balance between mind and body, and the highest efficiency of performance, is, of course, a prime requirement” Food is one of the most important elements of increasing your mass. What we consider as food is just processed sunlight. Plants, with their photosynthesis, combine carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and bind them through sunlight, forming the CHO molecule (fat) we consume through food and burn for energy. However, the actual energy comes from freeing the photons of light between the chemical bond. That's what produces heat. That's what gives calories, stored photons. We eat sunlight for energy! Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, everything that we eat consumed the CHO molecules that the plants created. The energy that we consume through food is actually the same sunlight that plants used to forge these elements together. If we eat meat, we are consuming already consumed, unused CHO, as the only place that CHO comes is from photosynthesis. It's second hand CHO in a way. Consuming CHO directly from plants, fruits and vegetables is certainly equivalent to adding mass of “higher velocity,” “It is certainly preferable to raise vegetables, and I think, therefore, that vegetarianism is a commendable departure from the established barbarous habit. That we can subsist on plant food and perform our work even to advantage is not a theory, but a well-demonstrated fact. Many races living almost exclusively on vegetables are of superior physique and strength. There is no doubt that some plant food, such as oatmeal, is more economical than meat, and superior to it in regard to both mechanical and mental performance.” Nikola Tesla says. The consumption of second hand food is one of the main limits we put on ourselves for evolving as a race into more intelligent, kind and less animal like species. “To free ourselves from animal instincts and appetites, which keep us down, we should begin at the very root from which we spring: we should effect a radical reform in the character of the food.” Nikola Tesla continues. “Gambling, business rush, and excitement, particularly on the exchanges, are causes of much mass reduction” “Whisky, wine, tea coffee, tobacco, and other such stimulants are responsible for the shortening of the lives of many, and ought to be used with moderation. But I do not think that rigorous measures of suppression of habits followed through many generations are commendable. It is wiser to preach moderation than abstinence.” To conclude: Consume food that's closer to the sun, avoid unnecessary enlargements of your body that'll use more energy, avoid energy wasting habits and unhealthy addictions that serve solely to your ego. Each man who practices these advices adds a ‘wagon’ with higher velocity to the ‘human train’ we all move. The Second Step Is Reducing The Force That's Retarding The Human Mass: “The force which retards the onward movement of man is partly frictional and partly negative. To illustrate this distinction I may name, for example, ignorance, stupidity, and imbecility as some of the purely frictional forces, or resistances devoid of any directive tendency. On the other hand, visionariness, insanity, self-destructive tendency, religious fanaticism, and the like, are all forces of a negative character, acting in definite directions. To reduce or entirely overcome these dissimilar retarding forces, radically different methods must be employed. One knows, for instance, what a fanatic may do, and one can take preventive measures, can enlighten, convince, and, possibly direct him, turn his vice into virtue; but one does not know, and never can know, what a brute or an imbecile may do, and one must deal with him as with a mass, inert, without mind, let loose by the mad elements. A negative force always implies some quality, not infrequently a high one, though badly directed, which it is possible to turn to good advantage; but a directionless, frictional force involves unavoidable loss. Evidently, then, the first and general answer to the above question is: turn all negative force in the right direction and reduce all frictional force. “ Simply said, frictional force is ignorant, directionless, without a quality unlike the negative force which carries high quality but in a wrong direction. Frictional force will, most of the time, result only in energy loss no matter where it is directioned, while negative force can lead to significant increase of human energy if focused towards a proper, strategic direction.“There can be no doubt that, of all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance. Not without reason said that man of wisdom, Buddha: “Ignorance is the greatest evil in the world.” The friction which results from ignorance, and which is greatly increased owing to the numerous languages and nationalities, can be reduced only by the spread of knowledge and the unification of the heterogeneous elements of humanity. No effort could be better spent.” Nikola Tesla concludes. Individually, this can be explained as maintaining constructive balance between our talents and flaws; establishing peace between our darkness and light and uniting them towards a mutual, greater goal. This, of course, needs to be accompanied with learning, curiosity and reducing individual ignorance about The Universe around us. Cleansing your chakras is as essential as taking a bath in the context of reducing the force that's retarding your energy. Allowing energy to flow freely through your own body ensures a reduction in friction. It decreases the waste of your energy with fighting the negative emotions that are clogging your energy pools. According to Nikola Tesla war should not be terminated suddenly as this can result in something worse than war. “War is a negative force, and cannot be turned in a positive direction without passing through, the intermediate phases. It is a problem of making a wheel, rotating one way, turn in the opposite direction without slowing it down, stopping it, and speeding it up again the other way.” We shouldn't stop war, but redirect it towards a mutual goal of humanity. For example, instead of fighting ourselves, we can redirect our energy towards exploration of different parts of our galaxy. Of course, gently and gradually, with great maintenance. “It is doubtful whether men who would not be ready to fight for a high principle would be good for anything at all” Nikola Tesla explains why war is not a frictional force but one of a negative character. In his views, the future of war should result in reduction of man power exchanged for machines that will take the hit. To see how this can happen we must see how everything began. It started with the law of the strongest where physically weaker men were thrown completely to the mercy of physically stronger men. However, the weaker men developed intelligence due to their energy efficiency and developed ways to use stones, sticks and make weapons. Today wars are held by men who smoke cigars, sitting in a room, completely controlling physical forces with their intelligence. The future will make the intelligence create machines and control them instead of men, until war is mainly intellectual and the physical factor is completely irrelevant. To conclude: Use your talents to guide your flaws. Find peace and eliminate forces of friction with reason, within you and around yourself. The Third Step Is To Increase The Force Accelerating The Human Mass: “Of the three possible solutions of the main problem of increasing human energy, this is by far the most important to consider, not only because of its intrinsic significance, but also because of its intimate bearing on all the many elements and conditions which determine the movement of humanity.” How do you increase the force that's moving the human mass? Simply, spend more energy and spend it towards the most efficient possible direction. Our world is driven by machinery under a system created by our motive power. The mass of people is not moving chaotically but systematically, following an order like a clockwork. If we decrease our motive power we'll, unintentionally, be imprisoned by the same system we alone have created. That's why increasing the motive power is key in increasing the human energy. Constantly increasing the motive power will result in a constant increase of human energy. “Motive power means work. To increase the force accelerating human movement means, therefore, to perform more work.” says Nikola Tesla. But how can one man increase his energy constantly? Will there not be a point when the man cannot do more work? Will there not be a point when doing more work becomes harmful to the man, even unhealthy? There is a secret. When a man applies his effort so that, when coming into effect it will be in the direction of the collective human movement, the effort becomes most efficient and with less energy more is achieved. This means that as more people do more work towards a mutual goal, as more is achieved with less effort resulting in increase of mutual energy. Think of it like spinning a wheel. At first, for only a fragment of its potential speed you need a lot of effort and energy to even start moving the wheel. As you start moving the wheel and applying effort in the direction of its movement, as less effort it demands and as faster it keeps spinning. In the end, with less effort than it was demanded from you to move the wheel an inch, you spin it countless times faster. The same is with human energy! The secret of energy is that it is eternal in The Universe where almost nothing is. Your energy, no matter where you spent it, will forever stay and spread out if not directioned. That's why it's crucially important to focus your effort. As you spend your energy towards one direction, with time this energy will accumulate and less effort and energy you'll need to achieve a lot more. This is true globally and individually. “Another answer we have now found to the above great question: To increase the force accelerating human movement means to turn to the uses of man more of the sun's energy.” Imagine what we can accomplish if we all focus our efforts toward creating more sustainable ways of generating energy; cleaning the earth; reducing hunger; finding solutions for interstellar travel; educating; To conclude: Focusing your motive power and effort on one goal, towards the right direction of movement, will accelerate the velocity with which you move closer to your goal. With time, you'll spend less effort and achieve more. Conclusion: To gain your energy from the right sources means you gain more energy from less; reducing the retarding factors means you have less friction that wastes your energy; focusing your motive power towards the direction of the collective human movement means you use others' energy to boost your energy. Gain more energy, waste less energy, spend the energy so next time you'll need less to achieve more. Increase human mass, reduce retarding force, and increase the force accelerating the human mass. Follow this process with reason. Gain more, waste less, spend efficiently, learn. That's the secret formula for increasing the collective human energy according to the great mind of Nikola Tesla. That's how we raise our intelligence and evolve as species. | 1real |
Obama’s Crystal Clear Response To Republicans’ Threat To Block His SCOTUS Nominee Is Perfect (VIDEO) | Within hours of the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Republicans made it clear that there would be no nominee confirmed while President Obama is in office. The party that prides themselves on defending the constitution has once again shown that they ve never read it.Cries of this president hasn t earned the right and we owe it to the country to block any Obama nominee were common themes among the party of spite. While they certainly have the power in the senate to block the president s nominees, they don t have the power to stop him from trying.And try he shall. The president gave a moving tribute to Justice Scalia Saturday, calling his service historic and applauding him as an incredible man and a dedicated public servant. While those of us who know better would have preferred words like incredible bigot and person living in the past, the president showed what Scalia s own party couldn t afford him: Respect for him and his family in their time of grief.They opted instead to politicize yet another death, assuring their base immediately that they would never allow a secret Muslim (no they didn t say it but if you follow their base you know they re thinking it) to serve on the United States Supreme Court. What it boils down to is fear. Republicans fear they will lose their conservative voice on the court. They have already seen the law prevail in the cases of gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act subsidies when the 4-4 tie of liberal versus conservative was again broken by centrist Justice Kennedy. If President Obama, or any Democrat for that matter, gets a nominee confirmed, the balance will swing toward the left and the demise of the reason so many of their party are in office to begin with: Citizens United.Watch the president s remarks below:Featured image from screen capture | 1real |
LesserOfTwoEvilism | 2016 presidential campaign by Matt Sedillo
Hillary Clinton is, no doubt, a threat to life on Earth. But the duopoly electoral system is a menagerie of warmongers. “The response to the white nationalism of Donald Trump has been the rainbow coalition of hawks.” Barack Obama has proven an awesomely prolific war maker. Bernie Sanders is no peacenik. “It is only the white nationalist orange demon -- guided only by his own whims and twitter feuds -- that is at all off script on this question.” LesserOfTwoEvilism by Matt Sedillo
“ So long as there is a ruling class they shall rule by fire and blood.”
The loathsome and shameless hypocrisy of the Democratic Party and the doctrine of lesseroftwoevilism has been laid bare this political season. This same Democratic Party that unquestionably rigged the primaries against the left-leaning Bernie Sanders campaign is now selling itself to the public as the savior of the downtrodden from the threat of an uber right wing candidate.
Hillary Clinton at this point in her election run appears to be making no promises to the public other than to not to physically morph into Donald Trump during her coronation come Election Day.
Lesseroftwoevilism is a bankrupt political ideology and the means by which the Democratic Party deadens any inkling towards decency or rational self interest that may lay dormant in the American electorate. Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party intend to use the platform of "at least not being Donald Trump" to install the most despised Democratic candidate in a generation into the White House.
It is indeed horrifying that a straight up eugenicist billionaire who brags about sexual assaulting women won the Republican primary. It is terrifying that the cult leader of a white nationalist zombie apocalypse has gotten this far through the electoral process.
“There is no greater threat to the future of much of life on the planet than Hillary Clinton.”
The country is polarizing and it is terrifying to see that much of it is polarizing in the direction of Donald Trump whose campaign is defined by phrases like “Make America Great Again” quickly followed by “Mexico Will Pay.” Much of the country is also polarized in the direction of Bernie Sanders. It was the political apparatus of the Democratic Party, not the Republicans, that prevented these two competing visions from standing before the American public.
Setting aside the fact, for a moment, that we don't live in a democracy, it must be noted that lesseroftwoevilism in American politics is an ideology by Americans for Americans. Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, AND Bernie Sanders are all advocates of the US war machine. If any of these three warlords were to sit in the seat of power children in far off lands would still be bombed in their sleep and be reported on as collateral damage.
Hillary Clinton is the most bloodthirsty advocate for murder and mayhem in a political system that thrives upon such practices. When it comes to dropping bombs, obliterating nations or possibly igniting a nuclear winter there is no greater threat to the future of much of life on the planet than Hillary Clinton.
Rainbow Coalition of Hawks
Far beyond a “basket of deplorables,” the 2016 Republican national convention was a ghastly horror show of the most reactionary, bigoted elements of American political culture. Less than esteemed actor Scott Baio captured the mood when he proclaimed, “so of course let’s make America great again, but let’s make America America again.” That largely captured the theme of the proceedings and most speeches were some variation upon that theme.
The Democrats in response sought to make their convention a big tent of peoples, ideas and movements. And indeed from the spontaneous chants of “black lives matter” to Tim Kaine leading a chant of “si se puede” to Eva Longoria reminding the audience “we didn’t cross the borders the borders crossed us” to Michelle Obama letting the thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home know that slave labor built the White House and the country, from Sebastian De La Cruz singing the national anthem in full mariachi garb to the Khan family holding a copy of the Constitution, the Democratic National Convention did present itself as a stark contrast to what the GOP was offering.
The theme of inclusion ran high and, indeed, current president Barack Obama made his call for strength in unity, explicitly saying “And most of all I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe we are stronger together, black white, Latino, Asian, Native American, young, old, gay, straight, men, women, folks with different abilities, all pledging allegiance, under the same proud flag, to this big bold country that we love.” One flag to rule them all.
“America the greatest and most diverse nation on Earth shall ransack the globe as it sees fit. ”
General John Allen, standing before a multi ethnic group of people continued upon this theme and made the connection between a more inclusive union and explicit projection of American might
“Every American, in uniform or out, in the White House or at home, must be a force for unity in America, for a vision that includes all of us: every man and woman, every race, every ethnicity, every faith and creed, every gender orientation – all of us together pursuing our common values.
“From the battlefield to the capitals of our allies, friends, and partners, the free peoples of the world look to America as the last best hope for peace and for liberty for all humanity, for we ARE the greatest country on this planet.
“So we stand before you tonight to endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States of America.”
The message could not be clearer. Sorry Donald Trump, we are all Americans here. No apologies rest of the world, America the greatest and most diverse nation on Earth shall ransack the globe as it sees fit.
The response to the white nationalism of Donald Trump has been the rainbow coalition of hawks as chiefly embodied in the persons of Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton: The Obliterator of Nations
Hillary Clinton is a war criminal. So is John Kerry. So is Condoleezza Rice. So are Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright. The secretary of state in an imperialist nation is the immediate manager of the projected might of the empire they represent.
Hillary Clinton is known to be a war hawk for much the same reason Donald Trump is known as a white nationalist. She is blatant and crass about it.
“We came. We saw. He died” – Hillary Clinton on the assassination of Ghadaffi
“In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them” – Hillary Clinton speaking of obliteration of 75 million Iranians.
For much of the past few months the Clinton campaign have bemoaned a Russian conspiracy to reveal the words that Hillary Clinton actually wrote and thereby influence the American election.
Hillary Clinton’s neo-Mcarthyite cold war against her own words and general war talk on Russia should come as no surprise to anyone paying any attention. She was hawkish on Russia in their land dispute with Georgia over Ossetia, even going so far as to arm the Georgian government in 2010 less than two years after the conflict. She was warlike on the conflict in the Ukraine, promising Ukrainian government officials as recent as September of this year to stand with them against “Russian aggression.”
“A Clinton presidency is the will of the ruling class.”
This is the talk of someone prepared for a nuclear apocalypse.
It should be mentioned, however, that Obama has also dialed up his anti Russian rhetoric, as has Tim Kaine, as has Mike Pence. It is only the white nationalist orange demon -- guided only by his own whims and twitter feuds -- that is at all off script on this question.
Ultimately a Clinton presidency is the will of the ruling class. If she wants war it is a reflection of their desire for war. If they want the bombs to fall then death will rain from the sky. So long as they hold power they shall exercise it. So long as there is a ruling class they shall rule by fire and blood, because there truly is no alternative. Because ultimately, this is about Clinton and then again it isn’t. And this is about the Democrats and then again it isn’t. This is about the US and this is about war. Hillary Clinton is a 2016 warlord. War is a racket. And so is this God damn election. Matt Sedillo can be contacted at [email protected] . | 1real |
Injured defector's parasites and diet hint at hard life in North Korea | SEOUL (Reuters) - Parasitic worms found in a North Korean soldier, critically injured during a desperate defection, highlight nutrition and hygiene problems that experts say have plagued the isolated country for decades. At a briefing on Wednesday, lead surgeon Lee Cook-jong displayed photos showing dozens of flesh-colored parasites - including one 27 cm (10.6 in) long - removed from the wounded soldier s digestive tract during a series of surgeries to save his life. In my over 20 year-long career as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a textbook, Lee said. The parasites, along with kernels of corn in his stomach, may confirm what many experts and previous defectors have described about the food and hygiene situation for many North Koreans. Although we do not have solid figures showing health conditions of North Korea, medical experts assume that parasite infection problems and serious health issues have been prevalent in the country, said Choi Min-Ho, a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine who specializes in parasites. The soldier s condition was not surprising at all considering the north s hygiene and parasite problems, he said. The soldier was flown by helicopter to hospital on Monday after his dramatic escape to South Korea in a hail of bullets fired by North Korean soldiers. He is believed to be an army staff sergeant in his mid-20s who was stationed in the Joint Security Area in the United Nations truce village of Panmunjom, according to Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker of South Korea s ruling party, briefed by the National Intelligence Service. North Korea has not commented on the defection. While the contents of the soldier s stomach don t necessarily reflect the population as a whole, his status as a soldier with an elite assignment - would indicate he would at least be as well nourished as an average North Korean. He was shot in his buttocks, armpit, back shoulder and knee among other wounds, according to the hospital where the soldier is being treated. Parasitic worms were also once common in South Korea 40 to 50 years ago, Lee noted during his briefing, but have all but disappeared as economic conditions greatly improved. Other doctors have also described removing various types of worms and parasites from North Korean defectors. Their continued prevalence north of the heavily fortified border that divides the two Koreas could be in part tied to the use of human excrement, often called night soil. Chemical fertilizer was supplied by the state until the 1970s, but from the early 1980s, production started to decrease, said Lee Min-bok, a North Korean agriculture expert who defected to South Korea in 1995. By the 1990s, the state could not supply it anymore, so farmers started to use a lot of night soil instead. In 2014, supreme leader Kim Jong Un personally urged farmers to use human faeces, along with animal waste and organic compost, to fertilize their fields. A lack of livestock, however, made it difficult to find animal waste, said Lee, the agriculture expert. Even harder to overcome, he said, is the view of night soil as the best fertilizer in North Korea, despite the risk of worms and parasites. Vegetables grown in it are considered more delicious than others, Lee said. The medical briefing described the wounded soldier as being 170 cm (5 feet 5 inches) and 60 kg (132 pounds) with his stomach containing corn. It s a staple grain that more North Koreans may be relying on in the wake of what the United Nations has called the worst drought since 2001. Imported corn, which is less preferred but cheaper to obtain than rice, has tended to increase in years when North Koreans are more worried about their seasonal harvests. Between January and September this year, China exported nearly 49,000 tonnes of corn to North Korea, compared to only 3,125 tonnes in all of 2016, according to data released by Beijing. Despite the drought and international sanctions over Pyongyang s nuclear program, the cost of corn and rice has remained relatively stable, according to a Reuters analysis of market data collected by the defector-run Daily NK website. Since the 1990s, when government rations failed to prevent a famine hitting the country, North Koreans have gradually turned to markets and other private means to feed themselves. The World Food Programme says a quarter of North Korean children 6-59 months old, who attend nurseries that the organization assists, suffer from chronic malnutrition. On average North Koreans are less nourished than their southern neighbors. The WFP says around one in four children have grown less tall than their South Korean counterparts. A study from 2009 said pre-school children in the North were up to 13 cm (5 inches) shorter and up to 7 kg (15 pounds) lighter than those brought up in the South. The main issue in DPRK is a monotonous diet mainly rice/maize, kimchi and bean paste lacking in essential fats and protein, the WFP told Reuters in a statement last month. | 0fake |
IT’S CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER: American Debt Is $18 Trillion But Dems Want To Give Away Free Goodies For Votes | This one sentence should scare every taxpaying American to death: I know we can afford it because we re gonna make the wealthy pay for it. - HRCLast night s debate for the candidates running for President on the Democrat side proved to be a fluff fest as if Santa himself was in the room. Free college, free this and free that Could someone please tell these people we re 18 TRILLION dollars in debt!Here s the transcript from Rush today that speaks to this Santa syndrome in the Democrat party:RUSH: First up is a montage here from the debate last night. Bernie Sanders, Hillary, Lincoln Chafee, and they re all talking about all the free stuff. College and health care and whatever you want. If you re an illegal immigrant, it s all yours. All you have to do is show up.SANDERS: Make every public college and university in this country tuition-free.HILLARY: Anyone to go to a public college or university tuition-free.SANDERS: We re all gonna have medical and family paid leave.HILLARY: Make sure every child gets health care, including undocumented children and others.CHAFEE: Funding education, funding infrastructure, funding health care.HILLARY: Enhance the benefits for the poorest recipients of Social Security.SANDERS: We should be putting money into education. I want Wall Street now to help kids in this country go to college, public colleges and universities.HILLARY: I know we can afford it because we re gonna make the wealthy pay for it.RUSH: (laughing) We can afford it cause we re gonna make the wealthy pay. We are $18 trillion in debt. Now, you can afford anything if you ignore that, and if you don t think that s a problem and if that number is irrelevant, the money never has to even be serviced or paid back, then of course you can afford anything. But the truth is, we can t afford anything. We can afford maybe, what, what s the number that we drag in by tax revenue every year? The numbers are confusing, but $3 trillion whatever we can afford every year, but we so exceed that. We have exceeded it for so long. We re already paying for things we can t afford. And these people just want to lap more and more on top of it.Via: Rush Limbaugh | 1real |
GOP FURIOUS As Repeal FAILS, Americans Now Prefer Obamacare Over Entire Republican Party (IMAGE) | Not too long ago, the Republican Party and Donald Trump made a disgusting move to screw over millions of Americans when they tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) with the American Health Care Act (Trumpcare). The plan fortunately didn t work out and was shot down immediately, leaving the GOP stunned and upset that their disastrous bill didn t pass. They ve just been delivered another devastating blow, this time by Americans who are showing the Republican Party they haven t forgotten.Thanks to the GOP s unethical Obamacare replacement, Obamacare is now more popular than ever more popular than the Republican Party as a whole!Ezra Klein tweeted this amazing graph to illustrate:This is going to tear Trump and the GOP apart, considering how desperate they were to get rid of Obamacare. The overwhelming support that the Affordable Care Act is receiving now will surely make it harder for Republicans to get rid of it in the future, if they dare try again.This serves as a major warning to the GOP if they keep trying to get rid of Obama s legacy and policies that clearly work, their party will lose all support and soon there will be no Republican Party. If conservatives thought they would have Americans standing behind them during their attempt to repeal a health care law that provides access to more Americans than ever, they ve just learned that they were very, VERY wrong.The GOP has no idea how badly the party has been damaged under Trump. He is completely obsessed with pushing legislation through, and it has been working against the Republican Party as each attempt of his fails and the party becomes more unpopular than ever. With the introduction of Trumpcare, Republicans have basically paved the way for Democrats to get Congress back in two years, and getting Trump out of the White House.Featured image via Win McNamee / Getty Images | 1real |
SHOCKING: Interviewer Shows Many Americans Have No Idea What Independence Day Is About | The dumbing down of America This is how people like Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and Hillary become front runners in our presidential races With Americans set to celebrate Independence Day this weekend, Mark Dice illustrated that many beachgoers in San Diego don t even know when the Declaration of Independence was signed or what the 4th of July even represents.When asked, What country famously broke away from England to start their own country in the late 1700 s, one man responded, I have no idea man, I don t know. Asked what Americans were celebrating on the 4th of July, another woman said that Independence Day was to recognize the day that we overtook the south .it s our independence .from the south, a reference to the civil war which took place almost a hundred years later.Another woman was also almost a century out of date with her knowledge, guessing that Abraham Lincoln signed the Declaration of Independence. She then topped her ignorance again by claiming that this occurred in 1964.When a man is asked, What country did we declare our independence from, his wife responds, California, before the man says, I don t know, but still assures Dice that he will be celebrating the occasion anyway.Yet another woman was unable to name one of the founding fathers of America, while a man walked away as soon as he heard the question.It was left to a man on vacation from Italy to finally answer correctly that America celebrated its independence from Britain in 1776.The video correlates with numerous polls that illustrate the staggering level of ignorance many Americans have when it comes to the founding of their own country.A 2011 Maris poll found that, Only 58 percent of residents know that the United States declared its independence in 1776. Around a quarter of U.S. citizens have no idea who America declared its independence from.The numbers are even more depressing when it comes to America s youth. 14 per cent of teens think that the U.S. declared independence from France, while another 5 per cent thought it was Canada.Going on the anecdotal evidence of this video, if anything those figures aren t likely to have improved over the last four years.Via: InfoWars | 1real |
Obama’s Press Secretary Just Smacked Down A HUGE Sean Spicer Lie, And It’s Glorious (TWEETS) | In his efforts to weasel out of answering questions about Donald Trump s lie that President Obama tapped Trump Tower s wires, Sean Spicer uttered four little words that he now regrets. No, that s above my pay grade, Spicer told a reporter when asked for evidence that Trump was telling the truth.Jay Carney, President Barack Obama s press secretary, very quickly shut down Spicer s claim that he does not have access to that information via Twitter. Actually, his pay grade is the highest possible at WH same as for chief of staff, national security and other senior personnel, Carney tweeted:Actually, his "pay grade" is the highest possible at WH same as for chief of staff, national security and other senior personnel. https://t.co/V3BENwFHjI Jay Carney (@JayCarney) March 7, 2017Yes, this means that Sean Spicer lied to you.On Saturday, Trump dropped a bigger lie about Obama than the whole Kenya thing (and that was a whopper). Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! our alleged President said as part of an extended rant that was clearly intended to distract from the very real scandals related to him, his campaign, his staff, and a little shirtless Russian guy he calls Vladdy Poot Poot (we assume on that last bit). A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice, Obama responded via spokesman Kevin Lewis. As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false. So far Trump has not been able to provide a shred of evidence and even some of Obama s most vocal opponents have failed to defend The Donald. Nevertheless Trump has demanded that the Republican Congress distract themselves from any of those pesky Russia investigations by looking into whether or not Obama did the stupid and illegal thing he falsely said he did. They agreed, because they legitimately do not care what laws he breaks.Watch Spicer lie again below:Featured image via screengrab | 1real |
Russian, Iranian presidents discuss Iraqi Kurdish vote - Rouhani's office | LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani discussed the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum and the Syrian civil war in a telephone call, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. Assessing the current situation in the region, especially in Iraq and Syria, was the main focus of the two leaders, Hamid Aboutalebi, Rouhani s deputy chief of staff of for political affairs, said. They stressed on the necessity of maintaining the unity of Iraq and security and stability in the region, he added. | 0fake |
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