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BREAKING: Pope Met Privately With Enemy Of Left, Kim Davis | Is the Pope s defense of same sex marriage the straw the will break the camel s back for the godless left? Washington, DC Media is buzzing about the Pope s comments in support of conscientious objection and whether he knows about the Rowan County, Kentucky, Clerk of Court who was jailed for six days for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The Pope met privately with Kim Davis and her husband, Joe, at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 24, which was the birthday of Kim s father. Pope Francis spoke with Kim and Joe Davis in English.During the meeting Pope Francis said, Thank you for your courage. Pope Francis also told Kim Davis to Stay strong. He held out his hands and asked Kim to pray for him. Kim held his hands and said, I will. Please pray for me, and the Pope said he would. The two embraced. The Pontiff presented Kim and Joe Davis each with a Rosary that he personally blessed. Kim s mother and father are Catholic, and Kim and Joe will present the Rosaries to her parents. Kim s mother was the elected Clerk of Court for Rowan County for 37 years until her retirement in 2014.Kim Davis said, I was humbled to meet Pope Francis. Of all people, why me? Davis continued, I never thought I would meet the Pope. Who am I to have this rare opportunity? I am just a County Clerk who loves Jesus and desires with all my heart to serve him. Kim said, Pope Francis was kind, genuinely caring, and very personable. He even asked me to pray for him. Pope Francis thanked me for my courage and told me to stay strong. The challenges we face in America regarding the sanctity of human life, marriage, and religious freedom are the same universal challenges Christians face around the world. Religious freedom is a human right that comes from God. These values are shared in common by people of faith, and the threats to religious freedom are universal. Kim Davis has become a symbol of this worldwide conflict between Christian faith and recent cultural challenges regarding marriage, said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.Speaking with reporters on board the Papal plane to Rome, Pope Francis told Terry Moran of ABC News that conscientious objection is a human right, even for government officials: Conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right. It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right. Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right, a human right. Otherwise we would end up in a situation where we select what is a right, saying this right that has merit, this one does not. It (conscientious objection) is a human right. It always moved me when I read, and I read it many times, when I read the Chanson de Roland when the people were all in line and before them was the baptismal font and they had to choose between the baptismal font or the sword. They had to choose. They weren t permitted conscientious objection. It is a right and if we want to make peace we have to respect all rights. The ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent asked if that includes government officials as well, and the Pope reiterated that conscientious objection is a human right: It is a human right and if a government official is a human person, he has that right, Pope Francis affirmed.After the above statement of Pope Francis was published, some in the media wondered if the Pontiff knew of Kim Davis. Not only did Pope Francis know of Kim Davis, he personally met with her to express his support, concluded Staver.Via: Barbed Wire | 1real |
Election over, Congress pivots to lame-duck debate over spending | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a bitter election campaign finally over, the Congress will reconvene this week to try to set aside its partisan differences long enough to keep the government from closing. As President-elect Donald Trump shapes his administration, Republicans are expected to move away from initial plans for compromise funding legislation and opt instead for a short-term measure to keep the government running into next year, when they will have control of Congress and the White House. Washington has been operating since Oct. 1 under a temporary “continuing resolution” on the budget. It expires on Dec. 9. Lawmakers will be trying to approve a new one before then. Mired in partisan gridlock, Congress in recent years has seldom completed the entire federal budget process, falling back frequently on stop-gap measures that last a few months. During their “lame-duck” session starting this week, lawmakers will have little time to draft another continuing resolution to cover funding U.S. agencies and military operations. Congress is tentatively set to adjourn by Dec. 17 and has an additional break over the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. A new Congress will meet in January, with the 100-seat Senate more closely split than before last week’s elections. Neither party will have the 60 votes needed to move legislation easily through the chamber. The voters last Tuesday also preserved the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, though it is slightly smaller, giving the Democrats more power to block the Republicans. Legislation to streamline federal regulations for new drugs could come up during the lame duck session. So could funding for cancer research, precision medicine and treatments for opioid addiction, said congressional aides. Some conservative House Republicans want a budget measure that will expire in March, which would coincide with needed action on the federal debt limit, according to House aides. Others have talked about a continuing resolution that would run until sometime February, giving the new president and Congress enough time to determine their priorities for more comprehensive funding legislation for the remainder of the federal fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. Before the election shifted the political center of gravity in favor of Republicans, Republican leaders had talked about crafting funding legislation through negotiations with Democrats and President Barack Obama and approving it before Christmas. | 0fake |
Trump Whines Like A Baby In Defense Of Russia Again And Gets OBLITERATED On Twitter | Donald Trump sure is whining a lot in defense of Russia. In fact, he appears to have never heard the saying about protesting too much.Ever since the CIA concluded along with 17 other intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in our political process to help Trump win the election, the whiner-in-chief has been pouting like a petulant toddler.Trump first repeatedly denied that it was even Russia that attacked us, insisting that any country could have done it and that it could have even been someone living in their mom s basement.Then he claimed that nobody brought us Russian hacking prior to Election Day even though the media and public officials were definitely talking about it because it was one of the biggest stories on the campaign. Trump himself even encouraged the Russians to keep committing espionage against this country so that he could benefit from it.Now he s trying to deflect by tweeting about how Russia hacked the DNC and discovered that Hillary Clinton supposedly received debate questions in advance. Of course, Trump conveniently ignores the fact that he got questions in advance, too.Are we talking about the same cyberattack where it was revealed that head of the DNC illegally gave Hillary the questions to the debate? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2016You see, Trump wants the public to focus on Hillary Clinton again instead of the fact that Russia helped him win. While colluding with the Russians to defeat an opponent in the election is illegal, getting questions in advance is not, it s merely unethical.And Twitter users were quick to pounce.@realDonaldTrump Donald colluding with the Russians would be a much bigger crime. In fact it would be a crime; what the DNC did was not. Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump The information derived from the attack does not negate or lessen the relevance of the source of the attack. Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump She received the question unethically, not illegally. Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump Her receiving a debate question does not mean that she would make a bad President, or that you would make a better one. Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump Honestly, as the President-elect of the United States, this is one of your worst tweets. Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump that is not an argument, you fuckturnip. It s deflection. You can t keep crying about Hillary. You have a month to grow up. Matt Haig (@matthaig1) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump your continued deflection and denial is not helping you look particularly innocent. Brandan Robertson (@BrandanJR) December 16, 2016.@realDonaldTrump That was a fine example of Russian manipulation, selectively stealing and sharing emails to put its buddy in office. Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump ?YOU WON! Why are you still campaigning? Focus. America comes before your tragically fragile ego. You work for me not Vlad! Kevin (@TheKevinDent) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump if Jesus was alive & part of the electoral college, he wouldn t vote for you.#Truth ? (@VeeVee) December 16, 2016@realDonaldTrump an attack on our democratic institutions is an attack on all of us. This isn t a partisan issue. https://t.co/4cTSpMPk67 ??Joel?? (@JoelNihlean) December 16, 2016@realdonaldtrump No, it s the one where Russia caused you to win the election. Daniel Samuels ? (@danielsamuels) December 16, 2016Donald Trump does not deserve to be president of this nation. He cheated to win and now he is beholden to Vladimir Putin. That s a direct threat to our country from within and if the Electoral College has any decency it will prevent Trump from taking office by voting against him on December 19th.Featured Image: Wonkette | 1real |
Project Veritas: Scott Foval Reveals Who Was Really Behind the Romney 47% Video | Project Veritas: Scott Foval Reveals Who Was Really Behind the Romney 47% Video Tweet
In this video, Scott Foval, the now former Field Director of Americans United For Change admits that the bartender who supposedly filmed Mitt Romney’s notorious 47% moment was not a bartender, but was a lawyer. “The lawyer took his phone and had the bartender walk around with it and set it up.”–Scott Foval | 1real |
U.S. air strikes kill 17 Islamic State militants in Libya: U.S. military | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six U.S. air strikes on an Islamic State desert camp in Libya killed 17 militants and destroyed three vehicles, the U.S. military said on Sunday, the first American strikes in Libya since President Donald Trump took office in January. U.S. Africa Command said in a statement that strikes on Friday targeted a camp 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Sirte, a city that was once the Islamic State stronghold in Libya. The camp was used to move fighters in and out of Libya, plot attacks and store weapons, the statement said. ISIS and al-Qaeda have taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Libya to establish sanctuaries for plotting, inspiring and directing terror attacks, the statement said, using an acronym for Islamic State. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out by armed drones. The last-known U.S. strike in Libya was on Jan. 19, a day before Trump s inauguration, when more than 80 Islamic State militants, some believed to be plotting attacks in Europe, died in U.S. air strikes on camps outside Sirte. That strike was led by two B-2 bombers, which dropped about 100 precision-guided munitions on the camps. Islamic State took over Sirte in early 2015, turning it into its most important base outside the Middle East and attracting large numbers of foreign fighters to the city. The group imposed its hard-line rule on residents and extended its control along about 155 miles (250 km) of Libya s Mediterranean coastline. But it struggled to keep a footing elsewhere in Libya and was forced out of Sirte by last December after a six-month campaign led by brigades from the western city of Misrata and backed by U.S. air strikes. Islamic State militants have shifted to desert valleys and inland hills southeast of Tripoli as they seek to exploit Libya s political divisions after their defeat in Sirte. The statement said the strikes were carried out in coordination with Libya s Government of National Accord. The United Nations launched a road map on Wednesday for a renewed international effort to break a political stalemate in Libya and end the turmoil that followed the country s 2011 uprising. The U.N.-backed Government of National Accord established under a December 2015 deal never fully materialized in Tripoli, leaving Libya with three competing governments aligned with rival armed alliances. | 0fake |
France says takes U.S. claims Iran violated U.N. resolutions seriously | PARIS (Reuters) - France s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it was taking accusations by the United States that Iran had violated two U.N. Security Council resolutions seriously and urged Iran to comply with all its international commitments. The United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Iran on Tuesday of supplying Yemen s Houthi rebels with a missile that was fired into Saudi Arabia in July and called for the U.N. to hold Tehran accountable for violating two U.N. Security Council resolutions. We take these American indications seriously and attach utmost importance to Iran s compliance with all of its international obligations, including the weapons transfer bans provided for in UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231, deputy foreign ministry spokesman Alexandre Georgini told reporters in a daily briefing. He did not respond when asked whether Paris supported potential measures at the Security Council. France s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said that he expected a challenging meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran when he travels there later this month. He is due to discuss Iran s ballistic missile program, which Paris says goes against U.N. Security Council resolutions, and its regional activities. We have deep disagreements with Iran (on the ballistic issue) ... and the way in which Iran is discreetly or through proxies trying to create a direct channel to the Mediterranean, he said after a Security Council meeting at the United Nations on Oct. 31. | 0fake |
Cleveland, Justice Department Reach Policing Deal | Cleveland has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice over a pattern of excessive force and civil rights violations by its police department, and it could be announced as soon as Tuesday, a senior federal law enforcement official said.
The official, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the settlement before the formal announcement, spoke Monday on the condition of anonymity.
News of the settlement came days after a white police officer was acquitted of manslaughter for firing the final 15 rounds of a 137-shot police barrage through the windshield of a car carrying two unarmed black suspects in 2012.
The suspects' backfiring vehicle had been mistaken for a gunshot, leading to a high-speed chase involving 62 police cruisers. Once the suspects were cornered, 13 officers fired at the car.
The case prompted an 18-month Department of Justice investigation into the practices of the police. In a scathing report released in December, the department required the city to devise a plan to reform the police force.
The specifics of the settlement were unavailable. Messages left for a Department of Justice spokeswoman and the Cleveland Police Department seeking comment weren't returned.
The Department of Justice's report spared no one in the police chain of command. The worst examples of excessive force involved patrol officers who endangered lives by shooting at suspects and cars, hit people over the head with guns and used stun guns on handcuffed suspects.
Supervisors and police higher-ups received some of the report's most searing criticism. The report said officers were poorly trained and some didn't know how to implement use-of-force policies. It also said officers were ill-equipped.
Mobile computers that are supposed to be in patrol cars often don't work, and, even when they do, officers don't have access to essential databases, the report said.
Police Chief Calvin Williams said in December that while it wasn't easy to have to share the federal government findings with his 1,500-member department he was committed to change.
"The people of this city need to know we will work to make the police department better," Williams said.
The investigation marked the second time in recent years the Department of Justice has taken the Cleveland police to task over the use of force. But unlike in 2004, when the department left it up to local police to clean up their act, federal authorities this time have been negotiating a consent decree designed to serve as a blueprint for lasting change among police. Several other police departments in the country now operate under federal consent decrees that involve independent oversight.
The Department of Justice in the last five years has launched broad investigations into the practices of more than 20 police forces, including in Ferguson, Missouri, where a white police officer shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, and in Baltimore, where another black man, Freddie Gray, suffered a spinal cord injury in police custody and later died. The Brown and Gray cases spawned protests that sometimes turned violent.
Saturday's bench verdict on the manslaughter charge against Cleveland patrolman Michael Brelo led to a day of mostly peaceful protests but also more than 70 arrests.
Two other high-profile police-involved deaths still hang over Cleveland, a predominantly black and largely poor city: a 12-year-old boy holding a pellet gun fatally shot by a rookie patrolman and a mentally ill woman in distress who died after officers took her to the ground and handcuffed her. | 0fake |
Illegal Aliens in Maryland HS Bathroom Sex Case Face Child Porn Charges | Prosecutors in the “sanctuary state” of Maryland are dropping sexual offense charges against the illegal aliens accused of sexually assaulting a girl in a high school bathroom. The Rockville High School freshmen now face charges of distribution of child pornography. [Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy told reporters “The facts no longer support the original charges filed,” the Washington Post reported. Prosecutors are now focusing their efforts on allegations of child pornography distribution after police found images of the victim on both suspects’ cell phones. Defense attorneys appeared to admit to the crime, telling the Washington, D. C. newspaper the girl willingly shared the images with one of the defendants. The images were then passed along to the other, they said. Henry Sanchez Milian’s attorney, Andrew Jezic, attempted to downplay the potential new charges saying, “it is hardly uncommon behavior for teenagers. ” Defendant Jose Montano’s attorney, Maria Mena, appeared to deflect to her client’s saying the child pornography charges are made to go after adults, the Washington Post reported. Sanchez Milian old and legally an adult. The national public outcry after the alleged oral, vaginal, and anal rape became public in March was called “racist” and “xenophobic” by Montgomery County Public School Superintendent Dr. Jack Smith. If convicted, Sanchez Milan could face a sentence of five years in prison for child porn distribution charges. The younger Montano could face up to 10 years in prison for possession and distribution of pornography. Lawmakers in various states have been debating how to deal with the issue of teenagers sexting photos of their underage classmates, Breitbart News reported. In the lead up to filing sexual assault charges, law enforcement investigators reported the young teen said she cried out in pain and begged them to stop. A forensic investigator found blood and bodily fluids in the boys’ bathroom. ’s attorney countered that the young girl “actively planned a sexual encounter,” and a school video showed the girl and the accused teen walking into the bathroom together. Director of Policy Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) told Breitbart News’ Katie McHugh, “The only reason the older youth, Sanchez Milian, was in the country at all was because of the Obama administration’s catch and release policies that allowed him to be resettled in Maryland (with the support of taxpayers) with few questions asked. ” “Few groups of illegal immigrants have left such a violent mark in our community as these unaccompanied minors — they are almost like modern day Marielitos (the Cuban inmates released by Fidel Castro decades ago),” she added. “Dozens have been arrested for violent crimes in Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Texas. ” Henry Sanchez Milian, an El Salvadorian national, and Jose Montano from Guatemala were enrolled as freshmen at the high school. As reported by Breitbart News: The 1982 Supreme Court Case Plyler v. Doe forbids public schools from withholding taxpayer funding from illegal aliens, allowing them to enroll in schools meant to educate citizens’ children. As Breitbart News has reported, illegal aliens and their children are entitled to U. S. educations in spite of breaking many U. S. laws. American communities are forced to divert nearly $60 billion in funding each year from their own children to illegals, students, refugees, and U. S. children of illegals granted citizenship by a footnote in the Doe ruling. Milian was encountered by border patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas in August 2016 before the alleged rape on March 16, 2017. He was turned over to the custody of his father. The had a “pending alien removal” case against him, but he was nevertheless allowed to enroll at Rockville High School. U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained Henry Sanchez’ father, Adolfo after determining the Guatemalan to be an illegal alien, reported Breitbart News on March 27. is being held at the Howard County Detention Center. Breitbart News reported in 2014 that Montgomery County had been one of the “’most prominent’ sanctuary cities in the country. ” On March 27, U. S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions urged the state of Maryland to abandon any plans to make Maryland a “sanctuary state. ” On March 21, the largely Democrat Maryland House of Delegates approved the Maryland Law Enforcement and Trust Act which would prevent police officers from asking a suspect about their immigration status. It would prevent police officers from giving illegal aliens to federal authorities unless “required by federal law. ” Officers would also have to get a warrant before complying with an ICE detainer request. As reported by Breitbart News, Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan threatened to veto the bill. On Friday, ICE confirmed they are seeking to deport Sanchez Milan to Guatemala, reported the Washington Post. Even though they do not have him in federal custody, ICE has issued a detainer. Montgomery County officials confirmed they will honor the ICE detainer because of the child pornography distribution charges. Editor’s Note: This article has been updated. Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook. | 0fake |
LOL! ARROGANT OBAMA BEGS Congress To Save Embarrassing Legacy…Do NOT Repeal Obamacare [VIDEO] | Barack Obama implored members of Congress to have the courage not to repeal the Affordable Care Act Sunday night.The former president made his first public remarks about the proposed health care legislation just days after House Republicans voted to pass the measure 217 to 213. If it passes the Senate, it would repeal and replace major parts of Obamacare.During his speech, Obama also lauded the Democratic members of Congress who voted in favor of the Affordable Cart Act in 2010 and then lost their seats because of it. These men and women did the right thing, the hard thing, and theirs was a profile in courage, and because of that vote, 20 million people got health insurance that didn t have it before. Daily Caller | 1real |
Would You Board the Titanic II? An Eerily Similar Replica of the Doomed Ship Will Set Sail in 2018 | Whiten Your Face By Using One Ingredient Wrinkles Will Disappear Ξ [November 2, 2016] BLOG Would You Board the Titanic II? An Eerily Similar Replica of the Doomed Ship Will Set Sail in 2018 posted by Eddie This lavish replica of the ill-fated RMS Titanic is expected to set sail in 2018 – and it will look eerily similar to the most famous ship in the world that sank back in 1912.Staying true to its namesake, the Titanic II will feature Turkish baths, an Edwardian gym and a small swimming pool. Of course, it will also feature the grand staircase which remains one of its most famous features due to its prominence in the 1997 movie about the ship’s sinking.Like the “unsinkable” original, it will also have first, second and third class cabins and dining rooms, as well as a smoking room. With white panelling throughout, the first class dining room was nearly 115 feet long and spanned the entire width of the ship. Blue Star Line says that some of the elements will be retained purely for historic significance but will not be functional.Titanic II will be 13 feet wider than the original ship, but its length, height and weight will be similar, and it will also have nine decks like the original. First class cabins on board Titanic II will feature beds with curtains, wood paneling and his and hers sinks. It will meet modern safety and design requirements, meaning it will have a welded hull instead of a riveted one, a diesel-electric propulsion system instead of steam engines, stabilizers, and high-tech navigational equipment, reports the Daily Mail.And, of course, this time, it will have enough lifeboats for everyone on board – and evacuation systems put in place. Would you set sail on the Titanic II? Source: | 1real |
Hannity on Health Care Bill: ’This Is Not President Trump’s Failure’ - Breitbart | Friday on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” host Sean Hannity used his opening monologue to react to House Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision not to proceed with a vote on the American Health Care Act, which would have been the opening salvo for Republicans trying to dismantle the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Hannity argued Republicans must make sure this doesn’t happen in the future and point to the flaws in the legislative process where improvement must be made. However, he emphasized the outcome was not the fault of President Donald Trump. “Let me be very clear here,” Hannity said. “This is not President Trump’s failure. President Trump went above and beyond and did everything in his power to get this bill across the finish line. ” Hannity went on to take aim at the media and the Democratic opposition to the bill but reiterated that measures should be taken to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor | 0fake |
Starstruck and Party-Fanatic: The Moral Paradox of Trump Support | Starstruck and Party-Fanatic: The Moral Paradox of Trump Support Posted on Oct 28, 2016
By Juan Cole / Informed Comment
Donald J. Trump’s poll numbers in California have cratered down to 28% . If he actually does that poorly in the election, he will set a record for poor performance of a presidential candidate in California. Ever.
What is difficult to explain is why he isn’t doing that poorly everywhere. Let’s just review what Trump says he stands for:
* Manhandling of women without their consent * Torture * Suggested that crime in Baltimore spiked because we have an African-American president * Jail time for women who have an abortion. * Reducing taxes paid by billionaires. * Stigmatizing Latinos as rapists and felons * Revival of the Ku Klux Klan without the sheets * Carpet-bombing civilian cities to get at ISIL * Unconstitutional treatment of US citizens of Muslim faith * Passage of political libel laws as a means to censor the press
Most Americans are opposed to these planks of the Trump platform. So why is he still winning any states in the polls?
I think there are two things going on here that give Trump a floor in many states that he does not have in California. Those two things are his celebrity status and blind party loyalty.
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Trump is a celebrity of a sort we have never had run for president. Ronald Reagan, a B actor in his youth, was not in the same category. When Reagan ran for president in 1980 his acting days were long behind him and few people in the electorate cared about his old black and white films. Trump, in contrast, was on a popular reality show for 11 seasons and until just before he announced his run. Early in its run, the Apprentice got as many as 20 million viewers. It is true that the audience rapidly dropped thereafter, but nevertheless Trump was before millions of people a week.
Most politicians have to spend time introducing themselves to the public. Most everybody knew who Trump was. I have a strong suspicion that this name recognition has inflated Trump’s poll numbers in the generals. That is, there are a lot of Americans who don’t follow politics. 42% of them don’t bother to vote in a typical presidential election. Many of the rest aren’t paying much attention until September and October just before Election Day. So in most years when pollsters call in August and ask people who they are voting for and name the two candidates, I think they probably get a lot of suspicious answers because some proportion of their sample has never heard of that person or can’t describe what the candidate stands for.
Not so in the case of Donald Trump. (Hillary Clinton, of course, also probably has high name recognition, but she hasn’t been in people’s living rooms the way Trump has. And no, I don’t mean it that way.)
Moreover, Americans are often forgiving of their celebrities’ foibles. Celebrities are there to entertain us or offer us power fantasies, not to behave themselves. Los Angeles prosecutors notoriously have an uphill battle in getting jurors to convict even obviously guilty celebrities. Whereas Americans at least always used to be puritanical in their expectations of politicians, they are tolerant of moral lapses in the Hollywood set. Trump confuses many of them because he is both a celebrity and a politician, but many are more willing to be lenient with him than they likely would be with some lawyer they’d never heard of who was running for office.
The other distorting variable here is party loyalty. Perhaps the rise of social media has cemented party polarization in the US. There were people in the old days who voted Clinton and then voted Bush (white Protestant women did so in droves). But party loyalty seems to have solidified with the rise of social media. Maybe it is embarrassing to switch sides in public when you’ve been involved in Twitter or Facebook slamming matches on behalf of the last party you voted for.
A lot of Republicans are clearly clinging to Trump despite the Billy Bush tape and subsequent charges from the women he’s groped. These include evangelicals and ‘blue hairs’ (the little old white ladies who are reliably Republican and usually morally censorious). Some 82% of self-identified Republican women are still supporting Trump, groping and all.
So why is California different here? Well, in part it just no longer has many Republicans. About half of the some 40 million Californians are registered to vote. About 28.9 % of those registered voters are Republicans. So the party-loyalty distorting factor may still be at work there. But the GOP in California long ago tied itself to the declining white population (now a minority) and so suffered an implosion. National GOP policy and certainly that of Trump is making the same mistake, which is why they can’t win national presidential elections any more.
Second, Trump has lost many women independents , those famous ‘soccer moms’ who voted for Bill Clinton and then switched to W.
So we should expect Trump everywhere to be getting about the same percentage support as the percentage of registered voters who are Republicans. Hence, he wins in Alabama. And he might even do a little better than that, gaining those independents (especially men) willing to wink at a celebrity’s hi jinx if only he will get the Federal government off their backs and halt immigration.
I usually don’t hold people’s votes against them on moral grounds. People make their own judgments in politics and there are good people in both parties.
But I think there is a moral deficit in anyone still willing to vote for Trump, despite all the racism, fascism, sexism, and sexual predation. If our two-party system and our current modes of communication have led us to this place, it is time to rethink them. Otherwise the Republic is in danger. TAGS: | 1real |
For ‘S.N.L.,’ Clinton-Trump Has Been a Blessing and a Curse - The New York Times | The NBC news release for Monday’s “The 2016 S. N. L. Election Special,” which will compile recent “Saturday Night Live” political sketches, promises to “retrace the highlights of the current presidential campaign. ” That’s the first joke right there: that any part of this exhausting, acrimonious, campaign can be considered a highlight. As Alec Baldwin put it, breaking character as Donald J. Trump on the last Saturday before the election: “Don’t you guys feel gross all the time about this?” But it’s undeniable that the race has blessed “S. N. L. ” with material. And cursed it. “S. N. L. ” faced expectations: first, to wring laughs out of a national nervous breakdown, and second, to improve on a political reality so that it writes its own penis jokes. “S. N. L. ” couldn’t manage that, at least when it’s taken the candidates head on. But it’s done some fine work around the election’s edges. “S. N. L. ” is a mainstream media institution, no less than “Meet the Press” or the presidential debates. (We’ve had televised debates on a regular basis only since 1976, a year after “S. N. L. ” started.) So there’s a kind of dutifulness to its election satire, which unfolds with all the ritual merriment of a candidates’ pancake toss at a state fair. The big change the show made this fall was to bring in Mr. Baldwin to . His boorish Trump felt like penance for “S. N. L. ” having let the candidate the show last November during the Republican primary campaign, and maybe for NBCUniversal’s larger entanglements with him — the former “Apprentice” host, sucked up to by Billy Bush, coddled by Matt Lauer, patted like an apricot sheepdog by Jimmy Fallon. Was Mr. Baldwin’s Trump good? Mimetically, it was worthy of a biopic. If I try to visualize Mr. Trump from the debates now, I see Mr. Baldwin instead, hulking, his lips pursed open like the suckers of some creature. But there wasn’t a distinctive spin on Mr. Trump as a character, the way Kate McKinnon developed her Hillary Clinton long ago into a savage yet sympathetic portrait of political thirst. The scripts mainly highlighted moments, like Mr. Trump’s lurking in the second debate, that the writers’ room of Twitter had already hashed out in real time. Like any establishment institution, the show is prey to conventional wisdom. After the “Access Hollywood” Trump tape, “S. N. L. ” followed mainstream pundits’ conclusion that the election was over. The sketch introduced the Democratic candidate as “President Hillary Clinton,” and Mr. Baldwin’s Trump declared, “I’m going to huff, I’m going to puff, and I’m going to blow this whole thing. ” (This, by the way, was the episode that enraged the real Mr. Trump on Twitter — “Alec Baldwin portrayal stinks. Media rigging election!” — and if the past year and a half taught us anything, it was being treated as a loser, not Mr. Baldwin’s huffing and puffing, that set him off.) The show hasn’t been able to Mr. Trump’s caricature, but then, neither has the rest of comedy. He’s been a pulsating orange sun that blinds any comedian who stares at it directly. Which may be why “S. N. L. ” has been most effective when it’s looked past the candidates. “Celebrity Family Feud: Political Edition” sketched the motley circus of surrogates and campaign allies, including Ivanka Trump (Margot Robbie, her hair apparently blown by an offscreen fan) a vampiric Vladimir Putin (Beck Bennett) and Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond, slipping on the role like an old sweatshirt). The taped short “A Day Off” imagined Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway (Ms. McKinnon) having a free day interrupted by repeated calls to defend the indefensible on CNN. (“Of course Mr. Trump thinks that Mexicans can read, and actually what he wants them to read the most is Hillary Clinton’s 33, 000’s missing emails” — an only slightly exaggerated version of a familiar ballet.) By far the season’s peak was an installment of the returning sketch, “Black Jeopardy! ,” with Tom Hanks as Doug, a Trump supporter, answering questions against two black contestants (Sasheer Zamata and Leslie Jones). Doug, to everyone’s shock, got one response after another right. Prompted with the answer, “They out here saying, the new iPhone wants your thumbprint ‘for your protection,’” he answered, “What is: ‘I don’t think so. That’s how they get you. ’” The host (Kenan Thompson) was surprised — “Yes!” — even relieved. This white guy was on the same wavelength as his black guests, suspicious of authority, anxious to make ends meet, unimpressed with skinny women. It was cathartic, almost moving. Despite all the vitriol out there, maybe they weren’t all that different? Then came the final category: “Lives That Matter. ” Said the host, “Well, it was good while it lasted, Doug. ” This wasn’t just the best sketch of the “S. N. L. ” election season. It was some of the best political analysis of the campaign, making a nuanced point about white Trump supporters and minorities, race and economic anxiety. Doug and his black counterparts, it said, have real issues in common — and a real, ultimate difference they may not be able to get past. The final cold open with Mr. Baldwin and Ms. McKinnon likewise turned its focus from the candidates to us. It started in straight campaign mode, portraying Mr. Trump being supported by the F. B. I. Mr. Putin and the Ku Klux Klan while CNN obsessed over Mrs. Clinton’s email. Then the two actors broke off, declared that they were tired of hurling insults, and ran into the streets of Manhattan to hug before returning to urge the audience, in Ms. McKinnon’s words, to “choose what kind of country we want to live in. ” This too was a staged bit. But it also felt like a concession. The election, it said, has taxed the limits of typical election comedy, of poking at foibles. It’s become an emotionally draining, terrifying, culture war into which we’ve been drafted. It was hardly the most hilarious election sketch “S. N. L. ” has ever done. But it may have been the right place, this year, to stop: peering beyond the vanishing edge of satire to the point at which all this stuff is no longer funny. | 0fake |
BUSTED! HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON’S MASSIVE Money Laundering Scheme With For-Profit University Makes Trump University Accusation Look Like Small Potatoes | They preyed on the poor in Latin America. They promised them an education, but the real goal was about turning a profit. No, we re not talking about the Democrat party, we re talking about the sleazy Clinton Crime Syndicate, headed up by a serial sexual abuser and his habitual liar wife. You may have heard of her, she s the Democrat party s frontrunner in the upcoming presidential race With her campaign sinking in the polls, Hillary Clinton has launched a desperate attack against Trump University to deflect attention away from her deep involvement with a controversial for-profit college that made the Clintons millions, even as the school faced serious legal scrutiny and criminal investigations. In April 2015, Bill Clinton was forced to abruptly resign from his lucrative perch as honorary chancellor of Laureate Education, a for-profit college company. The reason for Clinton s immediate departure: Clinton Cash revealed, and Bloomberg confirmed, that Laureate funneled Bill Clinton $16.46 million over five years while Hillary Clinton s State Dept. pumped at least $55 million to a group run by Laureate s founder and chairman, Douglas Becker, a man with strong ties to the Clinton Global Initiative. Laureate has donated between $1 million and $5 million (donations are reported in ranges, not exact amounts) to the Clinton Foundation. Progressive billionaire George Soros is also a Laureate financial backer.As the Washington Post reports, Laureate has stirred controversy throughout Latin America, where it derives two-thirds of its revenue. During Bill Clinton s tenure as Laureate s chancellor, the school spent over $200 million a year on aggressive telemarketing, flashy Internet banner ads, and billboards designed to lure often unprepared students from impoverished countries to enroll in its for-profit classes. The goal: get as many students, regardless of skill level, signed up and paying tuition. I meet people all the time who transfer here when they flunk out elsewhere, agronomy student Arturo Bisono, 25, told the Post. This has become the place you go when no one else will accept you. Others, like Rio state legislator Robson Leite who led a probe into Bill Clinton s embattled for-profit education scheme, say the company is all about extracting cash, not educating students. They have turned education into a commodity that focuses more on profit than knowledge, said Leite.Progressives have long excoriated for-profit education companies for placing profits over quality pedagogy. Still, for five years, Bill Clinton allowed his face and name to be plastered all over Laureate s marketing materials. As Clinton Cash reported, pictures of Bill Clinton even lined the walkways at campuses like Laureate s Bilgi University in Istanbul, Turkey. That Laureate has campuses in Turkey is odd, given that for-profit colleges are illegal there, as well as in Mexico and Chile where Laureate also operates.Shortly after Bill Clinton s lucrative 2010 Laureate appointment, Hillary Clinton s State Dept. began pumping millions of its USAID dollars to a sister nonprofit, International Youth Foundation (IYF), which is run by Laureate s founder and chairman, Douglas Becker. Indeed, State Dept. funding skyrocketed once Bill Clinton got on the Laureate payroll, according to Bloomberg:A Bloomberg examination of IYF s public filings show that in 2009, the year before Bill Clinton joined Laureate, the nonprofit received 11 grants worth $9 million from the State Department or the affiliated USAID. In 2010, the group received 14 grants worth $15.1 million. In 2011, 13 grants added up to $14.6 million. The following year, those numbers jumped: IYF received 21 grants worth $25.5 million, including a direct grant from the State Department.For entire story: Breitbart News | 1real |
Tax reform framework will appear end-Sept.: Congress source | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional leaders and White House officials will release a document during the week of Sept. 25 outlining the framework for tax reform, a congressional source said on Wednesday. Afterward, the goal is for Congress to finish the budget process by mid-October, the source said. | 0fake |
SYRIAN DROPS TRUTH BOMB: Germany Asked “Refugees” [On Internet] To Come…”None of us had to flee…we didn’t want to go to the army…easier to get a good job and earn money in Europe” | This is what happens when you have government leaders who represent their own self interests, putting job opportunities and national security for its citizens dead last. Sound familiar?A well-known Iranian born writer, Ramin Peymani explains in a Huffington Post- Germany article, Der Syrer eine Fl chtlingsgeschichte ( The Syrians, A Refugee Story ), that, while living in Germany, he met up with the Syrian refugee in the checkout line at a local grocery store.Being Iranian, Peymani could speak fluently with the refugee, who freely admitted that he, and all the others claiming to be refugees, were not fleeing war, but had merely come in search of jobs and money.The Syrian told Peymani that his mother lived in America, that that his sister was still in Syria. Did you escape with your mother? Why your sister has not come? Peymani asked. No, I did not flee. None of us had to flee, the Syrian freely admitted. The Assad regime is cruel and unjust, but you can live in Syria, if you just don t mess with it. Peymani then asked if the Syrian had then fled from the Islamic State terrorists. The Syrian s answer in this regard was revealing as well: I come from Damascus, like most of us [refugees] do that I ve met in the camp. There is no IS [in Damascus]; it is in other regions, for example, towards Iraq. Peymani then asked him the logical next question: Are you saying that most Syrians do not flee from war and persecution? The Syrian answered: Yes. My friends and I went because we didn t want to go to the army. And because it is easier to get a good job and earn money in Europe. Peymani then wanted to know why so many Syrians had come so suddenly. Why now are so many coming? Is it because the Assad regime has become worse? The Syrian replied: No. He [Assad] has been in power many years already. The regime is cruel and can kill opponents, but my family and I have not been touched, and none of my friends either. So why had they all now come to Europe, Peymani asked, to which the Syrian replied: In the summer we saw on the Internet that Germany wanted people to live there. We were invited to come here. And it was said that the state would take care of us and we would be given jobs. But I cannot find one Peymani also asked him what route he had followed to Germany. I lived in Turkey for some time after my mother had emigrated to the United States to be with relatives. But I could not get a visa for the USA, even though my mother has a green card. Peymani asked him if he had fled to Turkey because of the war in Syria? Laughing, the Syrian replied: No (laughs). My friends and I are here because we thought we d find work. We did not like Turkey. He was then asked if his story is typical of the people who leave Syria? The Syrian replied: I think most go for the same reason as I did. All men of my age, who want to just live better elsewhere. | 1real |
Trump Literally Wanted A North Korea Style Military Parade At Inauguration Including Tanks And Missile Launchers | Donald Trump wanted to celebrate power like a dictator, but the military rejected his demands.We ve all seen how North Korea and Russia put on big flashy military parades in a desperate effort to get attention and brag about how tough they supposedly are. American presidents, however, have never really done that. Trump wanted to be the first.Apparently, Trump and his team wanted tanks and missile launchers to roll down Pennsylvania Avenue as if to threaten his critics and political opponents while trying to convince everyone that he s tough and doesn t have small hands.Thankfully, our military responsibly rejected Trump s idea in favor of giving him a rare military flyover instead.According to Huffington Post,During the preparation for Friday s transfer-of-power, a member of Trump s transition team floated the idea of including tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade, a source involved in inaugural planning told The Huffington Post. They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade, the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.The military, which traditionally works closely with the presidential inaugural committee, shot down the request, the source said. Their reason was twofold. Some were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over 100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads.20 military aircraft will fly over the Inauguration on Friday doubling as a training exercise so that Trump s ego can be stroked just enough to keep him happy.Such flyovers are rare. President Obama did not ask for one and the only president before Ronald Reagan to get one was Harry S Truman, who oversaw the end of World War II.But what Trump was asking for is literally something that dictators in North Korea and Russia do.So the fact that Trump wanted to be like Kim Jong-Un or Joseph Stalin does not help his tyrannical image at all.Here s video of a North Korean military parade via YouTube.Seriously, Trump wanted something very similar to this. Are you scared yet, America?Featured image via screenshot | 1real |
Get Ready For Civil Unrest: Survey Finds That Most Americans Are Concerned About Election Violence |
Could we see violence no matter who wins on November 8th?
Let’s hope that it doesn’t happen, but as you will see below, anti-Trump violence is already sweeping the nation. If Trump were to actually win the election, that would likely send the radical left into a violent post-election temper tantrum unlike anything that we have ever seen before. Alternatively, there is a tremendous amount of concern on the right that this election could be stolen by Hillary Clinton. And as I showed yesterday, it appears that voting machines in Texas are already switching votes from Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton . If Hillary Clinton wins this election under suspicious circumstances, that also may be enough to set off widespread civil unrest all across the country.
At this moment there is less than two weeks to go until November 8th, and a brand new survey has found that a majority of Americans are concerned “about the possibility of violence” on election day…
A 51% majority of likely voters express at least some concern about the possibility of violence on Election Day; one in five are “very concerned.” Three of four say they have confidence that the United States will have the peaceful transfer of power that has marked American democracy for more than 200 years, but just 40% say they are “very confident” about that.
More than four in 10 of Trump supporters say they won’t recognize the legitimacy of Clinton as president, if she prevails, because they say she wouldn’t have won fair and square.
But many on the left are not waiting until after the election to commit acts of violence. On Wednesday, Donald Trump’s star on the Walk of Fame was smashed into pieces by a man with a sledgehammer and a pick-ax…
Donald Trump took a lot of hits today, and not just in the Presidential race. With less than two weeks to go before America decides if the ex- Apprentice host will pull off a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was destroyed early Wednesday morning by a man dressed as a city construction worker and wielding a sledgehammer and pick-ax in what looks to be a Tinseltown first.
And there were two other instances earlier this year when Donald Trump’s star was also vandalized. One came in January, and the other happened in June …
This is of course not the first time the GOP candidate’s star has been attacked or defaced since Trump announced his White House bid in summer 2015. The most extreme measure was a reverse swastika being sprayed on the star at 6801 Hollywood Blvd in late January. In June this summer, a mute sign was painted on Trump’s star in a seemingly protest against the antagonistic language and policies some have accused Trump of promoting and reveling in during the campaign. In both cases, Trump’s star was quickly cleaned and back as new within a day.
We have seen anti-Trump violence on the east coast as well. Earlier this month, someone decided to firebomb the Republican Party headquarters in Orange County, North Carolina. On the building next to the headquarters, someone spray-painted “Nazi Republicans get out of town or else” along with a swastika.
There have also been other disturbing incidents of anti-Trump violence all over the nation in recent days. A recent Lifezette article put together quite a long list, and the following is just a short excerpt from that piece…
On Oct. 15 in Bangor, Maine, vandals spray-painted about 20 parked cars outside a Trump rally. Trump supporter Paul Foster, whose van was hit with white paint, told reporters, “Why can’t they do a peaceful protest instead of painting cars, all of this, to make their statement?”
Around Oct. 3, a couple of Trump supporters were assaulted in Zeitgeist, a San Francisco bar, after they were allegedly refused service for expressing support for Trump, GotNews reports. “The two Trump supporters were attacked, punched, and chased into the street by ‘some thugs’ that a barmaid called out from the back.” Lilian Kim of ABC 7 Bay Area tweeted a photo of the men, in which one was wearing a Trump T-shirt and the other was wearing a “Blue Lives Matter” shirt.
On Sept. 28 in El Cajon, California, an angry mob at a Black Lives Matter protest beat 21-year-old Trump supporter Feras Jabro for wearing a “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. The assault was broadcast live using the smartphone app Periscope.
There is a move to get Trump supporters to wear red on election day, but in many parts of America that might just turn his supporters into easy targets. Let’s certainly hope that we don’t see the kind of violent confrontations at voting locations that many experts are anticipating.
Of course there are also many on the right that are fighting mad, and a Hillary Clinton victory under suspicious circumstances may be enough to push them over the edge.
For example, this week former Congressman Joe Walsh said that he is “grabbing my musket” if Donald Trump loses the election…
Former Rep. Joe Walsh appeared to call for armed revolution Wednesday if Donald Trump is not elected president.
Walsh, a former tea party congressman from Illinois who is now a conservative talk radio host, tweeted, “On November 8th, I’m voting for Trump. On November 9th, if Trump loses, I’m grabbing my musket. You in?”
And without a doubt, many ordinary Americans are stocking up on guns and ammunition just in case Hillary Clinton is victorious. The following comes from USA Today …
“Since the polls are starting to shift quite a bit towards Hillary Clinton, I’ve been buying a lot more ammunition,” says Rick Darling, 69, an engineer from Harrison Township, in Michigan’s Detroit suburbs. In a follow-up phone interview after being surveyed, the Trump supporter said he fears progressives will want to “declare martial law and take our guns away” after the election.
Today America is more divided than I have ever seen it before, and the mainstream media is constantly fueling the hatred and the anger that various groups feel toward one another.
Ironically, Donald Trump has been working very hard to bring America together. In fact, he is solidly on track to win a higher percentage of the black vote than any Republican presidential candidate since 1960 .
If Hillary Clinton and the Democrats win on November 8th, things will not go well for Hillary Clinton’s political enemies. The Clintons used the power of the White House to go after their enemies the first time around, and Hillary is even more angry and more bitter now than she was back then.
And the radical left is very clear about who their enemies are. This is something that I discussed on national television earlier this month …
As I write this, it is difficult for me to even imagine how horrible a Hillary Clinton presidency would be.
But at this point that appears to be the most likely outcome .
Out of all the candidates that we could have chosen, the American people are about to put the most evil one by far into the White House.
Perhaps Donald Trump can still pull off a miracle and we can avoid that fate, but time is rapidly slipping away and November 8th will be here before we know it. Delivered by The Daily Sheeple
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Contributed by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse .
Michael Snyder is a writer, speaker and activist who writes and edits his own blogs The American Dream , The Truth and Economic Collapse Blog. | 1real |
Interview: Andy Worthington On Final Push To Close Guantanamo | President Barack Obama has less than 70 days to achieve one of the key goals that will define his legacy: close the Guantanamo Bay military prison.
There are 60 prisoners at Guantanamo. Twenty of them were cleared by the Obama administration and could be freed.
Of course, the specter of a Donald Trump presidency has those who pushed for the closure of Guantanamo frightened because Trump said he would bring new prisoners to the facility. What if Obama had closed the facility years ago? Would this even be a possibility?
Joining me on the “Unauthorized Disclosure” podcast, journalist Andy Worthington talks to me about the final push to close Guantanamo. He is the co-founder of the “ Close Guantanamo ” campaign. He also is a musician, who wrote a song for his band, Four Fathers, about closing the military prison. His work can be found here .
The interview starts at the 30:00 mark. Later in the interview, we go on a bit of a tangent and spend a few minutes addressing the rise of far-right elements in the United States and the United Kingdom, particularly because Worthington is based in the U.K.
Below is a partial transcript of the interview:
GOSZTOLA: What do you plan to do during final days of President Obama’s presidency to push for the closure of Guantanamo, especially now that Donald Trump is president and open to torture and possibly even bringing more prisoners to Guantanamo?
WORTHINGTON: I’ve been working on the Guantanamo issue for over ten years, and it’s always been my intention to try and get it closed. So, back in January 2012, when it was the tenth anniversary of the opening of the prison, I setup a campaign and website called “Close Guantanamo” with the attorney Tom Wilner, who represented the Guantanamo prisoners in their Supreme Court cases in 2004 and 2008.
What we did this year, 2016, is we setup a countdown to close Guantanamo. So we counted down the last year of the presidency, and every 50 days we have these posters that they could print off that they could stand with, they could send in to us, and we put them on to the website and on social media. We’ve had over 500 celebrities and people across the U.S. and around the world sending in photos every 50 days.
Of course, we’re now into the very last ten weeks of Obama’s presidency so what I am trying to do is just to keep the pressure on as we’ve been doing all year just to try and keep President Obama aware that people are watching. Obviously, he doesn’t need any telling. After the election result, it’s more urgent than ever. If he really does want to close the prison, he needs to do everything that he can in his power to do it before he leaves office because, as you say, Donald Trump has said on the campaign trail that he wants to keep it open. He wants to send Americans there to be prosecuted. He wants to reintroduce torture.
Now, we also know that Donald Trump, to be generous, is a colossal windbag, and that it’s not necessarily true that the things he says he means. But he is now the president. The Republican Party that he nominally is the president of is in control of the Senate and the House, and there are some very unpleasant characters in the Republican Party, who love Guantanamo and who would love to reinstitute torture.
I think it’s fair enough at this point for people to be genuinely worried that any progress that has been made toward the closure of Guantanamo is going to hit a very sticky patch with the inauguration of Donald Trump.
GOSZTOLA: I get the real sense that we shouldn’t take any chances here, that perhaps the human rights community could get to Donald Trump and convince him that Guantanamo needs to be closed. We already see figures surrounding him like Rudy Giuliani and also, a quite goonish character, Tom Cotton, who is a senator, and former veteran, who has incredible bloodlust.
WORTHINGTON: He’s a dreadful individual. It’s so out of control that kind of massive enthusiasm for Guantanamo and the hysteria and the exaggeration about the people who were held there. Any rational analysis of Guantanamo has always has always accepted there are a handful of significant people there, but the majority of people there never were. It’s awful the things he’s been saying.
But you know, I’m really worried about the kind of people we’re hearing that are gathering around Donald Trump. I thought we’d seen the last of Rudy Giuliani and people like that. I’m hearing people mention John Bolton. Surely not. Surely, we’re not going to put up with him again. But who knows?
GOSZTOLA: The neoconservatives, as they call them, ran away from Donald Trump, but it seems they may be coming back, as it’s their only way to have access to power. So let’s talk about the critical issue of the human beings, who still remain captive at Guantanamo. I know you’ve done some recent work on Abu Zubaydah. Just so people can have a case within our interview to think about, and to think about the critical importance of closing Guantanamo and what’s at stake, talk about how he was denied release and what we know about how he was treated.
WORTHINGTON: I suppose I should really start out by breaking down who is at Guantanamo, these 60 men. Twenty of them have been approved for release by two review boards, one back in 2009. There are still a handful of men approved for release then, who haven’t actually been freed. The rest of them were approved by a review board that’s been taking place over the last few years, the Periodic Review Board, which is like a parole board. People have to demonstrate they show contrition for what they did, and they want to have constructive peaceful lives if they’re released.
That process has been involving at Guantanamo, who isn’t already approved for release or facing trial. And just ten men are facing trials. So, at present, of those people held, there are 30 men, who have had these reviews, that have said on balance we’ve reviewed their cases and we’re still going to carry on holding them but we’re not putting them on trial.
Abu Zubaydah is one of those people. He was the person that the Bush administration’s CIA torture program was created for. He was the first victim of that. He was someone who was outrageously hyped up by the Bush administration as somebody close to Osama bin laden, involved in 9/11 attacks. Number three in al Qaida was what they were saying at the beginning, even though there were people in the intelligence community who knew from the beginning that this simply was true about him
But they tortured him abominably, waterboarded him on 83 occasions, destroyed him in some ways. He has fits, is in a pretty terrible way. All of this was for somebody that was who they said he was. The U.S. government eventually backed down and said they didn’t think he knew about the 9/11 attacks. He wasn’t a member of al Qaida. They’re still trying to suggest that he was part of some kind of militia that would enable to say he was an enemy of the United States.
The thing about Zubaydah is obviously, as with everybody held, the terrible things that happened should not have happened. Skilled interrogators would have been able to sit down with these guys without laying a finger on them and get information from them. Then we would have been able to have trials that would have been acceptable. But this is a kind of revisionism of history that didn’t happen—Terrible things happened instead.
This man was a facilitators for an independent training camp that had some involvement in militarily training and some people that were trained there it seems went away and became involved in plots. So it’s not that there isn’t a case against him on some level, but whether he actually constituted an enemy of the United States, I couldn’t really say.
But there he is in Guantanamo, and like all these to moral or other degrees were mistreated and who may or may not have done things in some way against the United States, he’s had this review process, and they’ve said, well, no, we’re not going to approve him for release. He’s now eligible for further reviews, as are all the other men who had their ongoing imprisonment upheld.
Now, these reviews were initiated several years ago by an executive order that President Obama. They involve the Defense Department, the intelligence agencies, all the major government departments. So it’s an ongoing process unless, of course, a new government decided they were not interested in them, and we don’t know where President-To-Be Donald Trump stands on the periodic review boards or where the people gathering around him stand on them. But I think it would be fair to say there will be a certain amount of hostility toward them. What I don’t know is how much within these departments of the kind of unchanging people who do the work, regardless of who the government is, how much there will be feedback within these various departments and agencies about what they think is the usefulness or not of reviewing people.
I think it’s fair to say that we’re fortunate—those of us who want to see Guantanamo closed—that President Obama has done so much in recent years to reduce the population.
GOSZTOLA: There’s been a lot of promising developments, especially in the last year, but at the last time, you see a real failure because now with the election of Donald Trump the Obama administration has left the door open for the military to keep using it as a facility. Right now, as I understand it, some of the camps are being transformed into mental health or hospital facilities. Still, easily, you could put the brakes on that. Donald Trump could use that again for what we already have read about in your reporting and other books.
WORTHINGTON: I have to say, although the worst case scenario could happen in anything we think of, when we look at Donald Trump and these figures within the Republican Party who want power and influence—There are very strong arguments I suspect will be made by career bureaucrats, by lawyers, and certainly of course by NGOs. I would not expect silence from the liberal media. I would think there would be a lot of voices discussing very loudly how inappropriate it would be, for example, to send anyone new to Guantanamo.
President Obama, to his credit, he always treated it as a legacy issue. He never sent anybody there. Every time that some terrorist suspect was apprehended, pretty much wherever it was, these Republicans, the kind of people now jockeying for power, would have been saying send this person to Guantanamo. Give him the works. Torture them. All of this stuff, and ridiculous, and he never did.
This isn’t just some kind of humanitarianism that can be easily dismissed. The truth is if you apprehend a terrorism suspect and what to give them a trial then do it in federal courts. Because federal courts have a long and capable history of doing it. What everybody needs to remember and what even the great cheerleaders for Guantanamo actually know when you put them on the spot is that when Guantanamo was setup there were still federal court trials taking place successfully for people accused of terrorism. The same happened throughout the Obama administration.
Really when you step back and look at it and strip away the hysteria, Guantanamo is an aberration. It’s a broken place that doesn’t work. It would be very hard to make a case. We’re not thankfully in the middle of a national emergency like we were in the wake of 9/11.
There is no clear and present danger to the nation that would justify people saying, I know what the rules are that normally reply, but the thing that’s happening to us is so awful that we must throw away all those ways of behaving and do this terrible thing. There isn’t actually any pressure for doing that that is justifiable. I think that it would be difficult for them to justify it, and there would be a lot of resistance institutionally. But you know, who am I to know? If people take over with an aggression and craziness, it’s possible they can steamroll everything before them.
GOSZTOLA: You also are a singer, and you have a band. I wanted to have you share the work you’ve been doing. It’s called the Four Fathers. You recorded a song particularly for the campaign to close Guantanamo.
WORTHINGTON: I’ve kind of revisited something I’ve done before, which is to sing about something of importance to me. You actually made a “Protest Song of The Week” awhile back, the song I wrote for Shaker Aamer who was the last British resident in Guantanamo who I was campaigning to release. I came up with another song fairly recently. Earlier this year was when I came up with it, about Guantanamo.
That kind of fell into place that here’s this sunny, bouncy tune, which I think is probably appropriate for what this corner of the Caribbean should be, and then I basically just sang about what’s happened at Guantanamo since the prison was setup. I kind of distilled into verse what I’ve always understood about it—how the Bush administration chose it to be beyond the law, said they could torture and abuse people, when they tortured and abused people they told lies, they had the nerve to then present these lies that people told under torture and abuse as though they were the truth.
And then the last verse of the song, which I’ve used in the campaign video for the “Close Guantanamo” campaign is about President Obama’s struggles to close Guantanamo and what seems to be his failure to be able to do so. I hope people will like the song. I think it tells the story well and in a good manner. It would be lovely if you could play it to your listeners.
Listen to “Close Guantanamo”:
The post Interview: Andy Worthington On Final Push To Close Guantanamo appeared first on Shadowproof .
| 1real |
China defends trade with U.S. as Trump set to brand it a competitor | BEIJING (Reuters) - China s Foreign Ministry on Monday defended trade with the United States as a win-win scenario ahead of a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump laying out a new national security strategy that makes clear that China is a competitor. Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping while also demanding that Beijing increase pressure on North Korea over its nuclear program and changes in trade practices to make them more favorable to the United States. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was unable to comment on the strategy until it was unveiled. But in principle, China hopes the strategy can play a constructive role in promoting world peace and stability and promoting China-U.S. strategic mutual trust, Hua told a daily news conference. The essence of China-U.S. trade and economic ties is mutually beneficial and win-win, directly and indirectly supporting 2.6 million U.S. jobs, she added. In 2015, the profits of U.S. firms that invested in China reached $36.2 billion, and China will continue to support trade and investment liberalization, Hua said. We are willing to work hard with the U.S. side to dedicate ourselves to building a robust, stable and healthy trade and economic relationship, she added. That was in the interests of both sides and the expectation of the international community, Hua said. The national security strategy to be rolled out in Trump s speech, should not be seen as a bid to contain China but rather to offer a clear-eyed look at the challenges it poses, said U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump made his first visit as president to China last month, where he lauded his meetings on trade and North Korea as very productive . Washington has refrained from pushing harder on trade because it needs China s cooperation on North Korea, though Xi, at least in public when Trump was in Beijing, went no further than reiterating China s determination to achieve denuclearization through talks. China and the United States have also repeatedly clashed over trade issues, including state support for Chinese firms and intellectual property rights violations in China. On Friday, China s finance ministry said it would cut export taxes on some steel products and ditch those for sales abroad of steel wire, rod and bars from Jan. 1, stirring concern in the United States and Europe that the world s top steel producer may be looking to sell its excess product abroad. It follows a ministerial level G20 meeting in Berlin last month, where China and the United States remained at odds over how to tackle excess steel capacity. The global steel sector is worth about $900 billion a year. | 0fake |
Freed Al Qaeda operative floated as part of prisoner swap, ex-diplomat says | An admitted Al Qaeda agent released this month from a U.S. federal prison had been offered up as part of a potential prisoner swap in exchange for two Americans held in Qatar, a former U.S. diplomat said Monday.
Richard Grenell, who had worked on the case of the jailed Americans, confirmed to Fox News that the offer was put on the table.
"There's no disputing the fact. I don't care what they say -- the idea was floated," he said.
The Daily Beast first reported that the trade was proposed to the then-U.S. ambassador in Qatar in July 2014 by an individual close to Qatar's attorney general. Grenell, a former spokesman for the U.S. mission at the United Nations under the George W. Bush administration, confirmed the idea was floated to then-U.S. Ambassador Susan Ziadeh by a "close confidant" of the Qatari attorney general.
Further, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., wrote in a letter last week to the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee that he understands "engagement began months ago" on such a "possible exchange arrangement for other Americans" at the request of the Qataris.
Al Qaeda operative Ali Saleh al-Marri, who had been in U.S. custody since 2001, was ultimately released this month prior to completing his 15-year sentence because of "time served," according to the Justice Department.
Meanwhile, the two Americans -- Matthew and Grace Huang -- were allowed to leave the country last December after their controversial conviction in the death of their adopted daughter was overturned.
Administration officials, though, disputed the notion that the Al Qaeda operative's release was part of a quid pro quo. A State Department official told The Daily Beast that "no such proposal was ever on the table." The official said al-Marri was sent home as scheduled, not because of a deal.
"Al-Marri's release happened as a matter of course, as a result of his court-imposed sentence being completed," another administration official told The Daily Beast.
That squares with what other officials have claimed.
"After more than 14 years in U.S. custody, Al-Marri completed his court-imposed sentence on his terrorism conviction," DOJ spokesman Marc Raimondi told Fox News on Monday. "He has been removed from the United States and is barred for life from ever returning. As the outcome in this case shows, the U.S. government is committed to prosecuting terrorists to the fullest extent of the law and in a manner consistent with our values."
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett recently told Fox News, when asked about the case, that "people who served their sentence are then released."
Referring to administration claims that they did not negotiate here, Grenell said, "I take them at their word."
But he said the administration has already "sent the message to our friends and allies and even our enemies that we'll negotiate."
The administration did trade five Taliban fighters last year for American Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
Still, in reference to Japanese prisoners held by the Islamic State, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on Sunday stated the U.S. policy of not negotiating with terror groups over hostages.
"The policies are well set: The U.S. doesn't pay ransoms and will not do prisoner swaps. We will not discuss what the Japanese should do," he told "Fox News Sunday."
Al-Marri had been in U.S. custody since 2001, after reportedly being picked up on a routine traffic stop just weeks after the 9/11 terror attacks. He was charged with providing "material support or resources" to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other Al Qaeda operatives.
At the time of his arrest, the Qatar native was a U.S. resident attending graduate school.
He was declared an enemy combatant in 2003 and sent to a Navy brig in Charleston, S.C. In 2008, U.S. courts ruled he was entitled to a federal hearing. He accepted a plea deal in 2009 that included the 15-year sentence, at a federal prison in Illinois.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report. | 0fake |
CATHOLIC PARTIAL BIRTH-ABORTION SUPPORTING DEMOCRAT Steals Pope’s Water To Drink And Splash On Grandkids [Video]…You Won’t Believe What He’s Doing Next | He did the same thing at Obama s inauguration Sounds like someone needs a trip to the confessional (and/or a psychiatrist) Rep. Bob Brady, a Democrat, supports partial birth abortion.h/t Gateway PunditBut wait the story gets even better:This is not the first time Brady has pulled a stunt like this, with the Philadelphia Daily News reporting he did the same thing after President Obama s inauguration, though he just saved that glass and did not drink from it.They also spoke to Representative Brady who said he had saved the cup and would have police dust it for fingerprints to prove it was used by Pope Francis.He also had police dust President Obama s glass as well.Via: Daily Mail | 1real |
House Intel Chairman: No Evidence of Contacts Between Trump Campaign, Russian Agents - Breitbart | The chairman of the House Permanent Committee on Intelligence told reporters at the Capitol Monday he has yet to see evidence of contacts between President Donald Trump’s campaign and individuals in the Russian government or part of its extensive network of affiliated persons. [“As of right now, we have no evidence, but we will continue to ask for evidence and look for evidence,” said Rep. Devin Nunes (R. .) who called the press conference to deal with a number of issues, including a New York Times report that the members of the Trump campaign were in contact with Russian intelligence and that he was pressured by the White House to call reporters to knock down the Times story. ” Nunes said his committee had not concluded its probe into contact between Russian operatives and any of the presidential campaigns. “Not only the three Americans named in that story but also any Americans with the Russians. ” Trump’s national campaign chairman Paul Manafort was named in the Times report, but the other two individuals were not named. Manafort resigned from the Trump campaign Aug. 19, shortly after the Republican National Convention. The hauling of citizens before a congressional hearing based on media reports would bring back the days of McCarthyism, he said. “I am trying to be very careful,” he said. “We can’t have the government — the U. S. government — the Congress or another branch of the government chasing down American citizens, calling them before the Congress as if they are some sort of secret Russian agents,” he said. “That is what I am concerned about here — that we go off on some witch hunt against American citizens just because they appear in a press story somewhere. ” The congressman said he has yet to see any sign that members of the Trump campaign or transition team broke any laws dealing with foreign governments. There were, however, contacts between the Trump camp and the Russians that were completely he said. After President Barack Obama issued his Dec. 29 sanctions against Russia, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, then designated to serve as Trump’s National Security Adviser, spoke to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak a number of times. Those conversations were wiretapped by the Department of Justice and transcripts of the conversations were given to media outlets. If anything, the FBI should focus on how a DOJ wiretap transcript that had to be approved by the classified Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court went public, which is indisputably a crime, he said. Nunes said that even if Flynn discussed Obama’s December sanctions, he would have no problem — even if Flynn told the Russians that the incoming Trump administration would ignore or ease that round of sanctions. Flynn has maintained that he did not discuss the sanctions. “If the discussions occurred around ensuring that there was no overreaction by the Russian government, so that the new administration could do like all the other previous administrations, who thought they could work with Putin, all three have been wrong,” Nunes said. “If that is just what General Flynn did, to try and keep the lines of communications open,” he said. “That did us a big favor. ” This comment incensed CNN reporter Jim Sciutto. Sciutto called out to the congressman: “Do you want an administration negotiating against another? Isn’t that one U. S. administration negotiating — ” The congressman subdued a smirk as he cut Sciutto off, saying, “You want to investigate the Logan Act? You’re a Logan Act guy?” The 1799 Logan Act bans American citizens from negotiating with a foreign power without the approval of the federal government. Sciutto: “I didn’t mention the Logan Act, I’m just saying that if one administration — ” Nunes cut him off again: “The Logan Act is ridiculous. You guys all know that. ” No one has ever been prosecuted for violating the Logan Act. The other contentious was between the chairman and reporters, who kept insisting that there was something nefarious about the White House asking Nunes to talk to a reporter about the New York Times story. “It was kind of an odd story, I thought,” the congressman said. CNN reporter Manu Raju asked Nunes if he felt that his integrity was compromised when he spoke to the reporter at the behest of the White House. Nunes said he was not compromised at all. “If the White House asked me to talk to a reporter — it was one reporter — if the White House asked me to talk to you? Would that be OK or not OK?” Raju was silent for a long moment, then asked, “What is your response to that?” Raju: “You’re investigating this matter, the White House is urging you to knock down these stories that are leaving questions — ” Nunes: “That doesn’t happen. That absolutely doesn’t happen. ” Following the press conference, Nunes met with other Republican members of the intelligence committee. As the committee moves forward with its investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election cycle, he pledged to hold regular press availabilities. | 0fake |
Bill Maher Lets Us Know The ’25 Things’ We Have Yet To Learn About Trump (VIDEO) | Almost every well-known celebrity will likely get a moment where a gossip magazine does a feature on them telling the public what we may not know about them. So, keeping with the tradition of doing the same for politicians that may not have been featured, Bill Maher on HBO s Real Time just did 25 Things You Don t Know About Donald Trump. Many of them were funny: I don t drink alcohol, I cause others to drink alcohol. Not only do I read the Bible, the Book of Revelations mentions me by name. Mar-a-lago is Spanish for House of Douche.' I saved the box Melania arrived in so I can return her when she turns 50. I never actually believed Obama was born in Kenya. Because I thought the name of the country was Kanye. Yet, some were all too real: Sometimes, late at night, I worry that my obsessive self-aggrandizement and self-promotion are symptoms of a inner weakness and a transparent, childish impulse that everyone can see. I worry they re laughing at how obvious it is that I m an abandoned, frightened child swirling in a black emptiness. Or hitting Trump on his obvious racism: I cry at movies because they re integrated. And, of course, going back to the oldie, but a goodie where Maher calls Trump an Orangutan: I can peel a banana with my feet. Maher hits the nail on the head, and I don t care who you are, this segment is beyond hilarious, because most of them are probably true.Watch the full segment here:Featured image via video screen capture | 1real |
BREAKING NEWS: “At The Direction Of The President” 22-Yr Old American Is Released From N. Korean Prison [VIDEO] | 22-yr old American Otto Warmbier was arrested and imprisoned during Barack Obama s last term in office. He was released at the direction of President Trump. Although former President Barack Obama was unable to secure her release, after being in office for less than 4 months, President Trump was also able to secure the release of Aya Hijazi, an Egyptian-American charity worker who spent three years in an Egyptian jail over what human rights groups say were bogus charges.Otto Warmbier, the college student arrested, tried and imprisoned in North Korea for more than a year for trying to swipe a souvenir from his hotel during a guided tour of the communist nation, has been released, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced Tuesday.The 22-year-old Warmbier has served just over a year of his 15-year sentence allegedly for taking down a sign of the late dictator Kim Jong Il while Warmbier was in the country with a tour group. As of Tuesday morning, Warmbier was on his way home to Cincinnati, although other details surrounding the dramatic events were not released. At the direction of the President, the Department of State has secured the release of Otto Warmbier from North Korea, Tillerson said. Mr. Warmbier is en route to the United States, where he will be reunited with his family. The Department of State continues to have discussions with the DPRK regarding three other U.S. citizens reported detained. Out of respect for the privacy of Mr. Warmbier and his family, we have no further comment on Mr. Warmbier. Warmbier s parents, who have appeared on Fox News Channel in the past to plead for their son s release, expressed gratitude. FOX News | 1real |
Saudi-led coalition to allow cranes into Yemen's Hodeidah port | DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition will allow four cranes into the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah to boost humanitarian aid deliveries into wartorn Yemen, the Saudi ambassador to Sanaa said on Wednesday. Saudi-led forces blocked the port for more than three weeks last month in response to Houthi missile attacks, adding to food shortages in Yemen. A coalition spokesman said on Wednesday the Houthis had fired 83 ballistic missiles towards the kingdom since the war started in 2015. | 0fake |
Under The GOP’s Health Care Bill, Premiums Could Rise By Up To 850% For Low-Income Older Americans | If you are a low-income earner and over 64 years of age, just be warned: You will be paying more than half of your annual income on health insurance in the individual market under the Republican Party s new health care bill set to replace Obamacare, the American Health Care Act.The Congressional Budget Office found that the revised bill does, in fact, bring down overall premiums in the individual market at a rate of between four to twenty percent by 2026 when compared to the current law. The variation in percentage differs state-by-state, depending on whether the state accepts regulatory waivers under the American Health Care Act, which would allow insurers to offer much skimpier health plans at lower premiums. What this means is that states that allow the waivers would have far lower premiums, but the individual would be covered for a lot less, as well, whereas states that don t have the waivers would have a higher rate, but more comprehensive coverage.Premiums would also differ greatly depending on age and income and it looks pretty grim for individuals in an older age bracket who are on a fixed income.Using an annual income of $26,500 as an example, an individual aged 21 years old may have an advantage with the new scheme. Currently, under the Affordable Care Act, that individual pays an average of $1,700 per year on insurance premiums. This amount would drop to just $1,250 under the American Health Care Act if their state accepts regulatory waivers, although they would be covered for less. In a state that doesn t accept waivers, the average premiums for a 21-year-old would actually increase by around $50 per annum to about $1,750 per year.However, a 64-year-old on an annual income of $26,500 is currently still spending that average amount of $1,700 per annum on premiums under Obamacare, but things look pretty bleak under the American Health Care Act. Under the new Republican bill, roughly 60 percent of their income will go toward insurance premiums if they live in a state that doesn t accept waivers, forking out around $16,500 a year. It s still not a whole lot better in other states, where they would be paying $13,600, still more than half of their wages.If, however, that 64-year-old is making at least $68,200 per year, they look to be better off in certain situations under the Republican Party s new scheme, one whose tax credit is based on age, not income. An annual income of $68,200 is too high to receive a tax credit under Obamacare so the individual would be expected to pay $15,300 in insurance premiums, whereas under Trump s American Health Care Act, their premium would drop to $13,600 in a state that accepts regulatory waivers, but would actually increase to $16,100 in a state that doesn t.The reason for this is not just the age-factor, but also because the tax credit under the American Health Care Act starts phasing out at $75,000. Individuals on a yearly income of $75,000 or more will receive fewer, if any, subsidies under the new Republican bill and can expect to pay more in premiums than they would under the Affordable Care Act.This is all achieved in a variety of ways. First, Obamacare s income-based tax credits, which gave more to low-income earners, will be abolished and replaced with a tax-credit based on age for those with an annual salary below $75,000, one that gives older people slightly more. Also, the American Health Care Act adjusts a rule that Obamacare had in place to protect older people from higher premiums. This rule takes into consideration that the elderly are generally in worse health than the young so insurers are only allowed to charge an older person about three times what they would charge a younger person. Under the new Republican bill, insurers would be able to charge an older person five times what they would charge a younger person, 66 percent more than they could under Obamacare.As a result, the Republican bill will, in theory, bring insurance premiums down in general, but at the expense of older and poorer Americans. Nobody knew health care would be so complicated.Featured image via Bill Clark-Pool/Getty Images | 1real |
Trump team talks trade, labor with U.S. farm groups | CHICAGO (Reuters) - Advisers to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pledged to U.S. agricultural groups that he will give growers and states a say on national farm policy should he be elected, two association leaders said on Friday. Eleven groups representing farmers, seed companies and other players in the sector met for the first time with Trump’s top agricultural advisers in Washington on Monday to make recommendations on policy, following a similar meeting with representatives of rival Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in June. The presidential candidates’ agriculture policies are crucial, agricultural groups say, because net U.S. farm income this year is forecast to drop to its lowest since 2002, largely due to a decline in grain prices. If that happens, incomes will be down 56 percent from a recent high of $123.3 billion in 2013. For Trump’s team, the meeting came as he has tried to be more disciplined and on message as he seeks to reset his campaign against Clinton for the Nov. 8 election. He reshuffled top campaign leaders this week, and on Friday accepted the resignation of campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Agricultural trade, labor, crop insurance and food safety were among the topics discussed at the meeting with farm groups, which included Charles Herbster, national chairman of Trump’s agricultural advisory committee, and Sam Clovis, Trump’s chief policy advisor, participants told Reuters. Former Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, who is on Trump’s advisory committee, also attended, they said. “There was an assertion that farmers will be at the tables to make decisions, and that was well received by myself and our colleagues,” said Barb Glenn, chief executive officer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Also, there was a focus on “the concept that the states need to be brought in to work with the federal government,” she said. Clinton’s campaign staff have previously made similar comments to farm groups, said Jay Vroom, chief executive officer of pesticide association CropLife America, who attended meetings with representatives of both candidates. “Both of them are quite interested in understanding where American ag is at,” he said. Trump on Tuesday named 64 people to his agricultural advisory committee, including six U.S. governors, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, and the chairmen of the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees. The latest RealClearPolitics average of national opinion polls puts Clinton 6 percentage points ahead of Trump, at 47.2 percent to 41.7 percent. | 0fake |
Fox ‘News’ Host’s Head Explodes Over Sanders Supporter’s Moral Stance On Taxes (VIDEO) | Fox Business host, Stuart Varney, had an interview with Nevada Superdelegate, Erin Bilbray, that made Varney get more than a little angry. Bilbray has pledged to vote for Bernie Sanders during the Democratic National Convention. Varney became hot under the collar because Bilbray supports higher taxes for the rich.Varney has a net worth of approximately $10 million dollars. That means the financial analyst would probably be paying more in taxes should Sanders win the White House and get some of his proposals passed. Varney argues against Sanders proposals to make taxes a bit more progressive to address skyrocketing income inequality, saying You re going to take it off me and give it to somebody else. I got it. Okay. Bilbray defends her position. However, Varney wasn t hearing it. Let s not beat around the bush, Varney goes on to say. He is going to take it off me. I already pay 60 percent of my income in taxes and he wants more. Please, don t confuse the issue, he is going to take it off me and give it to somebody else. If you think that s okay, that s fine with me. I don t. Let me move on. Varney, seemingly not wanting to have a conversation about facts or policy, insists on having a conversation about the morality of having the rich pay a higher share of taxes. Bilbray says that she wasn t prepared to have a conversation about morality. Though she thinks it isn t moral for people to be working as they as they are and still struggle just to get by.Varney only repeats his earlier position, while steadily growing angrier.Now, Sanders himself has called income inequality the great moral issue of our time. Sanders has revealed himself to have a humanist philosophy on morality. Sanders also happens to have a lot of respected economists who agree with his tax policy proposals too. Sanders recently explained his spirituality, saying: I believe that, as a human being, the pain that one person feels, if we have children who are hungry in America, if we have elderly people who can t afford their prescription drugs, you know what, that impacts you, that impacts me. And I worry very much about a society where some people spiritually say, It doesn t matter to me. I got it, I don t care about other people. So my spirituality is that we are all in this together and that when children go hungry, when veterans sleep out on the street, it impacts me. That s my very strong spiritual feelings. It would be a pleasure to see a gentleman like Sanders have this conversation with Varney.You can watch the interview below:Featured image from video screenshot. | 1real |
WATCH: Hateful Trump Mob Boos Military Mom At Official Rally | Following in Donald Trump s footsteps of attacking military families, a mother with a son serving in the U.S. Airforce was booed at a rally for his presidential campaign on Monday. The moment happened as the woman was attempting to ask a question of Gov. Mike Pence, Trump s running mate.WATCH: Military mom booed at Pence rally for asking about Trump's treatment of Khan family. pic.twitter.com/soaCWAhh6n Correct The Record (@CorrectRecord) August 1, 2016After delivering a standard stump speech, Pence took audience questions at a room inside a Carson City, Nevada, casino.The second question came from a woman who said her son serves in the U.S. Air Force. The mother asked about Trump s treatment of Muslim parents Khizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son, a decorated Army veteran, was killed in Iraq in 2004. Will there ever be a point in time when you re able to look Trump in the eye and tell him enough is enough? the woman asked Pence, prompting boos from the crowd.Pence hushed the crowd as the woman had her microphone taken away, and told them, That s what freedom looks like. That s what freedom sounds like. Pence went on to say, Captain Khan is an American hero and we honor him and honor his family. But neither he nor Trump repudiated the nominee s attacks on the family, who spoke out against Trump s proposed anti-Muslim ban at the Democratic Convention.Trump has insisted that he was viciously attacked by the Khans and claimed that Ghazala Khan didn t speak up at the convention due to her Islamic faith.Khan said on MSNBC and in an op-ed in the Washington Post that she was overcome with grief still at the death of her son and could not speak up.Trump has been blasted for his insensitivity by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and other Gold Star family members who have demanded an apology. Some Republicans governors and senators have spoken out against Trump s comments but without actually rescinding their endorsements of his presidential campaign.Featured image via screen capture | 1real |
The Genealogy of Trump’s U-Turn on Palestine | Patrick Henningsen 21st Century WireHas political reality finally set in for the GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump?With only days before the Republican Party s National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, presidential candidate Donald J. Trump finally abandoned any pretence of neutrality on the Israel-Palestine issue, and is now firmly committed to supporting Israeli settlement expansion on territories it has seized illegally, and also not recognizing a Palestinian State.After all the promising rhetoric and previous displays of good will on this crucial foreign policy issue, exactly how did he finally arrive back at the status quo?What started off as interesting, became promising, before eventually settling into Washington s default position. On numerous past occasions during the GOP debate cycle and along the campaign trail, Trump had stated his feelings (which appeared to have an air of passion at the time) and intentions to secure a peace deal for the open-ended Israel-Palestine conflict.The Israeli Lobby started to get very interested in the beginning of December 2015, when during an interview with the AP, Trump seemed to blame Israel for not securing a lasting peace agreement. I have a real question as to whether or not both sides want to make it, Trump said, before explaining that his concerns predominantly reside with one side in particular [Israel]. He also hinted that he wasn t interested in any Jewish Republican money, to a chorus of boos he crowed, I can t be bought . The same for any outside money too. Later, it slipped out again during a nationally televised GOP debate, with Trump making sounds about negotiating a peace deal. Now here was a true maverick, giving chase to the forbidden cow. Amid all of Trump s wild gaffes and ad hominem attacks, this was an epiphany. At this moment Trump really stood out, and caught the attention and support of a whole new legion of disaffected, disenfranchised moderates paddling on the fringe of the Trump wave.That was it. Soon after the phone rang. It was Sheldon.The Donald had been summoned to a one-on-one in Las Vegas with the capo de capo himself, the George Soros of American right-wing politics, the kingmaker, Lord of the Slots and Supreme Master of Macau, billionaire property, casino tycoon and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, 82 yr old Sheldon Adelson. It was after this time that Trump began to shape-shift on the issue, and not in favor of the Palestinians either. CAPO de CAPO? Donald Trump and Sheldon AdelsonAdelson, a committed Zionist who has backed numerous successful political careers, including that of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, commented on his meeting with the Republican candidate, He [Trump] had talked about potentially dividing about Jerusalem and Israel, so I talked about Israel because with our newspaper, my wife being Israeli, we are the few who know more about Israel than people who don t. From that point on, began the process of Trump s rehabilitation on the Israel-Palestine.On March 10, 2016, there stood Trump, still as the presumptive underdog, at CNN s GOP Debate in Miami alongside a wall of Republicans candidates who were all firmly in the pockets of the Israel lobby including their emissaries in the US Senate Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Trump s remarks on the illusive peace process could have been considered seminal way back then: I would like to at least have the other side think I m somewhat neutral as to them, so that we can maybe get a deal done. Campaign rival Cruz hit back, questioning Trump s support for Israel saying, I don t think we need a commander in chief who is neutral between the Palestinian terrorists and one of our strongest allies in the world, the nation of Israel. Everyone, including the media, seemed so shocked by Trump s unorthodox comments that they went near catatonic on this issue afterwords. It was as if Trump had pole-vaulted over the perennial swamp that is the GOP foreign policy platform. The Lobby didn t waste any time however. In the eyes of the wider Israeli Lobby, taking a neutral stance or daring to recognize Palestine or Palestinians, is synonymous with attacking Israel and Jews. This is a simple law of political physics in America at the moment and will remain so as long as the lobbyists continue shoveling millions of dollars per month into the pockets of both prospective candidates and elected officials nationwide.Predictably, he was attacked viciously by his opponents, especially Cruz. It seemed as if Trump has broken ranks in a way that was unfathomable for any Republican politician seeking office in the United States of America.Of course, the Israeli press didn t take kindly to Trump s vision of peace and harmony, and from this point onward, pressure began to mount on Trump to conform to the American political orthodoxy on this issue.Soon, Trump was summoned on March 21st, to AIPAC, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, where he delivered a resounding speech which seemed good enough for the lobby that night, but the job wasn t finished just yet.Later on in May, Trump continued to evolve, now employing doublespeak on the issue, saying he would still like to negotiate a deal but that Israel should keep building illegal settlements in the West Bank of Palestine, and that Israel needs to keep going and keep moving forward. He stated: I d love to negotiate peace. I think that, to me, is the all-time negotiation I would love to see if peace could be negotiated. A lot of people say that s not a deal that s possible. But I mean lasting peace, not a peace that lasts for two weeks and they start launching missiles again. So we ll see what happens. I think Israel should have they really have to keep going. They have to keep moving forward [with constructing illegal settlements]. Finally, the penny ultimately dropped. With the GOP s Big Tent event rapidly approaching, Trump s platform on Israel has been fully baked. Sputnik News reports: David M. Friedman, a real-estate attorney serving as Trump s main advisor on Israel, said the Republican presidential candidate and reality television star would not support the recognition of the Palestinian state without the approval of the Israelis. Friedman also remarked that Trump was unconcerned with the inhabitants of the West Bank, because nobody really knows how many Palestinians live there. Trump made Friedman a part of his campaign staff in April, at a meeting with Orthodox Jews, naming him and Jason Greenblatt, another real-estate lawyer and Trump s chief attorney, as his advisors on Israel. Friedman said at the time, Mr. Trump s confidence is very flattering. My views on Israel are well known, and I would advise him in a manner consistent with those views. America s geopolitical interests are best served by a strong and secure Israel, with Jerusalem as its undivided capital. Friedman has made no secret of his feelings about a two-state solution with Palestine, writing that, It was never a solution, just an illusion that served both the US and the Arabs. Another devastating blow to the native Palestinians, currently under military occupation and backed by the US to the tune of $3 billion per year in direct military aid (free money for weapons and equipment).Against his former declarations to the contrary, Trump is also now accepting outside money, from multiple sources. Funny how the political poles shift. How quickly a raging populist becomes a cynical realist. Even for a self-made billionaire, money still buys friends and influence.With that out of the way, it s finally safe for the lobby to get behind Donald in a general election, should they wish to.There it is. The genealogy of Donald Trump s evolving stance on Israel.*** Author Patrick Henningsen is an American writer and global affairs analyst and founder of independent news and analysis site 21st Century Wire, and is host of the SUNDAY WIRE weekly radio show broadcast globally over the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR). He has written for a number of international publications and has done extensive on-the-ground reporting of the conflict Syria, Iraq and the Middle East.READ MORE ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2016 Files | 1real |
WHOA! NEW DISTURBING VIDEO Shows HILLARY’S Campaign Likely FAKED Her Audience At NC Rally | On September 15, Hillary apparently held a rally in the Old Student Recreational Center at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, NC. This was her first public appearance since she convulsed and had to be lifted into her van following the 9-11 memorial in NYC. Hillary s campaign was quick to blame the heat until they discovered conservative websites were able to quickly access the weather and determine that it was a balmy 74 degrees in NYC! Hillary was quickly whisked away to her daughter Chelsea s apartment following her incident, passing more than one hospital on the way to recuperate. Did Hillary recover from her incident or was this rally faked to make it look like she did?Here is the first video of Hillary s Greensboro, NC rally that was causing viewers to ask what the heck are those cameras in Hillary s audience pointing at? If you look closely, it sure isn t Hillary!Watch this video first, and then the video below to get a closer analysis of what appears to be a phony rally for Hillary at https://twitter.com/WDFx2EU5/status/777263623915745280This stunning video takes the viewer through and shows step-by-step where the audience is faked:Here is the actual video from C-Span to prove nothing was doctored in the videos above. Holy moly! | 1real |
Prophet Mohammed will Marry Virgin Mary, Islamic Cleric Says | A leading Egyptian cleric irked his Christian compatriots when he said on television that the Islamic figure Muhammed would marry the Virgin Mary in heaven. [Dr Salem Abdel Galil, a theologian at Cairo’s prestigious Al Azhar academy and a former of the Ministry of Religions, said on his television program that “Allah, hallowed be his name, chose Mary of all the women, alongside Asiya, Pharaoh’s wife, Aisha and Khadijea, Prophet Muhammed’s wives, and Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter. There are verses in the Quran that suggest that in heaven Muhammed will marry the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus peace be upon him, as well as Asiya, Pharaoh’s wife and Kultum, the sister of Moses peace be upon him. ” “The Quran said: ‘Allah will give [the Prophet] women preferable to his wives, Muslim, pious, pure women. ’” One, he said, referred to Asiya and the other to Mary. Egypt’s Christian community was enraged by Galil’s remarks. The community’s youth movement issued a statement demanding an apology. The movement’s chairman, Nader Soubhi, said: “We Christians don’t recognize any aspect of the Virgin Mary except her sanctity, her purity and her virginity. The Virgin Mary will never lose any of these. ” In 2010, an Al Azhar cleric caused controversy with a similar ruling, which also raised the church’s ire. Then too, church representatives said they rejected the ruling “which contradicts our religion and holy book. It’s offensive to the Virgin Mary. ” Reverend Abdel Masih Basit said that “the Virgin became pregnant while a virgin, and will forever remain so. And according to Jesus, in heaven you don’t marry but become angels. ” “The Christian faith relies on the belief that a man’s soul turns into a spirit after his death and his body turns into light, and therefore there’s no need for partnership or sexual intercourse,” he said. | 0fake |
Most Americans want Obama to nominate Scalia's replacement: Reuters/Ipsos | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Americans believe it should be up to President Barack Obama to nominate the next U.S. Supreme Court justice, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Thursday, with opinion divided along ideological party lines. The death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia last week sparked an intense debate between Republicans and Democrats over whether Obama, a Democrat, should nominate Scalia’s replacement before he leaves office, or whether the seat should be left open until a new president takes office in January. Concerned that any appointee Obama selects would tip the nine-justice court in liberals’ favor, Republicans in the U.S. Congress and on the presidential campaign trail have said the replacement should be chosen by the next president. The White House has said Obama intends to do as the U.S. Constitution requires and “move promptly” to nominate a successor. The nominee must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The poll showed that 54 percent of Americans believed Obama should make the nomination. The support overwhelmingly came from Democrats, with 81 percent of them saying they supported Obama nominating Scalia’s successor. Among Republicans, only 27 percent said they either strongly or somewhat supported Obama making the pick. Democrats and Republican also had different priorities when it comes to picking a Supreme Court nominee, according to the poll. A majority, or 67 percent, of Democrats said they wanted someone pragmatic and willing to compromise, with 53 percent of Republicans saying they wanted someone ideologically pure. Despite its polarizing effect, the Supreme Court issue does not appear to be a priority issue for voters surveyed. More Americans think the executive and legislative branches of government wield greater influence than the judiciary, the poll showed, and fewer than 10 percent thought nominating justices to the high court was a presidential duty most relevant to them. A third of those surveyed said they were not aware of Scalia’s death, which first made headlines on Saturday. The poll of 1,108 adults, including 460 Democrats and 426 Republicans, was conducted Tuesday to Thursday. It had a credibility interval of about 5 percentage points. | 0fake |
Bob Bradley Is Out at Swansea. Round Up the Usual Replacements. - The New York Times | There was a telltale line in the statement Huw Jenkins, the chairman of Swansea City, released Tuesday to confirm that Bob Bradley’s career as a Premier League manager was over after 85 days. Amid the heartfelt expressions of regret that are all but programmed into these things, the eulogies for the condemned man’s character and the best wishes for his future, Jenkins explained the logic that had forced his — and Swansea’s American owners’ — hand. “We felt we had to make the change with half of the Premier League season remaining,” Jenkins said. “With the club going through such a tough time, we have to try and find the answers to get ourselves out of trouble. ” Jenkins did not mean that Swansea is about to indulge in a period of intense . There will be no at the executive level about the drift that has been allowed to set in at the club over the last three years or about why Swansea’s meteoric rise has been allowed to stall so quickly. Jenkins and his colleagues will not be asking themselves why the club has sold a host of important players, the core of the team that took Swansea into the Premier League and then established the club there, nor why they tried to replace them with a collection of waifs and strays. There will be no deep dive into performance data to try to work out where, what and who the weak links are. No, what Jenkins means is quite different. Swansea is not going to start asking any questions. It is going to skip that part and go out and find an answer. Or rather, it is going to go out and find a man — almost certainly a white man, and most likely one who in most other walks of life would be about ready for his pension — who it believes already has the answers. In Italy, there is a word for the manager who is called in when the warning lights are flashing and the fans are in revolt: traghettatore — the ferryman, the person who guides you through choppy waters to the safety of the bank. England — where referring to a penalty kick as a “P. K.,” as Bradley did, is considered dangerously gauche — does not have the word, but it most certainly understands the concept. A couple of days before Christmas, Sam Allardyce was confirmed as Crystal Palace’s new manager. Alan Pardew, the man he replaced, was a former player at the club, beloved by its fans, and had even taken Palace to last year’s F. A. Cup final. His arrival just less than two years ago had been treated as a considerable coup Palace had paid Newcastle £3. 5 million ($4. 2 million) to release him from his contract, and it had been only a couple of months since Pardew himself had explained, at length, why he would not want to leave the club even if he was offered the chance to manage England’s national team. But Palace was enduring a worse 2016 than any other Premier League team. The most lavish spending in the club’s history — bringing in the likes of Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend — had not arrested the slide, and now the heat of the battle to avoid relegation was on Pardew’s neck. Despite his close bond with Steve Parish, Palace’s chairman, Pardew could not survive it. On Dec. 22, the day he was relieved of his duties — with a payout to cushion the blow — Allardyce was summoned for talks with Parish. Those went so well that Allardyce, 62, took charge of training on Christmas Eve. It did not matter that Allardyce had been fired, just a few months earlier, from his dream job as England’s manager for a series of damaging comments made to undercover newspaper journalists. It did not matter that the Football Association, English soccer’s governing body, had deemed his behavior beyond the pale, and that it had been forced to part with him “to protect the wider interests of the game. ” It did not matter, either, that at two of Allardyce’s four previous clubs — Newcastle United and West Ham United — his departure was hardly mourned, or that his preferred style of play was polarizing at best, or that he only won nine of 31 games in charge of Sunderland, his last club post. It did not matter because Allardyce is a traghettatore, and ultimately money trumps what ghosts of morality survive in elite soccer. He is the man who has the answers. He will always find work whenever he is without it, work tends to find him. “We were fortunate that someone of Allardyce’s caliber and experience was available,” Parish said in bringing him on. That word, experience, is crucial. It is the same one Allardyce chose to emphasize when he was presented as Palace’s new manager: He would “get out of trouble, with my experience. ” The Premier League, more than most other leagues, cherishes experience. Swansea’s experiment with Bradley, of course, seems to illustrate perfectly why that is. Bradley was, by Premier League standards, an appointment out of deep left field. He had never before worked in a top European league. He had neither coached nor played in England. His résumé was eclectic, and his body of work, weighted with its context, was impressive: spells with the United States and Egypt national teams, fine campaigns with Stabaek in Norway and Le Havre in France’s second division. He was convincing in interviews: Jenkins, like Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, Swansea’s American owners, believed he was a leader. He was popular within the club, with employees and players. Jenkins meant it when he described him, in his statement Tuesday, as a “good man. ” And yet the results do not lie. Swansea has only 12 points from 18 games this season Bradley leaves the club in 19th place in the standings, his team having scored 15 goals and conceded 29 during his tenure. It was the latter that did it for him: not the fact of defeats to West Ham, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion, but the nature of them — the visible collapses, the wilting spirit. Bradley had many admirable traits and a respected work ethic, but in hindsight that all seems irrelevant because he does not have experience, and only experience brings answers. Now Swansea, too, will turn to its own traghettatore. It is possible to, simultaneously, feel that Swansea has made an understandable decision and worry that English soccer is damaged by this tyranny of experience. Not just because the same old jobs going to the same old faces is one of the reasons that England’s native managerial stock remains so steadfastly white: Even a properly enforced Rooney Rule — the N. F. L. ’s requirement that teams interview a minority candidate for head coaching vacancies — would stand no chance of working when the only openings that come up would be inevitably awarded to the same candidates. Not just because it places an insurmountable roadblock on any young coaches — either or those working their way through the lower leagues — hoping for a chance to cut their teeth in the Premier League, starving a new generation of oxygen. But because, in encouraging that homogeneity, it locks English soccer — as opposed to the multinational Premier League — in stasis. Few clubs risk new ideas, new approaches, new voices those that do seem to lose their nerve with alarming speed. Maybe Bradley was the wrong appointment at Swansea, but that should not mean the league should write off all American coaches, or all coaches in France’s second division, or all coaches who have not previously managed in England. To believe that would be to condemn English soccer to the tried and tested, instead of the bold and the brave. It would mean a culture that is forever crossing from one bank to another, never actually getting anywhere. | 0fake |
2016 campaign takes strange twists after Orlando | Washington (CNN) The ever-turbulent 2016 election is now just plain weird.
The attack on an Orlando gay nightclub -- the worst strike on U.S. soil since 9/11 -- spurred a strange week of politics even by this year's standards.
As always, Donald Trump was at the epicenter of much of the controversy. The presumptive Republican nominee, who opposes same-sex marriage, sought to portray himself as a "real friend" of the LGBT community while taking ambiguous positions on gun control that he later seemed to reverse and insinuating President Barack Obama has ulterior motives in responding to terrorism.
After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president.
Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van.
Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state.
Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state.
After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you."
After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you."
Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April.
Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April.
Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015.
Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."
Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities.
Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities.
Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015.
Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015.
Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014.
Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014.
Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012.
Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012.
Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails.
Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails.
In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010.
The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010.
Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010.
Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010.
Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state.
Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state.
Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama.
Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama.
Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007.
Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007.
Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003.
Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003.
Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001.
Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001.
Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year.
Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year.
President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999.
President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999.
The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998.
The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998.
Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997.
The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997.
The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President.
The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President.
Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing.
Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing.
Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995.
Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995.
Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993.
Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993.
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus.
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus.
In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union.
In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union.
Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992.
Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992.
The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President.
The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President.
Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985.
Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985.
In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea.
In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea.
Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School.
Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School.
Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party.
Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party.
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, broke with Obama by uttering the words "radical Islamism" -- rhetoric that she has long resisted for fear that it would embolden terrorists.
Terrorist attacks often have the potential to radically shift the political conversation. Trump's proposed temporary ban on Muslim immigrants in the aftermath of the San Bernardino, California, attacks, for instance, deeply resonated with GOP primary voters. But the responses this week -- in which Trump and Clinton made moves that would have been unexpected a week ago -- reflect the unusual confluence of gay rights, gun control and national security in the wake of Orlando and underscore the volatile nature of American politics this year.
No one is more unusual at the moment than Trump.
He started the week by tearing up the Terrorism 101 rule book used by most politicians who go out of their way to foster unity in the wake of such an outrage. Trump did the exact opposite.
Hours after Sunday's attack unfolded, he issued a self-congratulatory tweet that noted his long stance that radical Islam leads to terrorism. On Monday, he implied Obama was somehow complicit or sympathetic toward the U.S.-born Muslim who went on the rampage and later snatched away the campaign credentials of The Washington Post when it reported on his comments.
Trump has never been known for consistency and demonstrated his ability to hold several contradictory positions on issues that motivate the Republican base at the same time.
After the Orlando carnage, Trump suggested that if the people in the nightclub had guns themselves, the story could have been different. And he stirred his audiences with false claims that Clinton wanted to "take away Americans' guns."
But then, perhaps scenting a change in the political wind, Trump said he would meet with the National Rifle Association to discuss how to stop people on the terror watch list or FBI no-fly lists from buying guns, in contradiction with previous Republican positions. But during a Thursday rally in Dallas, he again seemed to take a hard line on guns, repeating his claim about Clinton and saying, "I'm going to save your Second Amendment rights."
Trump repeatedly claimed that he was the best friend the LGBT community has in this election -- rather than Clinton who has been deeply engaged in LGBT issues for years and counts the community as a deep well of support and donor dollars.
Clinton could not resist trolling her general election foe when CNN reporter Phil Mattingly quoted Trump on Twitter as saying: "You tell me: who is better for the gay community and who is better for women than Donald Trump."
The former secretary of state's campaign account tweeted back, "Hi."
Trump expounded further on his gun views Friday evening. At a Texas rally Trump argued, as he often has in the wake of terrorist attacks and mass shootings, that fewer gun restrictions would have lessened the death toll.
"If we had people, where the bullets were going in the opposite direction, right smack between the eyes of this maniac," Trump said, gesturing between his eyes. "And this son of a b---- comes out and starts shooting and one of the people in that room happened to have (a gun) and goes boom. You know what, that would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight, folks."
Trump also slammed President Barack Obama for arguing for action to change existing gun laws in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando.
"President Obama is trying to make terrorism into guns and it's not guns, folks. It is not guns, folks. It is not guns, this is terrorism," Trump said.
But Trump was not the only politician pulling off a role reversal toward the gay community.
Iowa Rep. Steve King, who once warned his state could become a "gay marriage Mecca" after its Supreme Court lifted a ban on same-sex marriage, offered a striking shift in tone this week.
"I think it was clear that gays were targeted in Orlando and it does matter and it's tragic that they were targeted because of their sexual orientation," King told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day."
That was a rare moment of conciliation in what was a largely divisive political week.
In fact, the manner in which the Orlando attack immediately became political fodder contrasted with the numbing wave of shock that settled over the United Kingdom, where campaigning for next week's Europe Union referendum was put on hold after the murder of lawmaker Jo Cox.
Trump and Clinton were hardly alone in the political fray this week.
With seven months left in his term, Obama could have left it to the newly minted Democratic presumptive nominee to carry the fight to Trump. But he felt a need to respond -- especially to Trump's comments.
"That's not the America we want," he said during an extraordinarily direct speech on Tuesday. "It doesn't reflect our democratic ideals. It will make us less safe."
By wading so deeply into the presidential race, Obama was offering a preview of the kind of political assist he could provide Clinton as he hits the campaign trail soon as a surrogate. But on Tuesday at least, Obama completely overshadowed his preferred successor.
The normal order is also disrupted on Capitol Hill.
Republican leaders are stuck in an uncomfortable marriage with their can't-live-with-him, can't-live-without-him presidential nominee, who is showing no signs of cooling the polarizing rhetoric that many GOP elites decry.
Lawmakers normally attracted to microphones like bees around a honey pot spent the week fleeing in the opposite direction. House Speaker Paul Ryan endured the latest round of questions about whether he would withdraw his recent endorsement of Trump.
Ryan tried to explain his dilemma in an interview that will air on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
"I get that this is a very strange situation. He's a very unique nominee," Ryan said. "But I feel as a responsibility institutionally as the speaker of the House that I should not be leading some chasm in the middle of our party."
Sanders is proving that piloting a soft landing to a political revolution is tough. While he vowed on Thursday to help Clinton defeat Trump, he still wants full reform of the Democratic Party and its policy platform.
Still, there are signs that Sanders is losing his leverage, not gaining it: even one of his closest backers, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, signaled on Friday that the game was up.
"I think there is a Democratic nominee at this point," Gabbard told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, though would not go as far as endorsing Clinton.
Arizona Sen. John McCain also felt the political heat when blasted Obama as "directly responsible" for the mass shooting in Orlando.
Then, like a character from a previous, more courtly political age, he had second thoughts, and issued a statement that clarified that he meant that the President's policies were to blame -- rather than the character of the man who beat him for the White House eight years ago.
A politician who admits he was wrong. In the crazed world of the 2016 presidential election circus, what could be weirder than that? | 0fake |
Major tech firms, internet providers clash over U.S. net neutrality rules | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tech companies clashed with internet service providers on Monday over whether a landmark 2015 net neutrality order barring the blocking or slowing of web content should be scrapped by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. A group representing major technology firms including Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Facebook Inc (FB.O) urged the FCC to abandon plans to rescind the rules barring internet service providers from hindering consumer access to web content or offering paid “fast lanes.” The Internet Association said in its filing with the FCC that dismantling the rules “will create significant uncertainty in the market and upset the careful balance that has led to the current virtuous circle of innovation in the broadband ecosystem.” The rollback would harm consumers, added the group, which also represents Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Microsoft Inc (MSFT.O), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) and Snap Inc (SNAP.N). Major internet service providers including AT&T Inc (T.N), Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) and Charter Communications Inc (CHTR.O) urged the FCC, however, to reverse the rules enacted during former President Barack Obama’s administration, even as they vowed not to hinder internet access. Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) said the Obama order had “injected uncertainty into the marketplace, restricted innovation, and chilled investment.” It called the prospect of future rate regulation “a toxic approach if the goal is to encourage investment or the entrance of new competitors into the market.” Comcast said the order “represented an unfortunate, unnecessary, and profoundly unwise wrong-turn for the broadband economy and consumers more broadly.” AT&T said the FCC in 2015 “grossly exaggerated the need for public-utility-style regulation while ignoring its costs.” White House spokesman Sean Spicer declined to weigh in on Monday, noting the FCC was an independent agency. In May, the FCC voted 2-1 to advance Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to withdraw the former Obama administration’s order reclassifying internet service providers as if they were utilities. Pai has asked that if in the event the FCC reverses that order, whether it has the authority or should keep any regulations limiting internet providers’ ability to block, throttle or offer “fast lanes” to some websites, known as “paid prioritization.” Pai, who argues the Obama order was unnecessary and harms jobs and investment, has not committed to retaining any rules, but said he favors an “open internet.” The Internet Association said there was “no reliable evidence” that investment by providers had fallen. Twelve state attorneys general including from Illinois and California urged the FCC not to overturn the Obama rules, saying that would “expose consumers to the risk that their internet access will be interfered with and disrupted.” More than 8.4 million public comments have been filed on the proposal. Pai will face questions on Wednesday on the issue at a U.S. Senate hearing. Providers say they strongly support open internet rules and will not block or throttle legal websites even without legal requirements. But some providers have said paid prioritization may make sense at times, citing self-driving cars and healthcare information. The Internet Association said it was “open to alternative legal bases for the rules, either via legislative action codifying the existing net neutrality rules or via sound legal theories offered by the commission.” But it said Pai’s proposal “offers no clear alternatives.” | 0fake |
Miami’s Cuban Exiles Celebrate Castro’s Death - The New York Times | MIAMI — It did not matter that it was the middle of the night, or that it began to drizzle. When this city’s residents heard the news, they sprinted to Little Havana. They banged pots and pans. They sang the Cuban national anthem and waved the Cuban flag. They danced and hugged, laughed and cried, shouted and rejoiced. The seemingly eternal vigil for the death of Fidel Castro, a man who had profoundly changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people here — dividing their families, taking their property, imprisoning and sometimes shooting their friends and relatives, wrenching them from their homes and their country — was over. Finally. “I owe this to my dad — this going out and celebrating,” said Isabel De Lara, 67, a former banker who came to Calle Ocho — Eighth Street — to join in the jubilation. She wished her father, who is dead, could have joined her. More than five decades had passed since Ms. De Lara stepped off a plane alone, from Cuba, sent here at age 12 by parents who feared for her future after the Castro revolution. For her and so many others, Mr. Castro’s death was a watershed, for he embodied the revolution and the heartbreak that followed. “Him dying represents the end of something awful that happened to us,” she said. “It’s actually him — not anybody else — who caused this. It’s because of him that we lost our opportunity to have a life in our country. ” Waves of other Cubans also came, transforming not just their own lives but the city itself, gradually turning it into the unofficial bilingual capital of Latin America. With the goal of ousting Mr. Castro and establishing democracy in Cuba, early exiles built a degree of political and economic clout that outstripped their relatively small numbers. Focusing first on local politics and business in the 1970s and 1980s, the exiles and their children, led by the powerful Cuban American National Foundation, catapulted into national politics and influence. They gained the power to tilt presidential elections toward Republicans and sway American foreign policy against appeasement with Mr. Castro. “It was important to take the struggle outside of Eighth Street to Washington,” said Jorge Mas Santos, the son of Jorge Mas Canosa, the man who spearheaded the foundation and was seen as the leader of Miami’s exile community. That influence remains. The American trade embargo on Cuba is still in force, requiring the vote of a Congress that is reluctant to remove it. And this year’s presidential campaign saw two Americans of Cuban descent — Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz — run for the office. But in the last decade, the grip on the minds and votes of people in Miami and elsewhere has weakened, creating divisions among over how deeply to engage with Cuba and its people. With Mr. Castro’s death, some are pushing for retrenchment and hope that Donald J. Trump will crack down now that the government has lost its father figure. Others say that this is the time to flood the zone with more people, ideas and goods. Cuba’s president, Raúl Castro, has opened the window slightly to economic reform, travel and American influence. Now that his older brother is gone, they argue, he will be freer to make changes. But the oldest and most vehement exiles — the historicos, as they are called — are dying off in large numbers. Their children, while still passionately opposed to Mr. Castro, are open to closer ties with the Cuban people as a way of stoking change. (Even Mr. Mas Santos is part of this group.) And their grandchildren know far less about Cuba and Mr. Castro many are more intrigued than outraged. At the same time, recent arrivals, while deeply disenchanted with the Cuban government, want to see and help their relatives on the island, above all else. Those shifts in attitude have been translated in Washington. Two years ago, President Obama surprised by announcing a series of changes. He diplomatic ties and made it easier for Americans to visit and send money and goods, and also for American businesses to establish a foothold. “We have moved from a politics of passion to a politics of realism,” said Andy Gomez, a political analyst who was a senior fellow in Cuban studies at the University of Miami. “We are going to be passionate for the next 72 hours. But the realism is that the transition has to come within the island. The leadership has to come from within the island. I don’t think anyone in South Florida thinks they will be president of Cuba, and if they do they are fools. ” But Saturday was mostly a day to celebrate. Overnight, thousands, including Ms. De Lara, joined an impromptu conga line of catharsis in front of Versailles Restaurant on Eighth Street, the unofficial headquarters of Miami’s Cuban exiles. So many people showed up, including scores of young people, that the police, at the mayor’s request, closed off several blocks to accommodate the celebration. Erick and Janette Revuelta stood outside Versailles toasting Mr. Castro’s death with small cups of Cuban coffee. They had come from the St. Augustine, Fla. area to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. Mr. Revuelta, 38, came to America by raft when he was 16, along with his father and two brothers, in 1994, just before President Bill Clinton signed the agreement with Cuba that allowed refugees to stay only if they reached dry land, the “wet foot, dry foot” policy. His mother immigrated several years later. Mr. Revuelta also came to Calle Ocho when rumors of Mr. Castro’s death previously spread. “I was here last time he died,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. ” Antonio Rodgriguez, 73, left the island in 1960, shortly after he was imprisoned for three months after speaking against the government. He took a dimmer view. “He died, but his brother is still there, the government is still there, it’s still the oppressive government,” Mr. Rodgriguez said. Vivian Castellá, 75, was 19 when she came to the United States from Havana, thinking her stay would be temporary. In the early hours of Saturday, she wept after hearing the news, changed out of her pajamas and joined the caravan to Little Havana. She danced in the middle of the street, hugging strangers, as car horns blared. But there was an overlay of sadness. Ms. Castellá knew so many people who had waited for this day their entire lives, and many of them had died before it came. “There was such sadness to think of all the people, and what everyone went through, and the people who aren’t here today to celebrate and witness this,” she said. “My brother who was in the Bay of Pigs, he couldn’t enjoy it the way I am. The people they killed. The people who drowned on the way over here. ” In Miami, the convulsion had long been talked about, rumored and planned for. Once, the city and county had a contingency plan to address a possible mass exodus of Cubans from the island to Miami that is no longer anticipated. But many schools have a plan. And police departments were prepared for what to do — in Miami, this meant letting the people celebrate. The fact that Mr. Castro’s death came during a long holiday weekend made the news more manageable in many ways. Luis Lasa, 67, a retired banker, watched events unfold on television from his home, but it felt no less emotional. It was a lifetime ago that his father, an executive for an American company in Cuba, got a call from a military office on Oct. 25, 1960, warning him to leave the country. He left that night, and the family followed the next day. Mr. Lasa was 10 years old. “They destroyed our families, they destroyed our traditions,” said Mr. Lasa, who lost a cousin in the bungled Bay of Pigs invasion. “Forget the property that we lost. We had been in Cuba 250 years. We lost so much there. ” On Saturday, for so many exiles, it finally became easier to look forward and not back. Fidel Castro, even in his old age, remained the symbol of the revolution. Raúl Castro ruled, but always in his older brother’s shadow, exiles said. Without Fidel Castro, Cuba can exhale. Even though change may not come quickly, there is a strong possibility it will come. “This is the beginning of the end,” Mr. Lasa said. | 0fake |
LIST OF 24 REPUBLICANS Who Voted “YES” To KEEP Obama’s Taxpayer-Funded Sex-Change Surgeries In Place For Transgenders In Military | If you re not okay with taxpayers paying for exorbitant medical costs, including transgender surgeries for military members, you ll want to remember these names in 2018 A majority in the House voted down a proposal to restrict funding for transgender members of the military, standing by social policy changes enacted by the Pentagon under former President Barack Obama.Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., succeeded in forcing a vote, arguing that Obama s transgender decision is costly in dollars and short on common sense. The attempted rollback failed on a 209-214 vote, however, as 24 Republicans joined a unanimous Democratic caucus in opposing the proposal. The Obama transgender policy, which was implemented without input from members of Congress, is ill-conceived and contrary to our goals of increasing troop readiness and investing defense dollars into addressing budget shortfalls of the past, Hartzler said in June. By recruiting and allowing transgender individuals to serve in our military we are subjecting taxpayers to high medical costs including up to $130,000 per transition surgery, lifetime hormone treatments, and additional surgeries to address the high percentage of individuals who experience complications. Her amendment would have barred the Defense Department from provid[ing] medical treatment (other than mental health treatment) related to gender transition to members of the military. Proponents of transgender military service argued that her proposal would reduce military readiness by discouraging transgender Americans from serving. It would have a negative impact on morale, a negative impact on retention and move us away from the merit-based system which we now have, where we have one set of rules applied to everybody, Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., who co-chairs the LGBT Equality Caucus, said Wednesday.Hartzler maintained that her amendment would increase readiness, however. The deployability of individuals going through the sex transition process is highly problematic, requiring 210 to 238 work days where a soldier is non-deployable after surgery, she said. This recovery time equates to 1.4 million manpower days where transgender personnel cannot deploy and fight our nation s wars, therefore relying on an already stressed force to pick up the burden. It makes no sense to purposely recruit individuals who cannot serve. Washington ExaminerHere s the list of 24 Republicans who voted to keep Obama s transgender policy for our military in place that was implemented without input from members of Congress:Justin Amash (Michigan)Jack Bergman (Michigan)Mike Coffman (Colorado)Barbara Comstock (Virginia)Paul Cook (California)Ryan Costello (Pennsylvania)Carlos Curbelo (Florida)Jeff Denham (California)Charlie Dent (Pennsylvania)John Faso (New York)Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania)Darrell Issa (California)John Katko (New York)Steve Knight (California)Leonard Lance (New Jersey)Frank LoBiondo (New Jersey)Tom MacArthur (New Jersey)Brian Mast (Florida)Tom Reed (New York)Dave Reichert (Washington)Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida)Bill Shuster (Pennsylvania)Elise Stefanik (New York)Claudia Tenney (New York)h/t Truth Division | 1real |
Donald Groped Hillary in 2005! Trump and Weiner Sext Each Other! | Topics: anthony weiner , presidential politics , American Politics , Donald J. Trump , Groping , Clinton's emails Friday, 4 November 2016
[ Associated Press, Washington, D.C. ] FBI Director James Comey informed members of Congress this morning that he was expanding his investigation into e-mails, based on materials found on the laptop of disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner.
The materials include an e-mail from Trump to "Carlos Danger," the on-line pseudonym which Weiner used, in which Trump bragged about groping then-Senator Clinton when she and former President Bill Clinton attended Trump's third wedding, to Melania Trump, at the billionaire's Mar-a-Lago estate in 2005.
"There she was, her and Bill, smiling for the cameras, and all the time I had my hand on her ass," boasted Trump, according to Comey.
Comey went on to state that Weiner's laptop contained "sext" messages from Weiner to Trump, containing photos of a bulge in the former Congressman's tidy whiteys, and messages back from Trump to Weiner, containing photos showing Trump's tiny hands gripping a large zucchini.
Comey added that he, also, would be a subject of the ever-expanding investigation, because there were several selfies of himself on the laptop, including one in which he is posed sitting naked on a white horse with a garland of laurel on his brow, one of him dressed up to look like J. Edgar Hoover, in a dress, with the caption, "Infallible ME!" and a third one of him engaged in self-flagellation with a Cat'o Nine Tails.
"I deserved it," Comey explained. Make Philip J. Moss's | 1real |
British foreign minister arrives in U.S. to meet Trump advisers | LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s foreign minister Boris Johnson has arrived in the United States to meet close advisers to President-elect Donald Trump and senior Congressional leaders to discuss ties between the countries. Last June’s vote to leave the European Union has left Britain facing some of the most complicated negotiations since World War Two, with the country keen to deepen ties with the United States and other nations to show that Brexit will not diminish its standing in the world. Johnson’s visit, which was not flagged in advance, is part of Prime Minister Theresa May’s strategy to improve relations with Trump’s team after the president-elect irritated the government by saying that outspoken anti-EU campaigner Nigel Farage would be a good choice for Britain’s ambassador to Washington. May’s two most senior aides made a secret trip to the United States last month. “Following the successful meeting last month between the Prime Minister’s chiefs of staff and President-elect Donald Trump’s team, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the U.S. for meetings with close advisers to the president-elect and senior Congressional leaders,” a spokesman for Britain’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. “The discussions will be focused on UK-U.S. relations and other foreign policy matters.” May had told Sky News earlier in the day that she was sure that Britain and the United States would build on their close ties and that their “special relationship” would endure despite describing some of his comments about women as “unacceptable”. | 0fake |
Putin-Obama Trust Evaporates | Share This
How did the "growing trust" that Russian President Vladimir Putin once said marked his "working and personal relationship with President Obama " change into today’s deep distrust and saber-rattling?
Their relationship reached its zenith after Mr. Putin persuaded Syria to give up its chemical weapons for verified destruction, enabling Mr. Obama at the last minute to call off, with some grace, plans to attack Syria in late summer 2013. But at an international conference in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi last week, Mr. Putin spoke of the "feverish" state of international relations and lamented: "My personal agreements with the President of the United States have not produced results." He complained about "people in Washington ready to do everything possible to prevent these agreements from being implemented in practice" and, referring to Syria, decried the lack of a "common front against terrorism after such lengthy negotiations, enormous effort, and difficult compromises."
A month earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov , who chooses his words carefully, told Russian TV viewers, "My good friend John Kerry … is under fierce criticism from the U.S. military machine. Despite [Mr. Kerry’s] assurances that the US commander in chief, President Barack Obama, supported him in his contacts with Russia (he confirmed that during his meeting with President Vladimir Putin) apparently the military does not really listen to the commander in chief."
Do not chalk this up to paranoia. The U.S.-led coalition air strikes on known Syrian army positions killing scores of troops just five days into the September cease-fire – not to mention statements at the time by the most senior US generals – were evidence enough to convince the Russians that the Pentagon was intent on scuttling meaningful cooperation with Russia.
Relations between the US and Russian presidents have now reached a nadir, and Mr. Putin has ordered his own defense ministry to throw down the gauntlet. On Oct. 6, ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Russia is prepared to shoot down unidentified aircraft – including any stealth aircraft – over Syria, and warned ominously that Russian air defense will not have time to identify the origin of the aircraft.
It seems possible that the US air force will challenge that claim in due course – perhaps even without seeking prior permission from the White House. Last week, National Intelligence Director and former Air Force General James Clapper commented offhandedly, "I wouldn’t put it past them to shoot down an American aircraft … if they felt it was threatening their forces on the ground."
Injecting additional volatility into the equation, major news outlets are playing down or ignoring Russia’s warnings. Thus, Americans who depend on the corporate media can be expected to be suitably shocked by what that same media will no doubt cast as naked aggression out of the blue if Russian air defenses down a US or coalition aircraft.
Meanwhile in Europe, as NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told reporters the US is contributing "a persistent rotational armored brigade combat team" as a "major sign of the US commitment to strengthening deterrence here."
"This was a decision made by the alliance leaders in Warsaw," he explained, referring to NATO’s July summit meeting in the Polish capital. "The United States will lead a battalion in Poland and deploy an entire battle-ready battalion task force of approximately 900 soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which is based in Germany."
On Thursday, at the Valdai Conference in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Putin accused the West of promoting the "myth" of a "Russian military threat," calling this a "profitable business that can be used to pump new money into defense budgets … expand NATO and bring its infrastructure, military units, and arms closer to our borders."
Myth or not, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was correct to point out last spring that military posturing on Russia’s borders will bring less regional security. Mr. Steinmeier warned against "saber-rattling," adding that, "We are well advised not to create pretexts to renew an old confrontation."
Speaking of such pretexts, it is high time to acknowledge that the marked increase in East-West tensions over the past two and a half years originally stemmed from the Western-sponsored coup d’état in Kiev on Feb. 22, 2014, and Russia’s reaction in annexing Crimea. Americans malnourished on the diet served up by "mainstream" media are blissfully unaware that two weeks before the coup, YouTube published a recording of an intercepted conversation between US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the US ambassador in Kiev, during which "Yats" (for Arseniy Yatsenyuk) was identified as Washington’s choice to become the new prime minister of the coup government in Kiev.
This unique set of circumstances prompted George Friedman, president of the think-tank STRATFOR, to label the putsch in Kiev on Feb. 22, 2014, "really the most blatant coup in history."
It’s time for Western politicians and media to learn their lesson and pay attention to the statements coming out of Russia. Ask yourselves: Why all this hype now?
Ray McGovern, like Sam Adams, began a career as a CIA analyst under President Kennedy; working on Vietnam, they became close associates. Sam was too straight-arrow to go to the media about the unconscionable fraud regarding the number of Communist forces. Ray knew that and rationalized not doing so himself. So, while a close associate of Sam Adams years ago, Ray fell short of the standard set by the above awardees, who deserved to be honored by Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence.
Reprinted with the author’s permission from the Baltimore Sun . Read more by Ray McGovern | 1real |
UK Brexit minister says EU agreement likely, but UK ready for no deal | LONDON (Reuters) - Britain s Brexit minister David Davis said on Tuesday that reaching a deal with the European Union was the most likely outcome of talks, but added that the British government was prepared for no agreement with the bloc. Reaching a deal with the European Union is not only far and away the most likely outcome, it s also the best outcome for our country, Davis said in a speech in London. I don t think it would be in the interest for either side for there to be no deal. But as a responsible government it is right that we make every plan for every eventuality. Both sides have spoken of their frustration at a lack of progress in negotiations so far, although Davis said talks had made real and tangible progress. Britain wants to move discussions on to the future trade relationship with the EU which Brussels will not consider until London settles what it sees as past debts. While Davis said he was unambiguously seeking a deal, he said Britain was ready for talks to fail. Over the past year every department across Whitehall has been working at pace covering the whole range of scenarios, he said. These plans have been well developed, have been designed to provide the flexibility to respond to a negotiated agreement, as well as preparing us for the chance that we leave without a deal. | 0fake |
The Greatest Mass Murderers of all Time were Jews, says Jewish Columnist | 114 Views Share: In 2006, a remarkable article—and admission—appeared in the Israeli news source Ynet News. Titled “ Stalin’s Jews ” and written by Jewish columnist Sever Plocker, this piece confirmed that terrible crimes which Jewish Communists had committed under Stalin. “We must not forget that some of greatest murderers of modern times were Jewish,” Plocker started out by saying. He went on to make a number of startling confessions: “Here’s a particularly forlorn historical date: Almost 90 years ago, between the 19th and 20th of December 1917, in the midst of the Bolshevik revolution and civil war, Lenin signed a decree calling for the establishment of The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage, also known as Cheka. “Within a short period of time, Cheka became the largest and cruelest state security organization. Its organizational structure was changed every few years, as were its names: From Cheka to GPU, later to NKVD, and later to KGB. “We cannot know with certainty the number of deaths Cheka was responsible for in its various manifestations, but the number is surely at least 20 million, including victims of the forced collectivization, the hunger, large purges, expulsions, banishments, executions, and mass death at Gulags. “Whole population strata were eliminated: Independent farmers, ethnic minorities, members of the bourgeoisie, senior officers, intellectuals, artists, labor movement activists, “opposition members” who were defined completely randomly, and countless members of the Communist party itself. “In his new, highly praised book The War of the World, Historian Niall Ferguson writes that no revolution in the history of mankind devoured its children with the same unrestrained appetite as did the Soviet revolution. In his book on the Stalinist purges, Tel Aviv University’s Dr. Igal Halfin writes that Stalinist violence was unique in that it was directed internally. “Lenin, Stalin, and their successors could not have carried out their deeds without wide-scale cooperation of disciplined ‘terror officials,’ cruel interrogators, snitches, executioners, guards, judges, perverts, and many bleeding hearts who were members of the progressive Western Left and were deceived by the Soviet regime of horror and even provided it with a kosher certificate. “And us, the Jews? An Israeli student finishes high school without ever hearing the name Genrikh Yagoda, the greatest Jewish murderer of the 20th Century, the GPU’s deputy commander and the founder and commander of the NKVD. “Yagoda diligently implemented Stalin’s collectivization orders and is responsible for the deaths of at least 10 million people. “His Jewish deputies established and managed the Gulag system. After Stalin no longer viewed him favorably, Yagoda was demoted and executed, and was replaced as chief hangman in 1936 by Yezhov, the “bloodthirsty dwarf.” The Jew Genrikh Yagoda, director of the NKVD, the Soviet Union’s Stalin-era security and intelligence agency. “Yezhov was not Jewish but was blessed with an active Jewish wife. In his book Stalin: Court of the Red Star, Jewish historian Sebag Montefiore writes that during the darkest period of terror, when the Communist killing machine worked in full force, Stalin was surrounded by beautiful, young Jewish women. “Stalin’s close associates and loyalists included member of the Central Committee and Politburo Lazar Kaganovich. Montefiore characterizes him as the “first Stalinist” and adds that those starving to death in Ukraine, an unparalleled tragedy in the history of human kind, did not move Kaganovich. “Many Jews sold their soul to the devil of the Communist revolution and have blood on their hands for eternity. We’ll mention just one more: Leonid Reichman, head of the NKVD’s special department and the organization’s chief interrogator, who was a particularly cruel sadist. Yagoda (center) inspecting the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal, built by slave labor from the Gulags. “In 1934, according to published statistics, 38.5 percent of those holding the most senior posts in the Soviet security apparatuses were of Jewish origin. Even if we deny it, we cannot escape the Jewishness of ‘our hangmen,’ who served the Red Terror with loyalty and dedication from its esta blishment. After all, others will always remind us of their origin.” The Gulags: Jewish-Run Concentration Camps As mentioned above, the infamous Soviet Gulags were under the direct control of the Jew Yagoda. He was not the only such Jew involved in the running of these camps, in which millions were interned and nearly 1.4 million died. The most famous revelation about the Jewish nature of the Gulags was that of famous dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Speaking from personal experience as a Gulag prisoner, Solzhenitsyn gave a candid account of Jews in charge of the Soviet prison camps in his book, Two Hundred Years Together. According to his observations, Jews made up a clear preponderance in the Gulag administration and in the early Bolshevist government, saying that of the 22 ministers in the first Soviet government three were Russian, one Georgian, one Armenian and 17 were Jews. In addition, he points out, from personal experience once again, that “two thirds of the Kiev Cheka” (secret police) were Jews. In 1937, another book appeared in Germany called Jewish-Run Concentration Camps in the Soviet Union, which revealed that Communist Jews were the commandants of 11 out of the 12 main Gulags. | 1real |
U.S. court rules Arkansas can block Planned Parenthood funding | (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday reversed a ruling that prevented Arkansas from cutting off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood following the release of controversial videos secretly recorded by an anti-abortion group. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis reversed a ruling forbidding Arkansas from carrying through with Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson’s directive to suspend Medicaid reimbursements to a Planned Parenthood affiliate. U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker in Little Rock had ruled in favor of three women who claimed Arkansas violated their rights under the federal Medicaid law to choose any qualified provider offering services they were seeking. But by a 2-1 vote, a 8th Circuit said the provision of the Medicaid law the women relied on does not unambiguously create a federal right for individual patients that they could enforce in court. U.S. Circuit Judge Steven Colloton wrote that the lack of such a right does not mean state officials have unlimited authority to terminate Medicaid providers. “We conclude only that Congress did not unambiguously confer the particular right asserted by the patients in this case,” he wrote. U.S. Circuit Judge Michael Melloy dissented, saying four other appeals courts have reached the opposite conclusion and found a private right of enforcement existed. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement said the fight “is not over.” “We will do everything in our power to protect our patients’ access to birth control cancer screenings, and other lifesaving care,” McDonald-Mosley said. Arkansas cut off funds for Planned Parenthood after the anti-abortion activist group Center for Medical Progress released videos in 2015 it claimed showed the group’s officials negotiating the sale of fetal body parts for profit. Planned Parenthood has denied the allegation and says 13 states that investigated those claims have cleared it of wrongdoing. Hutchinson, who was among Republican governors nationally who targeted the organization following those videos, welcomed Wednesday’s ruling. “This is a substantial legal victory for the right of the state to determine whether Medicaid providers are acting in accordance with best practices and affirms the prerogative of the state to make reasoned judgments on the Medicaid program,” he said in a statement. Planned Parenthood does not perform surgical abortions in Arkansas, which forbids public funding of abortions except in cases of rape or incest. But it provides other gynecological services as well as birth control and breast examinations. | 0fake |
Trump ally Stone may face House intelligence subpoena: lawmaker | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, refused to respond to one line of questioning from members of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee on Tuesday and could face a subpoena to return and answer them, the panel’s top Democrat said. “Hopefully, he will cooperate in the future. If not, it will be necessary to subpoena him to bring him back to answer those important questions,” Representative Adam Schiff told reporters after Stone completed a three-hour meeting with committee members. | 0fake |
U.S. House tax panel will not seek Trump tax returns: lawmaker | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A congressional tax oversight committee will not seek U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax returns despite calls from Democrats for a review to determine possible business ties to foreign countries including Russia, the panel’s Republican chairman said on Monday. Defying decades of precedent, Trump has refused to release his tax documents, which Democrats say could show whether his business empire poses any conflicts of interest as he moves forward on issues ranging from tax reform to foreign relations. “If Congress begins to use its powers to rummage around in the tax returns of the president, what prevents Congress from doing the same to average Americans?” House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady told reporters. “Privacy and civil liberties are still important rights in this country, and (the) Ways and Means Committee is not going to start to weaken them.” The Texas Republican was responding to questions about a Feb. 1 letter from Representative Bill Pascrell, a Ways and Means Democrat who asked Brady to obtain Republican Trump’s returns from the U.S. Treasury so the committee could review them in closed session and vote on whether to make them public. Pascrell later said he continued to hope for action, saying: “Our committee must respond by using its legal authority as Congress has in the past to provide proper oversight. This is Checks and Balances 101.” Experts say federal law authorizes the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation to examine individual tax returns. The two other panels are headed by Senator Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who dismissed the idea of seeking Trump’s returns last week. House Republicans contend that the authority to examine tax returns was meant to ensure the proper administration of the tax code. Brady said his panel was doing just that in 2014, when it released confidential tax data during a probe of IRS treatment of conservative group applications for nonprofit status. Pascrell’s letter said Trump’s business empire involves state-owned enterprises in China and the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Saudi Arabia. “It is imperative for the public to know and understand his...financial positions in domestic and foreign companies,” Pascrell wrote. Brady said the letter misrepresented the law’s intent to promote confidentiality and privacy. “I’ve read his letter and I disagree with all of it,” he said. | 0fake |
Va. Governor Grants Voting Rights to Enough Felons to Swing Election | Email
Republican presidential contender Donald Trump has received a lot of flak in the media for alleging that the election is “rigged” and implying that he may contest the results of the election if he loses. But what happened in Virginia provides fodder to claims that Democrats are pulling out all the stops to secure Hillary Clinton’s victory. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (shown) has granted voting rights to 60,000 convicted felons in time to register to vote, which the Daily Caller notes could be enough to swing the election in Hillary Clinton’s favor.
Earlier this year, Governor McAuliffe, a close personal friend of the Clinton family who personally guaranteed a loan for the purchase of their home in Chappaqua, New York in 1999, attempted to use an executive order to restore the voting rights of over 200,000 convicted felons — including violent and repeat offenders.
State Delegate James Edmunds declared Governor McAuliffe’s actions to be in violation of the state’s constitution: The Constitution of Virginia grants the Governor the authority to restore the civil rights of convicted felons. The Constitution also vests the clemency power in the office of the Governor. However, that authority is limited and must be applied on an individual basis. The Constitution says no "person" may vote unless "his" civil rights have been restored by the Governor.
According to Edmunds, Governor McAuliffe’s blanket restoration of voting rights “undermin[es] the strength of the criminal justice system and the sanctity of our civil rights.”
Breitbart News’ Ken Klukowski notes that even Clinton’s running mate, former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, concluded when he was governor that he did not have the legal authority to grant such rights to all Virginia felons. Kaine heeded the advice of his lawyers, who said that “power could be exercised only in particular cases to named individuals for whom a specific grant of executive clemency is sought,” and further wrote that the “notion that the Constitution of the Commonwealth would be rewritten via executive order is troubling.”
Fortunately, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in July that governors cannot issue a blanket restoration of felons’ right to vote en masse, but instead must consider them on a case-by-case basis. That ruling invalidated McAuliffe’s sweeping executive order restoring voting privileges to more than 200,000 felons who’d completed their sentences.
The court’s ruling did not stop him, however. The Daily Caller writes, “To get around that, McAuliffe used a mechanical autopen to rapidly sign thousands of letters, as if he had personally reviewed them.”
McAuliffe’s office claimed that voting rights were restored to 13,000 felons, which Republicans discovered “mistakenly” included 132 sex offenders still in custody and several convicted murderers on probation in other states. But the Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group learned that the actual number was much higher, closer to 60,000, a significant figure that could make a difference in the battleground state.
However, Clara Belle Wheeler, Republican vice-chairman of the Virginia Board of Elections, states that McAuliffe’s use of the autopen may not have satisfied the state’s requirement that mandates each person’s record be reviewed before voting rights can be restored.
“I think the General Assembly caucus that brought suit made it abundantly clear that you must look at each person and evaluate each individual person’s record: have they served their time, have they paid their restoration if it was due, have they finished their probation, are they citizens, have they not been arrested for some other crime,” Wheeler said. “The code of Virginia requires that each person is treated as an individual rather than as a bulk because each individual has a different set of circumstances and those should be evaluated.”
Meanwhile, the 60,000 felon voters could turn the tides of the election, notes the Daily Caller: Virginia’s recent political history has seen multiple races that were decided by tiny margins. The 2014 U.S. Senate race, for example, was decided by only 17,000 votes, while the attorney general’s race came down to a mere 165 votes.
Wheeler confirmed that the additional 60,000 votes had the potential to impact the outcome of the election. When the Daily Caller raised this concern, she responded, “I am acutely and chronically aware of that.”
Of the two presidential contenders, Clinton could potentially benefit significantly from the additional votes, according to a 2014 study in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , which found, “Democrats would benefit from additional ex-felon participation.”
The study’s authors, professors from the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University, found that in some states, felons register Democratic by more than six-to-one. They also cited a study that found 73 percent of convicts who turn out for presidential elections would vote Democrat.
But McAuliffe purports that his intentions were not politically motivated, but were instead merely to remove barriers from those who have been unfairly disenfranchised, particularly minorities. “Restoring the rights of Virginians who have served their time and live, work and pay taxes in our communities is one of the pressing civil rights issues of our day,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “I have met these men and women and know how sincerely they want to contribute to our society as full citizens again.”
Yet, the Daily Caller reports that after McAuliffe’s efforts to restore voting privileges to 200,000 felons, Clinton’s staff called it a “great announcement” in an e-mail and set up a call about it.
It’s worth noting that Governor McAuliffe’s political action committee donated nearly $500,000 to the 2015 Virginia state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, wife of Andrew McCabe, the now deputy director of the FBI who helped supervise the probe of Clinton’s mishandling of classified information.
It pays to have friends in positions of power.
Governor McAuliffe’s actions are yet another example of the election “rigging” to which Trump has referred throughout his campaign.
The GOP nominee told supporters at a midnight rally in Virginia that the governor is “letting criminals cancel out the votes of law-abiding citizens.”
Other examples of election rigging cited by Trump include a “corrupt media” and an opponent he stated “shouldn’t be allowed to run” because of her e-mail crimes. | 1real |
Russia urges U.S. to start finding way to resolve problems | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov urged U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon to stop destroying Russia-U.S. relations and to start finding a way to resolve their problems, Russia s Foreign Ministry said on Monday. We called for a stop to the destruction of Russia-U.S. relations and ... to start finding solutions to resolve problems that are mounting through no fault of ours, a statement said after Ryabkov and Shannon met in Helsinki. | 0fake |
HYSTERICAL! SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: The Bernie and Hillary Brooklyn Debate [Video] | SATURDAY NGHT LIVE S COLD OPEN last night brought back Larry David as Bernie Sanders in a great skit about the Brooklyn debate. Julia Louis-Dreyfus reprises her role as Elaine Benes from Seinfeld The best part of the skit was Kate McKinnon who s spot on as Hillary Clinton. | 1real |
Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump Try to Bridge Some Gaps While Avoiding Others - The New York Times | WASHINGTON — Despite sharp differences on immigration, refugees, trade and climate change, President Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada struck a cordial tone on Monday in their first meeting, alternating between attempting to bridge those gaps and steering clear of them. Mr. Trump has called for a halt to the admission of refugees, saying that terrorists might slip into the United States among them, while Mr. Trudeau has held out Canada as a haven for refugees, particularly people who have fled the war in Syria, publicly hugging newly arrived families. When asked at a White House news conference whether he now sees the northern American border with Canada as insecure, Mr. Trump skirted the question, speaking instead of his administration’s efforts to deport criminals from the United States. In the same vein, Mr. Trudeau declined to say whether he agreed with the president’s executive order restricting immigration. “The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves,” he said. Maintaining the country’s close political and economic links with the United States was top of the Canadian leader’s agenda before his visit to Washington. Mr. Trudeau had forged an unusually close relationship with former President Barack Obama, but many of Mr. Trump’s policies, particularly his protectionist stance on trade and his call for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, are chilling for Canadians. They count on trade with the United States for about 25 percent of their country’s gross domestic product. “It is a real concern for many Canadians because we know that our economy is very dependent on our bonds with the United States,” said Mr. Trudeau, who has expressed a cautious openness to renegotiating the trade pact. Mr. Trump’s complaints about trade have focused primarily on Mexico, another partner in the North American agreement, and China, which he has accused of taking advantage of the United States. He did not answer a question about whether he sees Canada as a fair trader, but suggested that he does not foresee deep changes in that relationship, which he called “outstanding. ” “We’ll be tweaking it,” he said. “It’s a much less severe situation than what’s taking place on the southern border. ” He said the two leaders had spoken privately about “doing some things that will make it a lot easier for trade and a lot better and a lot faster. ” They issued a joint statement pledging to continue border security programs that began under Mr. Obama, and reaffirming their commitment to NATO, an alliance that Mr. Trump had previously questioned. In presentation and speech, Mr. Trump, a bombastic Republican, and Mr. Trudeau, a more Liberal who is 25 years younger, are poles apart. But the prime minister has carefully avoided direct criticism of Mr. Trump and his policies. After the American election, he reorganized his cabinet to better deal with the change of power in Washington and swiftly sent emissaries to meet with Mr. Trump’s advisers. The meeting was the first test of the Canadian leader’s effort to foster a good working relationship. Mr. Trump greeted Mr. Trudeau warmly, a reception similar to the president’s greeting last week to Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister. The leaders shook hands heartily when Mr. Trudeau arrived at the White House, patting each other on the shoulder with their free hands. Mr. Trudeau appears determined to maintain friendly relations with Mr. Trump despite their differences, while signaling to Canadians who are wary of their powerful neighbor that Canada still charts its own course. “We continue our policy of openness to immigration and refugees without compromising security,” the prime minister said. “There have been times where we have differed in our approaches, and that’s always been done firmly and respectfully. ” Mr. Trudeau presented the president with a framed photograph taken in the 1980s, showing Mr. Trump speaking at the head of a table of people including Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a former Liberal prime minister of Canada and the current prime minister’s father. The cabinet ministers who traveled with Mr. Trudeau on Monday had prepared for meetings with their American counterparts by emphasizing the importance of the relationship to Canadians. Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign minister, had reminded Trump administration officials that trade between the countries is roughly in balance, and that Canada is the largest buyer of American exports from 35 states. “The combination of Canada being smaller and the United States being bigger and the relationship largely being means a lot of Americans don’t spend a lot of time thinking about Canada,” Ms. Freeland said in a recent interview. “Americans are not always fully aware of the economic significance of the relationship. ” Canadian business leaders expressed some relief after their prime minister’s meeting with Mr. Trump. “On the whole, this was a good day,” said John Manley, the president and chief executive of the Business Council of Canada, which represents 150 large Canadian corporations. “There’s still lots of things to be anxious about, but I think the tone and the substance were all very positive. ” Some of those anxieties stem from uncertainty over what small changes to the United trade relationship could mean for some sectors of the economy. There had been concerns after Mr. Trump’s election that he might go after the Canadian auto industry, a major employer in Ontario, which exports most of its production to the United States. Flavio Volpe, the president of the Auto Parts Manufacturers’ Association, a trade group, said that it was important for his members to hear Mr. Trump’s message that he is not planning to dramatically remake the United States’ trade relationship to Canada. The two leaders also met on Monday with several women who are chief executives of companies from both countries to announce that Canada and the United States would set up a council to advance women into executive roles, and to encourage entrepreneurship. | 0fake |
Arabs, Europe, U.N. reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital | LONDON (Reuters) - Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel s capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator. The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at U.S. President Donald Trump s decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Major U.S. allies came out against Trump s reversal of decades of U.S. and broad international policy on Jerusalem. France rejected the unilateral decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem s status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution. Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump s move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was an important step towards peace and it was our goal from Israel s first day . He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel s capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump s example. [L8N1O660O] Trump upended decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East. The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek. Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the eternal capital of the State of Palestine and that Trump s move was tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator. The last round of U.S.-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people . Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to undermine U.S. interests in the region and to shun Israel . Protests broke out in parts of Jordan s capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman s outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Down with America...America is the mother of terror, they chanted. Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem s Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness. All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday. The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed with deep sorrow Trump s decision and warned of dangerous consequences of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem . The statement described the move as a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process , and urged the U.S. administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will. Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump s decision and said it did not change Jerusalem s disputed legal status. Jordan said Trump s action was legally null because it consolidated Israel s occupation of East Jerusalem. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump s Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability. Qatar s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump s undertaking was a death sentence for all who seek peace and called it a dangerous escalation . Turkey said Trump s move was irresponsible . We call upon the U.S. Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem, the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. A few hundred protesters gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate. Iran seriously condemns Trump s move as it violates U.N. resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel s security. In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump s action. This can rock global security and stability, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world s largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision. British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump s embrace of Jerusalem as Israel s capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said. However, May s spokesman welcomed Trump s stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgement that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump s unilateral move. The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, Macron told reporters in Algiers. France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states, he said. For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue, he said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks. I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians, Guterres said. I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations. | 0fake |
France's Macron says mistake to pull out of Iran nuclear deal | UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be a mistake to pull out of the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers after the Trump administration indicated it had objections to aspects of the deal. According to me we have to keep the 2015 agreement because it was a good one, Macron told reporters at the United Nations. It would be a mistake to annul the nuclear agreement without anything else, he said, and declined to say whether U.S. president Donald Trump had told him of his decision on whether to keep the United States as a party to the accord. | 0fake |
[Video] WATCH HOW MARCO RUBIO Handles Same Reporter Who Attempts Interview With Hillary | There s just something about Shrillary that almost makes you wonder if everything she does has to be staged Watch how differently Marco Rubio is able to handle an impromptu interview with this TMZ reporter vs Hillary Clinton (below): h/t IJ Review | 1real |
NEW YORK TIMES Publishes Trump Tax Return From 20 Years Ago…TRUMP FIRES BACK! | In a lame effort to score political points for Hillary Clinton, the New York Times published a portion of Donald Trump s 1995 tax return. They re now promoting the idea that Trump could have not paid taxes for decades. Could have doesn t mean he did! Does anyone care that a man with a huge business empire might try and pay less taxes or work the tax system to his advantage? Isn t that what most people do and it s legal to do it! I would question Trump s sanity if he begged to pay more taxes! The front pages of the tax returns themselves are essentially a non-issue, representing the 1995 gross business loss incurred by candidate Donald Trump who operates a massive conglomeration of business entities.The anti-Trump political angle is easily identifiable within the extensive article use of: could have , might be , may have , phrases used throughout the woven narrative. Journalistic narratives are rarely based on facts.The identified $916 million single year operating income loss is no different than current losses of Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other corporations and businesses.Actually, Donald Trump s 1995 loss is smaller than the operating loss the New York Times reported when it sold the Boston Globe in 2013 for a net loss of $1.03 billion.The Times purchased the Boston Globe in 93 for $1.1 billion and sold it in 2013 for $70 million, a loss of $1.03 billion. However, for some reason it s doubtful the Times will publish their own 2013 tax returns. That doesn t meet the political need.THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN RELEASED THIS STATEMENT:Read more: Conservative Treehouse | 1real |
LET THE BOYCOTTS BEGIN: KEURIG COFFEE and 4 Major Companies Cave To Left…Pull Ads From Sean Hannity Show After He Interviewed GOP Senate Candidate Roy Moore | Before Keurig, and other major companies commit consumer suicide over their decision to pull their advertising from Sean Hannity s Fox News show, over his interview with Roy Moore, the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama, who is being accused of sexual misconduct that allegedly took place between 36-40 years ago, only 4 weeks before the election, they may want to consider the facts that many media outlets have uncovered about Moore s accusers. These advertisers might also want to explain to consumers why they never pulled ads on shows that interviewed Bill Clinton, who s been accused of rape and sexual assault by multiple women. These businesses may also want to explain why they never pulled their advertising from TV shows that interviewed Hillary Clinton, who s been accused by more than one victim of threatening the women who bravely came forward to expose her husband s sexual misconduct. Daily Mail Keurig, makers of the home coffee brewing system, is being boycotted by angry consumers after the company announced over the weekend that it plans to remove ads on Sean Hanity s Fox News program following his coverage of Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore.Keurig made this bold statement to consumers on Twitter, claiming they worked with their media partner and FOX news to STOP their ad from airing on the Sean Hannity Show.Angelo, thank you for your concern and for bringing this to our attention. We worked with our media partner and FOX news to stop our ad from airing during the Sean Hannity Show. Keurig (@Keurig) November 11, 2017Keurig, Realtor.com, 23 and Me, Eloquii and Nature s Bounty all said over the weekend that they would no longer run ads on Hannity s show following his interview with the embattled candidate, prompting a backlash from protesters on social media.After a Twitter user posted busineses that allegedly advertise on Sean Hannity s Fox News show, here s how Nature s Bounty responded:We can confirm that we do not have advertisements running on this program. Nature's Bounty (@NaturesBounty) November 11, 2017Here s how the gentics company 23 and me responded on Twitter:We ve received inquiries RE: advertising on Hannity. We are not running TV advertising on Hannity. We continue to closely evaluate where we advertise. 23andMe (@23andMe) November 10, 201723 and Me sells saliva collection kits to help consumers trace their genetics.This Thanksgiving, bring your family closer and save with 23andMe s Thanksgiving Family Offer! #mydnastory https://t.co/6Dg2gA9FU5 pic.twitter.com/UAz94MYLxB 23andMe (@23andMe) November 1, 2017Eloquii is a fashion store for plus size women:Dead over this upcoming @ELOQUII set. Also, red boots were needed. pic.twitter.com/d7dQWAhPUA Lydia Hudgens (@lydiahudgens) November 2, 2017Excited to announce I m the face of @ELOQUII s new NOIR collection! Available now on https://t.co/n77glzqSYw #XOQ pic.twitter.com/PEtSJgqTNx Tess Holliday (@Tess_Holliday) November 2, 2017Here is their tweet, assuring their consumers that Hannity is blocked form their advertising list. :Hi there! Hannity is blocked from our advertising list. If we can help with anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at social@eloquii.com. ELOQUII (@ELOQUII) November 10, 2017Moore is being accused of having pursued inappropriate sexual relationships with younger women while he was a district attorney in Alabama during the 1970s.Moore vehemently denies the allegations, saying that he believes the timing of the accusations are aimed at undermining his candidacy.Moore, who spoke with Hannity about the scandal on his radio show Friday, did admit however that after his return from the military, I dated a lot of young ladies. Some of the sponsors announced their decision not to run advertisements on Hannity s show via Twitter after the Fox News host asked his audience to give Moore the benefit of the doubt, according to CNBC News. | 1real |
Trump Has Already Made Us The World’s Punch Line In A NAUSEATING Way | Trump s biggest champion on the other side of the pond, Mr. Brexit himself, made a joke about Trump that s just a taste of how much the world is already laughing at us for electing him. Nigel Farage is reportedly meeting with Trump at some point very soon, but before he does that, he decided to go there: Don t touch her, for God s sake! Of course, he s referring to the Access Hollywood tape where Trump bragged about kissing women without their permission, and boasted that his star power allows him to do anything he wants, even grab them by the pussy. That tape should have sunk his candidacy and probably would have in every other civilized nation. It didn t here, the world got a huge shock, and now the world sees just how ridiculous we really can be.If that weren t true, Farage wouldn t have made that joke in a radio interview earlier this week. He wants to be the go-between for Trump and Theresa May, the U.K. s new prime minister, although he d really like to be Trump s ambassador to the E.U. (what could possibly go wrong there?). Don t touch her, isn t all Farage said. He went on with: If it comes to it, I could be there as the responsible adult role, to make sure everything s OK. Oh holy hell. Farage has already been branded as the U.K. s Donald Trump, but this is ridiculous. A national leader joking about the sexual assault another national leader committed? Joking about playing the responsible adult when Trump meets with Theresa May (or maybe any other female leader)?We just threw up a little in our mouths.What Farage did, besides help Trump solidify our position as the world s biggest punch line, is marginalize and objectify his own prime minister. But that doesn t matter, because of course it doesn t. If there s any doubt, though, that the world is starting to whisper, cast furtive glances, chuckle, and then burst out with pointing and loud guffawing, it s this snippet from The Guardian: Farage could literally curl up on Trump s lap to stop him assaulting female premiers. If they widened his frottage-combating duties it could be a fulltime job Trump will be in the presence of many females a day, and you have to remember he is a man whose sole, frequently stated reason for not coming on to his own daughter is the fact they re related. So Farage could be kept in the Oval Office as an anti-grope Jeeves. Congratulations, Trumpkins. One of the things you claimed Obama had done has now come true for real, and Trump hasn t even taken office yet.Featured image by Win McNamee via Getty Images | 1real |
Anti-Donald Trump Play, ‘Building the Wall,’ Shuts Down in NYC After Poor Ticket Sales | An play that paints an ominous picture of a Trump America is shutting down in New York City after struggling to build an audience in the liberal city. [Building the Wall, written by Tony playwright Robert Schenkkan, is closing a month early, the play’s producer Jeffrey Richards told the New York Times. Schenkkan took to Twitter Friday to announce the play’s “final performances this weekend,” ahead of its original July 9 end date: Final performances this weekend for @BLDGtheWallNYC at New @newworldstages! Come see @TheRealTTunie and @JamesBadgeDale burn it up! — ROBERT SCHENKKAN (@ROBERTSCHENKKAN) June 2, 2017, The political thriller, according to the Times, follows a history professor named Gloria (Tamara Tunie) who interviews a former security officer named Rick (James Badge Gale). It’s 2019, and President Donald Trump has been removed from office after a terrorist attack in Times Square forces him to declare martial law and place Muslims and Mexicans in containment camps — which eventually turn into killing chambers. Gloria visits Rick in prison, where he explains his hand in the deadly terror. The play received a series of negative reviews, which Richards said contributed to its early shutdown. “Our author built a powerful play however, during this Tony Awards season and during a season which has not been kind to straight plays, we were unable to build an audience,” he said. “It is especially difficult to do so when you are Off Broadway. ” One Times review said the “hastily” written play “hobbles” along, crippled by “familiar ideas” like a prison interview. Schenkkan, who has been openly critical of President Trump, says the play took him just one week to write in what he described as a “ fury” after the election. “We no longer live in a world that is business as usual — Trump has made that very clear — and if theater is going to remain relevant, we must become faster to respond,” Schenkkan told the Times. “We cannot hope to be useful if we can’t respond until 18 months after the fact. ” Despite its early closing, Richards said the play has been extended in Los Angeles, and there are new production rehearsals underway in Chicago, Miami, and Santa Fe. Other productions have been scheduled for Austria, Canada, Iran, and Mexico. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson. | 0fake |
WATCH BARACK Become Agitated When CNN Ally Confronts Him On World Stage: “Why Can’t We Take Out These Bast*rds” (Obama’s JV Team) | Obama didn t appear to be very pleased when CNN ally, Jim Acosta confronted him on his feckless role as Commander In Chief an international stage during the G2 Summit. Acosta first mocked him about his reference to ISIS as Jayvee Team then lobbed some friendly fire: Why can t we take out these bastards? Obama s answer is arrogant, condescending and makes no sense whatsoever. His behavior is so predictable and completely unbecoming as the leader of our nation. This is exactly what we ve come to expect however, from this dangerous Commander in Chief. https://youtu.be/4pvGji2gkjs | 1real |
WikiLeaks: Iceland Kick FBI Out Of The Country | Posted on October 31, 2016 by Baxter Dmitry in News , World // 0 Comments
Iceland kicked the FBI out of the country after learning the United States authorities lied to them about the purpose of their visit and were only there to gather information about WikiLeaks.
Ogmundur Jonasson, Iceland’s former minister of the interior, says he received an urgent message from the authorities in the United States saying that “ there was an imminent attack on Icelandic government databases ” by hackers, and that they would send FBI agents to investigate. RELATED CONTENT WikiLeaks: New Evidence Shows DNC Forced Bernie Out
However upon their arrival it became apparent that there was no imminent attack and the FBI agents were only there to secretly gather intelligence on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. “Eight or nine” FBI agents were then ordered to leave the country.
WikiLeaks has many members in Iceland, a nation of activists that has swept the anti-establishment Pirate Party to the verge of forming government with similar non-mainstream parties this weekend.
Birgitta Jonsdottir, the Pirate’s nominal leader, is a former WikiLeaks member who worked with Assange on the release of Collateral Murder in 2010.
The FBI has form when it comes to investigating WikiLeaks via Iceland. In December 2010, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia requested Twitter account information for Jonsdottir. The subpoena cited a specific conspiracy provision that may have been aimed at those thought to have assisted Private Manning. Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Member of Parliament and former WikiLeaks associate.
Herbert Snorrason, a former WikiLeaks member once close to Assange, wrote on his website that he had been provided orders, unsealed on May 2, including a search warrant served on Google for “ all e-mail associated with my GMail account, every shred of information they had on my identity, and anything I’d uploaded to a Google service .”
Snorrason says the reason for the search warrant was “ because I had a conversation or a few with a white-haired Australian guy . These kinds of orders have been served on more of the people I know than I really care to think about. “
Another young activist, Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, told a closed session of Iceland’s Parliament in 2013 that he had been cooperating with United States agents investigating WikiLeaks. Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson (known as Siggi) with Julian Assange in London.
“ He was at the time going back and forwards going to meet Julian. They were trying to get him to go there wearing a wire ,” Jonsdottir said in an interview.
Ordering the FBI agents to leave proves the self-sufficient island nation does more than pay lip service to ideals of transparency and freedom. It is also a powerful display of sovereignty that suggests they will be true to their word regarding plans to grant citizenship to Edward Snowden.
When asked by reporters if they are worried that granting a haven to the NSA whistleblower might rile their NATO ally, the United States, Jonsdottir said, “ Well, we have done things that don’t make other nations happy before. Sometimes it’s a case of doing what is right versus what is easy. ” | 1real |
WATCH: Four Trump Supporters DESPERATELY Try To Explain Trump’s Polling Numbers | Four Donald Trump surrogates tried their best to lay out their case that there is a major bias against Trump Sunday morning during a broadcast of CNN s Reliable Sources. Trump and his supporters have alleged that the media is out to get Trump since the onset of the primary election. Now that Trump s polling numbers have been in a free-fall since the general election began, they are more desperate than ever to prove that it is all because of the media s bias against their candidate.Scottie Nell Hughes, one of Trump s most vocal surrogates, has previously spoken out against the press at large, claiming that the media is conspiring against Trump. Hughes reiterates Newt Gingrich s recent claim that roughly 70% of those in the media have a tendency to lean to the left politically. The figure that Hughes is regurgitating appears to be erroneous; there was a study conducted in 2005 that showed that news does favor more liberal positions. However, the reality of the situation is that most media outlets tend to either be biased towards one side of the political spectrum and cater to that audience.Much of the debate during the segment centered around Trump s plummeting polling numbers. You know, polling can be skewed too, Kremer, another Trump surrogate mentioned. He made the claim that polling numbers are affected By the way the questions are [asked], the number Democrats versus Republicans that are polled. So, you can t say that there s not any bias in the polling because I believe there certainly is. Well, of course, those factors do a play a part in public polling. As anyone who is going to go on a cable television show and talk about polling numbers should know, those biases are taken into account by pollsters. If they are not, they typically get disregarded.The other claims that the surrogates make during the episode are just as easy to explain away. That does not stop the Trump supporters from trying to explain how Trump truly is just a victim of the media s liberal bias. It couldn t possibly have anything to do with his flagrant, hateful sentiments that he has made during his very short political career. Nor the fact that his policy proposals change on a whim and to sound like they originated from a neo-Nazi s fever dream.You can watch Trump s surrogates try and rationalize their terrible candidate s failures below, in full.Featured image from video screenshot | 1real |
Tips on Doorman Tipping and Other Holiday Traditions - The New York Times | We are now in the season of little envelopes for the doorman. This is also the season of oversize packages overwhelming the mailroom. And of lobby Christmas trees outshining humble menorahs. For millions of New Yorkers who live in apartment buildings, these things are as much a part of their holiday traditions as plum pudding and potato latkes. Many of the people who navigate these landscapes will spend the next week wondering how much to tip the handyman and whether the decorations affixed to their doors will pass muster with the neighbors. Clutching a glass of chardonnay at the building holiday party, they might roll their eyes at the menu — or, just as likely, balk at the lack of one. So, in the spirit of holiday giving, here’s some advice from a few seasoned New York apartment dwellers. If you want to bake cookies for your doorman, by all means do so, douse them in confectioners’ sugar and pass them around. But remember that sweets (or soap or candles) are no substitute for cash. “Cash is usually what’s expected,” said Paul Gottsegen, the president of Halstead Management. How much should you give? That depends on the size and style of your building. If your condo has a concierge and apartments that fetch eight figures, assume your budget item will dwarf that of someone in a small rental with only a super. Still, it can be a fraught decision. “Whether you make a lot or you don’t make enough, you have to deal with a financial issue at a time when you’re already spending a lot,” said S. Jhoanna Robledo, the editor in chief of Brick Underground, a real estate website. The average tip for a super ranges from $75 to $175, according to the site’s tipping guide. But everyone’s situation is different — and staff members understand that someone living on a fixed income, for example, may give only that plate of cookies. In other cases, you should give more. “When I did an renovation, I quadrupled my tip,” said Louise Phillips Forbes, an associate real estate broker at Halstead Property. Newcomers who signed a lease in September do not get a holiday pass. “If you just moved in at Thanksgiving, make this year a bigger acknowledgment,” Ms. Forbes said, since building staff members often lend a special helping hand to new tenants when they first arrive. Above all, do not stiff the staff, even if the doorman is on your naughty list. “It seems like a glaring slap in the face to not give anything,” Ms. Robledo said. Come December, lobbies turn into de facto post offices as packages roll in from online retailers. This year, some buildings have taken draconian measures to stem the flow. At the Chelsea rental where Rex Gonsalves lives, residents have been told that packages left for more than three days will be returned to the sender. But that rule could prove difficult to enforce since delivery services might not be inclined to retrieve packages that have been delivered to a correct address. Still, Mr. Gonsalves, an associate real estate broker at Halstead Property, learned his lesson when he returned home after Thanksgiving weekend to a pile of eight boxes and a grumpy doorman. “In hindsight, I should have waited until I came back to order it,” he said. Fortunately, none of his packages were returned, but the message was received: “The stress on the staff is so much,” he said. At the exclusive Riverhouse in Battery Park City, staff members now deliver packages directly to the apartments, according to Ingrid C. Manevitz, a litigator and resident. Another Riverhouse policy: Staff members will not leave packages with children, to minimize the risk of ruining holiday surprises. But the package pileup can make a nondoorman building a target. At John Carbone’s Bushwick rental, a number of packages left in the unattended lobby have been stolen since Thanksgiving. “It’s the season of stolen goods,” said Mr. Carbone, an agent at Brown Harris Stevens who unwittingly let a stranger into the building a few weeks ago, only to see her steal the contents of a box and leave. He now instructs carriers to deliver packages straight to his door, if possible, and he no longer holds the door for strangers. This year, the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas Eve. So, if ever there was a year to ponder the holiday lobby color scheme, this is it. “If somebody’s coming over for Hanukkah, and they walk into a lobby and they see a very religiously decorated tree with ornaments, they are offended,” said Dan Wurtzel, the president of First Service Residential New York. To keep the peace, avoid overtly religious decorations. “You don’t want a Nativity scene,” Mr. Wurtzel said. Menorahs usually get a pass because they are small, frequently relegated to a corner and usually enjoy a glaringly brief display season. “For the menorah, it’s eight days and you’re out,” said Steven D. Sladkus, a Manhattan real estate lawyer. On the other hand, “you get people saying, ‘Christmas ended a week ago. When is this stuff coming down? ’” Kwanzaa rarely gets even a nod from the decorating team. But beware of breaking tradition. Three years ago, newer shareholders of an Upper East Side decided to invite Mrs. Claus to the holiday party instead of Santa. That did not go over well with the old guard, according to Mr. Gonsalves, whose client was among the newer residents. The decorating committee also made a misstep when it replaced the traditional Douglas fir tree with a futuristic version made of lights and wires, but no greenery. “It blew up into this whole thing about Christmas losing its meaning,” Mr. Gonsalves said. Now, the fir is back and peace is restored. Although most buildings generally prohibit decorations on apartment doors, the Christmas wreath is usually tolerated. But when the family in 4C hangs a picture of baby Jesus for all to see, secular neighbors may object. “If it’s distasteful, then we have to be the bad guy and go to the resident and say, ‘This is not appropriate,’” Mr. Wurtzel said. Ignoring the neighbors is a tradition in New York, except once a year at the holiday party, where we’re expected to bond over croquettes and bubbly. Southgate, a in Midtown East, brings in professional carolers to serenade residents in the garden. Others host more modest affairs. But even a party can be reason to grumble. A Midtown West condo’s party was derailed this year when residents bickered about a menu during an email exchange. Mr. Gonsalves’s client requested nonalcoholic eggnog just to be a pain, he said. The joke fell flat. The board canceled the party (but not just because of the eggnog comment). For the most part, however, building parties go the way of other holiday functions. “Alcohol is usually served,” said Mr. Gottsegen, who offered one last piece of advice for revelers: “You don’t want to get too inebriated. ” | 0fake |
Justices Kennedy and Scalia and their divide on gay rights | Justices Anthony M. Kennedy and Antonin Scalia were born in the same year, chosen by the same president, live on the same Northern Virginia street and, in serving together on the Supreme Court longer than any other current pair of justices, have many times voted the same conservative way.
But one issue — how the Constitution protects gay citizens — divides and defines the two like no other. This week’s historic hearing on same-sex marriage is both the logical extension and ultimate showdown in a decades-long argument that so far Kennedy has always won.
[Here’s what the fallout of a ruling could be in the various states]
Each of Kennedy’s bold and lyrical rulings on behalf of gays — “times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress,” he wrote in Lawrence v. Texas — has been just as reliably followed by a meticulous and fiery denunciation from Scalia.
“The court has taken sides in the culture war, departing from its role of assuring, as neutral observer, that the democratic rules of engagement are observed,” Scalia answered in the Lawrence case.
Kennedy has written all of the Supreme Court’s most important decisions on gay rights: protecting the civil rights of homosexuals in Romer v. Evans (1996), abolishing anti-gay sodomy laws in Lawrence (2003) and ruling in United States v. Windsor two years ago that the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages.
Each was a steppingstone to the Supreme Court’s consideration on Tuesday of whether the Constitution forbids states from prohibiting gay couples to marry.
If the pattern continues and the court renders a landmark ruling favoring gay marriage, it will likely once again be Kennedy whose words memorialize that decision and Scalia who will articulate the dissent.
It is not a conflict everyone would have predicted for two of Ronald Reagan’s choices for the court. Scalia ascended to the bench in 1986, and Kennedy followed 17 months later. The two, born on opposite coasts in 1936, are consistent comrades on issues important to corporate America and in dismantling campaign finance laws they see restricting political speech.
After Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. sided with liberals to declare the Affordable Care Act constitutional, Scalia and Kennedy united with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. in a jointly written, 65-page dissent mocking the majority opinion and saying the entire act should be found invalid.
Kennedy is often the deciding vote when the ideologically divided court splits 5 to 4, but in two-thirds of those cases he sides with the conservatives.
But if they often arrive at the same conclusion — one obstacle for same-sex marriage proponents in the current case is Kennedy’s allegiance to states’ rights — Kennedy and Scalia could not be more different in how they view a judge’s role.
“Their different approach to gay rights reflects their more fundamental disagreement about how to think about the liberties protected by the Constitution,” said Paul M. Smith, a Washington lawyer who was on the winning side in the Lawrence case.
Scalia believes the only freedoms that should be viewed as protected by the Constitution “are those that have been protected under American law throughout our history, defined at the most specific level,” Smith said. Otherwise, the people decide.
Kennedy, Smith said, “believes that each generation has the right to conceive of newer and broader forms of liberty that merit constitutional protection. He sees history as a guide but not a straitjacket.”
Their battle is compelling, said Allison Orr Larsen, a William and Mary law professor, because it “brings to the forefront the theoretical question in constitutional law: How should courts respond to change when interpreting the Constitution?”
Michael Dorf, a professor at Cornell Law School and a former Kennedy clerk, said his former boss’s decisions on gay rights were not constructed to lead ultimately to a decision on same-sex marriage. But they provided a foundation for how to view new constitutional rights “if that’s where the country moves.”
Scalia, on the other hand, champions the cause of originalism, and Edward Whelan, a former Scalia clerk and president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said his former boss learned quickly that “Kennedy’s judicial approach was not anything close to what Scalia’s is.”
“A basic tenet of originalism is that it’s not the role of judges to impose their own moral philosophies,” Whelan said. “Scalia understands the Constitution to leave the vast bulk of policy issues to the democratic processes and rejects the notion that it’s his role to read his own views into the Constitution.”
It’s worth remembering the differences among President Reagan’s choices for the Supreme Court.
He fulfilled his campaign pledge to name a woman to the bench with Sandra Day O’Connor, the pragmatic Arizona politician and judge who quickly became the court’s center.
Scalia’s selection was celebrated by conservatives eager to see a new method of constitutional interpretation forcefully advocated on the court.
Kennedy was a compromise, Reagan’s third choice for the seat he once hoped would be filled by conservative Robert Bork, whose nomination was defeated in the Senate. “This was the Bork seat,” said Smith. “Things could have been much different.”
Kennedy’s views, Dorf said, were those of a “moderate California Republican.”
Although he never ruled for gay rights as a lower court judge, Kennedy expressed concern about the policy even as he upheld the military’s right to dismiss gay servicemen. And Frank J. Colucci, a political science professor at Purdue University who has written a book about Kennedy’s jurisprudence, recalled that Kennedy in a speech criticized the Supreme Court’s 1986 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick that upheld a Georgia statute criminalizing sodomy.
“He came about as close as you can as a lower court judge to saying it was wrongly decided,” Colucci said.
Once on the court, Kennedy was able to say just that.
In the first gay rights case, Romer, Kennedy wrote for the majority in striking down a Colorado constitutional amendment. After some cities in the state began passing laws protecting gays from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas, voters through a referendum approved the amendment precluding such government protections.
Colorado’s amendment, Kennedy wrote, “classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A state cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws.”
That began something of a call-and-response on the issue: Kennedy delivering the majority’s opinion, Scalia replying with a scalding dissent, read from the bench for emphasis.
“This court has no business imposing upon all Americans the resolution favored by the elite class from which the members of this institution are selected, pronouncing that ‘animosity’ toward homosexuality is evil,” Scalia wrote in Romer. “I vigorously dissent.”
In Lawrence, Kennedy got the chance to reverse the court’s decision on sodomy, and did: “Bowers was not correct when it was decided and it is not correct today.” Private, homosexual conduct between consenting adults, he wrote, “involves liberty of the person both in its spatial and more transcendent dimensions.”
O’Connor wrote a concurring opinion to say the ruling did not touch on the matter of whether gays would be able to marry.
Scalia wrote that homosexuals should be free to promote their cause through democratic means, but “many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children’s schools, or as boarders in their home.”
“They view this as protecting themselves and their families from a lifestyle that they believe to be immoral and destructive,” he wrote. “The court views it as ‘discrimination.’ ”
Two years ago, in Windsor, Kennedy wrote that the federal government’s refusal to offer the same government benefits available to heterosexual couples to legally married gay couples tells “all the world that their otherwise valid marriages are unworthy” and “humiliates” their children.
Again, Scalia blasted the decision, saying the majority was merely being coy in saying the decision did not address whether states are required to give licenses for same-sex marriage.
“By formally declaring anyone opposed to same-sex marriage an enemy of human decency, the majority arms well every challenger to a state law restricting marriage to its traditional definition,” he wrote.
Most federal courts have taken Scalia literally.
“The court agrees with Justice Scalia’s interpretation of Windsor,” wrote U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby of Salt Lake City.
Shelby’s decision to strike a marriage ban in Utah was the first such ruling following Windsor and began the path that continues to Tuesday’s oral arguments, and will end with the court’s decision in June.
40 years later: “I’ve got the license and the faggot letter”
The right finds a voice on same-sex marriage
Gay rights, religious rights and a compromise in an unlikely place: Utah | 0fake |
BREAKING: PAUL RYAN Nervously Giggles During Budget Speech That DOESN’T Fund A Border Wall [Video] | Paul Ryan nervously giggled during the Republican announcement of the budget and Obamacare replacement this morning. It s interesting to watch all of the Republicans in the video below skip over the elephant in the room by redirecting everyone to other items THEY consider to be positive. Ryan emphasized the funding for border patrol but skipped right over the border wall funding.Why does the left bother with Resistance theatrics when the Republican Congress funds their entire wish list anyway?Is funding the NIH (National Institutes for Health) with 2 BILLION dollars a good thing? That bloated and very wasteful item needs to be looked at more closely. Remember shrimp on a treadmill? Drunk monkeys? Yes, this is the organization that gives out YOUR tax dollars to people to do crazy experiments that are honestly wasteful.The other things like funding Sanctuary Cities? Is anyone else puzzled by this?Why are the Republicans constantly trying to appease the Democrats?Please skip to the 5:15 mark in the video:This is a loser spending bill for the American people! | 1real |
Republicans lack agreement on Obamacare ahead of Trump speech | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House and Congress lacked agreement on a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare on Tuesday amid signs of growing Republican division on the issue, as President Donald Trump prepared to address lawmakers about his 2017 agenda. Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, are in agreement in their opposition to former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law but the details are proving knotty. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said separately that an effort was under way to get both chambers and the White House to agree on a plan to eliminate and replace the Affordable Care Act. “We’re not there yet,” McConnell told reporters, hours before Trump was due to address a joint session of Congress. “There’s a lot of discussion about how to craft that, what combination of legislation and regulation will get us to where we want to get,” he said. Meanwhile, Republican conservatives in the House signaled resistance to replacement draft legislation that would limit tax breaks on some employer-sponsored healthcare plans and offer tax credits based on age rather than income to help consumers buy insurance. “It’s a new entitlement program,” said Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, chairman of a 40-member bloc of Republican lawmakers known as the House Freedom Caucus. “It raises taxes on the middle class to give subsidies to others who could indeed be millionaires,” he added. “It also comes down to a plan that doesn’t reduce the cost of healthcare.” Ryan had promised legislation on Obamacare after lawmakers returned to Washington this week from a 10-day recess. On Tuesday, he told reporters that the White House, Senate and House were working on a single plan to repeal and replace the healthcare law. He insisted there were no rival plans. “At the end of the day, when we get everything done and right, we’re going to be unified on this,” Ryan said. Meadows said it would become clear within 48 hours whether the draft has enough support to pass the House. He said he supported a different bill introduced by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Representative Mark Sanford of South Carolina. Paul said conservative lawmakers are concerned congressional leaders are discussing a plan that would include new entitlements that the government cannot afford. “We’re not just going along with whatever they try to shove down our throats,” Paul told CNN. “We’re going to be a big part of this. Conservatives will be listened to or there won’t be a repeal,” he said. The Paul-Sanford bill would expand the use of health savings accounts (HSAs) to pay for healthcare costs and offer tax credits to people who contribute to HSAs. Another Freedom Caucus member, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, said he also favored the replacement bill put forward by Paul and Sanford. “We could bring back affordable health insurance,” he said. | 0fake |
NEW FINDINGS SHOW TWO IMPORTANT Words Were Deleted From Cowardly Comey’s Remarks About Hillary That Could’ve Ended Her Presidential Bid | The word crooked doesn t only apply to Hillary. Sadly, America is finding out that there are very few people in positions of power who we can trust. Perhaps the reason President Trump has so many loyal supporters is that Americans believe he s the only person in Washington with the courage and ability to actually drain the cesspool of corrupt government agencies in Washington DC Early drafts of former FBI Director James Comey s remarks about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton s use of a private email server acknowledged that there was evidence she had violated a federal statute prohibiting gross negligence, but that phrase was deleted, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley.Grassley, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, has been investigating the formulation of Comey s controversial July 2016 remarks in which he announced that the FBI would not seek criminal charges following its probe into Clinton s use of a private email server.The Iowa Republican on Monday said the FBI had recently turned over records relating to then-Director Comey s statement. The FBI included in those documents what Grassley said appears to be a May 2, 2016 draft of Comey s exoneration statement.The draft was written two months before Comey s July 5, 2016 press conference in which he said that he did not believe Clinton had broken any laws even though she had been extremely careless in her handling of sensitive, highly classified material.In the draft in question, Grassley said the Comey statement included the following sentence: There is evidence to support a conclusion that Secretary Clinton, and others, used the private email server in a manner that was grossly negligent with respect to the handling of classified material. The same draft included the following sentence: Similarly, the sheer volume of information that was properly classified as Secret at the time it was discussed on email (that is, excluding the up classified emails) support an inference that the participants were grossly negligent in their handling of that information. Despite this reference to gross negligence, Grassley said the same draft statement goes on to determine she should not be prosecuted for a crime.Grassley asked for more details about the documents, including copies of the drafts in their original format and all records relating to discussions about why the edits were made, in a letter sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray Monday. As you are aware, 18 U.S.C. 793(f) makes the mishandling of classified material through gross negligence a criminal act, Grassley wrote. Although Director Comey s original version of his statement acknowledged that Secretary Clinton had violated the statute prohibiting gross negligence in the handling of classified information, he nonetheless exonerated her in that early May 2nd draft statement anyway, arguing that this part of the statute should not be enforced. Grassley said later edits, on or around about June 10 remove those two sentences and include the following sentence instead: Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information. Comey had the opportunity to charge a woman, who has been accused of breaking the law numerous times, with a crime, and in doing so, would have proved to all of America that nobody, even if their last name is Clinton , is above the law. Once again, however, Crooked Hillary managed to wriggle off the hook of justice Grassley and Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R., S.C.) said in late August that Comey began drafting a statement rejecting the idea of charging Clinton with a crime over the email issue two months before Clinton was interviewed in the FBI probe. The senators released partial transcripts of interviews the Judiciary Committee conducted with U.S. officials to back up the statement.For entire story: WFB | 1real |
WHY AG LYNCH Should Recuse Herself From Clinton E-mail Probe ASAP! [Video] | INFLUENCE PEDDLING is what the Clintons do and this time it could (hopefully) have consequences. | 1real |
BOOM! TX Governor Will CUT FUNDING To County Where Sheriff Of Sanctuary City Refuses To Cooperate With Feds [VIDEO] | Soon after newly elected Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez announced she would be scaling back her department s cooperation with federal immigration agents, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that his office will cut funding for Travis County adopting sanctuary policies. The Governor's Office will cut funding for Travis County adopting sanctuary policies. Stiffer penalties coming. https://t.co/yYxeXql3xL Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 20, 2017 Stiffer penalties coming, his tweet says.This week, the American-Statesman reported that she had notified the county that it would soon no longer be complying with federal agents requests in many cases. The county consequently could lose up to $1.8 million in grants because the governor s office requires compliance in order to receive grants.Gov. Greg Abbott said via Twitter in response to the Statesman s report, I m about to up the ante. No more sanctuary cities in Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned he would cut off aid to Sheriff Hernandez if she refused to cooperate with the Federal immigration agencies:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=DXPmp2XIizk&pbjreload=10The Travis County sheriff s office has a $169 million budget, according to the county s budget website. The $1.8 million would represent 1 percent of that budget.Earlier: In a major policy shift that is already being met with controversy, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez on Friday announced that she is scaling back the amount of aid her department provides federal immigration agents in detaining suspects who may be in the country illegally.Traditionally, the county has honored nearly all requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold a suspect booked into jail when agents have wanted to investigate their status further. However, effective Feb. 1, sheriff s officials will honor so-called immigration holds or detainers placed by federal authorities only when a suspect is booked into the Travis County Jail on charges of capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and continuous smuggling of persons. Otherwise, federal agents must have a court order or arrest warrant signed by a judge for the jail to continue housing a person whose immigration status is in question, according to Hernandez s policy, which she released Friday. The public must be confident that local law enforcement is focused on local public safety, not on federal immigration enforcement. Our jail cannot be perceived as a holding tank for ICE or that Travis County deputies are ICE officers, Hernandez said in a video announcement. My Statesman | 1real |
أردوغان يؤكد مواصلة "درع الفرات" بسوريا - RT Arabic | أردوغان يؤكد مواصلة "درع الفرات" بسوريا
تاريخ النشر: 26.10.2016 | 20:02 GMT | انسخ الرابط http://ar.rt.com/i5hr أكد الرئيس التركي رجب طيب أردوغان أن بلاده ستواصل عمليةَ درع الفرات في سوريا حتى طرد داعش من مناطق حدودية.
أما الجيش التركي فقال إن مروحية سورية قصفت فصائل ما يسمى بعملية درع الفرات التي تدعمها أنقرة قرب بلدة أخترين بريف حلب الشمالي | 1real |
CBS: 800 Churches Nationwide Harbor Illegal Immigrants | A new report reveals how churches nationwide are harboring illegal immigrants, helping them evade federal immigration orders for deportation. [In a 60 Minutes special report, more than 800 churches are acting as jurisdictions to hide illegal immigrants from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. ICE has a policy in which agents do not detain illegal immigrants at churches, making the facilities an ideal spot to avoid deportation orders. In a Buffalo, New York, church profiled, parish staff confirmed that they recently harbored an illegal alien family of four from Honduras. Since January, the church officials said it protected more than 40 migrants. Rev. Robin Hynicka of Philadelphia’s Arch Street Methodist Church explained how he believes enforcing federal immigration laws are oppressive to illegal immigrants who remain in the U. S. “It’s injustice and oppression, all of which is evil,” Hynicka said. “Yeah, when a human being’s human rights are denied, when they can’t stay with their family, when they can’t work, when they can’t participate in the community in which they have deep roots, all of those apply. ” In one specific case, Hynicka’s church has been harboring Javier Flores Garcia, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who came to the U. S. in 1997. Garcia was arrested and convicted for drunk driving, and despite an immigration judge ordering him be deported, he remains hiding out in Arch Street Methodist Church. ICE’s Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale did not back down to his agency’s responsibility to enforce federal immigration law and protect Americans, despite questioning from 60 Minute’s Scott Pelley. Scott Pelley: How much concern do you have about separating families in deportations? Daniel Ragsdale: As a human being, I know it is traumatic for folks. But I will also say that the Rule of Law is something that America is built on. But this seems to be the one area where the narrative about separating families, you know, sort of gets a little bit ratcheted up. Scott Pelley: Well, you can understand why. Daniel Ragsdale: Well, I can. But I would suggest that every person who has, you know, come to the United States illegally, just like if I went somewhere and, you know, resided in violation of law, I could expect at some point that sovereign country to want to remove me. Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to 10 sanctuary cities, demanding they stop obstructing federal immigration agents from being able to deport criminal illegal immigrants. Sessions said that if sanctuary cities do not eventually comply with federal law, they could see a loss in federal grant money. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder. | 0fake |
Moscow says allegations about its influencing U.S. election are U.S. infighting | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman branded as turf war between U.S. security agencies U.S. intelligence reports that Russia intervened in the presidential election, she wrote on her Facebook page on Tuesday. “It looks like banal infighting between U.S. security services”, Maria Zakharova said. | 0fake |
AUTHOR OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS BRAGS ABOUT GIVING $1 MILLION To Baby Body Parts Harvester | Because ripping babies from the womb and then carefully separating their body parts so as to procure top dollar from their vendors is very nobel indeed Just don t expect my children to ever read a book that was written by you, illustrated by your wife, or to watch a movie that is affiliated with one of your books. The children s author known as Lemony Snicket says he s donating $1 million to Planned Parenthood.Daniel Handler made the announcement this week on his Twitter feed, (at)DanielHandler. He notes the donation to the women s health care provider is on behalf of him and his wife, illustrator Lisa Brown. He says they ve been very fortunate and good fortune should be shared with noble causes. @DanielHandler @lisabrowndraws @PPFA Killing babies and selling their body parts for profit How very noble! @thesamsorboshow @Pray_4_Life 100% FED UP! (@100PercFEDUP) October 2, 2015Planned Parenthood defends the practice as the legal donation of tissue to research firms. It says the not-for-profit tissue donation programs support lifesaving scientific research.Handler s Lemony Snicket novels, A Series of Unfortunate Events, have sold millions of copies. Via: The Blaze | 1real |
Trump aims at insurers in battle over healthcare subsidies | WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at insurers on Monday in an escalating threat to cut the healthcare subsidy payments that make Obamacare plans affordable, after repeatedly urging Republican senators to keep working to undo his Democratic predecessor’s healthcare law. “If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn’t it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays?” Trump, a Republican, wrote on Twitter. Trump, frustrated that he and Republicans have not been able to keep campaign promises to repeal and replace Obamacare, has threatened to let it implode. So far, the administration has continued to make the monthly subsidy payments, but withholding them would be one way to make good on Trump’s threat. Republican Senator Rand Paul told reporters on Monday he spoke to Trump by phone and the president was considering taking executive action to address problems with the healthcare system. Paul said he told Trump he thought he had the authority to create associations that would allow organizations - such as the AARP that represents retirees, or the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - to offer group health insurance plans. The White House declined to comment on matter. On Capitol Hill, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said senators were too divided to keep working on healthcare overhaul legislation, and that he and other senior Republicans would take that message to the White House. “There’s just too much animosity and we’re too divided on healthcare,” Hatch said in an interview. He said lawmakers could return to a healthcare overhaul later but for now should pivot to tax reform. Some senators were not ready to drop healthcare, however. Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, met with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and several Republican state governors at the White House on Monday to discuss a proposal Cassidy and others have made to send federal healthcare funds to the states in grants, Cassidy told reporters. But Cassidy said he had not discussed bringing his proposal to the Senate floor with Senate leaders. And the third-ranking Republican senator, John Thune, told reporters Monday evening that until there is a proposal that can win a majority of senators’ support, “I think we’ve had our vote and we’re moving onto tax reform.” Hatch, in the interview with Reuters, also said he thought Congress would have to approve new funds for the government’s cost-sharing reduction subsidies to insurers that Trump had been threatening to end. These subsidies lower the price of health coverage for the poor under the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. Insurers have asked the government to commit to making the $8 billion in payments for 2018, saying they may raise rates or leave the individual insurance marketplace if there is too much uncertainty. | 0fake |
Chris Wallace, In-House Moderate at Fox News, Has Less Predictable Targets - The New York Times | WASHINGTON — It seemed like a chummy reunion between friends. Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor, was chatting amiably in his studio here on Sunday with Paul J. Manafort, Donald J. Trump’s new campaign chief, reminiscing about Ronald Reagan as the seconds ticked down to airtime. Then the cameras switched on. Mr. Wallace’s tone sharpened as he pressed Mr. Manafort about his lobbying work for a Filipino dictator and his description of Mr. Trump as playing a “part. ” One halting answer was dismissed with a sly Wallace riposte: “Forgive me, it does seem a little bit like spin. ” By the time Mr. Manafort removed his microphone, tweets were swirling about his uneven performance. Mr. Wallace, who compares interviews to shot a glance at his producer: success. As Fox News grapples with how to cover Mr. Trump — who has tested the network’s influence and battled its anchors, even as he stokes its ratings — Mr. Wallace has stood out as Fox’s moderate, occasionally contrarian voice, irritating Mr. Trump with tough questions and, on occasion, tweaking his opinionated colleagues, too. When Mr. Trump pledged in an interview to act more presidential, Mr. Wallace parried: “When are you going to start?” Then there was the time he ticked off Roger Ailes, Fox’s powerful chairman, after chastising the hosts of the network’s morning show, “Fox and Friends,” for their carping coverage of Senator Barack Obama in 2008. “They were very unhappy,” Mr. Wallace recalled. “I had called them out on the air. ” He added: “There’s a phrase that we all talk about, which is, ‘You do not fire inside the tent.’ That’s the ultimate transgression in Roger Ailes’s mind. ” Over eggs and tea here on Sunday, Mr. Wallace, whose “Fox News Sunday” is experiencing its highest ratings since starting 20 years ago this week, did not hesitate to take his industry and even his network to task, saying that Mr. Trump has been granted too much exposure on cable news. “If we put Donald Trump on for a rally now, and it’s going to spike our audience, it’s pretty hard if you’re a news executive to say no,” he said. “Did everybody do it too much? Yes. ” Mr. Wallace singled out CNN as a notable offender. Would he include Fox in that group? “Absolutely,” he replied. And asked if Fox’s commentators, who often support the Republican nominee in presidential years, would rally around a Trump candidacy, Mr. Wallace laughed. “That’ll test it, won’t it?” he said. “I don’t know. It’ll be interesting to see. ” Mr. Wallace, 68, is a registered Democrat — in order to vote in local Washington elections, he explains — and he spent decades as a correspondent on NBC and ABC before joining Fox in 2003. The move to Fox prompted him to review what he calls his “unexamined assumptions” about traditional network news. “If there’s a story on marriage, it’s like this is a celebration of a new civil right,” Mr. Wallace said. “I’m not saying I disagree with that. What I’m saying is there are two sides to the story, and I don’t think, generally speaking, the broadcast networks will portray both sides evenly. ” Wry and punchy Mr. Wallace has long had a rebellious streak. Bill Clinton accused him in an interview of having a “little smirk on your face” Newt Gingrich goaded a crowd into mocking him at a 2011 debate President Obama’s refusal to appear on his show prompted Mr. Wallace to describe his administration as “crybabies. ” (Mr. Obama ended his drought this month, in an interview that lured millions of viewers.) In the Fox studio in Washington on Sunday, Mr. Wallace could not resist making mischief. After grilling Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, Mr. Wallace reassured her during a commercial break that the segment had gone fine. “It was clear you think Donald Trump sucks,” Mr. Wallace said, earning a laugh from Ms. Schultz. Last summer, Mr. Trump lashed out at Mr. Wallace for asking about his bankruptcies during the first Republican debate. “The son is only a tiny fraction of Mike, believe me,” Mr. Trump said afterward. That would be Mr. Wallace’s father, Mike Wallace, the famous correspondent whose legacy has been a complicated backdrop to his son’s career. For years, the men were not close Chris Wallace still considers his stepfather, Bill Leonard, a former president of CBS News, as “more of a father than my father was. ” Mike Wallace once stole an interview, with the comedian Chris Rock, away from his son the two did not speak for several months. Chris Wallace said there was a time when Mr. Trump’s remark might have bothered him, adding: “It doesn’t anymore. ” “At some point, I realized, I was never going to be Mike Wallace, but neither was anybody else,” he said. He and his father, who died in 2012, bonded later in life Mr. Wallace has also borrowed bits of his father’s interviewing style, prefacing tough questions with a polite “Forgive me,” and occasionally placing a deferential arm across his chest. “He’s a dignified, smart, fairly quiet guy, who came up under a legend,” Mr. Ailes said in an interview. “He’s now pretty much achieved what his old man did. ” So what does Mr. Ailes make of Mr. Wallace’s contention that news networks, including Fox, have Mr. Trump? “Did he get too much coverage? Yes,” Mr. Ailes said, after a pause. “On the other hand, it’s not just cable news, but all news. ” “The broadcast networks are just as guilty,” Mr. Ailes added, noting that Mr. Trump, in addition to being the Republican has been more accessible to the news media than his opponents. “When you go try to drag another candidate to talk about another serious issue that day, he’s not available,” Mr. Ailes said. Andrew Heyward, a former president of CBS News, praised Mr. Wallace for his tough interviews and for refusing to allow Mr. Trump to phone in to his Sunday show, an accommodation made by some other networks. He noted that Mr. Wallace’s journalistic reputation provided another benefit to Fox. “Part of the brilliance of Ailes is he has a few people like that he can point to, and say, ‘What do you mean we are the official spokesman of the Republican Party? That’s ridiculous,’” Mr. Heyward said. “He’s his own man,” Mr. Heyward said of Mr. Wallace. “And that works for Roger, too. ” (Mr. Ailes said in response: “It’s amusing to me to hear that one person I picked has made this all work. ’’) Over lunch, Mr. Wallace said that some of Mr. Trump’s behavior had taken politics “to new depths, and I think it’s sad. ” “I understand the need to entertain, but I think it would suit him, and serve democracy, if it was conducted on a higher plane,” he said. That hasn’t stopped Mr. Wallace from displaying a “Make America Great Again” cap, signed by Mr. Trump, among the mementos in his office. (Also on display: his father’s old Rolodex.) “It’s a great hat,” he said, urging a reporter to try it on. His brow arched, he said he likes to wear it while visiting one of his daughters, “a raving liberal,” in New York. Why? “I knew it would really tick her off. ” | 0fake |
If Hillary Clinton Is Charged With Obstruction Of Justice She Could Go To Prison For 20 Years | Archives Michael On Television If Hillary Clinton Is Charged With Obstruction Of Justice She Could Go To Prison For 20 Years By Michael Snyder, on October 30th, 2016
In the world of politics, the cover-up is often worse than the original crime. It was his role in the Watergate cover-up that took down Richard Nixon, and now Hillary Clinton’s cover-up of her email scandal could send her to prison for a very, very long time. When news broke that the FBI has renewed its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, it sent shockwaves throughout the political world . But this time around, we aren’t just talking about an investigation into the mishandling of classified documents. I haven’t heard anyone talking about this, but if the FBI discovers that Hillary Clinton altered, destroyed or concealed any emails that should have been turned over to the FBI during the original investigation, she could be charged with obstruction of justice. That would immediately end her political career, and if she was found guilty it could send her to prison for the rest of her life.
I have not seen a single news report mention the phrase “obstruction of justice” yet, but I am convinced that there is a very good chance that this is where this scandal is heading. The following is the relevant part of the federal statute that deals with obstruction of justice …
Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsified, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States or any case filed under Title 11, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
If Hillary Clinton is sent to prison for 20 years, that would essentially be for the rest of her life.
I have a feeling that the FBI is going to find a great deal of evidence of obstruction of justice in Huma Abedin’s emails. But unfortunately there is not likely to be a resolution to this matter before November 8th, because according to the Wall Street Journal there are approximately 650,000 emails to search through…
As federal agents prepare to scour roughly 650,000 emails to see how many relate to a prior probe of Hillary Clinton ’s email use, the surprise disclosure that investigators were pursuing the potential new evidence lays bare building tensions inside the bureau and the Justice Department over how to investigate the Democratic presidential nominee.
Metadata found on the laptop used by former Rep. Anthony Weiner and his estranged wife Huma Abedin, a close Clinton aide, suggests there may be thousands of emails sent to or from the private server that Mrs. Clinton used while she was secretary of state, according to people familiar with the matter. It will take weeks, at a minimum, to determine whether those messages are work-related from the time Ms. Abedin served with Mrs. Clinton at the State Department; how many are duplicates of emails already reviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and whether they include either classified information or important new evidence in the Clinton email probe.
Of those 650,000 emails, an inside source told Fox News that “ at least 10,000 ” would be of interest to the investigation.
At this point, FBI officials have not even begun searching through the emails, because a search warrant has not been secured yet. The following comes from CNN …
Government lawyers haven’t yet approached Abedin’s lawyers to seek an agreement to conduct the search. Sources earlier told CNN that those discussions had begun, but the law enforcement officials now say they have not.
Either way, government lawyers plan to seek a search warrant from a judge to conduct the search of the computer, the law enforcement officials said.
But the FBI is reportedly already searching a laptop that was co-owned by Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin, and no warrant was necessary for that search because Weiner is cooperating with the FBI.
Many have been wondering why FBI Director James Comey would choose to make such a bold move just over a week until election day. Surely he had to know that this would have a dramatic impact on the election, and it is unlikely that he would have done so unless someone had already found something really big. In addition, Comey was reportedly eager to find an opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his peers at the FBI. The following is an excerpt from a Daily Mail article that was written by Ed Klein, the author of a recently released New York Times bestseller about the Clintons entitled “ Guilty As Sin “…
‘The atmosphere at the FBI has been toxic ever since Jim announced last July that he wouldn’t recommend an indictment against Hillary,’ said the source, a close friend who has known Comey for nearly two decades, shares family outings with him, and accompanies him to Catholic mass every week.
‘Some people, including department heads, stopped talking to Jim, and even ignored his greetings when they passed him in the hall,’ said the source. ‘They felt that he betrayed them and brought disgrace on the bureau by letting Hillary off with a slap on the wrist.’
According to the source, Comey fretted over the problem for months and discussed it at great length with his wife, Patrice.
He told his wife that he was depressed by the stack of resignation letters piling up on his desk from disaffected agents. The letters reminded him every day that morale in the FBI had hit rock bottom.
So what happens next?
In the most likely scenario, the FBI will not have time to complete the investigation and decide whether or not to charge Hillary Clinton before the election. This means that we would go into November 8th with this scandal hanging over the Clinton campaign, and that would seem to be very good news for Donald Trump.
However, it is possible that once the FBI starts searching through these emails that they could come to the conclusion very rapidly that charges against Clinton are warranted, and if that happens we could still see some sort of announcement before election day.
In the unlikely event that does happen, we could actually see Hillary Clinton forced out of the race before November 8th.
Once again, this appears to be very unlikely at this point, but it is still possible.
If Clinton was forced to step aside, the Democrats would need to come up with a new nominee, and that process would take time. In an article later today on The Most Important News I will reveal who I believe that nominee would be.
In such a scenario, the Democrats would desperately need time to get their act together, and so we could actually see Barack Obama attempt to delay or suspend the election . The legality of such a move is highly questionable, but Barack Obama has not allowed a little thing like the U.S. Constitution to stop him in the past.
This week is going to be exceedingly interesting – that is for sure.
The craziest election in modern American history just keeps getting crazier, and I have a feeling that even more twists and turns are ahead.
It sure seems ironic that Anthony Weiner is playing such a central role this late in the story, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the season finale. October 30th, 2016 | Tags: 2016 Election , 2016 Election Delayed , 2016 Election Suspended , Anthony Weiner , Barack Obama , Clinton , Donald Trump , Election Delay , Election Delayed , Election Suspended , Hillary , Hillary Clinton , Hillary Clinton Email Scandal , Hillary Clinton FBI Email Investigation , Hillary Clinton Going To Jail , Hillary Clinton Going To Prison , Hillary Clinton Lock Her Up , Hillary Clinton's Crimes , Huma Abedin , North Carolina , Obama , Obstruction Of Justice , Trump | Category: Commentary aldownunder
If Hillary Clinton Is Charged With Obstruction Of Justice She Could Go To Prison For 20 Years
Lets hope so biglipnagger
There is no way the machine will let her go to prison. Just not gonna happen. K
Here is my prediction, one of three. 1.The FBI still decides not to fiile charges. 2. The Attorney General refuses the charges, if the FBI files them. 3. Obama pardons her, if all else fails. A corrupt Government, will never let one of their own, go to jail. Wish I still believed there was justice, in this Country. MeMadMax
Most likely kaine will be thrown on top of the woodpile.
But there is nothing that says we MUST have a democrat participating in the elections and we still have three other candidates.
In fact, if the democrats want to survive, it would behoov them to throw hillary under the bus, even disenfranchise her from the dem party instead of trying to push one of the most toxic candidates in history.
But dems havent shown one iota of reason since they got “their man” in the white house. In fact, that man took the dem party and twisted it into a monster.
All it will take is one of the higher ups to say enough is enough. If there are any higher up dems left that are not under the control of demon in the whitehouse… carlcasino
The Demon is NOT in the white house ! He is just the Soro’s sock puppet. Rob
I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope….. carlcasino
I’m giving odd’s that the Clinton Crime Cartel will skate –Again ? Any takers at 10:1 | 1real |
What Is Behind The Push For War With Russia? | What Is Behind The Push For War With Russia? What Is Behind The Push For War With Russia? By 0 23
This is a Jewish thing. But it is not just that Jews want to destroy things for no reason. But this is, especially among the American Jewish elite, a vendetta against Vladimir Putin. This vendetta was described by American academia’s preeminent Russia scholar, Professor Stephen F. Cohen.
To be sure, Cohen did not say in so many words that this was a “Jewish” vendetta. But he also did not call it a “globalist” or “corporate” or “reptilian Nazi” vendetta, which are just ways of distracting attention away from the Jewish role. He blamed a war party which he described as led by the (((New York Times))), the (((Washington Post))), and officials in the Defense and State Department like (((Victoria Nuland))). Connect the dots for yourselves, goys.
He does not say why this “war party,” as he calls it, wants to regime change Putin. But a look at recent Russian history, a history that he has written so much about, makes it clear.
After the Soviet Union was dismantled in what was basically an unconstitutional coup carried out by the Russian President Boris Yeltsin at a time when Russia was just one (although by far the largest) of the 15 Soviet republics that made up the Soviet Union, he proceeded to privatize state assets as part of a “shock therapy” program pushed by Harvard Professor (((Jeffrey Sachs))), who was brought in as an advisor by Privatization Minister (((Anatoly Chubais))).
President Clinton sent over more Jews to advise Yeltsin on how to… | 1real |
‘Unlawful’ US Airstrikes Kill 300 Civilians In Syria — Bombs Dropped a Second Time to Kill First Responders | Home / Be The Change / Antiwar / ‘Unlawful’ US Airstrikes Kill 300 Civilians In Syria — Bombs Dropped a Second Time to Kill First Responders ‘Unlawful’ US Airstrikes Kill 300 Civilians In Syria — Bombs Dropped a Second Time to Kill First Responders John Vibes October 27, 2016 Leave a comment
As the media and the general population in the United States remain distracted by the sham elections, the US military is waging undeclared war across the middle east. Just t his week, we reported that 60 civilians were killed, and over 200 injured during a US-led airstrike in Iraq.
Now, only a day later in Syria, 300 innocent civilians have died as a result of 11 different airstrikes conducted by a US-led coalition.
The killings were largely absent from the major headlines in American mainstream media, but the operations were condemned by human rights organization Amnesty International.
The organization stated that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) “may have… carried out unlawful attacks” in Syria, killing civilians.
Lynn Maalouf, Deputy Director for Research at Amnesty International’s Beirut regional office said that the CENTCOM is downplaying the human cost of the recent attacks
“We fear the US-led coalition is significantly underestimating the harm caused to civilians in its operations in Syria,” she said.
“It’s high time the US authorities came clean about the full extent of the civilian damage caused by coalition attacks in Syria. Independent and impartial investigations must be carried out into any potential violations of international humanitarian law and the findings should be made public,” she added.
According to witnesses, “double tap” airstrikes, in which the same target is attacked multiple times, ended up killing numerous first responders who were trying to save innocent victims trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Amnesty international estimated that 300 civilians were killed in the attacks based on satellite imagery, eyewitness reports as well as media documentation from the front lines.
“At this point, I had a two-month-old baby boy in my arms whom I had rescued. The hit caused me to fall and drop him… I fell into the hole made by the air strike. That was what saved me… My mother, aunt, wife and children – a daughter who was four years old and a son who was two and a half were all killed. The woman and her son who I’d rescued were killed. Everyone but me was killed,” one survivor told reporters.
“Given the likely increase in air strikes by the US-led Coalition as part of the Iraqi offensive to recapture Mosul, it is even more pressing that CENTCOM be fully transparent about the impact of their military actions on civilians. And it is crucial that they adhere scrupulously to international humanitarian law, including by taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and to minimize harm to civilian homes and infrastructure,” Maalouf of Amnesty International said.
This is not the first time such a large death toll has occurred recently in Syria. Amnesty also documented that over 200 civilians were killed in a US-led attack on the city of Manbij, Syria. John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. John is currently battling cancer naturally , without any chemo or radiation, and will be working to help others through his experience, if you wish to contribute to his treatments please donate here . Share Social Trending ‘Unlawful’ US Airstrikes Kill 300 Civilians In Syria — Bombs Dropped a Second Time to Kill First Responders October 27, 2016 | 1real |
Illinois House Passes Automatic Voter Registration Bill | The Illinois House passed a bill allowing the state to register eligible voters automatically, the Associated Press (AP) reported. [The AP reports that bill passed unanimously in the House and is now headed to the Senate to review the changes made since it passed the Senate the first time. The bill, SB1933, would automatically register eligible voters if they visit the secretary of state’s offices or other state agencies. The bill also allows people to opt out of registering to vote. State Rep. Robyn Gabel ( ) who sponsored the bill in the House, says the bill would increase voter participation and bring the voter registration system in Illinois up to date. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a similar bill that passed both chambers of the legislature in 2016 because it did not go far enough to prevent voter fraud. Seven states and the District of Columbia have already passed automatic voter registration laws, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. An analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice also notes that 32 states introduced bills aimed at implementing automatic voter registration in 2017. | 0fake |
TRUMP DRIVES CRITICS CRAZY: Eliminates Obama’s Czars…Pays Female Staffers More Than Men…Saves Taxpayers Millions! | Meanwhile, back at CNN Russia Russia Russia!The White House payroll is an excellent example of Trump s commitment to shrink government and save taxpayers money. The White House released the report of Trump s staffers salaries in a 16-page report on Friday, resulting in projected four-year savings of more than $22 million. Not only is President Trump refusing to take his $400,000 salary, but also eliminating czars (which Obama came under fire for hiring starting in 2009), expensive fellowships , and spending on FLOTUS staff.Here are some key findings:Some special initiative czars that worked for President Obama include Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner ($172,000), Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois ($98,000), White House Director of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion Jr ($158,500), and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle ($158,500).The reports also confirm only 5 staffers dedicated to First Lady Melania Trump, compared to Michelle Obama s outrageous 24 staffers.Trump also eliminated positions in the White House Leadership Development program which was instituted by President Obama in 2015. Positions included that of Elaine Ho at a salary of $158,700 who was in charge of working with the Office of the First Lady to implement her Let Girls Learn initiative. Two Directors whose positions were also eliminated from the payroll include Pamela Coleman ($120,000) and Katherine Pielemeier ($60,876).Gary Cohn, president of Goldman Sachs and current Director of the White House National Economic Council, and Christopher Liddell, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the White House and a former Microsoft Chief Financial Officer, are serving with reduced salaries of $30,000.President Trump donated his first quarter paycheck to the Dept. of Interior for construction and repair needs in military cemeteries. Forbes | 1real |
TUCKER CARLSON GRILLS Democrat Elector Who Supports Coup Against Trump [Video] | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I zihjmn0M | 1real |
McCain introduces bill to kill Puerto Rico shipping restrictions | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican senators John McCain and Mike Lee introduced a bill on Thursday to permanently waive shipping restrictions on Puerto Rico, saying a temporary waiver from the Trump administration is “insufficient” to help the island rebuild from Hurricane Maria. President Donald Trump’s administration earlier on Thursday waived the restriction known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, or the Jones Act, for Puerto Rico for 10 days, after a request by Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rossello. Opponents of the Jones Act, which bars foreign vessels from shipping goods between U.S. coasts, say it hurts consumers on U.S. islands, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii, by adding shipping costs to imports of basic goods like food and fuel. McCain called the Jones Act an “antiquated, protectionist law that has driven up costs and crippled Puerto Rico’s economy.” In 2013, a Federal Reserve Bank of New York report said the Jones Act hurts Puerto Rico’s economy. It estimated that shipping costs from the U.S. East Coast to Puerto Rico are double what they are to the nearby Dominican Republic, thanks mainly to the Jones Act. In addition, the U.S. Virgin Islands have been exempt from the Jones Act for decades, which opponents of the law say is unfair to Puerto Rico. It was unclear whether McCain could gain widespread support for the bill that would waive the law, which is supported by shipping and security interests. Not only do U.S. ship builders support the Jones Act, but also a wide array of industries that build parts that go into ships, businesses that are spread throughout the country. President Donald Trump, before his administration waived the law temporarily, pointed out that “a lot of shippers and ... a lot of people that work in the shipping industry” did not want the restrictions waived for Puerto Rico. In 1998, McCain sponsored legislation to allow waivers of the law, a measure that created exemptions that are in place today. In 2010, 2015 and this past July he introduced legislation to fully repeal the restrictions. | 0fake |
Trump ends 'Dreamer' immigration program, places onus on Congress | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday scrapped an Obama-era program that protects from deportation immigrants brought illegally into the United States as children, delaying implementation until March and giving a gridlocked Congress six months to decide the fate of almost 800,000 young people. As the so-called Dreamers who have benefited from the five-year-old program were plunged into uncertainty, business and religious leaders, mayors, governors, Democratic lawmakers, unions, civil liberties advocates and former Democratic President Barack Obama all condemned Trump’s move. The action was announced not by Trump but by Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, who called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program an unconstitutional overreach by Obama. There will be an “orderly, lawful wind-down,” Sessions said. Trump later issued a written statement saying that “I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also recognize that we are (a) nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws.” He denounced Obama’s program as an “amnesty-first approach” toward illegal immigrants and pressed his nationalist “America First” message, saying that despite concerns voiced by his critics about the fate of the Dreamers, “Above all else, we must remember that young Americans have dreams too.” On Tuesday evening, the Republican president tweeted that lawmakers now had six months to “legalize DACA” and that if they did not, he would “revisit this issue!” Obama issued his own statement calling Trump’s action a political decision, defending DACA’s legality and urging Congress to protect Dreamers. “This is about young people who grew up in America - kids who study in our schools, young adults who are starting careers, patriots who pledge allegiance to our flag. These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper,” Obama said. The Trump administration said nobody covered by the program, which provided work permits in addition to deportation protection and primarily benefits Hispanics, would be affected before March 5. Most people covered by DACA are in their 20s. Trump shifted responsibility to a Congress controlled by his fellow Republicans and said it was now up to lawmakers to pass immigration legislation that could address the fate of those protected by DACA who would be in danger of deportation. Trump and Sessions offered no details of the type of legislation they would want to see, and Trump’s spokeswoman offered only a broad outline. “I have a love for these people (DACA recipients), and hopefully now Congress will be able to help them and do it properly,” Trump later told reporters at the White House, adding: “I think it’s going to work out very well.” Since Trump took office in January, Congress has been unable to pass any major legislation, most notably failing on a healthcare overhaul, and lawmakers have been bitterly divided over immigration in the past. “President Trump’s decision to end DACA is a deeply shameful act of political cowardice and a despicable assault on innocent young people in communities across America,” said Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives. The Democratic attorney general of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, said a coalition of states planned to file suit in the coming days to defend DACA, and one advocacy group announced its own legal action. “This is a sad day for our country,” added Facebook Inc (FB.O) founder Mark Zuckerberg. “The decision to end DACA is not just wrong. It is particularly cruel to offer young people the American Dream, encourage them to come out of the shadows and trust our government, and then punish them for it.” Brad Smith, president of Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), urged Congress to “put the humanitarian needs of these 800,000 people on the legislative calendar” before tax-cut legislation sought by Trump. Nearly 800,000 people stepped forward, admitted their illegal immigrant status and provided personal information to the government to apply for the DACA program. They now face the prospect of being deported starting in March. Dreamers are a fraction of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. “The cancellation of the DACA program is reprehensible,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement. But White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: “It’s not cold hearted for the president to uphold the law.” Trump said DACA recipients would not be deportation priorities unless they were criminals or gang members. Ending DACA was the latest action by Trump sure to alienate Hispanic Americans, a growing segment of the U.S. population and an increasingly important voting bloc. Most of the immigrants protected by DACA came from Mexico and other Latin American countries. The Mexican government said it “profoundly laments” Trump’s decision to end DACA and pledged to strengthen efforts to guarantee consular protections for affected Mexican citizens. The Homeland Security Department will provide a limited window - until Oct. 5 - for some DACA recipients whose work permits expire before March 5 to apply to renew those permits. In addition, the department will adjudicate any new DACA requests, or renewal requests, accepted as of Tuesday. That would mean that some beneficiaries of DACA could work legally in the country through 2019. The administration said the president’s decision was prompted in part by a threat from several Republican state attorneys general, led by Texas, to file legal challenges in federal court if Trump did not act to end DACA. Late on Tuesday, Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton said he withdrew the 10-state suit after Trump’s decision. House Speaker Paul Ryan called on lawmakers to find a long-term solution for the young people affected by the reversal of the program. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress “will continue working on securing our border and ensuring a lawful system of immigration that works.” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said there could be a winning formula by coupling legislation to provide legal status for Dreamers with additional border security measures, although he said support was lacking in Congress for Trump’s proposed border wall. Trump made a crackdown on illegal immigrants a centerpiece of his 2016 election campaign, promising to deport every illegal immigrant. The decision to end DACA is the latest action by Trump to erase key parts of his Democratic predecessor’s legacy. That includes pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accord, abandoning a 12-nation Pacific trade deal, seeking to dismantle the Obamacare healthcare law, rolling back environmental protections, reversing parts of Obama’s opening to Cuba and removing protections for transgender people. | 0fake |
Turkish return fire in Syria after shell hits Hatay province: CNN Turk | ANKARA (Reuters) - An artillery shell from Syria hit Turkey s southeastern province of Hatay on Thursday and Turkish border troops retaliated in kind, broadcaster CNN Turk said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or injuries, after the shell hit a rural area in the Yayladagi district of Hatay, CNN Turk said, adding that the shell came from an area of Syria controlled by the Syrian government. | 0fake |
SUNDAY SCREENING: Counter Intelligence – ‘The Company’ | 21st Century Wire says Our weekly documentary film curated by the editorial team at 21WIRE.The following is Part 1 of a 5 part series which deals with the Deep State Shining a Light on Black Operations: This 5-part documentary is a great expose on the national surveillance state that has arisen over the last 50-100 years. Manipulating elections, overthrowing foreign governments, and secret assassinations are just a few of the heinous acts committed in the name of national security. Now that Edward Snowden has blown the lid off of the NSA s Prism snooping program, this film series is even more important and relevant.This film takes a very informative and provocative look into the illegal and covert operations of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.). It lays out the historical foundations of the modern surveillance state. SEE MORE SUNDAY SCREENINGS HERESUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE & BECOME A MEMBER@ 21WIRE.TV | 1real |
Courtroom where war crimes defendant drank 'poison' now crime scene: judge | THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Dutch police have declared the courtroom where a Bosnian Croat war crimes defendant said he drank poison on Wednesday during his appeals verdict a crime scene, the presiding judge said. Slobodan Praljak, 72, was receiving medical treatment while judge Carmel Agius continued to read the judgment in the final case the United Nations Yugoslav tribunal will hear before it closes next month. | 0fake |
AZ Sheriff: ’Illegal Immigration Goes Hand-In-Hand, Almost Always,’ With Drug and Human Trafficking - Breitbart | During an interview broadcast Thursday’s “Special Report,” on the Fox News Channel, Pinal County, AZ Sheriff Mark Lamb (R) stated, “illegal immigration goes almost always, with drug trafficking and with human trafficking. ” Lamb said, “People need to understand that illegal immigration goes almost always, with drug trafficking and with human trafficking. ” He added that the 287( g) program “allows me to make sure that I’m not putting criminals back in our communities. ” During the same segment, ICE’s LA Field Director David Marin said, “[T]hose sheriffs and law enforcement agencies realize that by turning over these criminal aliens to us, that, they’re not going to be able to go out and commit additional crimes. ” Marin added that with sanctuary cities “Instead of taking these criminal aliens in a secure environment of a jail, our officers have to go out on the street. And that not only endangers our officers, but the community at large, as well. ” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett | 0fake |
Obama: ’For The Most Part, Race Relations Have Gotten Better’ Under My Presidency - Breitbart | Thursday on Chicago’s ABC7 when asked by correspondent Judy Hsu if race relations have gotten better or worse during his tenure, President Barack Obama said “for the most part” they had gotten better. Obama said “You know I think that in some ways, like everything else it’s gotten better and in some ways we have surfaced tensions that were already there but are getting more attention. Look, I came to Chicago in 1985, in the middle of Council Wars between Harold Washington and Eddie Vrdolyak. Some of your viewers are too young to remember this stuff. I promise you, for the most part, race relations have gotten better. ” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN | 0fake |
WAR ON WORDS: Facebook Censorship Widens, Website to Curate ‘Favored’ News | 21st Century Wire says The US media s neoMcCarthy-like witch hunt continues as social media giant Facebook creates a newly designed feature that allows the website to curate favored news in its News Feed section.A new feature called Collections created by Facebook appears to be yet another exercise in formalizing group think specifically designed to highlight approved mainstream news , while serving to push down or quell any political piece or issue which falls outside prescribed mainstream Western media talking points. The feature is called Collections and functions similarly to Snapchat s Discover section, which showcases news stories, listicles, videos, and other content submitted by handpicked media partners. (see report below)It s unclear just how far Facebook is prepared to go in filtering user content, but it appears that the social media platform is introducing a brand new level of algorithmic automated censorship that could potentially create a virtual blacklist of online media websites and articles something which could have a lasting impact on freedom of the press and free speech well into the future.In essence, Facebook s new restrictions smack of Orwellian thought control Over the past month, The Washington Post published an irresponsible propaganda piece that blamed the 2016 US election results on fake news dispensed via sophisticated Russian propaganda. These accusations of course were completely unfounded, deliberately feeding into a paranoid trial by media format that is no doubt echoed by US government sock puppet accounts that act as a digital firing squad by redirecting public perception.SEE ALSO: Washington Post Sloppy Journalism Blames Russia for Fake News Crisis and Trump s Win, While Pushing Neo-McCarthyismWhile the US mainstream media contends that fake news somehow altered the 2016 presidential election cycle, it s important to remember that the US government has some pedigree here, having been behind the creation of bogus social media accounts and personalities for years now.Back in 2011, The UK s Guardian reported that the US government via CENTCOM, was looking to gain a foothold over information shared on the internet through fake online personal accounts: The discovery that the US military is developing false online personalities known to users of social media as sock puppets could also encourage other governments, private companies and non-government organisations to do the same.The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries . This is just one example. Who really knows how widespread this practice is.You can expect a litany of allegations to continue from the mainstream, along with their faux war on fake news sites which has been used deliberately to discredit and frame genuine investigative analysis in alternative media, its intended target. Western media s anti-Russian hyperbole has morphed and broadened somewhat, thanks to Facebook, Google and Twitter and the alphabet establishment news agencies, Washington has a new go-to scapegoat joining the tired old Russian hack meme independent media.Facebook s new tool to restrict certain posts has already created a backlash as several employees have recently quit the social media site Business Insider reports: Facebook has created a censorship tool to automatically suppress certain posts in specific geographic areas and several employees who worked on the project quit in dismay, reports the New York Times.This software would give third parties, like internet service providers, the ability to monitor Facebook for popular stories, and suppress them at will. Additional censorship will be administered via a web browser plug-in called the BS Detector promoted on the Google Chrome App Store which labels web articles along political lines.As readers can see, 21st Century Wire is at the top of the list of websites that will be defamed and censored here:https://github.com/selfagency/bs-detector/blob/master/chrome/data/data.json With the blessing of Washington, social engineers in the Silicon Valley will now begin parsing internet content into categories like Conspiracy Theory (anything which challenges any official version of events), Biased (alternative media opinion critical of the Establishment or government), Hate (any article which violates politically correct language), State Run (targeting Russia s RT and Iran s Press TV, but not the BBC, NPR, Voice of America, or Pentagon & CIA-affiliated CNN), and Junk Science (any content which challenges the UN party line on climate change . This level of social control is almost exactly a depicted in Huxley s dystopian classic, Brave New World.More from Business Insider below . Alex Heath Business InsiderFacebook is working on a new feature that will showcase lists of curated content from publishers directly in the News Feed, according to two people familiar with the project and internal documentation seen by Business Insider.The feature is called Collections and functions similarly to Snapchat s Discover section, which showcases news stories, listicles, videos, and other content submitted by handpicked media partners.Facebook has approached media and entertainment companies in recent weeks to create content for Collections, but has not given a time frame for when the feature will be made available.A Facebook spokesman declined to comment for this story.More from Business Insider here READ MORE MSM LIES AT: 21st Century Wire MSM FilesSUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE NOW & BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV | 1real |
NANCY PELOSI Screws Up the Oath of Office While Lecturing Reporters on the Seriousness of Her Job [Video] | Not a day goes by that we have another gaffe from Nancy Pelosi Term Limits Please!.@NancyPelosi screws up the oath of office while lecturing reporters about the seriousness of her job. pic.twitter.com/hLGCxsqK4m Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) July 30, 2017 PELOSI: As you know, today we ll be debating what s called the minibus, minibus. Not an omnibus, everything, minibus. And it, on the subject of security, as you know, all of us, anyone who serves in government or civically involved takes an oath of office to protect and defend. Support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Our first responsibility is to protect the American people and our constitution. If people are not safe, how can we proceed in any other way? | 1real |
White House, NYT leave Bushes out of lead photos from Selma march | The decision by The New York Times to run a front-page image on Sunday of President Obama -- and family -- leading a march to mark the 50th anniversary of the Selma civil rights clashes, while leaving out of the image former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, apparently was mirrored in the "official White House photo" of the event.
The official White House blog's Sunday entry on the Alabama march led with a similar image, focusing on Obama and his family, as well as civil rights figures, but leaving out the Bushes.
Both images show Obama walking alongside Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis, and even Al Sharpton, as they led thousands across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
The White House blog does acknowledge in the caption that the Bushes were there, and the photo at the bottom of the page includes them off to the side.
Part of the problem may have been the staging of the event itself.
Basil Smikle Jr., a Democratic strategist and former advance team member for the Clinton White House, noted that the Bushes were not standing directly next to the Obamas. He told Fox News he would have liked to see both presidents together, at least in the New York Times photo.
"Both presidents should have been close together," he said.
Regardless, the Bushes were standing but a few feet away from the first family and were included in other photos.
A spokeswoman for the Times told FoxNews.com that the newspaper did not crop the Bush family out of the original image for the front-page display.
Still, the decision not to run a photo that did include them drew criticism on Monday.
"This is a stunning example of media bias," said Deneen Borelli, a Fox News contributor and outreach director for the conservative FreedomWorks.
The Associated Press also ran a variety of photos after they crossed the bridge, some of which show the Bushes and some of which do not. However, it appears the AP did not run photos showing the Bushes before they marched across the bridge.
The Times' article on the event did mention the Bushes' attendance, after the jump. The article notes that in 2006, he signed the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. | 0fake |
MARKETING FIRM CEO Gives Job Applicants a ‘Snowflake Test’ [Video] | The CEO wrote an article delving into some of the questions on the test and why he s doing this: It s 30 short-answer and essay-style questions that help us to really get to know a candidate. We want to get in their heads. See how they apply logic and reason to different scenarios. See what makes them tick. See if they d be a good fit for our culture. Among those questions? Outside of standard benefits, what benefits should a company offer employees? What are your feelings about employees or clients carrying guns? What are your feelings about safe spaces in challenging work environments? Should trigger warnings be issued before we release content for clients or the company that might be considered controversial ? How do you feel about police? When was the last time you cried and why? What are your thoughts on the current college environment as it pertains to a future workforce? What does faith mean to you? You see someone stepping on an American Flag. What happens next?The CEO of The Silent Partner Marketing, Kyle Reyes, discusses his snowflake test on FOX & Friends: | 1real |
Lebanese FM may not attend Arab League meeting, to decide Sunday: senior Lebanese official | BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon s foreign minister may not attend an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Sunday and a final decision will be taken in the morning, a senior Lebanese official told Reuters on Saturday. The official said Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil wanted to avoid an anticipated confrontation at the meeting with Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies over the regional role of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi ite group Hezbollah. The emergency Arab foreign ministers meeting is being convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention in the internal affairs of Arab states, the Egyptian state news agency MENA said. Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese government and a political ally of Lebanese President Michel Aoun. The Sunni Muslim monarchy of Saudi Arabia and Shi ite Islamist Iran are at loggerheads across the region, and tensions between them have recently escalated in both Lebanon and Yemen. Lebanon was thrust to the forefront of the regional struggle when Saad al-Hariri resigned as prime minister on Nov. 4 in a surprise announcement from Riyadh. Aoun has accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri hostage. Senior Lebanese politicians close to Hariri have also said he had been held in Saudi Arabia against his will and coerced into resigning. Saudi Arabia and Hariri both deny this. After French intervention, Hariri flew to France overnight and met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday. Hariri, speaking in Paris, said he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut in the coming days. He said he would take part in Lebanese independence day celebrations, which are scheduled for Wednesday. Hariri, long a political ally of Saudi Arabia, cited fear of assassination and accused Iran and Hezbollah of sowing strife in the Arab world during his resignation speech. | 0fake |
Trump Gets Brutally Reminded Of The Sh*tty Way He Treated McCain After Releasing Pathetic Statement | Donald Trump surely saw this response coming.After all, he hasn t exactly been very respectful of Senator John McCain in recent years.On Wednesday night, it was announced that McCain has a brain tumor. Almost instantly, a shocked nation delivered a wave of support for the Vietnam war hero.One particular message came from President Obama, who warned McCain s cancer that it picked a fight with the wrong man.McCain was captured by the Vietnamese after his plane was shot down in 1967. He would remain a prisoner of war until being released in 1973, but not before he suffered brutal torture at the hands of his captors, torture that would leave him unable to raise his hands above his head for the rest of his life.McCain s service to this country is irrefutable and he is undeniably a hero for what he went through.Not long after President Obama released a statement, Donald Trump released his own on Twitter, referring to McCain as a fighter and told him to get well soon. Melania and I send our thoughts and prayers to Senator McCain, Cindy, and their entire family. Get well soon. https://t.co/fONWVlmYyz Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2017Yeah, that didn t go down very well at all considering how Trump treated McCain during the 2016 campaign.Not long after declaring his candidacy, Trump attacked McCain and suggested that McCain is not a hero because he got captured. He s not a war hero, Trump said of McCain. He s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren t captured. This remark came from a man who repeatedly dodged the draft during the war and spent his time spending money and sleeping around while McCain was being put through absolute hell.And that remark came back to haunt Trump as Twitter users wrecked him for daring to even speak about McCain after what he previously said about him.Took you long enough. Will you apologize for saying he s not a war hero now? Thor Benson (@thor_benson) July 20, 2017John McCain is an American hero, yet Trump had the audacity to say I like people who weren t captured when he dodged the draft Trump = Lame Duck (@williamlegate) July 20, 2017Remember when he was a POW in Hanoi but you couldn t go because your feet hurt? Dan Wilbur (@DanWilbur) July 20, 2017John McCain is a man that you will never even come close to living up to Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) July 20, 2017pic.twitter.com/HfTaqnK4Ts Paula Evert (@pvert1990) July 20, 2017You didn t respect the guy when he was a captured war hero, now you do? You need his vote you re a sad man. My heart goes out 2 McCain Fam Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) July 20, 2017He is so stupid he doesn t understand that getting captured and surviving is just one way to become a real war hero. guyp (@jackflash59) July 20, 2017Unlike Trump, John McCain is a leader we can all respect.Featured image via screenshot | 1real |
The Tomb of Jesus Revealed | It has been 1,700 years since Emperor Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where the tomb of Jesus was revealed. The emperor believed Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of Jesus inside the church, according to CBN News.
Workmen, under the watchful eye of The National Geographic, have gently removed the marble slab that laid on top of the tomb. This heavy piece of marble has laid on the tomb of Jesus since 1555 A.D. Fredrik Hiebert, a National Geographic archeologist-in-residence, said he was profoundly astonished by the find.
The Tomb of Jesus Hours of examination of the tomb of Jesus led the team of researchers to announce their revelations. Hiebert says, they are not 100 percent sure, but it appears the location of the tomb has not shifted. He also said that scientists and historians have wondered this for decades.
The tomb of Jesus revealed a layer of fill material. After hours of labor, workers exposed an entirely different marble slab with a cross carved into it. Workers also found, in the tomb of Jesus, three crosses and some iron nails. After high anticipation, of those watching, they finally uncovered what they believe is the original limestone burial bed of Christ .
Christian tradition states that the body of Jesus Christ laid on a shelf, or burial bed, carved into the side of a limestone cave. This happened after the Romans crucified him, around 30-33 A.D. According to Christian faith, Jesus was resurrected after his death. As the story goes, a woman who went to anoint Jesus’ body, three days after he was buried, said there were no remains in the tomb.
In the Gospel of John, 19:38-42, it is written that Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate if he could take the body of Jesus away. He was given permission and took Jesus’ body.
Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes. He brought about 100 pounds of them. They both took the body of Jesus and bound him in linen covered in spices; this was a custom of the Jews. A garden grew in the place where he was crucified. The tomb sat in the garden no one had yet laid in. This is where John and Nicodemus placed the body of Jesus Christ.
Restoring the Tomb
Scientists from the National Technical University of Athens are trying to repair a structure that protects the tomb of Jesus called Edicule. This is from the Latin word, aedicule that means little house . The last dated work to the structure was between 1808-10.
In the 19th-century, Edicule suffered structural integrity, from an earthquake, in 1927. The building was shored up, in 1947, by the British authorities. Lack of financial resources and difficulties had put a stop to the repairs.
Antonia Moropoulou, the leader of the restoration project, said they will have to remove the marble and stone slabs. She went on to say they will also inject grout into them. This process will homogenize the complex structure.
People working on the project say that it is more than just a job. Vasyleyos Zafeylys, a Greek civil engineer, says he is a Christian Orthodox. He also said, he has worked on projects like this, but this is a special one. He believes he cannot go to another project that will be bigger and better than this one. Moropoulou said, it is a collaborative effort, but everyone near the archeological find feels the value of the holy tomb giving the resurrection message.
The churches’ communities agreed to restore the church, in March of 2016. Completion of Edicule is scheduled for spring of 2017. The $4 million-plus project has major backers such as royal benefactors from King Abdullah II of Jordan. Mica Ertegun gifted $1.3 million to the World Monument Fund in support of the endeavor.
By Tracy Blake
Edited by Jeanette Smith
Sources:
CBN News: What Researchers Found in the Tomb of Jesus
Live Science: Original Bedrock of Jesus’ Tomb Revealed in New Images
National Geographic: Exclusive: Christ’s Burial Place Exposed for First Time in Centuries
Image Courtesy of Seetheholyland.net’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Ft Lawrence, Lew O.P.’s Flickr Page – Creative Common License spot , Tomb of Jesus | 1real |
Election Countdown and the Russians, with Trevor Loudon | We are Gulag Bound / *Resisters' Log* / Election Countdown and the Russians, with Trevor Loudon Election Countdown and the Russians, with Trevor Loudon November 5, 2016, 9:06 am by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton Leave a Comment 0
By: Cliff Kincaid | America’s Survival
Trevor Loudon talks abut his film, “Enemies Within,” and Russian involvement in the November 8 election… 0 Gulag-wide Bulletins from Sovereignty Unbound We respect your privacy, time, and inbox. Track us Down @GulagBound Like the Gulag There are many important matters that Gulag Bound itself is not treating on a daily basis. For that reason we suggest The Globe & Malevolence and the sites shown under "Key Links in our Chains," below. Your Daily Intelligence Brief MattSkosh on Secret Service Agents Pay a Visit to Anti-Obama Artist Sabo Tags activism Agenda 21 anti-American revolution authoritarianism Barack Hussein Obama II candidate eligibility collectivists & propaganda communisty organizations corruption crisis strategy Democrat finance & banking fraud George Soros globalism - NWO global Marxist-fascist movement government domination of resources history illegal immigration Islam Islamism jihad jihadism Israel kleptocracy labor unions Marxism Marxofascism Marxstream media Military Mitt Romney Obamacare health control Occupy Wall Street race-baiting/racism Republican Right of Private Property Russia Sovereignty Tea Party terrorism U.S. Congress U.S. Constitution U.S. Presidency (POTUS) United Nations (UN) video violence voting youth & education Sabotage What good will it do, to protect the United States of America, or our presumed interests against the aggressiveness of China, Russia, or Islam, if, partially in fear of these threats, we lose our free and independent nation to the stealth imperialism of transnational and global governance? As America threatens to shatter, we must see how a semi-covert, global, cartel collective and their NWO in the USA ("progressive" neo-Marxists and neo-fascists corporatists, updated with 21st Century techniques and technology) intentionally perpetrate this sabotage, while we patriots try to prevent it. Have a look around our camp, as we struggle to survive. - your tour guide Archives Militarization in America About DHS militarization, see the new, breakthrough analysis from James Simpson, " Police Militarization, Abuses of Power, and the Road to Impeachment " and our earlier, "Marxist President’s Military Exercises in These U.S. Cities; Yours One?"
About the trajectory of this, we must pray, communicate, keep calm, and do not become the first to engage. If it comes to it, do not even respond in kind, until after the after the first times that extreme, anti-American violence is done by them. It calls for an attitude of self sacrifice -- first cheek, second cheek, then no more.
And speak out about the potential and strategic "sense" of the Obama/NWO's DHS carrying out false flag missions of violence, blaming it on American patriots, perhaps upon our militia movements.
We are in a real war, right now (of which others and I have been trying to alert fellow Sovereign Citizens for years) and the prime war is for the minds, hearts, and wills of the American People. We are opposed by an anti-American insurrection using any means of power (see Gramsci, Frankfurt School) including government power, as they are granted that opportunity. | 1real |
Russia protests to U.S. 'shameful' theft of consulate flags | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia protested to the United States on Wednesday after it said Russian flags were stolen from its consulate in San Francisco, a charge that Washington immediately disputed. Russian staff left the consulate last month after Washington ordered Moscow to vacate some of its diplomatic properties, part of a series of tit-for-tat actions as relations sour between the two countries. U.S. officials have since occupied administrative parts of the compound. Russia said last week they had broken into residential areas and it threatened retaliation over what it called an illegal act. The latest shameful event. In San Francisco (Russian) flags have been stolen from the building of @ConsulRussiaSF, the Russian embassy to the United States said on its Russian-language Twitter account. We demand the American authorities return our state symbols, it said alongside pictures of a bare flagpole on top of the consulate building. The U.S. State Department offered a different account of events. The flags at the former Russian consular properties in San Francisco were respectfully lowered and are safely stored within each of the buildings, a State Department official said in an email. The Russian embassy in Washington was not immediately available for comment. Russian news agencies cited the Russian embassy as saying it had lodged a formal protest over the incident. A strong protest was sent to the American side in relation to Russian flags being torn down at our diplomatic properties in San Francisco, which are under the control of U.S. authorities, Interfax news agency quoted the embassy as saying in a statement. We consider this as an extremely unfriendly step, the embassy said. | 0fake |
U.S. Senate approves Trump pick as top Fed regulatory official | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Randal Quarles as the Federal Reserve’s top official on regulatory matters, filling a role critical to the Trump Administration’s goal of lightening post-financial crisis regulations. Quarles was confirmed as the Fed’s vice chair for supervision after the Senate approved him as a member of the Fed board of governors by a vote of 65 to 32. The banking sector widely expects Quarles to play a key part in U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce the financial regulatory burden in an effort to spur economic growth. He will be the leading voice on any modifications to stress tests, living wills, the so-called Volcker Rule banning proprietary bank trading and other major regulatory initiatives that emerged following the 2007-2009 financial crisis. At his confirmation hearing in July, Quarles said he wanted to look at simplifying rules around many of those projects, arguing doing so would make it easier for banks to comply without reducing their effectiveness. Democratic lawmakers who opposed Quarles pointed to his background and comments in favor of lighter regulations in voting against the pick. Quarles is a former Wall Street lawyer and investor, and served in the U.S. Treasury Department under Republican Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. “Everything we know about Mr. Quarles says he will be fighting hard on behalf of the big banks,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said on the Senate floor on Thursday. He will also join the Fed as a voting member on monetary policy. At his confirmation hearing, Quarles backed away from his prior support for a rules-based approach to setting interest rates, bringing him more in line with the current approach of Fed officials. Speaking at a Reuters Summit on Tuesday, Fed Governor Jerome Powell said he was delighted that Quarles’ appointment was progressing. “I have known him for 25 years as a close friend, I think he’s a terrific appointment, and I look forward to reuniting with him. We worked together under the Bush Treasury 25 years ago, so I’m pleased about that,” adding that the Fed had been understaffed in recent months. | 0fake |
U.S. Treasury dashes hopes for near-term World Bank capital hike | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Treasury official dashed hopes for a World Bank capital increase in the near term, saying the multilateral lender first needs to review its balance sheet to ensure resources are going to countries and projects that need them most. The World Bank Group two years ago had set a goal of agreeing on a capital increase for its International Bank for Reconstruction and Development arm by the time of the 2017 World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings, which start this week. The IBRD provides concessional financing for projects in middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries. But U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda and plans to cut back foreign aid had cast doubt over the bank’s ability to win the support of its largest shareholder. Last week, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the capital increase was a question of timing as the “vast majority” of the bank’s 189 member countries supported it. But the Treasury official told Reuters on Tuesday that it was too soon to discuss such an effort because too much of IBRD’s resources were tied up in countries that had ample borrowing ability, including China and other larger emerging markets. The World Bank needs to do a better job of “graduating” such countries off of IBRD support to private sector lending resources, the official said. “Our view is that the World Bank Group as a whole needs to present substantial work on its balance sheet and the direction of that balance sheet as we go forward, the official said. “It’s early to be talking about a capital increase for the IBRD.” The World Bank cannot proceed without the approval of the Treasury, which controls an effective veto on the institution’s executive board. “So the bottom line here is right now we’ve got too high a percentage of the World Bank’s balance sheet that’s going to countries and to projects that already have ample borrowing capacity.” China is IBRD’s largest borrower country, with $2.42 billion in loan commitments in the fiscal year ended June 30. The other top 10 borrowers were India, Indonesia, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Ukraine and Romania. China is the World Bank Group’s third-largest shareholder, with 4.77 percent of voting power. But China also controls 28.7 percent of the new Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which has $20 billion in paid-in capital, exceeding the World Bank’s $16 billion. In August, the World Bank approved a $100 million IBRD loan to finance a program aimed at helping farmers clean up heavy metals pollution of agricultural land in the rice-growing Hunan province. With a recent replenishment of the bank’s fund for the poorest countries, the International Development Association, the Treasury official said there were ample multilateral lending resources, and administration was concerned that some countries were jeopardizing future growth by taking on too much concessional debt. “To fund development needs, there needs to be renewed focus on domestic resource mobilization and engagement in private sector development,” the official said. A World Bank spokesman said that the bank started work last April to develop options to expand its financial capacity, and “extensive technical work is being undertaken.” | 0fake |
KARMA: Wikileaks Turns On Donald Trump After Administration Threatens To Arrest Julian Assange | Karma just kicked Donald Trump s door down.As you ll recall, Donald Trump repeatedly praised Wikileaks for leaking Hillary Clinton s campaign emails. Those leaks helped Trump win the election, but now Trump s love of Wikileaks has come back to bite him on the ass.Trump CIA Director Mike Pompeo and his Attorney General Jeff Sessions have both criticized Wikileaks since Trump took office and both have promised to arrest Wikileaks leader Julian Assange.Pompeo even admitted that Wikileaks is a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia. Indeed, Trump colluded with Russia to win the election.Sessions told reporters this week that he intends to put people like Assange in jail for leaks. We are going to step up our effort and already are stepping up our efforts on all leaks, Sessions said. This is a matter that s gone beyond anything I m aware of. Here s the video via Twitter.U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on bringing charges against Julian Assange pic.twitter.com/BudIEN2uK0https://t.co/LN04EvJ8FK WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 21, 2017And Trump himself recently declared that he supports the Justice Department effort to arrest and charge Assange, telling reporters that s it s okay with me. So Wikileaks decided to hit back by posting video of Trump telling his rally crowd how much he loves Wikileaks.Donald Trump, October 10, 2016: This just came out. WikiLeaks! I love WikiLeaks! pic.twitter.com/KWP7X2aLiN WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 21, 2017Oops. Trump apparently forgot that he was in bed with Wikileaks during the election. He loved them for attacking Hillary Clinton for his own benefit. Now Wikileaks is probably regretting helping Trump because their leader is now being targeted by his administration. And Trump has to be concerned about Wikileaks digging up information on him and releasing it to the public.This is what karma looks like. Trump had no problem with Wikileaks when the organization was attacking Hillary. Now we get to see how Trump likes being attacked by them. This ought to be damn entertaining.Featured Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images | 1real |
Anti-Trump protests break out for second day in California | BURLINGAME, Calif. (Reuters) - Protests erupted in California for the second day in a row on Friday against U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is moving closer to winning the Republican nomination after a string of victories this week. The billionaire businessman was forced to halt his motorcade and go through a back entrance to a hotel to give a speech to the California Republican convention and avoid several hundred loud protesters gathered outside. “That was not the easiest entrance I’ve ever made,” Trump told the gathering in Burlingame, south of San Francisco, after weaving around a barrier and clambering across a road to get to the venue. “It felt like I was crossing the border actually.” Demonstrators, some of whom held Mexican national flags, at one point rushed security gates at the hotel and police officers had their batons out. The mogul had already drawn protests in California, with chaotic scenes on Thursday outside a Trump rally in Costa Mesa. Anti-Trump protesters smashed the window of a police car and blocked traffic. Some 20 people were arrested. Protests have become common outside rallies for Trump who has earned ardent critics, as well as support from Republican voters, for his rhetoric against illegal immigration. His campaign abandoned a rally in Chicago last month after clashes between his supporters and protesters. He has accused Mexico of sending drug dealers and rapists across the U.S. border and has promised to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. Trump, who described himself this week as the party’s presumptive nominee, would take a large stride toward knocking his Republican rivals out of the presidential race if he wins the Indiana primary next week. On Friday, he said he is approaching the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Trump, who has run as a political outsider and only recently started making inroads with the Republican establishment, called for the party to band together behind him. But said he could win the White House without them if needed. “There should be and there has to be unity. Now with that being said, would I win, can I win without it? I think so, to be honest,” Trump told the convention. His speech drew applause, though not the fervent reception of his usual campaign rallies. Trump’s main rival, Senator Ted Cruz, on Friday picked up the backing of Governor Mike Pence of Indiana in a rearguard battle to damage Trump’s chances. “I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary,” Pence said on an Indiana radio show. Cruz, from Texas, is trailing the former reality TV star in the Midwestern state after losing to him by a wide margin in all five Northeastern states that held nominating contests on Tuesday. A CBS poll earlier this week found Trump with about 40 percent of support in Indiana, compared to 35 percent for Cruz. The poll had a margin of error of 6.6 points. Other polls have also shown Trump ahead. The Republican front-runner was in California ahead of its June 7 primary, when the most convention delegates of the Republican nominating cycle will be at stake. After his speech, Trump made a similarly unconventional exit out of the hotel via the back door. Cheryl McDonald, 71, of Discovery Bay, said she had to pass through protesters to get inside the hotel. “They were yelling. I think the only words they know in the dictionary are profanities,” said McDonald, who said she is a Trump supporter. Ohio Governor John Kasich, a distant third in the race for the party’s nomination, distanced himself from what he said was a divisive campaign that preyed on voters’ fears. “I’m worried about a divided, polarized country,” Kasich said. “It doesn’t have to be that way.” | 0fake |
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