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Donald Trump, Rex Tillerson, Aleppo: Your Morning Briefing - The New York Times | Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: • A Times investigation reveals how Russia aimed the perfect weapon at the U. S. presidential election: cyberattacks honed in elections elsewhere. Intelligence officials believe an operation to collect information evolved into an effort to harm one candidate, Hillary Clinton, and tip the election to her opponent, Donald J. Trump. Above, the Democratic National Convention’s hacked server on a table in the organization’s basement, next to a reminder of a past breach: a filing cabinet jimmied in the Watergate burglary of its offices in 1972. _____ • Mr. Trump is lining up veteran members of the Republican foreign policy establishment to endorse his choice for secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson. With Mr. Tillerson as chief executive, Exxon Mobil clashed with China and befriended Vietnam over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Mr. Trump, above at Trump Tower on Tuesday, also selected Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, to lead the Energy Department, placing him in charge the country’s aging nuclear arsenal. Here’s the latest on the transition. _____ • Jobs, jobs and more jobs. That will be the issue when Mr. Trump holds a summit with some of America’s tech leaders, including Elon Musk of Tesla, above, Timothy D. Cook of Apple and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. The tech community, which was largely averse to Mr. Trump’s campaign, may be asked to spread its wealth beyond places like Silicon Valley and Seattle. And the Federal Reserve is expected to give the American economy a vote of confidence, raising interest rates slightly for the first time in a year. Our analyst cautions that Mr. Trump’s promised stimulus could set off a round of rapid rate increases to stave off inflation. _____ • Russia, Turkey and Syrian rebel groups reached an agreement for rebels to leave their last pockets of territory in the ravaged city of Aleppo. Evacuations were expected to begin shortly, leaving the city fully in the hands of government forces, a definitive victory. But there was confusion over whether the deal would assure safe passage for civilians, who the U. N. said had been shot in the streets by the score. _____ • In Indonesia, the Christian governor of Jakarta, at the start of his trial on blasphemy charges, tearfully denied that he had meant to insult Islam. Critics say the case threatens Indonesia’s reputation as a model for religious freedom and democracy in the region. _____ • A child sex abuse scandal is exploding through British soccer. Since Andrew Woodward, above, became the first professional player in Britain to go public with his account of repeated rapes by his childhood coach, at least 20 former players have come forward. The police are looking into the possibility of hundreds of victims at 98 soccer clubs, from the amateur level to the Premier League. • India’s demonetization crisis has catapulted millions of small and into a cashless economy, with the country’s leading electronic money service now reporting a half a million new customers each day. • Japan’s Asahi will pay $7. 8 billion to InBev for a group of some of the most popular beers in Central and Eastern Europe. • A Southern California Apeel, has created an imperceptible, edible coating for fruits and vegetables that extends shelf life and could bring sweeping changes to the produce industry and grocery aisles. • And don’t view retirement as a light at the end of a career tunnel, our personal finance writer warns. He offers a few tips to rearrange your work life. • Wall Street stocks are up. Here’s a snapshot of global markets. • More than 8, 000 people gathered in Nanjing for China’s third annual national memorial day for the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Japanese invasion in 1937. [Xinhua] • South Korean lawmakers will question medical staff members over President Park ’s whereabouts directly after a deadly 2014 ferry disaster. [Reuters] • Communist rebels in the Philippines, the National Democratic Front, said they would sign a formal if President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to release political prisoners. [Manila Times] • Malaysia’s Federal Court rejected a final appeal by the former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to overturn a jail term for sodomy. [Malaysiakini] • Anastasia Lin, a Canadian who was barred from the 2015 Miss World competition in China because of her criticism of the Chinese government, has been ordered by pageant organizers not to speak publicly during this year’s finals, now underway in Washington. [The New York Times] • Mexico’s 17, 063 homicides by the end of October was the country’s highest tally since 2012, raising fears of a return to warfare among criminal gangs. [The New York Times] • A review of data from 151 countries found wide gaps in education among followers of the world’s major religions. [The New York Times] • Smuggled TV shows, movies and radio programs are helping North Koreans see the outside world, and planting seeds of doubt about their government, a prominent author argues. • Satellite images provide a picture of how the world’s lakes and rivers have been altered over the past three decades by drought and global warming. • Some road trip. A trip through six African countries with five children. What could go wrong? • “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” opens this week in Asia and the U. S. with projections of one of the biggest December debuts. Here’s our review. We told you last week about a fight in Canada over a proposed official bird, the gray jay. Canadians have also sparred over whether poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy) should beat out maple syrup as their most representative food (no). In some places, trademark foods are not so . Many Britons consider chicken tikka masala, a colonial adaptation featuring a bright orange sauce, as their national dish — more so than fish and chips. The concoction, one official said, “is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. ” In other places, there’s no question about the winner. For example, New Mexico reveres the local chile. It’s nowhere near as hot as peppers in China, India or the Caribbean, but it is perhaps the most consistent ingredient in the state’s dishes. Lawmakers in the late ’90s declared the state’s official question to be “Red or green?” As in: Which variety of chile sauce do you want? One answer plays no favorites. Order “Christmas,” and you’ll get both. Can’t handle the heat? Reach for a glass of milk, which neutralizes the capsaicin that makes your taste buds sting. It’s also the official beverage of 21 states. Anna Holland contributed reporting. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings. What would you like to see here? Contact us at asiabriefing@nytimes. com. | 0fake |
Hillary Clinton Breaks Her Silence On Who She Thinks Is To Blame For Election Loss (DETAILS) | Everyone had their suspicions as to the timing of FBI Director James Comey s letter regarding Hillary Clinton s email server that he later rescinded in relation to the election. In addition, many were fairly certain that Russia had direct involvement in our election. And now, as it turns out, both things definitely did affect the election, and the first person who will agree with that definitely seems to be Hillary Clinton herself.Breaking her silence while speaking to donors about what seemed to directly impact the election away from her winning, Clinton didn t hold back and called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name.According to NBC News: Hillary Clinton told donors on Thursday night that her loss was partly due to U.S. election hacks directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and FBI director James Comey s election-eve letter to Congress related to her use of a private email server. Putin publicly blamed me for the outpouring of outrage by his own people that is the direct line between what he said back then and what he did in this Election, Clinton is heard saying in an audio recording first obtained by the New York Times and verified as authentic by several sources present at the event to NBC News. Clinton also said: He is determined not only to score a point against me, which he did, but also to undermine our democracy. And as it turns out, Putin was directly involved with the hacks and how the information gained was to be used. In fact, NBC News reported: Putin s objectives were multifaceted, a high-level intelligence source told NBC News. What began as a vendetta against Hillary Clinton morphed into an effort to show corruption in American politics and to split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn t depend on the U.S. to be a credible global leader anymore, the official said. Putin very clearly wanted Donald Trump to win and used information gained to release only what he wanted to skilfully get what he wanted out the the U.S. election.And now that all of this has been revealed, President Obama is vowing retaliation against Russia, saying: I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections that we need to take action and we will at a time and place of our own choosing some of it may be explicit and publicized; some of it may not be. And while Donald Trump and his campaign are clearly pleased with the election results and want to peacefully continue a transition while thinking all accusations against Russia are just excuses for a Clinton loss, evidence proves quite to the contrary.Hopefully, we will get to the bottom of this and justice will prevail.Featured Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images | 1real |
Report: India’s City of ’Worst Engineers’ Sends the Most STEM Students to U.S. - Breitbart | Hyderabad, the city that sends the most STEM students from India to the United States, is a city with the “worst engineers” in the country, according to a report. [“Software engineers from the city lag much behind those from other Indian cities when it comes to programming skills, a recent Aspiring Minds study of over 36, 000 engineering students in India showed,” reported Quartz. “The employability assessment company tested students from streams at over 500 colleges across India on Automata, a machine assessment of software development skills. ” The results showed that those in New Delhi were the best programmers, followed by Mumbai. At number three came Bengaluru, with half of the points as those in Mumbai, followed by Chennai and Kolkata. In very last place, with a total of 4. 7 points in programming ability and 4. 76 points in programming practices, came Hyderabad. The best city, New Delhi, received 26. 63 points for programming ability and 27. 16 points for programming practices in comparison. “Hyderabad, India, sent the largest number of STEM students (20, 800) to the United States and ranked fourth for the percentage of its students pursuing a STEM degree (80%) during the period,” declared the report. “Notably, 91% of students from Hyderabad are studying for a master’s degree, versus only 4% for a bachelor’s degree. ” “Lack of programming skills is adversely impacting the IT and data science ecosystems in India,” said Varun Aggarwal, of Aspiring Minds, which oversaw the study. “The world is moving towards introducing programming to . India needs to catch up. ” Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington or like his page at Facebook. | 0fake |
[Video] MONTEL WILLIAMS BROUGHT TO TEARS OVER TREATMENT OF US MARINE JAILED IN IRAN #FreeAmirNow | Find out how many are going to sign up to go to war when we keep doing this to those who protect us. Montel WilliamsMontel Williams got emotions during his appearance on Greta Van Susteren s On The Record, when discussing U.S. Marine veteran, Amir Hekmati who has been held in an Iranian prison for more than three years.Amir Hekmati, 31, has been jailed in the most dangerous Iranian prison for more than 1,300 days. The Iranian-American was born in Arizona but held dual citizenship when he flew to Iran to visit his dying grandmother.Hekmati was arrested and charged with spying for the United States government. He was sentenced to death, but that sentence was reversed. Hekmati was then convicted of a lesser charge and sentenced to 10 years in prison.Williams told Greta Van Susteren that the jailed Marine has been whipped and even made addicted to drugs just so that he could be tortured with withdrawal.Hekmati recently renounced his Iranian citizenship in an effort to be freed. It has become very clear to me that those responsible view Iranian-Americans not as citizens or even human beings, but as bargaining chips and tools for propaganda, Hekmati said. Considering how little value the Ministry of Intelligence places on my Iranian citizenship and passport, I, too, place little value on them and inform you, effective immediately, that I formally renounce my Iranian citizenship and passport. Williams said that it s an abomination that Americans don t know that a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq is now imprisoned in Iran. The State Department has not been speaking to Hekmati s family, Williams said.Williams had a request tonight for Fox News viewers. Please, hashtag #FreeAmirNow, start blasting this tonight so that by tomorrow morning when these [Iran nuclear weapon] discussions get ready to come to an end, we don t leave another Marine behind, Williams said.Via: FOX News | 1real |
'NO CAMP! NO CAMP!': Scuffles break out at Hungary train station after police stop migrant train | Confusion reigned at Budapest's main railway station Thursday morning after Hungarian police allowed hundreds of migrants to enter the building, but the country's railway operator said that no direct trains would depart for Western Europe, the intended destination for many refugees.
A Reuters photographer estimated that up to 1,000 migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia had poured into the Keleti railway station from the square outside. The photographer also reported that some people had stormed the first trains they could find and were trying to push themselves and their children into the carriages through the doors and windows.
The Associated Press reported that announcements were made over the station loudspeakers in several languages, including English, that the trains were not heading west. Some migrants could be seen getting off the domestic trains, while others remained on the carriages amid the confusion.
A train that managed to leave the station, which was bound for a town called Sopron, was stopped by police about an hour from Budapest, The Guardian reported. The passengers were ordered to get off the train. Some of the passengers grabbed hold of the train track to prevent police from taking them to a refugee camp.
Some reportedly banged on windows, chanting, "No camp, no camp."
Some of the migrants had been forced to sleep in the streets of Budapest for two nights after Hungarian police closed the terminal to them Tuesday. At that time, migrants with valid tickets but no travel documents were prevented from boarding trains to Austria and Germany.
There was no immediate explanation from the police or other authorities about why the migrants were allowed to enter the terminal Thursday. The rail company said its stance was due to "railway transport" security reasons. A Hungarian government spokesman confirmed to Sky News that no international trains would be leaving the station for "safety reasons."
Later Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his country's military would be deployed at the country's southern border with Serbia as part of a crackdown on migrants and human traffickers.
Orban told the Associated Press in Brussels that Hungarian parliament is pushing through new measures "that will create a new legal situation at the borders, even more strict than it was." He added that the migrant "problem is not a European problem, the problem is a German problem, nobody would like to stay in Hungary ... all of them would like to go to Germany."
More than 160,000 migrants have crossed into Hungary this year as members of the 28-nation E.U. squabble over how to deal with its worst humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II.
On Wednesday, the leaders of Germany, Italy and France called for a "fair distribution" of refugees throughout the E.U. Germany alone is expected to take in 800,000 migrants this year, four times more than its 2014 total. Meanwhile, Italy and Greece, which have had to deal with an increase in migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossing, have complained that their resources are being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.
The crisis was given new urgency on Wednesday when images of a drowned three-year-old boy whose body had washed up on the shore of Turkey's Bodrum peninsula spread rapidly on social media. Turkish authorities said the boy was one of 12 Syrians who had drowned trying to reach Greece when the boat they were traveling in sank. The boy's mother and five-year-old brother were also among the victims.
Back in Hungary, migrants had threatened Wednesday to walk the 105 miles to the Austrian border if police would not let them board trains to their desired destinations.
Hungary tantalizingly opened the way Monday, allowing more than 1,000 migrants to pack westbound trains -- and inspiring a migrant surge to the capital -- before it withdrew the option 24 hours later.
Hungary, which for months had permitted most applicants to head west after short bureaucratic delays, now says it won't let more groups deeper into the European Union and claims EU backing for the move.
With an estimated 3,000 people camping outside the station, conditions had grown increasingly squalid despite the efforts of volunteers distributing water, food, medicine and disinfectants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 0fake |
Trump’s Muslim Ban Has One MAJOR Cheerleader That Is Very, Very Dangerous (DETAILS) | While most of the free world, including the majority of Americans, are horrified by Donald Trump s order banning Muslims, there is one group of individuals very excited for it Islamic Jihad.Trump s order only proves to cement their theory to those they are trying to recruit that the United States hates Islam. It is a theory that holds no basis in reality, but Trump is playing right into their hands.According to The Washington Post: Comments posted to pro-Islamic State social media accounts predicted that President Trump s executive order would persuade American Muslims to side with the extremists. One posting hailed the U.S. president as the best caller to Islam, while others predicted that Trump would soon launch a new war in the Middle East.Further: [Islamic State leader Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi has the right to come out and inform Trump that banning Muslims from entering America is a blessed ban, said one posting to a pro-Islamic State channel on Telegram, a social-media platform. The writer compared the executive order to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which Islamic militant leaders at the time hailed as a blessed invasion that ignited anti-Western fervor across the Islamic world. With former CIA official Robert Richer, who served as deputy chief of the agency s Operations Directorate during the George W. Bush administration, saying: This was a win for jihadists and other anti-U.S. forces. It fuels the belief out there that Americans are anti-Islam. Otherwise, it accomplishes nothing, because the ones we are most concerned about can still get to the United States. Trump s order is purely dangerous political posturing to not only the United States but the world. It does nothing to combat the threat of Islamic extremism and only serves to help ISIS and other extremist jihad groups to recruit. Trump made the order without going through the proper channels of advice, and apparently it wasn t even discussed with his Secretary of Homeland Security.Trump is proving to be the danger we all knew he would be before getting elected (by Electoral College only) and hopefully, Congress will take the proper actions to stop him at every turn.Featured Photo by Andrew Harrer Pool/Getty Images | 1real |
Senate backs massive increase in military spending | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed its version of a $700 billion defense policy bill on Monday, backing President Donald Trump’s call for a bigger, stronger military but setting the stage for a battle over government spending levels later this year. The Republican-controlled chamber voted 89-8 for the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2018, or NDAA, which authorizes the level of defense spending and sets policies controlling how the money is spent. The Senate bill provides about $640 billion for the Pentagon’s main operations, such as buying weapons and paying the troops, and some $60 billion to fund the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. The 1,215-page bill includes a wide range of provisions, such as a 2.1 percent military pay raise and $8.5 billion to strengthen missile defense, as North Korea conducts nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests. It also bans Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs products from federal government use. The House of Representatives passed its version of the NDAA at a similar spending level in July. The two versions must be reconciled before Congress can consider a final version. A fight over spending is expected because Senate Democrats have vowed to block big increases in funds for the military if spending caps on non-defense programs are not also eased. The versions of the bill increase military spending well beyond last year’s $619 billion, defying “sequestration” spending caps set in the 2011 Budget Control Act. Trump wants to find more money for the Pentagon by slashing nondefense spending. His fellow Republicans control majorities in both the House and Senate, but they will need support from Senate Democrats to change the rules and allow a bigger Pentagon budget. Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been shepherding the legislation through Congress as he undergoes treatment for an aggressive type of brain cancer. Arguing for increased spending, McCain said more men and women in uniform are dying in avoidable training accidents than in combat. “Where’s the outrage? Where’s our sense of urgency to deal with this problem?” he asked before the vote. Both the Senate and House rejected Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ plan to close more bases starting in 2021. Despite partisan divides that have kept Congress from passing much major legislation recently, the NDAA has been passed for 55 straight years. Trump has criticized parts of the NDAA, but has not threatened a veto. | 0fake |
FINA suspends Russian swimmer for 8 years over doping — web portal - Russia News Now | This post was originally published on this site Vitaly Melnikov
© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS
MOSCOW. November 11. /TASS/. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has banned Russian swimmer Vitaly Melnikov for eight years after a repeat violation of anti-doping rules, the web portal Swimswam reported on Friday.
The swimmer who was earlier suspended for two years had his sample taken on March 29, 2016. The sample tested positive.
{{item.group_date}} | 1real |
Clinton, Trump at First Debate: Was It All America Expected? | It was a showdown millions of Americans have been anticipating ever since Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton emerged as the Republican and Democratic nominees for the presidency.
Debate moderator NBC's Lester Holt navigated the candidates through three main issues, including achieving prosperity, America's direction, and securing America.
The debate fired off with questions about how each candidate plans on securing more jobs for Americans. Trump's strategy is to keep American companies from seeking cheaper work outside of America, while Clinton proposed taxing the wealthy to "build an economy for everyone."
Get the latest analysis and coverage
from your trusted CBN News political team.
But the stage heated up when Holt questioned the candidates about their tax returns, specifically asking Trump why he has yet to release his to the public.
"I will release my tax returns against my lawyer's wishes when she (Clinton) releases her 33,000 emails that have been deleted," Trump fired back, drawing audible cheers from the crowd.
Clinton's emails have been a constant pressure point in her campaign, leading many Americans to question their trust for the Democratic nominee.
"I made a mistake using a private email," Clinton responded. "I take full responsibility for that."
Clinton skirted the issue and neither candidate addressed the email scandal again throughout the entirety of the debate.
Another hot topic was the issue of race. The questions came under the shadow of several deadly police shootings of black men in recent weeks that has left America divided and frustrated.
Both candidates agree they must work to restore trust between communities and the police, but they took very different stances on how to lower high crime rates in cities like Chicago.
"The gun epidemic is the leading cause of death among African American men," Clinton argued, saying dangerous people should never be allowed to own guns.
Although Trump agreed that there needs to be better vetting of gun ownership, he emphasized "law and order" and better policing.
"We have to be very strong and we have to be very vigilant," he added.
But Clinton believes Americans need to be more vigilant about how they interect with their Muslim communities and questioned Trump's own sentiments about Muslims.
"Donald has consistently insulted Muslims abroad and Muslims at home when we need to be cooperating with Muslim nations," she said. "We need to have close working cooperation with law enforcement agencies in these communities, not be alienated and pushed away as some of Donald's rhetoric unfortunately has led to"
Both candidates agreed to be vigilant against terror threats abroad and at home.
"We have to intensify our air strikes against ISIS," Clinton said, including taking out top ISIS commander Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.
But Trump questioned why in her more than 30 years of political experience she is just now considering this option.
"You were there and you were secretary of state when it (ISIS) was a little infant, now it's in over 30 countries and you're going to stop them? I don't think so," Trump said.
Clinton is known for using her decades of political experience as a leg up over political outsider Trump. But Trump believes it is her experience that is precisely the reason Clinton is unfit for the presidency.
"Hillary has experience," Trump said. "But it is bad experience," he said, citing the Iranian nuclear deal. He calls the deal "one of the worst deals" any country has ever made.
Both of the candidates were eager to defend their turf right up the the last seconds of the debate, raising the anticipation many Americans have for the second round of debates next week.
Earlier in the evening social media was swarming with talk of fact-checking Trump. The social talk continued after the debate with most people posting in favor of their candidate.
CBN News Chief Political Correspondent David Brody tweeted a brief analysis of both, saying Clinton "stayed calm" with a solid performance but sounding scripted.
He tweeted Trump "started strong, then lost focus... but I'm sure his base loved fighting spirit."
While Americans are left to decide who won their vote, one thing is clear: the fight for the presidency is not over yet. | 0fake |
Trump moving U.S. toward era of bilateral trade: White House | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump met with key business leaders on Monday and signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, moving the country toward an era of bilateral trade and job creation at home, the White House said. White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing that Trump would move away from multilateral trade policies toward bilateral trade that puts America first. He said the meeting with top U.S. business leaders included a “really great” exchange of ideas and the group would reconvene again in a month. | 0fake |
SEAN SPICER CALLS OUT Race Baiting Journalist: “Stop Shaking Your Head Again” [Video] | 1real | |
REVEALED: One Of Hillary Clinton’s Goldman Sachs Speeches (VIDEO) | For weeks, if not months, if not decades, those trying to highlight Hillary s connection to Wall Street have been focused on her relationship with Goldman Sachs and how much she was paid to speak for them. Transcripts of those speeches have also been requested. Well, here is one of those speeches.Clinton can be seen here on October 22, 2014 speaking in front of a large Goldman Sachs audience. However, she s not talking about giving them breaks or handouts or favors, she s proving the case for women entrepreneurs. As much as Wall Street NEEDS to be reined in and made to pay their fair share in taxes as well as be properly regulated, we need to also remember that there can be some good that comes out of companies with a lot of money. Clinton, recognizing this, has been trying to help raise capital to support women in business. Which, in 2014, was looking to raise up to $600 million in support of female entrepreneurs.This video, featuring Hillary making the case for women in business, which was before she decided to run for president, has the caption: The event featured a keynote address from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the business case for empowering women to ensure future economic growth. Pretty evil, right? Probably just another backhanded scheme to eh, enough of the conspiracy theories.Clinton, during her speech stated: The work that we are doing is work that is absolutely essential for global economic growth. Followed by: There is no path forward that does not include the empowerment of women. As far as speaking fees, her fees were pretty standard for most any highly distinguished speaker, so when she responds with, that s what they offered and being a former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State, it makes sense to pay her as much as they did, as obscene as that amount may seem.Clinton was speaking on behalf of women worldwide and trying to open doors to accessible capital to start businesses and advance gender equity as well as economic equality.Here s her speech in full: Video/Featured image from YouTube | 1real |
Assange claims ‘crazed’ Clinton campaign tried to hack WikiLeaks | Julian Assange has claimed the Hillary Clinton campaign has attacked the servers being used by WikiLeaks. Despite the Ecuadorian embassy shutting down his internet until the US election is over, the website will continue publishing, according to Assange. “Everyday that you publish is a day that you have the initiative in the conflict,” Assange said via telephone at a conference in Argentina on Wednesday.
The whistleblowing website has been releasing emails from Clinton’s campaign chair, John Podesta, on a daily basis since early October.
Assange claimed the release “whipped up a crazed hornet’s nest atmosphere in the Hillary Clinton campaign” leading them to attack WikiLeaks.
“ They attacked our servers and attempted hacking attacks and there is an amazing ongoing campaign where state documents were put in the UN and British courts to accuse me of being both a Russian spy and a pedophile,” he added.
Ecuador’s decision to shut down his internet was described by Assange as a “strategic position” so that its “policy of non-intervention can’t be misinterpreted by actors in the US and even domestically in Ecuador.”
He said he was sympathetic with Ecuador, insisting they face the dilemma of having the US interfere with their elections next year if they appear to interfere with the US elections next month.
Assange, who claimed the embassy will be without internet until the election is over to avoid accusations of interference, said he did not agree with Ecuador’s decision but did understand it. WikiLeaks will not be affected by the decision as they do not publish from Ecuador, he said.
He did, however, reject the idea that WikiLeaks is interfering with the US election, claiming, “this is not the interference of electoral process, this is the definition of electoral process – for media organizations and, in fact, everyone to publish the truth and their opinion about what is occurring. It cannot be a free and informed election unless people are free to inform.”
He also attacked US TV networks, many of whom he accused of being “controlled by Clinton supporters.”
The Podesta emails will make no difference to the election result, according to Assange. “I don’t think there’s any chance of Donald Trump winning the election, even with the amazing material we are publishing, because most of the media organizations are strongly aligned with Hillary Clinton,” he said.
Assange said journalists and people who work in the media are predominantly middle class and view Trump as representing “what in their mind is white trash.”
Source: RT News | 1real |
Professor Shares Insights on Paranormal, Cannibalism and Vampires. | Professor Shares Insights on Paranormal, Cannibalism and Vampires. # Edward777 0
Durham University lecturer Richard Sugg deals with history and analysis of esoteric themes as well as corpse medicine in European history, vampirism in ancient and modern Europe, ghosts and poltergeists. He deals with how society sees these subjects, some explanations, some items that have no scientific explanations, and even the psychological basis for these topics. Some of these you may have heard about, most of his research is probably new to listeners. Tags | 1real |
DISNEYLAND: Anti-Trump Protester Shouting “Lock him up!” Gets Surprise Blowback From Trump Supporters [Video] | The left continues to prove to all of us that they are a twisted bunch. How is the protest filmed below going to persuade any voter to turn away from President Trump?A protester who may have an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome shouted at a animatronic lookalike of the president in front of a room full of children at the Happiest Place on Earth.The ugly meltdown occurred in the Hall of Presidents at Disney World on Wednesday.I protested @realDonaldTrump at the #hallofpresidents cuz I'll never get this close in real life probs. #lockhimup pic.twitter.com/jKOQShIdz8 Earnest Gay Thoughts (@JayMalsky) December 27, 2017 I protested @realDonaldTrump at the #hallofpresidents cuz I ll never get this close in real life probs, Jay Malsky tweeted on December 27, adding the hashtag #lockhimup. ONE OF THE PRO-TRUMP PEOPLE WHO YELLED BACK AT THE PROTESTER TWEETED THIS OUT:My response to the person yelling at robot trump at the #hallofpresidents at #disney made @DRUDGE_REPORT. Glad they also pointed out the guys point about Disney being a public institution being absolutely irrelevant. pic.twitter.com/cWrfPheMIw Kenny Liszewski (@kenny_liszewski) December 29, 2017DISGUSTING DISPLAY:Malsky s Twitter profile image shows him holding a purple dildo and advertises his solo show in New York City, titled, Jay Malsky Slept With My Boyfriend. Malsky recorded himself watching the introductions of the presidents of the last half of the 20th Century to the president.After George Washington introduced Trump, the current president recited the Oath of Office, only for Malsky to begin shouting Lock him up! QUIET! Quiet! another attendee responded. Shut up! another one yelled.Trump s speech was halted as the crowd grew angrier. Please remain seated, a staff member said over the sound system. Thanks, asshole, someone could be heard telling Malsky as began chanting again.Via: American MirrorThe new President Trump depicted in The Hall of Presidents has been criticized for its likeness to Hillary Clinton. It certainly doesn t look like Trump: | 1real |
That Time Trump Mocked Marco Rubio For Drinking Water Just Came Back To Haunt Him | While on the campaign trail, candidate Donald Trump, a former reality show star, repeatedly mocked Sen. Marco Rubio for that time he drank water on the stage. Trump mocked Rubio at rallies about that and on Twitter, too. As they say, with this guy, there really is a tweet for everything. Trump did this after he kicked off his day blasting that loser network CNN, the failing New York Times and demanded a thank you from the UCLA basketball players who arrived in the states after being released from China. Then he summarized his trip to Asia, declaring it to be the longest visit to the region by an American president in more than a quarter of a century. He added that America is back and the future has never looked better. Then he seemed to have difficulty breathing and paused for water.Here is Trump doing that think he disparaged Rubio for doing:more proof that we're living in a simulation pic.twitter.com/7fGMxvRKUj kevin driscoll (@kevndriscoll) November 15, 2017Trump grabbed a bottle of Fiji to quench his thirst, the exact brand that Rubio drank during the campaign. The Florida Republican responded on Twitter, saying, Similar, but needs work on his form. Has to be done in one single motion & eyes should never leave the camera. But not bad for his 1st time. Similar,but needs work on his form.Has to be done in one single motion & eyes should never leave the camera. But not bad for his 1st time https://t.co/s49JtyRo3S Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 15, 2017Trump has blasted Rubio multiple times for drinking water, perhaps because the former reality show star thinks he can walk on water. Next time Marco Rubio should drink his water from a glass as opposed to a bottle would have much less negative impact, he tweeted.Next time Marco Rubio should drink his water from a glass as opposed to a bottle would have much less negative impact. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2013In another tweet, he wrote, Marco Rubio is being crucified by the media for drinking water during speech! Marco Rubio is being crucified by the media for drinking water during speech! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2013And here is Trump at a rally mocking Rubio for drinking water.More than a tweet, there's also a video of Trump mocking Rubio's SOTU water moment. pic.twitter.com/dkKyrOIUGO Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 15, 2017The Internet never forgets these things.2 hands Donny no dribbles good boy El Diablo ? (@joe23gavbrown) November 15, 2017OMG, there REALLY IS a tweet for every single thing! Jennifer Sage?? (@vivavelo) November 15, 2017Hey lil-fingers: Take your own advice? Russell Drapkin (@russelldrapkin) November 15, 2017Great work, Donald. pic.twitter.com/aG5vtxaFgt Craig Harrington (@Craigipedia) November 15, 2017Trump pulls a Marco Rubio & slurps down water during his speech. But it s worse than Rubio. Trump holds the bottle with two hands like it s a baby bottle. Fitting.#ImpeachTrump #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/5CPKzSSCKq Scott Dworkin (@funder) November 15, 2017Everything Trump accuses someone else of doing, he is guilty of that same thing, even something as simple as needing to quench his thirst.Image via screen capture. | 1real |
U.S. Senate to hold hearing on Republican healthcare proposal | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A powerful U.S. Senate committee will hold a hearing on the latest proposed healthcare bill to overhaul Obamacare next week, the first public hearing all year on any Republican effort to gut the healthcare law. Orrin Hatch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said on Monday the hearing would take place on Sept. 25 to “examine the details of the Graham-Cassidy proposal.” The Senate must vote on the bill by Sept. 30 to be able to pass it with a simple majority of 51 votes. | 0fake |
WATCH SWAMP MONSTER James Clapper Make False Claim That Trump is an “Intelligence Asset” for Putin [Video] | Watch some fake news from a swamp creature who should be in jail:Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper referred to President Donald Trump on Monday as an intelligence asset for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The term asset refers to people with countries or organizations being spied upon who serve as resources for outside spies.Clapper appeared on CNN to discuss Trump s national security strategy speech given Monday, where he referred to Russia as a rival but also said he wanted to form a partnership.The two leaders have also expressed recent gratitude to each other, with Putin calling and thanking Trump for sharing intelligence that helped foil a terror plot and Trump thanking Putin for his recent praise of the American economy.IS THIS GUY KIDDING:This is on the same day that we learn the following about the Obama administration:The Obama administration intentionally derailed investigations into the terrorist group Hezbollah s drug trafficking operation to secure the Iran nuclear deal, according to a new bombshell report.Politico spoke with several members of Project Cassandra, a joint effort between the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Pentagon that was founded in 2008 under the Bush administration to identify and prosecute a drug trafficking, money laundering, and smuggling operation run by the Iranian-backed militants.Over the next eight years, agents working out of a top-secret DEA facility in Chantilly, Virginia, used wiretaps, undercover operations, and informants to map Hezbollah s illicit networks, with the help of 30 U.S. and foreign security agencies.They followed cocaine shipments, some from Latin America to West Africa and on to Europe and the Middle East, and others through Venezuela and Mexico to the United States. They tracked the river of dirty cash as it was laundered by, among other tactics, buying American used cars and shipping them to Africa. And with the help of some key cooperating witnesses, the agents traced the conspiracy, they believed, to the innermost circle of Hezbollah and its state sponsors in Iran.Read more: WFB | 1real |
EU should not mediate in Catalan crisis: France's Macron | FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Union should not mediate in the secession crisis in Spain s northern region of Catalonia as Madrid is able to handle the situation, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. Macron was speaking ahead of a possible proclamation of independence later on Tuesday by Carles Puigdemont, president of the Catalan regional government, that would aggravate Spain s worst political crisis since an attempted military coup in 1981. Why are Europe, France and Germany not interfering in the Catalan issue? Because Europe is made up of sovereign states, Macron said on a visit to Frankfurt, Germany, where he later met Chancellor Angela Merkel. If I were to intervene in the Catalan matter it would be interfering in the domestic affairs of Spain and that would be intolerable for the prime minister and for the Spanish monarch. Macron backed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in his standoff with the secessionists. I don t have the feeling that they are being oppressed, he said. That is why I continue to hold firm to this line in my declarations of support for Mariano Rajoy - because if I don t there will be disintegration, he said in a debate before university students. | 0fake |
Kenyan police say four people killed during opposition demonstrations in past two weeks | NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya s police said on Friday that four people had died as result of police intervention during opposition protests in the past two weeks, amid concerns violence will break out in next week s repeat presidential vote. The re-run of the Aug. 8 presidential election annulled by the Supreme Court is set for Oct. 26. But opposition leader Raila Odinga has pulled out, alleging a failure to improve oversight of the election, casting doubt on how the vote will proceed. | 0fake |
After Mastectomies, an Unexpected Blow: Numb New Breasts - The New York Times | After learning she had a high genetic risk for breast cancer, Dane’e McCree, like a growing number of women, decided to have her breasts removed. Her doctor assured her that reconstructive surgery would spare her nipples and leave her with breasts. It did. But while Ms. McCree’s rebuilt chest may resemble natural breasts, it is now completely numb. Her nipples lack any feeling. She cannot sense the slightest touch of her breasts, perceive warmth or cold, feel an itch if she has a rash or pain if she bangs into a door. And no one warned her. “I can’t even feel it when my kids hug me,” said Ms. McCree, 31, a store manager in Grand Junction, Colo. who is raising two daughters on her own. Plastic surgeons performed more than 106, 000 breast reconstructions in 2015, up 35 percent from 2000. And they have embraced techniques to improve the appearance of reconstructed breasts and give them a more natural “look and feel” — using a woman’s belly fat to create the new breast, sparing the nipple, minimizing scarring with creative incisions and offering enhancements like larger, firmer lifted breasts. Doctors often promise patients that their reconstructed breasts will look even better than the breasts they had before. But they often describe the potential consequences of the surgery in ambiguous terms. Women say the fact that sensation and sexual arousal will not be restored is not made clear. The main problem is using the word “feel,” said Dr. Clara Lee, an associate professor of plastic surgery at Ohio State University who does reconstructive breast surgery. Surgeons who use a woman’s own tissue to recreate a breast might tell the patient that it will “feel” like a natural breast, referring to how it feels to someone else, not the woman. “We don’t always mean what’s important to the patient,” Dr. Lee said. “Our focus has been on what women look like,” said Dr. Andrea L. Pusic, a plastic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who specializes in breast reconstruction and studies patients’ quality of life after breast surgery. “What it feels like to the woman has been a kind of blind spot in breast surgery. That’s the next frontier. ” The focus on how breasts look and feel to other people, rather than how they feel to the patient, speaks to the fact that women are still largely judged by their appearance, said Victoria a professor and the head of feminist, gender and sexuality studies at Wesleyan University. “There’s such a strong cultural gaze at women’s breasts,” Dr. said. “It does raise the question: Who is breast reconstruction for?” Adding to the confusion has been the excitement over surgical innovations, particularly “ ” mastectomies. During a traditional mastectomy, doctors remove the nipple and scoop out breast tissue, causing considerable nerve damage. But now, in certain cases, the nipple can be spared, raising hopes that some feeling will be preserved. The actress Angelina Jolie wrote about her preventive double mastectomy in a New York Times in 2013, inspiring other women at high risk of breast cancer to have their breasts removed. But the surgery has yet to fulfill its promise, and in most cases, sensation is not restored. For many women, the loss of sensation in their breasts can be devastating. “No one said, ‘You will not have sexual arousal in your chest again,’” Ms. McCree said. “I thought that because I was able to keep my nipples and the blood supply, I’d keep my feeling. ” Eve Wallinga, 60, a cancer survivor from St. Cloud, Minn. said many women who choose mastectomies believe that reconstructive surgery will make them “whole” again and are not told that the sensation lost during the surgery is unlikely to come back. “They go into it thinking everything will be the same when they come out — they’ll just have stuffing in their breasts,” Ms. Wallinga said. “Some are very angry and upset, and say, ‘Why wasn’t I told?’ They feel very betrayed. ” The lack of sensation is potentially dangerous. Women who have had mastectomies and reconstruction surgery have sustained severe burns on their breasts from heating pads, hair dryers, curling irons, sunbathing and overly hot showers. Several women interviewed recounted times when they had not realized a bra was cutting into their skin until they saw blood. Many described embarrassing “wardrobe malfunctions,” when a bathing suit or shifted to reveal part of their breast without their knowing because they did not feel the air on their exposed skin. A doctor recalled a patient who had burned herself while draining hot pasta for dinner she did not realize she was hurt until she saw red marks on her skin in the shower several hours later. Some women described losing the sense of the position of their breasts. “It’s not just about the sexual arousal, it’s the awkwardness,” said Cathy Balsamo of Berkeley Heights, N. J. “You can’t figure out your space — almost like you’re bigger than you really are. It’s a bizarre feeling. ” She added, “When I put on a sports bra, I have to look in the mirror and focus on the breasts to make sure they’re in the pocket where they belong. ” Nerve damage during mastectomies can create pain syndrome. Some women experience tingling sensations, and others have debilitating pain. Patients say physicians minimize the condition, even though it is fairly common, affecting anywhere from 25 percent to 60 percent of mastectomy patients, according to published studies. Michelle Lamon Romero, 45, of East Longmeadow, Mass. said she had been incapacitated by pain since having a double mastectomy two years ago. She lost her job and now relies on a cocktail of five drugs to keep the pain at a manageable level. “The surface of the skin is numb — if you run a needle over it, I can’t feel it,” Ms. Romero said. “But I can feel the pain underneath just radiating everywhere. ” She added that her plastic surgeon had told her that she was an anomaly and that “this isn’t real, it’s all in your head. ” Other patients Ms. Romero has met through Facebook have had the same experience. “So many women who join are just relieved to know they’re not alone,” Ms. Romero said. “They all start out the same way: ‘My doctor told me I was crazy. ’” Most surgeons agree that the best chance for sensory restoration after a mastectomy is a procedure that uses a woman’s own body tissue rather than an implant because nerves have a better chance of regenerating in natural tissue. The procedure has produced modest results. If sensation returns, it is usually limited to the perception of pressure, without improved sensation related to touch, temperature or sexual arousal. “It’s a shadow of the degree of sensation that people had before,” said Dr. Edwin G. Wilkins, a plastic surgeon at the University of Michigan who is running a large study on reconstruction outcomes and complications with Dr. Pusic. “It’s a poor substitute. ” Dr. Aldona J. Spiegel, a plastic surgeon in Houston who has pioneered techniques to reconnect nerves in the breast and restore sensation, said the procedure remained promising. “I tell patients that if I am able to reconnect nerves in the reconstructed breast, it will improve the sensation. But I never tell them it will be normal,” Dr. Spiegel said. She added that many of her patients had shown “very significant improvement. ” One of her patients, Karen Holt, 65, a retired principal from Houston, had her left breast removed and reconstructed from her own tissue 14 years ago. Ms. Holt knows she’s unusual, she said, but claims she has “just about as much erogenous sensation in the left breast as in the right. ” But doctors say such results are rare. “You don’t want to give people false hope,” said Dr. Frank J. DellaCroce, a plastic surgeon and a founder of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans. Restoring sensation is “one of those things that’s regarded as the holy grail of breast reconstruction,” he said. “But no one has shown in any scientific article to date that we’re able to return sensation in any reliable way. ” Dr. Christine Laronga, a breast oncologist at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. said she tried to make clear to patients that feeling would not be restored after reconstruction, telling them, “It may look like a breast, but it won’t feel like a breast. ” While doctors agree on the need for a mastectomy procedure that spares nerves, they note that the goal of the surgery is to make sure the cancer is gone. There is also a risk that efforts to restore sensation will trigger a pain syndrome. “It’s a very tricky area,” said Dr. Ida K. Fox, a plastic surgeon at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in breast and hand surgery. “You don’t want to restore sensation and give someone chronic pain. ” Ms. Balsamo, 50, who had a double mastectomy after testing positive for a genetic mutation that increases breast cancer risk, said she did not regret the surgery, but wished she had been better informed. “I just wish I had known,” Ms. Balsamo said. “They said there’s going to be a difference in the sensation — not that there wouldn’t be any. Before you go in, shouldn’t you know the facts?” | 0fake |
Justice Dept. delivers documents on wiretap claim to Congress | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Friday said it delivered documents to congressional committees responding to their request for information that could shed light on President Donald Trump’s claims that former President Barack Obama ordered U.S. agencies to spy on him. The information was sent to the House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees, said Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican Devin Nunes, said in a statement late on Friday that the Justice Department had “fully complied” with the panel’s request. A government source, who requested anonymity when discussing sensitive information, said an initial examination of the material turned over by the Justice Department indicates that it contains no evidence to confirm Trump’s claims that the Obama administration had wiretapped him or the Trump Tower in New York. The House Intelligence Committee will hold a hearing on Monday on allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers will testify and are expected to field questions on Trump’s wiretap claim. Leaders of both the House and Senate intelligence committees, including from Trump’s Republican Party, have said they have found no evidence to substantiate Trump’s claims that Obama ordered U.S. agencies to spy on Trump or his entourage. The White House has publicly offered no proof of the allegation. On Monday, the House panel sent the Justice Department a letter asking for copies of any court orders related to Trump or his associates which might have been issued last year under an electronic surveillance law or a wide-ranging anti-crime statute. | 0fake |
China upset as Indian president visits disputed border region | BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Monday criticized a visit by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims, saying China opposed any activities by Indian leaders in disputed areas. The latest row over Arunachal Pradesh suggests the Asian giants remain far apart, despite recent attempts to defuse tension over a region that China claims as southern Tibet. The Indian president went over the weekend, inaugurating a new state assembly building. For India, the state is where the sun first rises - being its easternmost region - each day, and from here light is spread across the country, he said in a speech to the state assembly. He also remarked on several steps taken by the federal government to advance the state s transport links. Speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that China had never recognized Arunachal Pradesh, but that China s position on the border issue was clear, which was to seek a solution both could accept via talks. Before the border issue is resolved, both sides should jointly work hard to protect the peace and tranquility of the border region. China resolutely opposes Indian leaders activities in disputed regions, Lu said. Sino-India ties are at an important stage in development, and China hopes India does not do anything to complicate the border issue but should instead create conditions for border talks and the healthy, stable development of relations, he added. China and India have tried to develop two-ways ties in recent years but there is still deep distrust over the border dispute. In April, China slammed India s decision to host Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in the same region, saying it could cause serious damage to relations. | 0fake |
Trump flag-burning tweet leads activists to burn some flags in New York | NEW YORK (Reuters) - A small group of hard-left activists burned foot-long U.S. flags outside the Trump International Hotel in New York on Tuesday, in an angry response to a tweet by President-elect Donald Trump that flag-burners should face legal consequences. Social media was itself ablaze on Tuesday in response to Trump’s tweet, which suggested that burning the U.S. flag should be punishable by a year in jail or a revocation of citizenship. Trump’s provocative tweets on flag-burning and other topics, including efforts to recount the Nov. 8 presidential vote, came as the Republican worked to fill his Cabinet in advance of his inauguration in January. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that flag-burning was not a crime but rather a form of protest protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The high court has also ruled more than once that citizenship cannot be revoked. U.S. media outlets, including the New York Times, published articles detailing the court rulings, and some Republicans as well as Democrats took to social media to say Trump was in effect threatening to punish dissent despite constitutional protections. Trump supporters also took to social media, pointing out that many politicians, including Trump’s Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, had proposed making flag-burning illegal. Clinton, while a U.S. senator, co-sponsored a 2005 bill that would have made it a crime to incite violence by burning a flag, threaten another person with a burning flag or destroy or damage a flag belonging to someone else. The measure failed. Tuesday’s protest in New York involved seven members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a group that is not affiliated with the Communist Party of the United States, and whose members participated in flag-burning at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. | 0fake |
Donald Trump: ‘We Should Just Cancel The Election’ | At a rally in Toledo, Ohio, Trump made his most frightening statement of this election cycle yet. After comparing his tax plan to Hillary s, he boldly proclaimed: And just thinking to myself right now, we should just cancel the election and just give it to Trump, right? What are we even having it for? What are we having it for?Her policies are so bad. Boy, do we have a big difference. [emphasis mine]We should just cancel the election and install him as what? President? We all know he won t stay President for very long if we do that. He wants to be installed as the first King of the United States. Even if he were democratically elected in twelve days, he d probably try to make this the last election this country ever sees.Anybody who doesn t see that after what he just said is both blind and foolish.Oh wait, perhaps he was just joking, just being funny? It s a very dangerous and inappropriate joke to make on the campaign trail, particularly for someone who has long since begun displaying fascist tendencies.Trump has fallen well behind Hillary across national polls, in battleground states, and even in a few deep red states like Arizona, Utah, Texas and Georgia. They re in play for the first time in forever. Trump s only hope may well be to simply be installed as the king, rather than elected to the White House by the people.We have people like former Congressman Joe Walsh calling for armed rebellion if Trump loses. We have people like Rep. Jason Chaffetz promising years of investigations into Hillary if she s elected. We have Trump himself calling for his supporters to intimidate voters at the polls in the name of ensuring that nobody votes who isn t legally allowed to, and claiming that there s already widespread voter fraud in Texas.He s incited his crowds toward violence, and he s undermining our democracy with his cries of unfairness, election stealing, and rigging.Now he says, We should just cancel the election and just give it to Trump. That s the worst thing he can say as a presidential candidate in a democratic society. The worst. Featured image by Maddie McGarvey via Getty Images | 1real |
Not again! German media bemoan grand coalition scenario after limp TV duel | BERLIN (Reuters) - A mood of pre-election apathy rippled through German media on Monday, as commentators concluded Angela Merkel s rival for chancellor had blown his best chance of depriving her of fourth term in office. With three weeks to go until polling day, several national newspapers taking stock the morning after a lackluster two-way televised debate concluded that a re-run of the grand coalition of Merkel s conservatives and challenger Martin Schulz s Social Democrats (SPD) was likely. Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz barely showed any differences in their only direct face-off. Why don t we just set the grand coalition up again now? magazine Der Spiegel said on its website, adding the debate would not have changed voters existing preferences. That would be a continuation of the team that has governed Germany for the last four years. But that combination has in the past been viewed as a last resort, and surveys suggest a three-way coalition between the conservatives, Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) as an alternative option. Polls over the past three months have consistently shown Merkel s conservatives holding a double-digit lead over the SPD - but the gap has never stretched so far as to give her CDU/CSU alliance a parliamentary majority. Polls showed Merkel was also the winner of Sunday s duel - a disappointment for Schulz, who had hoped he could use his only direct clash with her to turn his party s fortunes around. We re at risk of another grand coalition, read the headline in mass-selling Bild newspaper. It said while Schulz had tried to attack the eternal chancellor , he had done so with velvet gloves, pointing out that he often said he shared Merkel s opinion. Bild said the pair had failed to differentiate themselves. There were two professional politicians speaking and you just couldn t shake off the suspicion that both of them could work together in government without much friction, it added. Local newspaper Berliner Zeitung newspaper s front page showed a scorecard that read 0:0 - a draw for both candidates. It was supposed to be the first climax in the race for the chancellery ... But substantive accents were missing. Undecided votes were likely unconvinced by either of the candidates, it said. The rivals body language was also telling, it said, with Schulz smiling a lot while Merkel often looked as though she was witnessing something that she didn t quite like. Newspaper Handelsblatt said Schulz had not really attacked the incumbent chancellor, adding: Martin Schulz doesn t want to be chancellor in September apparently but rather Angela Merkel s office manager. But Berlin s Tagesspiegel newspaper said Schulz had scored points for taking more decisive positions on Turkey, pensions and the need to punish the German automotive industry for the diesel emissions scandal. When it came to showing hard edges, Martin Schulz was more convincing, it said, adding, this evening may have changed things. | 0fake |
McCain Pledges to Help Pentagon Fix Scandal Over Excessive Military Bonuses | Get short URL 0 18 0 0 Officials responsible for overpaying re-enlistment bonuses to soldiers a decade ago and officials who ordered those bonuses repaid earlier this month need to be held responsible, US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said in a statement.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Members of the National Guard in the US state of California were paid excessive bonuses at the height of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and were ordered to repay those bonuses earlier this month after an audit discovered the overpayments. "That is why I will work together with the Department of Defense and my colleagues in the Senate to explore all options available to hold those responsible for this unacceptable situation accountable and to ensure this never happens again," McCain stated on Wednesday.
McCain called a Defense Department decision to suspend collection of the payments "a long overdue first step."
However, he added that thousands of service members and their families, whose lives have been disrupted through no fault of their own, are still waiting for certainty that the problem will be fixed.
The Defense Department said earlier on Wednesday that about 2,000 soldiers are affected and that it will set up a system to review each case before any efforts to collect money resume. ... | 1real |
IMPLOSION: Trump Campaign Insiders Report–‘Think Of The Bunker Before Hitler Killed Himself’ | IMPLOSION: Trump Campaign Insiders Report–‘Think Of The Bunker Before Hitler Killed Himself’ By Andrew Bradford on October 30, 2016 Subscribe
For months, Donald Trump has assuring his supporters that he is going to win on November 8. This is despite nearly every poll showing him behind by as much as 12 points. And now we have an inside look at the Trump campaign which would seem to indicate that the entire campaign apparatus is on the verge of collapsing on itself.
New York magazine has just published an article by Gabriel Sherman in which one Trump staffer commented: “Think of the bunker right before Hitler killed himself. Donald’s in denial. They’re all in denial.”
Overall, the mood of the staff working out of Trump Tower goes from gloom, denial, rage, and glee on Friday when the FBI reported it would review new materials in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was still Secretary of State.
While the Trump camp should be able to make hay of the announcement from FBI Director James Comey, one problem remains: The candidate is so undisciplined that any progress made is quickly undone by Trump himself. As a top donor told Sherman : “Trump has the following personality: NIH-NFW, meaning ‘If it’s not invented here, not invented behind these eyes, then it’s no fucking way.'”
Sherman’s report echoes another article from the New York Times in which an advisor to the GOP nominee commented: “In Trumpworld as Hitler’s Bunker terms (it’s) like when Goebbels thought FDR’s death would save the Nazi regime.”
And plans for what comes after the election–rumors of a new Trump TV network–also seem unlikely some inside the inner circle reveal. One prominent member of the GOP told Sherman: “It’s too expensive. Trump won’t put his own money in.”
Disgraced former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has parted ways with Trump, reportedly because the candidate refused to stay on message and follow direction from campaign staff. Others are also positioning themselves for what happens after the election is over with. One former Mitt Romney staffer says the lifeboats are out early: “It’s a window into a campaign in a downward spiral when the positioning begins, but I’ve never seen it begin this early.”
So was the entire Trump campaign nothing more than ego fulfillment and an attempt to gain endless media attention for the Donald? With nine days left, that explanation seems to be the most likely reason Trump embarked on this suicide mission in the first place.
Featured Image Via Gage Skidmore for Flickr available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License About Andrew Bradford
Andrew Bradford is a single father who lives in Atlanta. A member of the Christian Left, he has worked in the fields of academia, journalism, and political consulting. His passions are art, music, food, and literature. He believes in equal rights and justice for all. To see what else he likes to write about, check out his blog at Deepleftfield.info. Connect | 1real |
Detention of Catalan activists a judicial, not political, matter: Spain justice minister | MADRID (Reuters) - The detention of Catalan activists on Monday, the first imprisonment of senior secessionist figures since the region s Oct. 1 banned referendum on independence, was a judicial, not a political, matter, Spain s justice minister said on Tuesday. On Monday, the court ordered that the heads of the pro-independence groups Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium be held without bail pending an investigation for alleged sedition. These are not political prisoners because yesterday s prison ruling was due to a crime (that was committed), Justice Minister Rafael Catala said at an event in Madrid. | 0fake |
Internet Flasher | 1real | |
Still Not Thanking Native Americans | Still Not Thanking Native Americans November 24, 2016
Returned to its historical roots, Thanksgiving would be a day to express thanks to Native Americans whose generosity saved the Pilgrims, but that never seems to be a lesson learned, as Dennis J Bernstein reports on the Dakota pipeline standoff.
By Dennis J Bernstein
Late Sunday night — at the start of Thanksgiving week — Native American protesters were attacked by law enforcement agents near the site of the Dakota Access pipeline, a project that Native Americans and environmentalists have been trying to block.
Police and other security forces deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, percussion grenades and water hoses to stop about 400 protesters from crossing the Blackwater Bridge on state Highway 1806, about a mile from an uncompleted section under Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir, where work has been on hold by order of federal agencies.
“As medical professionals, we are concerned for the real risk of loss of life due to severe hypothermia under these conditions,” the Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council said in a statement posted on Facebook. One hundred sixty-seven people were injured and seven were taken to the hospital, according to Jade Begay, a spokeswoman for the Indigenous Environmental Network. Protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 13, 2016 (Fibonacci Blue Flickr)
Sunday’s standoff began around 6 p.m. local time, when a group of about 100 “water protectors” attempted to clear burned out trucks that were blocking the bridge, which is on the most direct route from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to Bismarck, North Dakota. The trucks have been in place for several weeks, and law enforcement has constructed a barricade behind them, forcing all traffic to take an approximately 20-mile detour.
“The purpose of this action was to do something to remove that barricade because it’s dangerous,” said Begay, a member of the Tesuque Pueblo and Diné, who has been at the Standing Rock encampments since September. “That barricade poses a danger not just to everyone at the camp, but also to Cannon Ball and other communities that are south.”
“They’re using that barricade as an excuse for us not to be able to lawfully protest,” said Frank Archambault, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe from Little Eagle, South Dakota. “We got word that the drill is now on the pad so tensions are high right now.”
The 1,200-mile, four-state pipeline is intended to carry oil from western North Dakota to a shipping point in Illinois. But construction of the $3.8 billion pipeline has been protested for months by the Standing Rock Sioux, whose reservation lies near the pipeline route and there are fears a leak could contaminate the drinking water. They also worry that construction could threaten sacred sites.
Cheryl Angel, an Elder member of the Rosebud Nation, was an eyewitness to what happened Sunday night [Nov. 20] in sub-freezing weather with water hoses. “Security” forces stationed at the Dakota Access pipeline construction spray protesters with pepper spray. (Photo by Tim Yakaitis)
Cheryl Angel: I’m a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. I am Sasusaku, Lakota. I currently live at Cannonball, to support Standing Rock, in their efforts to save the water that millions of Americans [depend upon]. [On the evening of November 20 th ], after a day of prayer and ceremony at all three camps, our security attempted to open the bridge by removing the burnt out trucks that the North Dakota authorities had put there themselves, and had started on fire themselves and left on the bridge.
So our security forces tried to remove them from the bridge and the North Dakota authorities then decided to escalate their presence by calling in a militarized vehicle, and I’m going to say … maybe 100 more law enforcement vehicles. There were so many you couldn’t even count them. You need to understand that … what separates the tribe from the pipeline area that’s being excavated is the Cannonball River. At some points it’s about 40 feet wide, at other points it’s only 20 feet wide. But there is a bridge that connects between those two lands, those two boundaries. And that’s where the armored vehicles were parked that were already burnt out.
Dennis Bernstein: And, in terms of what happened… we understand that a number of people were wounded with these tear gas canisters. We understand that they were using water hoses in, I guess, 20 – 25 degree [Fahrenheit] weather. Tell us more about that kind of violence. So people can really, you know, get a human face on what’s going on there.
CA: I felt like I was in a war zone. I had … been called to a meeting so I was heading for the meeting. I could hear young warriors running through the camps, saying “Everybody to the north bridge.” So everybody answered the call. They got in their vehicles and they drove to the north bridge. So both sides of the road had cars facing north. People were walking on the sides of the road. The DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline) being installed between farms, as seen from 50th Avenue in New Salem, North Dakota. August 25, 2016. (Tony Webster Flickr)
I had taken a back path that the deer, the wildlife, use and I entered from between two hills on a deer path. And I walked through the trees up along the fence and then from that point on … there was flood lights, there was at least 40 floodlights on the north side of the river, about a quarter mile apart, along the entire path of that pipeline. So it’s like moonlight… it’s like daylight on the north side of the river. On the south side, not so much. And people had gathered there, they had… they were singing at the front line. They were playing music at the front line. They were chanting “Water is life.”
By the time I had gotten there, people were coming back, soaked in water, and it was really cold out, and the wind had picked up. And truckloads of people with assistance had brought blankets and jackets, and water, and goggles and face masks. So when you entered the bridge you could look to your right and pick up a blanket, and pick up a goggle, and pick up a face mask, and you could walk further to where the encounter was taking place.
So, I kept to the right of the bridge, and I went down to where the razor wire is, because it’s like a war zone there. I’m not kidding. They have floodlights, they have the tank right centered on the bridge, and there was no instructions. They … had a water cannon there. I heard throughout the night that they had used seven fire engine trucks. They emptied seven of them. It was unbelievable. I didn’t think that they would continue to water cannon people. And I asked them… I went to the front lines and said “Stop this… please go home. We’re here praying for you. We’ll find you new jobs. Pray with us, stand with us. We’re protecting the water for millions.”
And they didn’t listen, they stood behind the barbed wire and they continued … they would lift their rifles and they would pick out, literally pick out, individuals in the crowd and they would shoot them. And so water protectors had plastic container tops, and they were using those as shields. And they were protecting people whenever they could. I was on the front line. I was very, very lucky, because I didn’t get shot. I got maced, I got peppered sprayed, I got water cannoned. A woman holds a sign protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Opposite side reads: Water is Life. Washington, D.C. November 17, 2016. (Photo by Chelsea Gilmour)
The force of a water cannon if you haven’t had one… it knocks you off your feet. And we had built fires to warm up the people who were soaking wet, in the frigid weather, people are shaking, they were drenched in water and tear gas. Our medics were out there in full force, doing what was necessary to keep people breathing. People were sharing their inhalers. Those who couldn’t breathe… it was unbelievable. I didn’t think that things would come to this end. But unless Obama stands up, unless people start calling their senators, our lives are in danger, not only the water, but our lives, are physically in danger. So, it hurts me to talk like this.But a call needs to be made. Hundreds of calls need to be made.
Our water needs to be protected. We need support up here. We need wool blankets. We need wool clothes. We need to replenish our first aid kits. We need more thermal blankets. We need batteries. We need jerky. We need those snack bars that you eat, when you’re not able to eat a hot meal. Thermoses. We need… I think we need hundreds of thermoses, because we can’t even carry hot water with us anywhere we go. It was just unbelievable. It was… between being shot with water and then dodging bullets, I’m trying to deliver a peaceful message, and saying prayer. It was hard.
I mean, I slid down the hill, I was knocked off the hill by a water cannon, people picked me up. There was a man standing right next to … a military vehicle, without any face protection, without any blanket and he was singing. And he kept singing, and they just kept spraying him over and over. I picked up an army blanket, I covered him up with it. I stood beside him. We sang together, we prayed together. And they still shot at us, they still maced us, and they still used the water cannon on whoever they wanted to… on everybody that was within their reach, everybody.
And the fires that were started to protect everybody, to warm people up… those fires that were set to warm people up because there was no warming station at that site, were targeted by the police… were targeted by the water cannons. […] The fires that were keeping us warm, they intended on [extinguishing the fires that were there for warmth] and that was there intent.
We didn’t start the fires, only the warming stations. The fires that were started randomly out in the field those were by the tear gas canisters that they were shooting off there. They were shooting canisters at us, into the crowd, everybody at one point thought they were trapped on the bridge because lights were coming over from the south of us. And those turned out to be our own warriors, our own water protectors, our own horse riders to support us. They stood up on the hill, on both sides of the bridge, on the south end, and we were down at the bottom on the bridge, up against the razor wire. I asked them to stop, repeatedly, repeatedly. They wouldn’t stop. They just kept going. Activists gather in Seattle to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline, September 2016. (John Duffy Flickr)
But the thing that really hurt me the most, is when they were trying to put out the fires that were literally saving peoples’ lives. I had got knocked down and was totally drenched in water, I walked over to the fire to warm up and I was only there long enough to empty the water out of my shoes and then they started targeting the fires. So the protectors put up a shield. And for thirty seconds they stood there with a continuous blast of water, and they were totally drenched. And then they all split. First the water hit the fire and there was so much steam and smoke that came out of there. We were blinded.
But there were two of us and we grabbed one of those Teflon, Mylar body armors, and we stretched it between us, and we knelt down on it, and held it between us, we crouched together, we covered one end of the fire. And we just sat there and we prayed. And they kept putting the water over us, until we were completely drenched, again, over and over.
And I could hear a young girl, when the smoke cleared, she was saying “grab the logs, grab the logs” and so people ran over, they grabbed the logs out of the fire and they ran a few yards south, put them together and started another fire, so people could warm up before they were taken to the medic tents. Because there were hundreds of people soaking wet. They weren’t dressed in wool.
When I make a call out for clothing it’s not for any cotton, it’s not for polyester, it’s for waterproof jackets and there’s hardly any waterproof tents at all, snow pants, snow bibs, anything that’s waterproof, and wool. We need wool sweaters, wool socks, wool gloves, wool jackets. Those are the things that we need right now.
I wish the Red Cross would show up. I really do wish that whoever has power to send the Red Cross over there [would]. We could do that because we are in a state of emergency. That’s how it was on the front line. The #NoDAPL water Protectors took non-violent direct action by locking themselves to construction equipment. This is “Happy” American Horse from the Sicangu Nation, hailing from Rosebud. August 31, 2016 (Desiree Kane, Wikipedia)
DB: It’s really important … you sort of hit this really hard but just to underline it… because places like NPR and the local police are saying that they had the water there because you all were starting fires, and that you were throwing Molotov cocktails. That was the story that was coming out of the police, and the local press. You want to talk a little bit more about that?
CA: I’m not afraid to call a liar to their face. If they’re going to post things like that they should be standing on the front lines, getting eyewitness testimony, instead of just passing on the lies [that] the sheriff, … and the governor of North Dakota, and the DAPL are putting out. Because they are taking their own words and using them against the people, to not know the truth. And that should be a crime. It should be.
If I was lying to get people to hurt other people, would I be called a good person? Would I be fit to wear a uniform? Would I be fit to lead a state? I don’t think so. Not according to the values that America claims that it follows. And so, NPR, get on the front line, take your own video, because you weren’t there. So I would like all these major media outlets to quit reprinting lies that are undocumented, undocumented statements from the police.
All that happened is our security wanted to open that road, because it is a public road. And that’s what they said to us when we had our vehicles parked on it. On October 24th they said “go on” they said “we need to open the road. It’s a public road. Move your cars.” So why can’t we move those 3 trucks off the bridge? It’s a public road. That’s how it all started.
DB: But those are two burnt trucks?
CA: That the military forces had placed there themselves. The North Dakota officials put those there and they started them on fire. And before they left they said, “Please stay away from the vehicles. They have propane inside of them, they’re explosive devices.” Which, of course, made everybody to move back from the bridge. And they left them there. And then they put razor wire, which is also unconstitutional. You cannot use that type of razor wire. I mean you only see those in war zones. You don’t see them in the United States. But I’m starting to feel we’re in a war zone. So it’s a battle, people. We need bodies, up front.
We need the world to know that water is a precious commodity and it is sacred to natives. When you understand its relationship to life you will understand the sacredness of it. And we need your support. We need this economy to stop being the oil and gas industries, it’s not good for our country. We need to divest from fossil fuels, and start being a leader in the world by adopting a green policy and getting new jobs for these people who are in the oil industry. Thank you for listening to me. My flight is about to leave. And I’m leaving for ceremony. I’ll be in ceremony for four days. And I’ll be available after four days. And things will probably change by then too.
Dennis J Bernstein is a host of “Flashpoints” on the Pacifica radio network and the author of Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom . You can access the audio archives at www.flashpoints.net . [To support the DAPL protesters, click here .] | 1real |
Merkel looks secure for now despite coalition chaos | BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives are rallying around her despite the failure of talks to form a three-way ruling coalition, buying her time in office and putting the onus on her Social Democrat rivals to break Germany s political impasse. Resolute conservative support for Merkel is significant, as some members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have said privately their price for a re-run of its grand coalition with the conservatives would be Merkel s head. The collapse late on Sunday of the coalition talks, which followed an inconclusive Sept. 24 election, has plunged Germany into the worst political crisis since the end of World War Two. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is trying to broker a deal, is keenly aware the source of Germany s international clout is its economic power and that businesses want a stable coalition soon to end the uncertainty and avoid another poll. SPD leader Martin Schulz, whose party is the second biggest in Germany and was the junior coalition partner to Merkel s conservative bloc in the last parliament, has insisted the SPD should rebuild in opposition after heavy losses in September. But with Merkel secure for now at the helm of her Christian Democrats (CDU), the pressure shifts to the SPD to help form a coalition after the failure of the chancellor s three-way talks with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens. Surveys suggest going to the polls again would deliver a similar outcome to September s result. Furthermore, 58 percent of voters want Merkel to remain chancellor, an Infratest Dimap poll for broadcaster ARD showed this week. While the SPD prevaricates, Merkel looks reasonable for trying to resolve the impasse. One thing is clear: Angela Merkel s position in the CDU is very strong. She is our Number One, David McAllister, a CDU executive committee member, told Reuters. Her party believes she did all she could to forge a three-way coalition. Merkel s efforts also improved ties with the CDU s Bavarian allies in the conservative bloc, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which had been strained over immigration. Another senior CDU official said there was no question of sacrificing Merkel as the party had no credible alternative. A third senior CDU official, Volker Kauder, leader of the conservative parliamentary group in the lower house of parliament, said he hoped the Social Democrats would change their minds about rejecting another grand coalition.[nL8N1NT1PP] Steinmeier is due to meet Schulz on Thursday at 1400 GMT as part of his efforts to help facilitate a coalition government and avoid more elections. Asked about the possibility of the SPD supporting a Merkel-led minority government or entering a new grand coalition, an SPD spokesman pointed to Schulz s meeting with Steinmeier and said, then we will see what comes afterwards . A former SPD leader, Steinmeier is meeting leaders from all parties in parliament this week and wants them to make agreement on a new government possible in the near future . Only after a new government has formed is Merkel s position likely to come under pressure - and even then, not immediately. Her mentor, Helmut Kohl, and Konrad Adenauer, who led Germany s rebirth after World War Two, are the only post-war chancellors to have ruled Germany longer than her. Merkel, 63, only decided to run again last November after thinking long and hard. She said then she was seeking to stay on if health allows . In 1998, she was quoted as saying: I don t want to be a half-dead wreck when I leave politics. She appears in robust health, but given she has already held power for 12 years, questions will inevitably arise about who will succeed her before she is half way through any new four-year term. Potential successors are not circling just yet. She will have probably a year or so after a government is formed before the question of her succession becomes an overwhelming issue in German domestic politics, said Jan Techau at the American Academy in Berlin. The moment that starts, her power will be greatly diminished. But first, Merkel must form a new government. If Steinmeier fails to convince the SPD to enter a new grand coalition, other options include a three-way coalition after all, a Merkel-led minority government, or new elections. Since snap elections won t change relative strengths, my prediction is ... another grand coalition between the only two parties that have learned to compromise, said Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of weekly Die Zeit. Bild newspaper reported on Wednesday that some SPD deputies were now questioning their party s rejection of a renewed grand coalition. [nL8N1NS1PN] Changing course and teaming up with Merkel again may require a change of leadership at the SPD and there could yet be a shake out at a party conference in early December. The pressure needs to build up within the Social Democratic party, said Techau. He said Merkel should focus on being a responsible caretaker chancellor until a new government forms. She just needs to play her own game well and then she can survive. | 0fake |
Senate Republicans tie tax plan to repeal of key Obamacare mandate | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday linked repealing a key component of Obamacare to their ambitious tax-cut plan, raising new political risks and uncertainties for the tax measure that financial markets have been monitoring closely for months. In comments that infuriated Democrats and left some senior Republicans unsure what comes next, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters: “We’re optimistic that inserting the individual mandate repeal would be helpful and that’s obviously the view of the Senate Finance Committee Republicans as well.” The finance panel, which had been in session for two days, abruptly adjourned on Tuesday as Democrats slammed the Republicans’ handling of their tax proposals, for which formal legislative language has still not been unveiled. Ron Wyden, the committee’s top Democrat, demanded more time for Democrats to discuss the issue “because we were never told that healthcare was going to be part of it and this just flew in literally out of nowhere in the last 20 minutes.” Tying Obamacare to the tax program introduces new risks for the Republicans and for President Donald Trump. Together, they have yet to score a major legislative win since Trump took power in January, even with control of Congress and the White House. The president, who has struggled in his relations with Congress, suggested in a tweet on Monday that the mandate repeal should be added to the tax plan, following up on a similar Nov. 3 tweet. No final decision on such a move was made at the Senate Republicans’ weekly luncheon, Senator Susan Collins told reporters afterward. She played a key role in July’s collapse of a years-long push by fellow Republicans to gut Obamacare, former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. “I personally think that it complicates tax reform to put the repeal of the individual mandate in there,” Collins said. Asked if she would back the tax bill if a mandate repeal were added, she said: “I’m going to wait and see.” Senator John McCain, who was also central to his party’s failed Obamacare repeal earlier this year, was non-committal on putting the mandate repeal in the tax plan, saying: “I want to see the whole bill before I decide.” The Senate and House of Representatives are developing separate tax-cut packages they plan to reconcile eventually and send to Trump’s desk for enactment into law, an outcome Republicans are eager to achieve so they can face U.S. voters next year with at least one major legislative achievement. House Speaker Paul Ryan, asked why the repeal of the Obamacare mandate was not in the House version of the tax proposal, told Fox News on Tuesday: “We didn’t want to complicate tax reform, make it harder than it otherwise would be.” The House had already agreed to eliminate the mandate in a healthcare bill it passed in May, he noted, adding: “We want to see the Senate go first and see if they can get that done and then we’ll discuss whether or not it’s included at the end.” The Trump administration strongly supports the House version of the tax legislation, saying its passage would be “an important first step in achieving comprehensive tax reform,” the White House said in a statement on Tuesday. U.S. financial markets have been watching closely, with U.S. stocks rallying in recent months, partly on hopes of business tax cuts. They showed little reaction to Tuesday’s developments. The individual mandate requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty to Washington, a provision that Republicans have long opposed as government overreach. But the mandate plays a critical role in Obamacare by requiring young, healthy people, who might otherwise go without coverage, to purchase insurance and help offset the costs of covering sicker and older Americans. Underscoring the devastating consequences for Obamacare if the mandate were repealed, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week that such a change would increase the number of Americans without health insurance by 13 million by 2027. The CBO added that mandate repeal would raise the average insurance policy premiums in the Obamacare marketplaces by about 10 percent annually over the next decade. Repealing the mandate would also lower the federal deficit by $338 billion over the same time period, the CBO said, a finding that several Republican senators said influenced the move. Eliminating the individual mandate would lower the number of Americans with health insurance, meaning the federal government would spend less on subsidizing coverage for lower- and middle-income people, making that money available to pay for tax cuts. Neither the Senate nor the House tax plans now includes repealing the mandate. But both plan would add about $1.5 trillion over 10 years to the federal deficit and the national debt, which now exceeds $20 trillion. Congressional Republicans hope to pass tax legislation by the end of the year and are moving fast, despite uncertainties. They hold only a razor-thin 52-48 majority in the Senate. If Democrats remain united in opposition, Republicans could afford to lose no more than two senators from within their own ranks and still secure passage of tax legislation. Democrats have dismissed the Republican plans as deficit-expanding giveaways to corporations and the wealthy. Representative Lloyd Doggett, a senior member of the House tax committee, said in a statement that the House tax bill was “just a way to curry favor with Washington special interests – awarding tax windfalls to large multinational corporations and the fortunate few that sit way atop the economic ladder.” | 0fake |
Interview 1225 – Larken Rose on the Immorality of Voting | Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Your vote is statistically meaningless and will not sway the (s)election. Your vote is strategically meaningless and decides nothing about the future of the country. Your vote is useless, as the (s)election is rigged anyway. But as Larken Rose of LarkenRose.com reminds us, what really matters is that voting is immoral, legitimizing a system of authoritarian control and empowering the oligarchs who created the system and control its results.
Happy selection day! | 1real |
Leadership of German far right splits hours after electoral success | BERLIN (Reuters) - The leadership of Germany s far right cracked within hours of its electoral success on Monday, when the highest-profile figure in its more moderate wing stormed out of its victory news conference and abandoned its parliamentary group. Frauke Petry, a 42-year-old chemist, was the most recognizable face in the Alternative for Germany (AfD) during its swift rise over the past two years. But she said she could not stand with an anarchistic party that lacked a credible plan to govern, and would sit in parliament as an independent. The anti-immigrant AfD shocked the establishment by winning 12.6 percent of the vote in Sunday s election after a campaign that channeled public anger at Chancellor Angela Merkel s 2015 decision to leave Germany s border open to migrants. The result made the AfD the first far-right group to win seats in the Bundestag since the 1950s. A vocal critic of immigration, Petry served as co-leader of the AfD, but had come into conflict with other senior figures in the party in recent months, saying she understood why some voters were alarmed at some of their radical rhetoric. She has been less visible as a figure since a surprise decision in April not to run the party s election campaign. I ve decided I won t be part of the AfD s group in the German parliament but will initially be an individual member of parliament in the lower house, Petry said as she left the party s news conference. She has said the AfD should be ready to join coalition governments, while other figures said the party should stick to opposition. All established parties refuse to work with the AfD. Berlin-based political expert Gero Neugebauer said Petry had realized she would not have much influence in the AfD s parliamentary group and may see herself in future as a potential leader of a new group attracting likeminded lawmakers. Other senior party figures played down her importance. It s always a shame when someone very talented leaves the party and Frauke Petry is very talented. But I must note that she wasn t much help recently in the campaign, one of the AfD s top candidates, Alexander Gauland, told Reuters. Once seen as a radical for transforming the AfD from an obscure group opposed to euro zone financial bailouts into Germany s leading anti-immigration party, Petry had distanced herself from other top AfD candidates before the election. She had sought to have the party expel Bjoern Hoecke, a senior party official who courted controversy by denying that Adolf Hitler was absolutely evil and calling Berlin s Holocaust Memorial a monument of shame . Gauland, who replaced Petry in recent months as the party s most recognizable face, provoked outrage during the election campaign by saying Germans should be proud of their World War Two soldiers and Germany s immigration minister should be disposed of in Turkey where her parents come from. Petry said she was aiming to bring about a conservative turning point in parliament in 2021, the next time Germany is due to hold a national election. I ll do everything I can to achieve that so the sensible ideas the AfD has been working on since 2013 actually become a political reality, she added. She declined to answer further questions, including whether she would remain the AfD s co-leader, but said the public would hear from her in the coming days. The party, founded in 2013 by a group of academics opposed to the euro, has long been riven by infighting. Commentators have predicted that its divisions could be amplified by its entry onto the national political stage. Gauland said neither he nor the other top candidate Alice Weidel nor co-leader Joerg Meuthen knew why Petry left. Thomas Jaeger, political scientist at Cologne University, said Petry would now need to leave the party, and her decision would likely help the AfD because its parliamentary group would more cohesive without her. | 0fake |
Hurricane Irma may cut power to over 9 million people in Florida: utility | (Reuters) - Hurricane Irma threatens to knock out power to more than 4.1 million homes and businesses served by Florida Power & Light (FPL), affecting around nine million people based on the current storm track, the utility s chief executive said on Friday. Everyone in Florida will be impacted in some way by this storm, Eric Silagy said at a news conference, urging FPL customers to be prepared for a multiweek restoration process. FPL is the biggest power company in Florida serving almost half of the state s 20.6 million residents. Outages across the state will likely top 4.1 million customers since other utilities, including units of Duke Energy Corp, Southern Co and Emera Inc, will also suffer outages but have not yet estimated how many. Irma poses a significantly bigger menace to power supplies in Florida than Hurricane Harvey did in Texas because Irma is packing 150 mile-per-hour winds (240 km/h) that could down electric lines and close nuclear and other power plants. This storm is unprecedented as far as strength and size. We are preparing for the worst and will likely have to rebuild parts of our service territory, Silagy said, noting the kinds of winds expected could snap concrete poles. Irma s winds have rivaled the strongest for any hurricane in history in the Atlantic, whereas Harvey s damage came from record rainfall. Even as Houston flooded, the power stayed on for most, allowing citizens to use TV and radio to stay apprised of danger, or social media to call for help. When Harvey made landfall in Texas it made it fully inland and weakened pretty quickly. Irma, however, could retain much of its strength, said Jason Setree, a meteorologist at Commodity Weather Group. Irma has killed several people and devastated islands in the Caribbean. Current forecasts put almost the entirety of the Florida peninsula in the path of the storm, which made landfall in the Caribbean with wind speeds of 185 mph. The threat of the Category 4 storm, the second highest rung on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, is grave enough that FPL plans to shut its two nuclear power plants in the state, and officials warned that it may have to rebuild parts of its power system, which could take weeks. One of those nuclear plants, Turkey Point, is located south of Miami near the southern tip of Florida, putting it near where Irma is expected to make landfall early Sunday morning. The other nuclear plant, St. Lucie, is on a barrier island on the east coast about 120 miles (193 km) north of Miami. Most Florida residents have not experienced a major storm since 2005, when total outages peaked around 3.6 million during Hurricane Wilma. Some of those outages lasted for weeks. Setree compared the projected path of Irma to Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which knocked out power to about 1.2 million FPL customers in October. FPL, a unit of Florida energy company NextEra Energy Inc, restored service to most customers affected by Matthew in just two days. In a statement this week, FPL estimated about half of its near five million customers - particularly in the trio of populous southeast counties Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward - had not experienced a major hurricane since 2005. FPL said it had invested nearly $3 billion since 2006 to strengthen its grid, including placing 60 main power lines underground and installing nearly five million smart meters and other devices. Other utilities in the Sunshine State said in statements that they had also invested in intelligent, self-healing devices. Smart meters allow utilities to see outages as they occur, rather than waiting on customer calls, and utilities also use automated devices that can reenergize lines without damage that were taken offline because of contact with trees or other objects, said Jay Apt, director of the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center in Pittsburgh. Olivia Ross, a spokeswoman for CenterPoint Energy, which serves the greater Houston area, said these devices helped the utility keep the lights on for more people in the aftermath of Harvey as some issues were resolved remotely. But such devices can only do so much. Harvey s outages were limited to 312,000 customers, of which CenterPoint was responsible for about 109,000, as it quickly lost force after landfall and turned into a tropical storm. By contrast, Ross noted, Hurricane Ike in 2008 caused 2.1 million of CenterPoint s customers to lose power when it hit the Texas coast near Houston. | 0fake |
Hollywood moves from words to action in Trump era | LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood is gearing up for a concerted response to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, planning a pre-Oscar rally and a political action group as the show business world moves beyond angry speeches. Talent agency WME-IMG, which represents actors, musicians, writers and sports figures, said it was forming a national political action committee (PAC). In a memo to employees on Tuesday, WME-IMG, one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood, said it also planned to develop “actionable public policy solutions,” connect clients with politicians from both political parties, and support donations of time and money by employees. The memo, seen by Reuters, does not mention Trump and avoids taking a direct political stance. But it adds “this company’s greatest asset is the diversity of our backgrounds and beliefs. Please know that we will do everything in our power to support and protect this diversity now and in the months and years ahead.” United Talent Agency (UTA) on Wednesday canceled its annual Oscars party and said it will instead hold a rally in Beverly Hills two days before the Feb. 26 Oscar ceremony to protest “anti-immigrant sentiment” in the United States. “If our nation ceases to be the place where artists the world over can come to express themselves freely, then we cease, in my opinion, to be America,” UTA chief executive Jeremy Zimmer said in a statement. UTA said it will also donate $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union and the International Rescue Committee. The twin moves follow widespread opposition by celebrities to Trump during the 2016 election campaign, and fiery speeches at recent awards shows and rallies condemning Trump’s travel restrictions on seven predominantly Muslim nations. On Monday, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said that barriers to artistic freedom have “made Academy artists activists.” Trump’s attempts to temporarily ban travel have hit Hollywood hard ahead of the movie industry’s most prestigious night. Oscar-nominated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and actress Taraneh Alidoosti have said they will boycott the Academy Awards to protest Trump’s actions. Syrian civilian rescue workers featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “The White Helmets,” will be unable to attend, producers said this week. UTA represents Farhadi. The agency said the Tehran-based director said he felt “honored and in tears” when he heard about the announcement. | 0fake |
Trump Says Go Back, We Say Fight Back | 2016 elections by Robin D.G. Kelley
The author writes: “I am not suggesting that white racism alone explains Trump’s victory. Nor am I dismissing the white working class’s very real economic grievances. It is not a matter of disaffection versus racism or sexism versus fear. Rather, racism, class anxieties, and prevailing gender ideologies operate together, inseparably, or as Kimberlé Crenshaw would say, intersectionally.” Trump Says Go Back, We Say Fight Back by Robin D.G. Kelley
This article previously appeared in Boston Review .
“We need to reject a thoroughly bankrupt Democratic Party leadership that is calling for conciliation and, in Obama’s words, “rooting for [Trump’s] success.”
“If we are to keep the enormity of the forces aligned against us from establishing a false hierarchy of oppression, we must school ourselves to recognize that any attack against Blacks, any attack against women, is an attack against all of us who recognize that our interests are not being served by the systems we support. Each one of us here is a link in the connection between antipoor legislation, gay shootings, the burning of synagogues, street harassment, attacks against women, and resurgent violence against Black people.” — Audre Lorde, “Learning from the 60s”
Donald J. Trump’s election was a national trauma, an epic catastrophe that has left millions in the United States and around the world in a state of utter shock, uncertainty, deep depression, and genuine fear. The fear is palpable and justified, especially for those Trump and his acolytes targeted—the undocumented, Muslims, anyone who “looks” undocumented or Muslim, people of color, Jews, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, women, activists of all kinds (especially Black Lives Matter and allied movements resisting state-sanctioned violence), trade unions. . . . the list is long. And the attacks have begun; as I write these words, reports of hate crimes and racist violence are flooding my inbox.
The common refrain is that no one expected this. (Of course, the truth is that many people did expect this, just not in the elite media.) At no point, this refrain goes, could “we” imagine Trump in the Oval office surrounded by a cabinet made up of some of the most idiotic, corrupt, and authoritarian characters in modern day politics—Rudolph Giuliani, Chris Christie, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, John Bolton, Ben Carson, Jeff Sessions, David “Blue Lives Matter” Clarke, Joe Arpaio, to name a few. Meanwhile, paid professional pundits are scrambling to peddle their analyses and to normalize the results—on the same broadcast media that helped deliver Trump’s victory by making him their ratings-boosting spectacle rather than attending to issues, ideas, and other candidates (e.g., Bernie Sanders or Jill Stein). They deliver the same old platitudes: disaffected voters, angry white men who have suffered economically and feel forgotten, Trump’s populist message represented the nation’s deep-seated distrust of Washington, ad infinitum. Some liberal pundits have begun to speak of President-Elect Trump as thoughtful and conciliatory, and some even suggest that his unpredictability may prove to be an asset. The protests are premature or misplaced. All of this from the same folks who predicted a Clinton victory.
“Trump’s followers are attracted to his wealth as metonym of an American dream that they, too, can enjoy once America is ‘great’ again.”
But the outcome should not have surprised us. This election was, among other things, a referendum on whether the United States will be a straight, white nation reminiscent of the mythic “old days” when armed white men ruled, owned their castle, boasted of unvanquished military power, and everyone else knew their place. Henry Giroux’s new book America at War With Itself made this point with clarity and foresight two months before the election. The easy claim that Trump appeals to legitimate working-class populism driven by class anger, Giroux argues, ignores both the historical link between whiteness, citizenship, and humanity, and the American dream of wealth accumulation built on private property. Trump’s followers are not trying to redistribute the wealth, nor are they all “working class”—their annual median income is about $72,000. On the contrary, they are attracted to Trump’s wealth as metonym of an American dream that they, too, can enjoy once America is “great” again—which is to say, once the country returns to being “a white MAN’s country.” What Giroux identifies as “civic illiteracy” keeps them convinced that the descendants of unfree labor or the colonized, or those who are currently unfree, are to blame for America’s decline and for blocking their path to Trump-style success.
For the white people who voted overwhelmingly for Trump, their candidate embodied the anti-Obama backlash. Pundits who say race was not a factor point to rural, predominantly white counties that went for Obama in 2008 and 2012, but now went for Trump, and to the low black and Latinx voter turnout. However, turnout was down overall, not just among African Americans. Post-election analysis shows that as a percentage of total votes the black vote dropped only 1 percent compared with the 2012 election, even while the number of black ballots counted decreased by nearly 11 percent. (Why this happened is beyond the scope of this essay, but one might begin with Greg Palast’s findings about voter suppression and the use of “crosscheck” to invalidate ballots.) Moreover, claims that nearly a third of Latinxs went for Trump have been disputed by the website Latino Decision, whose careful research puts the figure at 18 percent. The turnout does not contradict the fact that Trump drew the clear majority of white votes. This is not startling news.
“We cannot ignore the fact that the vast majority of white men and a majority of white women, across class lines, voted for a platform and a message of white supremacy.”
If history is our guide, “whitelash” usually follows periods of expanded racial justice and democratic rights. In the aftermath of Reconstruction, there were many instances in which southern white men switched from the biracial, abolitionist Republicans to the “redeemers,” whether it be the Democrats or, in states like Texas, the “White Man’s Party.” (No ambiguity there.) Or in the 1880s and ’90s, when white Populists betrayed their Black Populist allies in a united struggle to redistribute railroad land grants to farmers, reduce debt by inflating currency, abolish private national banks, nationalize railroads and telegraphs, and impose a graduated income tax to shift the burden onto the wealthy, among other things. Many of these one-time white “allies” joined the Ku Klux Klan, defeated the Lodge Force Bill of 1890 which would have authorized federal supervision of elections to protect black voting rights, and led the efforts to disfranchise black voters. Or the late 1960s, when vibrant struggles for black, brown, American Indian, Asian American, gay and lesbian, and women’s liberation, the anti-war movement, and student demands for a democratic revolution were followed by white backlash and the election of Richard Nixon—whose rhetoric of “law and order” and the “silent majority” Trump shamelessly plagiarized.
Of course, Hilary Clinton did win the popular vote, and some are resorting to the easy lament that, were it not for the arcane Electoral College (itself a relic of slave power), we would not be here. One might add, too, that had it not been for the gutting of the Voting Rights Act opening the door for expanded strategies of voter suppression, or the permanent disfranchisement of some or all convicted felons in ten states, or the fact that virtually all people currently in cages cannot vote at all, or the persistence of misogyny in our culture, we may have had a different outcome. This is all true. But we cannot ignore the fact that the vast majority of white men and a majority of white women, across class lines, voted for a platform and a message of white supremacy, Islamophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-science, anti-Earth, militarism, torture, and policies that blatantly maintain income inequality. The vast majority of people of color voted against Trump, with black women registering the highest voting percentage for Clinton of any other demographic (93 percent). It is an astounding number when we consider that her husband’s administration oversaw the virtual destruction of the social safety net by turning welfare into workfare, cutting food stamps, preventing undocumented workers from receiving benefits, and denying former drug felons and users access to public housing; a dramatic expansion of the border patrol, immigrant detention centers, and the fence on Mexico’s border; a crime bill that escalated the war on drugs and accelerated mass incarceration; as well as NAFTA and legislation deregulating financial institutions.
Still, had Trump received only a third of the votes he did and been defeated, we still would have had ample reason to worry about our future.
“White privilege is taken for granted to the point where it need not be named and can’t be named.”
I am not suggesting that white racism alone explains Trump’s victory. Nor am I dismissing the white working class’s very real economic grievances. It is not a matter of disaffection versus racism or sexism versus fear. Rather, racism, class anxieties, and prevailing gender ideologies operate together, inseparably, or as Kimberlé Crenshaw would say, intersectionally. White working-class men understand their plight through a racial and gendered lens. For women and people of color to hold positions of privilege or power over them is simply unnatural and can only be explained by an act of unfairness—for example, affirmative action. White privilege is taken for granted to the point where it need not be named and can’t be named. So, as activist/scholar Bill Fletcher recently observed, even though Trump’s call to deport immigrants, close the borders, and reject free trade policies appealed to working-class whites’ discontent with the effects of globalization, Trump’s plans do not amount to a rejection of neoliberalism. Fletcher writes, “Trump focused on the symptoms inherent in neoliberal globalization, such as job loss, but his was not a critique of neoliberalism. He continues to advance deregulation, tax cuts, anti-unionism, etc. He was making no systemic critique at all, but the examples that he pointed to from wreckage resulting from economic and social dislocation, resonated for many whites who felt, for various reasons, that their world was collapsing.” Yet Fletcher is quick not to reduce white working-class support for Trump to class fears alone, adding, “This segment of the white population was looking in terror at the erosion of the American Dream, but they were looking at it through the prism of race.”
A New York Times poll shows that Trump supporters identified immigration and terrorism, not the economy, as the two most important issues in the campaign. Immigration and terrorism are both about race—Mexicans and Muslims. That there are “illegal” immigrants from around the globe, including Canada, Israel, and all over Europe doesn’t matter: anti-immigrant movements target those who can be racially profiled. And while Trump’s America fears “terrorism,” it does not disavow homegrown terrorist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, despite the fact that white nationalist movements are responsible for the majority of violent terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. On the contrary, Trump was not only endorsed by white nationalists and U.S.-based fascists, but during the campaign he refused to renounce their support, and Trump’s leading candidate for attorney general, Rudy Giuliani, has openly called Black Lives Matter “terrorists.”
So where do we go from here? If we really care about the world, our country, and our future, we have no choice but to resist. We need to reject a thoroughly bankrupt Democratic Party leadership that is calling for conciliation and, in Obama’s words, “rooting for [Trump’s] success.” Pay attention: Trump’s success means mass deportation; massive military spending; the continuation and escalation of global war; a conservative Supreme Court poised to roll back Roe v. Wade, marriage equality, and too many rights to name here; a justice department and FBI dedicated to growing the Bush/Obama-era surveillance state and waging COINTELPRO-style war on activists; fiscal policies that will accelerate income inequality; massive cuts in social spending; the weakening or elimination of the Affordable Care Act; and the partial dismantling and corporatization of government.
What must resistance look like? There are at least five things we have to do right now:
1. Build up the sanctuary movement.
In the 1980s, when nearly one million refugees fled U.S.-backed dictatorships in Guatemala and El Salvador, churches offered shelter, sanctuary, and assistance to those seeking political asylum, and over thirty cities were subsequently designated “sanctuary cities” by their local governments. The Obama administration’s deportations of undocumented workers rebooted the sanctuary movement, along with a vibrant immigrant rights movement that pushed the president to use executive authority to launch the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). Trump has vowed to end both programs, leaving some five million immigrants vulnerable to deportation and identifiable through their applications, and he has promised to immediately cut all federal funding for sanctuary cities. To those who argue that millions of undocumented people are not “political refugees,” I counter that Trump’s war on immigrants is driven entirely by his quest to take power—they will become casualties of his political machinations. Some states have already outlawed the longstanding principle of sanctuary status, but this should not deter us from strengthening and expanding the sanctuary movement to other institutions. For example, many of us who work in the University of California system are working to turn our campuses into sanctuaries—preferably with legal and administrative backing. But even without the law behind us, we must act on moral principle.
2. Defend all of our targeted communities.
We must defend against hate crimes, Islamophobia, anti-black racism, attacks on queer and trans people, and the erosion of reproductive rights. There is no need to reinvent the wheel since there are already hundreds of organizations across the country dedicated to the fight, including INCITE: Women of Color Against Violence, Radical Women, the Immigrant Solidarity Network, the Praxis Project, the Praxis Center, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the African American Policy Forum, the Network Against Islamophobia, and Causa Justa, to name only a few. One of the main targets of attack, of course, is the Movement for Black Lives, along with the dozens of organizations upon which it was built—Black Lives Matter, the Dream Defenders, Million Hoodies, Black Youth Project 100, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, We Charge Genocide, and Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD), among others. We need to support these movements and institutions, financially and by doing the work. And we must defend the political and cultural spaces that enable us to plot, plan, build community and sustain social movements. Here in Los Angeles this means spaces such as the L.A. Black Workers Center, the Labor/Community Strategy Center and its new community space, Strategy and Soul, the L.A. Community Action Network, the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research, the Community Coalition, and Revolutionary Autonomous Communities, among many others. In New York we can point to Decolonize This Place; in Detroit, the Boggs Center; in St. Louis, Organization for Black Struggle, and so on. There are literally hundreds of centers around the country building for local power, and while none were immune to state surveillance in the past, we can expect heightened monitoring and outright attacks under this extreme right-wing regime. Now is not the time to retreat to our identity silos. We need solidarity more than ever, recognizing that all solidarities are imperfect, often fragile, temporary, and always forged in struggle and sustained through hard work. In our state of emergency, political disagreements, slights, misunderstandings, and microaggressions should not prohibit us from fighting for peoples rights, privileges, and lives.
3. Stop referring to the South as a political backwater, a distinctive site of racist right-wing reaction.
First, white supremacy, homophobia, and anti-union attitudes are national, not regional, problems. Second, black and multiracial groups in the South are at the forefront of resisting Trump’s authoritarian agenda and building power outside the mainstream Democratic Party. Among them are Project South, Southerners on New Ground (SONG), the Moral Mondays Movement, Kindred: Southern Healing Justice Collective, Jackson Rising in Mississippi, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) in Louisville, Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Atlanta, and the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.
The frontline battles that preceded Trump’s election must not be abandoned. On the contrary, they need to be strengthened. We must redouble our fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline and support the Standing Rock Sioux Nation’s historic resistance. There is no question that Trump’s election has further empowered the corporation behind the pipeline—the Texas-based Fortune 500 company Energy Transfer Partners—to continue to build no matter what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Obama Justice Department says. We need to recognize Standing Rock as not only a struggle for environmental justice but an episode in Native people’s five-hundred-year resistance to colonialism. And speaking of colonialism, the crisis in Puerto Rico has not abated—not in the least. As I write, Puerto Ricans on the island and in the U.S. mainland are using every means at their disposal to resist PROMESA, the U.S. plan that empowers a seven-member, unelected board to impose austerity measures as a way of restructuring its debt—measures that include wage reductions, selling off public assets, altering retirement plans for public employees, and fast-tracking changes even if they violate existing laws.
4. Support and deepen the anti-Klan and anti-fascist movement.
We must especially support groups such as Southern Poverty Law Center, which has been on the frontlines of this movement for decades. Although the fight against white supremacist organizations has been continual since the 1860s, the federal government has never successfully outlawed the Klan and similar vigilante groups (although in the 1950s the state of Alabama succeeded in outlawing the NAACP). With Trump’s election we are likely to see a surge in white nationalist and other right-wing terrorism, including attacks on black churches, synagogues, mosques, abortion clinics; and against non-white, queer, and trans people and immigrants. Some on the left will argue that resisting the so-called “alt-right” is a secondary issue since these are fringe movements and building class unity across racial lines ought to be our priority. But with the memory of Colorado Springs and Charleston seared into our memory, this argument rings hollow. And while President Obama’s poignant rendition of “Amazing Grace” at Reverend Clementa Pinckney’s funeral moved much of the nation, the truth is that it is easier to pass laws criminalizing organizations that support the boycott of businesses and institutions complicit in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine than it is to outlaw the Ku Klux Klan.
5. Rebuild the labor movement.
As obvious as this may seem, the entire labor movement is under attack on a global scale. Today labor unions are portrayed as corrupt, bloated, a drain on the economy, and modern-day cartels that threaten workers’ “liberty.” Corporations and the CEOs who run them are portrayed as the most efficient and effective mode of organization. In our neoliberal age, emergency financial managers are sent in to replace elected government during real or imagined economic crises; charter schools organized along corporate lines are replacing public schools; universities are being restructured along corporate lines with presidents increasingly functioning like CEOs; and a businessman with a checkered record, a history of improprieties and legal violations and allegations of sexual assault, and no experience whatsoever in government is elected president.
Today’s economic debates focus not on alternatives to capitalism but on what kind of capitalism—capitalism with a safety net for the poor or one driven by extreme free-market liberalization? A capitalism in which the state’s role is to bail out big banks and financial institutions, or one where the state imposes (or rather restores) greater regulation in order to avoid economic crises? In both of these scenarios, a weakened labor movement is a given. The once-powerful unions are doing little more than fighting to restore basic collective bargaining rights and deciding how much they are going to give back. Union leaders are struggling just to participate in crafting austerity measures. In the New Deal era, the state’s efforts to save capitalism centered on Keynesian strategies of massive state expenditures in infrastructure, job creation, a social safety net in the form of direct aid and social security, and certain protections for the right of unions to organize. All these measures were made possible by a strong labor movement. There was a level of militant organization that we did not see in our post-2008 collapse, in spite of Occupy Wall Street. While Occupy was massive, international, and built on preexisting social justice movements, it lacked the kind of institutional power base and political clout that organized labor had in the 1930s. Of course, labor unions have also been powerful engines of racial and gender exclusion, working with capital to impose glass ceilings and racially segmented wages, but the twenty-first-century labor movement has largely embraced principles of social justice, antiracism, immigrant rights, and cross-border strategies.
“I am talking about opening a path to freeing white people from the prison house of whiteness.”
Obviously there is much missing here, like abolishing the Electoral College and continuing to wage a fight for local power in the legislative and electoral arenas as well as in the streets. Local campaigns to raise the minimum wage, for example, have not only produced key victories but served to mobilize people around issues of injustice and inequality. The sites of resistance will become clearer as the political situation becomes more concrete, especially after January 20.
But I want to return to the white working class and how we might break the cycle of “whitelash.” First, we cannot change this country without winning over some portion of white working people, and I am not talking about gaining votes for the Democratic Party. I am talking about opening a path to freeing white people from the prison house of whiteness. True, with whiteness comes privilege, but many of the perceived privileges are inaccessible to most, which then generates resentment. Exposing whiteness for what it is—a foundational myth for the birth and consolidation of capitalism—is fundamental if we are to build a genuine social movement dedicated to dismantling the oppressive regimes of racism, heteropatriarchy, empire, and class exploitation that is at the root of inequality, precarity, materialism, and violence in many forms. I am not suggesting we ignore their grievances, but that we help white working people understand the source of their discontent—real and imagined.
Is this possible? The struggle to recruit the white working class is an old story. Black movement leaders have been trying to free white working people from the paltry wages of whiteness since Reconstruction, at least, and it seems to always end badly. This history is not necessarily legible because we tend to conflate populism and fascism with what Henry Giroux astutely identifies as authoritarianism. Populism is the idea that ordinary people ought to have the power to control their government and their communities, especially along lines that benefit the collective. In the 1880s and ’90s, the black populist movement adopted a vision of a new society based on cooperative economics. The great writer and activist Timothy Thomas Fortune gave their unique vision eloquent voice and plans for action in his book Black and White: Land, Labor and Politics in the South (1884), which offered a path for the emancipation of the nation as a whole, not just black people. He attacked America’s betrayal of Reconstruction, identified monopoly and private ownership of land as the central source of inequality, and articulated a vision of a democratic, caring political economy based on equity and fairness. The National Colored Alliance members had advanced beyond printing more money or demanding free silver, adopting instead a more radical redistribution of wealth and power. They wanted more than a short-term alliance just to raise wages for picking cotton or reducing debt. But Fortune understood that a genuine cooperative commonwealth is not possible unless white workers and farmers join the movement. “The hour is approaching,” he wrote, “when the laboring classes of our country, North, East, West and South, will recognize that they have a common cause, a common humanity and a common enemy; and that, therefore, if they would triumph over wrong and place the laurel wreath upon triumphant justice, without distinction of race or of previous condition they must unite!” Whatever unity they managed to create proved ephemeral. As in so many other scenarios, most whites chose white supremacy over liberation.
The lessons here are crucial. We cannot build a sustainable movement without a paradigm shift. Stopgap, utilitarian alliances to stop Trump aren’t enough. I concur with Giroux, who calls on all of us to wage “an anti-fascist struggle that is not simply about remaking economic structures, but also about refashioning identities, values, and social relations as part of a democratic project that reconfigures what it means to desire a better and more democratic future.” Robin Davis Gibran Kelley is the Gary B. Nash Professor of American History at UCLA. | 1real |
LORETTA LYNCH’S “Behavior” in 2016 Election To Be Investigated By Judiciary Committee [Video] | It s about time the Senate Judiciary Committee opened a probe into former Attorney General Loretta Lynch s efforts to shape the FBI s investigation into the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton! The committee s chairman announced the bipartisan probe on Friday:The committee sent a letter to Lynch asking her to tell in detail everything about her involvement in the FBI s investigation. They want to know whether she ever assured Clinton confidantes that the probe wouldn t push too deeply into the matter. This could get really good if they can get Lynch to squeal.THIS IS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT:SENATOR FEINSTEIN CALLED FOR AN INVESTIGATION IN EARLY JUNE: How shocking is it that liberal Senator Diane Feinstein is calling for a closer look at the possible collusion between Lynch and Comey:Dianne Feinstein calls on Congress to investigate whether Loretta Lynch pressured Comey to cover for Hillary Clinton s campaign.#ComeyGate pic.twitter.com/AMwQoQsMe0 Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) June 11, 2017 Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Sunday that Congress should investigate whether former Attorney General Loretta Lynch pressured former FBI Director James Comey to cover for Hillary Clinton s presidential campaign. I think we need to know more about that, Feinstein told host Brianna Keilar on CNN s State of the Union. And there s only way to know about it, and that s to have the Judiciary Committee take a look at that, Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said.Comey testified last Thursday that he felt queasy after Lynch asked him to characterize his probe into Clinton s emails as a matter, rather than an investigation. He told the Senate Intelligence Committee that such a request would match the wording of Clinton s campaign.Feinstein, who is a member of the Senate Intelligence panel, said she would ve also felt queasy. I would have a queasy feeling, too, though, to be candid with you, the longtime Senate Democrat said.She added that an investigation separate from the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the election is needed. Read more: The Hill Former FBI Director Jim Comey said publicly that Ms. Lynch tried to change the way the investigation into Mrs. Clinton s emails was described. He also hinted at other behavior which I cannot talk about yet . He was concerned about Lynch s ability to do her job without impartiality. Mr. Comey said that was one reason why he took it upon himself to buck Justice Department tradition and reveal his findings about Mrs. Clinton last year.If anyone had really looked into Lynch s background, they would know she s a big political hack. We were shocked that she was confirmed by the Senate. We felt like she was Eric Holder in a dress. Well, it turned out that we were correct in our assumptions.Read more: WT | 1real |
This Is Clinton’s Supreme Court Plan, And It Could Destroy Senate Republicans | Hillary Clinton is about to step up the fight against Senate Republicans and their refusal to give constitutional hearings to Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.Despite his impressive resume, including a stint prosecuting the worst domestic terrorist in America, most Republicans have refused to even give Garland a standard meeting, let alone give him an up or down vote in the Senate.In a speech about the Supreme Court that Clinton is scheduled to deliver at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the Democratic front-runner is expected to single out Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and challenge him to hold hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated last month by the death of Antonin Scalia, according to a campaign official.Clinton has spoken out forcefully against the Republicans intransigence to hold nominating hearings, accusing the GOP of implicit racism in ignoring President Barack Obama s nominee, and noting that it has never taken the Senate more than 125 days to vote on a Supreme Court nomination.Even controversial Supreme Court nominees offered up by Republican presidents, like Justices Alito and Roberts and nominee Robert Bork, were given hearings and subjected to a vote by the U.S. Senate.Republicans have offered several phony excuses for the opposition to Garland, including the strange claim that the Senate shouldn t act on nominees in the last year of a presidency. Historical precedent has already shown that that isn t true.Republican leaders with no actual role in Garland s nomination, like Speaker Paul Ryan, have also chimed in against an up or down vote.But polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans, including many Republicans, believe that Garland deserves a fair hearing. In response, some Republicans have already given in on sitting down and having a discussion with the nominee, particularly those in blue or purple states who face re-election this year against strong Democratic candidates.The rest of the Republicans opposed to a Garland hearing are already facing the prospect of having their obstruction linked to highly unpopular presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump has made the same arguments against a Garland hearing as his Republican allies, and some, like Senator John McCain (R-AZ) are facing advertising tying them in with Trump s position here, among others.Despite Arizona s history as a Republican state, the most recent polling has shown McCain tied with his Democratic challenger. Maybe he and his colleagues will stop the Garland blockade?Featured image via Flickr | 1real |
SHOCKER! CNN PANEL Rips On DNC Chair For His Disgusting Profanity Laden Speeches [Video] | What a shocker! A CNN panel rips on Tom Perez for his profanity laden speeches They turn it on Trump but it s really interesting that they even questioned this so-called strategy: Just in case you haven t heard Perez speak:DNC Chair Tom Perez was on MSNBC (video below) to answer to critics who didn t like his nasty speech last week.He appeared at an event held by New Jersey Working Families Alliance, a re-branded ACORN agency and gave a hateful and divisive speech. He claimed that, Republicans don t give a sh*t about people . Why the Democrats picked this far left radical is puzzling unless the Democrats plan on going full commie Perez is connected to the radical open borders group La Raza. Something tells us that Obama made this pick for the Democrats. Check out a defiant Perez doubling down on is nastiness:OUR PREVIOUS REPORT AND VIDEO BELOW:Perez has a long radical history connected to La Raza and other open borders organizations. His track record is full on radical. e s in cahoots with Obama to continue the fundamental transformation of America. Anyone who s a Democrat should be shocked that he s taking the party in such a far left direction. Do your research and you ll know why he was the choice for Dem Chair.He just fired all Democrat Party staffers and is bringing in all new people. The party is clearly taking a new direction and it s not a good one for any American. DONALD TRUMP DIDN T WIN WATCH ENTIRE VIDEO: Republicans don t give a sh*t about people | 1real |
WEEK #13 of NFL HELL CONTINUES: “Lots of Empty Seats For The Biggest Game of The NFL Week” | Here are just a few examples of the empty or mostly empty NFL stands across America today:The stands appear to be mostly empty for the Atlanta Falcons V. Minnesota Vikings game, in what NFL fans were calling the biggest game of the week on Twitter.Lots of empty seats for the biggest game of the NFL week pic.twitter.com/kQDZySMFtU Brian Handke (@brianhandke) December 3, 2017Here s another shot of the empty seats at the Atlanta vs. Minnesota game in Atlanta:Caption: "What s up with ALL the empty seats? 30% empty? Could it be tix are too expensive? Fans don t want to pay the PSL?" (https://t.co/ceK9VSHPuT) pic.twitter.com/ZftCoDwwr8 Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017It appears as though Jacksonville fans found something better to do than watch the Indiana vs. Jacksonville matchup.Pic via an Indiana talking head #INDvsJAX RT @cliffWISH8: available for the Jags playoff push. I repeat. pic.twitter.com/XfcVfkh5EJ Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017Here s a close up of the empty seats in Jacksonville:What are those? pic.twitter.com/SYqmwKZyBl Jags Ghost (@Battle4Duval) December 3, 2017Meanwhile, back in the Midwest, a lot of empty seats can be found again this week in Chicago s Soldier Field, that is usually a sold out venue:There are some empty seats here at Soldier Field. It looks like the Lions game two weeks ago: pic.twitter.com/rEfsrT0hD9 Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) December 3, 2017Here s a close up of the empty seats in the upper deck at the Bears game:A lot of empty seats in the upper deck today. #Bears pic.twitter.com/eqdnpdDbl7 Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) December 3, 2017The north end zone doesn t look any better:Good amount of empty seats in north end zone. pic.twitter.com/YQJwnpvwGv Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) December 3, 2017I know that I am a goat, but do I smell that bad? 49ers at Bears. Media deck. @EmptySeatsPics pic.twitter.com/7JiTEczWXh prof. goat (@ProfGoat) December 3, 2017The Buffalo Bills played the NE Patriots, 2017 Superbowl championship team, and former NFL fans didn t seem to care enough to show up and watch the game :A lot of empty seats came out to see the Bills play the Patriots today @EmptySeatsPics pic.twitter.com/NgGSwdEkqP Darin Weeks (@DarinJWeeks) December 3, 2017 | 1real |
U.S.-led forces acknowledge killing 51 more civilians in Iraq, Syria | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants said on Thursday another 51 civilians had been killed in strikes in Iraq and Syria, raising the total number of civilians it has killed to 786 since 2014. The coalition said in a statement that during September, it had assessed 127 reports and the 51 additional deaths occurred in 16 incidents going back as far as February that it deemed were credible. The coalition, battling to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, says it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties. The military s official tally is far below those of outside organizations. The monitoring group Airwars says at least 5,637 civilians have been killed by coalition strikes. Iraqi forces launched an attack to drive Islamic State from the last territory it holds in Iraq on Thursday and the Syrian army and its allies said they planned to march on the jihadists last Syrian stronghold. The separate assaults across the Iraqi-Syrian frontier aim to deal a final blow to the Islamic State caliphate that has crumbled this year in Syria and Iraq, with the group losing the cities of Mosul, Raqqa and swathes of other territory. | 0fake |
Trump Lashes Out At Black CEO For Resigning From Manufacturing Council After Charlottesville Murder | Donald Trump s stunning neglect to disavow the Nazis who stormed through the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia in his name while shouting Nazi Germany era slogans prompted an African-American CEO of a major pharmaceutical company to resign. Kenneth C. Frazier announced his resignation from Trump s American Manufacturing Council. Our country s strength stems from its diversity and the contributions made by men and women of different faiths, races, sexual orientations and political beliefs, Frazier wrote. America s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal, the CEO continued.pic.twitter.com/a1PNQZism5 Merck (@Merck) August 14, 2017Frazier said his resignation was a matter of personal conscience and he felt a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism. Trump remarks in which he blamed many sides for the attack in which a Nazi murdered 32-year-old Heather Heyer, and injured 19 others caused a backlash.Trump responded by lashing out at Frazier on Twitter, writing, Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES! Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2017That didn t go down well on Twitter.His vague "Violence on MANY sides" WAS seen by them as approval.(From #NeoNazi paper The Daily Stormer)#RealNews ? https://t.co/nWj67BHMmP pic.twitter.com/6pRpR0YR37 Alexander Hamilton (@AHamiltonSpirit) August 14, 2017Trump has surrounded himself with the Alt-Right.We are NOT exaggerating. His Deputy Asst .@SebGorka. is LITERALLY a NAZICheck out his cool Nazi threads from Hungary#FireGorka #FireBannon pic.twitter.com/CR4ed9YTTy Alexander Hamilton (@AHamiltonSpirit) August 14, 2017Trump did not disavow his Nazi supporters, but he did attack this guy.Trump had no harsh words for nazis and klansmen over the weekend, but he just rage tweeted this African American CEO _( )_/ pic.twitter.com/QBUp1eseIf Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) August 14, 2017Trump would rather attack a principled black man who was formerly on his own team than condemn white supremacy. Adam Best (@adamcbest) August 14, 2017Trump cannot disavow Nazis because they elevated him to the White House.Way to go, Mr. Big Pharma guy. Wait, did I just type that out loud? It s remarkable that someone who is with Big Pharma has more principles that our so-called president. That speaks volumes. Anything Trump says now about the Charlottesville attack is moot since it s been days since the young lady was murdered and he just CAN T find it in himself to call out the group responsible because they are his people. Trump was supported by white supremacist groups accross the board during his campaign.Photo by Ron Sachs Pool/Getty Images. | 1real |
Joe Biden Just Said What Every (Sane) Woman Is Thinking About Donald Trump | Hillary Clinton and most of her surrogates have stayed silent, apparently waiting to pounce on Donald Trump during the debate scheduled for Sunday night. The Vice President, though, couldn t hold his opinion. He took to Twitter and said exactly what most women are thinking about Donald Trump s disgusting remarks about grabbing women by the pussy. Joe Biden called it sexual assault.The words are demeaning. Such behavior is an abuse of power. It s not lewd. It s sexual assault. Joe Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 8, 2016Much of the media (and Republicans) is treating the tape, in which Trump is heard talking about groping women and kissing them, without permission, as just more words. It s Trump as usual, they say, only raw and on steroids. The problem with that, though, is that Trump is describing criminal acts. He s clearly in the habit of using his power and money to take anything he wants, and women to Trump are just things.Biden has long been an advocate of women s rights. He has been a driving force behind helping to end the backlog of unprocessed rape kits.Biden was also key in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate and calls it the proudest thing I ve ever done. His goal is to change the culture in this country. When a woman is raped, when a woman is abused, the first thing other women ask is what did you do? Why were you there? What were you wearing? Biden said. Folks, all the opportunity and entrepreneurship in the world is good. But ultimately, starting in this country, we have to change the culture. And we re not going to change that culture until not a single woman who is abused ever asks herself: What did I do? Source: Huffington PostTrump supporters, of course, are doing the only thing they know how. They are playing a game of I know you are but what am I and are turning it around on Biden:Is this an official duty of the Vice President? Doubtful, Joe Biden , doubtful. Looks like an unwanted sexual advance. #TrumpTape pic.twitter.com/2JL40JDOlF bbaroo (@DempseyToe) October 8, 2016They even posted this completely debunked video:You mean sexual assault like this, Joe Biden ? #TrumpTape pic.twitter.com/YhxKFTPiCT bbaroo (@DempseyToe) October 8, 2016Of course, Biden isn t running for president and Trump is. It s not just women Trump disrespects, it s everyone. If his white male voters really think Trump is going to do something for them, they are sadly delusional. As for women, well, Trump s choice of Mike Pence as running mate should be all we need to know. The video was just confirmation that Trump isn t just a misogynist. He s a criminal, at east according to his own words.Featured image via Alex Wong/Getty Images | 1real |
The folly of Obama's Clean Power Plan | Before any rational discussion of the economic or scientific merits of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan can begin (it will be announced Monday), it is necessary to take his rhetoric about its benefits off the table. The president stated Sunday that his plan is "protecting the world we leave to our children.” To be generous to the president, that is a gross exaggeration.
By the Environmental Protection Agency’s own calculations, the plan will reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide by about 10% from what they are now projected to be in 2030. Since by that time the U.S. will be producing less than 20 percent of global CO2 emissions, the result is at most 2 percent less growth in global emissions.
Based on the calculations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that will make less than one-tenth of a degree of difference in global temperatures.
Contrary to the president’s claims about saving lives and reducing energy costs, his own EPA has found that the drastic cuts they are ordering will increase electricity costs, while doing next to nothing to slow the pace of climate change.
What the president will not admit about his ambitious plans is that they will not matter unless the countries actually responsible for future greenhouse gas emissions do far more than they now show any intention of doing.
The world’s future major emitters will be China, India, Brazil -- and of course Russia -- and other rapidly growing economies whose use of fossil fuels is part and parcel of their growth plans.
The Energy Information Administration and the International Energy Agency forecast that by 2030 these countries will be responsible for almost 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Their role is growing fast, not shrinking.
Despite the presidential hoopla about the upcoming Paris climate summit, what the actual preparations show is how little those other major emitters have any intention of doing.
The Paris meeting is not about setting new binding international targets for global emissions. Instead, nations will determine their own efforts and communicate their intentions in documents called “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).”
This in the long run could be a great improvement over futile meetings to discuss mandatory targets, but China, the world’s largest source of CO2, has already stated its intention to keep growing carbon emissions out to 2030.
In other words, the president is claiming that the U.S. must provide a leading example at a time when the most important carbon emitters have already declared they will not follow it.
At the pace those countries are moving, the problem of climate change will be just as great for our children as it is today, no matter what costly regulations the president imposes on the U.S. economy.
Dr. W. David Montgomery is an expert on the economic issues associated with climate change policy, and testifies as an expert witness in state and federal courts on antitrust and damages cases dealing with petroleum and natural gas markets. His scholarly work is frequently published in peer-reviewed journals, and Congressional committees have requested his testimony on climate change, issues affecting oil and gas markets, and other energy market and environmental issues on numerous occasions. He advises clients on the strategic implications of changes in energy and environmental policies and energy markets. | 0fake |
New Obama Rule Will STOP Republicans From Defunding Planned Parenthood – Forever | Republicans hate it. They really really hate it, but after more than seven years of trying to work across the aisle, President Obama s administration has given up and is taking matters into its own hands, this time to save Planned Parenthood, forever.The rule, by the Department of Health and Human Services, if enacted, would cut Title X funding to states that cut funding to Planned Parenthood.The Title X program provides basic preventive health care and family planning services for 4 million low-income Americans. About 85 percent of patients who use Title X have incomes below $23,500. Planned Parenthood serves about a third of those patients, using the $70 million a year it receives in Title X grants to subsidize contraceptives and cancer and sexually transmitted infection screenings for people who can t afford them. Title X does not allow any money to be used to pay for abortions for any reason.Still, politicians in 11 states have voted to block public funds from Planned Parenthood because its services include abortion. Republicans in Congress are also on a mission to defund the family planning provider, citing a series of debunked undercover videos produced by anti-abortion activists that purport to show Planned Parenthood selling fetal body parts. Source: Huffington PostRepublicans have had Planned Parenthood in their crosshairs for years. Ostensibly it s because Planned Parenthood performs abortions, but only three percent of what they do is about abortions. The rest is about family planning and both women s and men s health services. In other words, Planned Parenthood prevents far more abortions than they could ever perform.Besides, their objection to Planned Parenthood has nothing whatsoever to do with abortion. Republicans consistently cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, despite the fact that no federal money and very little state money goes toward abortions. In other words, it s highly unlikely you ve ever paid a penny in taxes that has gone to abort a fetus.So, what is the problem with Planned Parenthood? Well, the problem is that most Republicans in Congress and in the states believe it s the 18th century and that women should be punished for having sex. Sure, they might agree to Planned Parenthood performing mammograms, but g-d forbid they do anything with lady parts or anything that would imply a woman is having sex without a) being married and b) wanting to procreate.Just this week, Congress blocked funding to fight the Zika virus by you got it sticking an amendment in there that would block funding to Planned Parenthood.Perhaps that was the last straw and that s why the Department of Health and Human Services proposed this new rule.Planned Parenthood is breathing a sigh of relief: This will make a real difference in so many people s lives, said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. Thanks to the Obama administration, women will still be able to access the birth control they need to plan their families, and the cancer screenings they need to stay healthy. That s not the only defeat anti-choice Republicans have faced this week. A judge in very conservative Utah ruled that the state cannot cut funding to Planned Parenthood.Perhaps this is a sign that the pendulum is finally beginning to swing the other direction. Perhaps soon, women will get a say in our own health choices.Featured image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. | 1real |
Out in the cold: New U.S. budget priorities threaten housing aid programs | (Reuters) - When Paul Ryan, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, talks of social mobility, about helping struggling Americans move out of impoverished areas to give them greater opportunity, Shiva Daniels is the kind of person he has in mind. A federal housing voucher allowed Daniels to escape her crime-plagued neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, and move her four children to the suburb of Garland. That move helped Daniels find a good job, working for a property management company. Today, she cherishes the small, two-bedroom house she rents, with a yard where her children can safely play, away from drugs and gang violence in Dallas. But if Daniels, 31, were to lose the $1,082 monthly stipend she receives, she has no doubt what would happen. “I would have to move back,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to afford it.” Pulling Americans out of poverty is a subject close to Ryan’s heart. And President Donald Trump has frequently talked about aiding the inner cities. But the housing assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, could fall victim to fiscal policies under consideration by the White House and Congress, which include a massive tax cut and increased military spending, according to a dozen congressional aides who spoke to Reuters. While the White House has not been specific about its plans for HUD — the budget process remains in flux — it has called for a $54 billion cut in non-military discretionary domestic programs in the next fiscal year, which likely will dramatically impact safety-net programs that are not entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security, budget experts said. Altogether, housing advocates paint a bleak picture of the landscape for low-income housing under the Trump administration. They warn that deep cuts to housing funds would force some people out of their homes and hollow out grant programs meant to revitalize urban neighborhoods. There is also a ripple effect, they warn: Rental prices would likely rise alongside declines in affordable housing projects and vouchers available to renters. That would make it tougher for renters to save enough to eventually buy homes. “It’s a bad cycle,” said Carol Galante, a former top HUD official during the Obama administration. “It puts pressure on the rental market. The rents are higher and higher so people can save less and less.” HUD provides about 5 million Americans with some form of housing assistance, either through vouchers to renters, subsidies to landlords or public housing projects, which comprises about 85 percent of its budget. It also sends about $8 billion annually directly to communities through grants. Even so, only about one-quarter of those eligible for assistance in the country receive it. Housing advocates say changes to its budget or mandate would be directly felt in low-income communities. They point out that in 2013, when the legislatively mandated budget cuts known as sequestration hit HUD, more than 100,000 renters nationwide lost their housing support. Douglas Rice, an expert at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, estimates that for every 1 percent cut in HUD’s budget, 20,000 renters would lose their assistance But critics of the agency, including some Republican lawmakers, say its anti-poverty and community-development programs are inefficient and wasteful, and that it has failed to live up to its mission. Today, the proportion of Americans who live below the poverty line — 14.5 percent — is about the same as it was 35 years ago. HUD has also at times had difficulty shaking the image of a bureaucratic agency that is vulnerable to corruption. It was at the center of a bid-rigging scandal during the Reagan Administration. And Alphonso Jackson, the HUD secretary under President George W. Bush, resigned in 2008 amid allegations that he steered contracts to friends. Charges were never brought against Jackson. “There are some sports teams that never seem to gel. I think we’re a little like that at HUD,” said Bud Albright, a Washington lobbyist who worked at the agency when Republican Jack Kemp was secretary in the early 1990s. Trump, who has not been specific on his plans for the agency, selected Ben Carson to lead HUD. The former neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate won Senate confirmation last week. Although Carson’s views hew closely to Republican orthodoxy on how too much government can discourage people from working hard, his upbringing in inner-city Detroit gives him a unique perspective: his mother received food stamps to provide for her family and he was raised around housing assistance programs similar to those he will now manage. Carson, who declined requests for interviews by Reuters, has pledged to fight to protect HUD’s housing-assistance budget and preserve the agency’s community-development initiatives. He also said he would push to include funding to rehabilitate public-housing facilities in Trump’s proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan. But given the White House’s determination to cut domestic spending, Carson will have to fight for every dollar. A HUD spokesman declined to comment on which programs could be hurt by any possible budget cuts. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget did not respond to a request for comment. Congress, too, is looking to narrow HUD’s reach. Ryan has called for work requirements and time limits on those who receive housing assistance, similar to how child support, food assistance and other welfare benefits function. Tax reform spearheaded by Ryan and Kevin Brady, the House Ways and Means chairman, could ultimately do away with a key tax credit used by developers to build affordable housing, or could drastically curtail the credit’s use. One vocal critic of HUD is Jeb Hensarling, Republican chair of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the housing agency. Hensarling plans to introduce legislation this year to narrow the $1 trillion portfolio of the Federal Housing Administration, which helps low-income and first-time homebuyers purchase homes, his office said. Hensarling has said he fears that if home values drop the FHA would require another federal bailout as it did in 2013, when it received a taxpayer-funded infusion of $1.7 billion to cover its losses. If the cuts to HUD’s budget are as severe as some expect, those who are on waiting lists now for vouchers will be staying on them for a very long time, and recipients such as Shiva Daniels, who has been receiving assistance for six years, will be at risk of seeing that support end. That would mean losing her small house, with the yard she sees as a safe haven for her children. “It might not feel like it’s a big deal, but it is,” Daniels said. “When you feel good, it allows you to do better, and do better for them.” | 0fake |
[VIDEO] BALTIMORE MAYOR TRIES TO EMBARRASS FOX NEWS REPORTER…White House Suggests Gun Control Will Solve Crime In Baltimore | Megyn Kelly interviews The Blaze s Dana Loesch about Baltimore s racist, anti-cop mayor, after she took umbrage over FOX News reporter, Leland Vittert asking her about bloody Memorial Day weekend and lashes out at him during press conference. White House spokes liar, Josh Earnest suggests gun control would solve the issue of violence. Is it really that hard to figure out that the cops just aren t interesting in risking their lives to protect a bunch of ingrates who throw rocks, bricks and molotov cocktails at them? | 1real |
HILLARY TAKES CREDIT For The Arab Spring Disaster…AND SHE WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT? | 1real | |
Jeddah airport was targeted by Ansar Allah missiles and was set on fire | Email
An informed source in Yemen's AnsarAllah stated, last night, missile strikes by Yemen Houthis aimed to annihilate the Saudi's invading air force base in Jeddah.
Saudis have repeatedly targeted the cities and Yemeni defenseless people by their air strikes through this airport.
He said: we have admonished Saudis several times so far and urged them to put an end to their attacks, otherwise we would prevent them from committing tortures and crimes through our attacks. A ballistic missile Berkane was fired at King Abdulaziz airport, which is the Saudi's Royal air force position. This attack caused wide damages to the airport, leading to its closure.
Jeddah is located 65 kilometers from Mecca, and Al-Arabiya news network announced that a ballistic missile belonging to Yemen Houthis was fired from Yemeni Sa'dah to the Holy city, Mecca. However, this missile was traced and intercepted at a distance of 65 kilometres from Mecca. | 1real |
Harvey victim funds may be delayed without debt limit increase: Mnuchin | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday put pressure on Congress to increase the government’s debt limit by arguing that relief funding for hurricane-ravaged areas of Texas might be delayed if lawmakers do not act quickly. “Without raising the debt limit, I am not comfortable that we will get money to Texas this month to rebuild,” Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump has requested nearly $8 billion for initial relief for areas hit by Hurricane Harvey. The United States is on track to hit its mandated debt limit by the end of the month unless Congress moves to increase it. Senator Roy Blunt, a junior member of the Senate’s Republican leadership, said it was possible lawmakers could tie legislation raising the U.S. debt ceiling - an unpopular step among some Republican conservatives - to legislation providing financial aid for recovery from Harvey. “That’s one way to do it,” Blunt said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Congressional leaders would have to look at whether the votes are there, he said. Congress returns this week from a month-long vacation, and one of the first measures it is expected to consider is the $7.85 billion Trump has requested so far for Harvey aid. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday estimated damage from Hurricane Harvey at $150 billion to $180 billion, calling it more costly than epic storms Katrina or Sandy and fueling the debate over how to pay for the disaster. The U.S. government has a statutory limit on how much money it can borrow to cover the budget deficit that results from Washington spending more than it collects in taxes. Only Congress can raise that limit, and financial firms have been worried that Congress may fail to reach a deal to do so. Some conservatives want to link spending reforms to a debt ceiling hike. Democrats said there should be bipartisan talks on how to handle the debt ceiling and government spending bills. “Providing aid in the wake of Harvey and raising the debt ceiling are both important issues, and Democrats want to work to do both. Given the interplay between all the issues Congress must tackle in September, Democrats and Republicans must discuss all the issues together and come up with a bipartisan consensus,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement. Blunt, on NBC, said Hurricane Harvey has created “another reason as to why you’d want to keep the government open” by passing legislation to fund the government this month. | 0fake |
OBAMA’S DOJ LET Russian Lawyer Into U.S. WITHOUT A VISA Under “Extraordinary Circumstances” Before She Met With Donald Trump Jr…Lawyer Has Ties To Left-Wing Democrat Activist, Major Hillary Supporter | In July of 2016, Donald Trump, Jr. met a 42-year-old Russian attorney named Natalia Veselnitskaya who had promised him damaging information about then-candidate Hillary Clinton. One of his father s contacts, a music publicist named Rob Goldstone, had arranged the meeting as a favor to a client of his, the Azeri real estate developer and pop singer Emin. Goldstone had worked with the Trumps on the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. There were other reasons to take the meeting, too: Emin s father, Aras Agalarov, is the 51st-richest man in Russia and an instrumental figure in the President s aborted foray into Russian real estate: the Moscow tower he tried and failed to erect.Trump Jr. has said he knew absolutely nothing about Veselnitskaya before their meeting, not even her name. She turned out to use the promise of information that could help his father s campaign as a pretext to discuss reinstating a popular Russian-American adoption program, according to his version of events. What could be more harmless?In fact, Veselnitskaya was already a key figure for the defense in one of the most notorious money-laundering scandals in recent memory, encompassing $230 million in public funds allegedly stolen from the Russians by a network of corrupt bureaucrats and routed into real estate sales, including some in Manhattan, through ironclad Swiss bank accounts. And she was accused of lobbying U.S. officials for a Russian NGO that sought to overturn the Russian ban on U.S. adoptions, according to a complaint filed with the U.S. Justice Department and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).-TPMThe Hill -The Russian lawyer who penetrated Donald Trump s inner circle was initially cleared into the United States by the Justice Department under extraordinary circumstances before she embarked on a lobbying campaign last year that ensnared the president s eldest son, members of Congress, journalists and State Department officials, according to court and Justice Department documents and interviews.This revelation means it was the Obama Justice Department that enabled the newest and most intriguing figure in the Russia-Trump investigation to enter the country without a visa.Later, a series of events between an intermediary for the attorney and the Trump campaign ultimately led to the controversy surrounding Donald Trump Jr.Just five days after meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower with Trump Jr., Trump s son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Moscow attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya showed up in Washington in the front row of a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Russia policy, video footage of the hearing shows.Veselnitskaya also attended a dinner with the chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing Russia policy, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and roughly 20 other guests at a dinner club frequented by Republicans.Rohrabacher said he believed Veselnitskaya and her U.S. colleagues, which included former Rep. Ronald Dellums (D-Calif.), were lobbying other lawmakers to reverse the Magnitsky Act and restore the ability of Americans to adopt Russian children that Moscow had suspended.Daily Caller Radical left-wing icon former California Democratic Rep. Ron Dellums was a hired lobbyist for Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr. June 9, 2016, the Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned.Dellums, who represented liberal San Francisco and Oakland, Calif., is a long-time darling of left-wing political activists. He served 13 terms in Congress as an African-American firebrand and proudly called himself a socialist. He retired in 1996.The former congressman is one of several high-profile Democratic partisans who was on Veselnitskaya s payroll, working to defeat a law that is the hated object of a personal vendetta waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin.Former Democratic Congressman and Oakland, CA Mayor Ronald Dellums endorsed Hillary Clinton for President against Barack Obama in 2008:Ronald Dellums endorsed Hillary again in 2016. I don t think this was very heavily lobbied at all compared with the other issues we deal with, Rohrabacher said.As for his former congressional colleague Dellums, Rohrabacher said he recalled having a conversation about the Magnitsky Act and the adoption issue: Ron and I like each other I have to believe he was a hired lobbyist but I don t know. Here s how Veselnitskaya is tied to the massive 2013 money laundering scheme and the controversial piece of legislation: 2012 s Magnitsky Act that involved Denis Katsyv, the son of Russian railroad baron Petr Katsyv and owner of the Prevezon group. It was the Magnitsky Act that Veselnitskaya allegedly discussed in her meeting with Donald Trump Jr.:TPM In 2013, Veselnitskaya agreed to represent Denis Katsyv, The younger Katsyv was accused of collaborating with corrupt Russian officials in the money-laundering scheme. Then-U.S. attorney and Sheriff of Wall Street Preet Bharara (who was appointed US Attorney in Manhattan by Barack Obama and was fired by President Trump in March) led the charge against Prevezon; the company, his office said, had used cash from the theft to buy condos in Bharara s jurisdiction.Katsyv had been Veselnitskaya s highest-profile client by far, and his defense would be a world-historic success not just for the wealthy real estate investor, but for the Russian establishment under President Vladimir Putin.Until this weekend, the closest Veselnitskaya had come to the public eye was as a footnote to the compounding scandal of the Prevezon affair. Veselnitskaya had come to the United States with Katsyv, who was to be deposed by Bharara s team. Not only wasn t she deposed herself, she didn t attend her client s deposition in person. But after the deposition, she moved to the Plaza Hotel for the remaining two nights of her stay at a cost of $995 per night. Her firm then billed the U.S. government for the entire stay, as well as a single meal for five that included eight grappas, two bottles of wine, eighteen dishes and a bill that came to nearly $800. The group s total expenses topped $50,000, and they promised to file more.The legal proceedings in which Veselnitskaya was enmeshed contain a spy novel s-worth of twists, turns and tragic, suspicious accidents. Sergei Magnitsky, a whistleblowing accountant who called attention to Russian bureaucrats alleged widespread embezzlement, was arrested and detained without trial for nearly a year until his death in 2009 from what prison staff described as pancreonecrosis, ruptured abdominal membrane and toxic shock, according to the U.S. government s suit against Prevezon. The Russian Interior Ministry later revised the cause of death to heart failure. When Magnitsky s family examined his body, they found bruises and that his fingers had been broken, according to an early draft of a report by then-president Dmitry Medvedev s own investigative committee.The incident led to a controversial piece of legislation: 2012 s Magnitsky Act, which sanctioned 18 Russian officials believed by the US to have been involved in Magnitsky s death. Five days later, the Russian parliament voted to ban adoptions of Russian children by Americans, a move understood to be retaliation for the Magnitsky Act. Putin, by that time president of Russia again, also began to compile an anti-Magnitsky list of his own, according to the New York Times. Bharara was among the prominent names on it.Magnitsky s death, and the original theft by Russian bureaucrats, are believed by many, including Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), to be the work of the Klyuev Group, a network of criminals working in the Russian government to enrich themselves at the expense of Russian citizens (its exploits are chronicled in English in a number of articles by reporter Michael Weiss). Magnitsky and others sought to expose what they believed was hundreds of millions of dollars worth of graft by the group.The suit against Prevezon never went to trial. On March 11, Donald Trump fired Bharara, and on March 21, Nikolai Gorokhov, the Magnitsky family s attorney and a key witness for the prosecution, fell from the fourth floor of an apartment building, apparently when a rope broke while he and others were trying to move a bathtub in through the window. He sustained head injuries. | 1real |
CNBC Survey: Americans Overwhelmingly Approve of Trump Agenda on Infrastructure, Tax Cuts, Trade | A new survey from CNBC shows that Americans are highly optimistic about the economy and strongly support for President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. [The “CNBC All American Survey” recorded the highest level of economic optimism in its 10 year existence. percent of the public say the economy is good or excellent, a four point improvement from December. Forty percent expect the economy to improve over the next year, which is close to the record set in 2010 — when the economy was in truly dire straits. The survey also shows overwhelmingly strong support for Trump’s plans to improve America’s infrastructure, cut taxes, and renegotiate trade deals. Nearly 75 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s infrastructure improvement plans, with just around 10 percent disapproving. More than 60 percent of the public endorse plans to cut individual taxes, with just over 20 percent opposing. Renegotiating trade deals is favored by 58 percent of the public, and opposed by just over 25 percent. Reducing taxes also wins the approval of most Americans, but it generates opposition from over a third of the public. Cutting business regulations has an approval rating in the high forties, and a disapproval rating in the . The results on trade show that while Americans are divided over the benefits of free trade — 34 percent say it helps the U. S. and 31 percent say it hurts — they aren’t divided on the president’s efforts to strike better trade deals. According to CNBC’s Steve Liesman, even Americans who like free trade say they approve of those efforts. percent of Republicans say that they want their party to “work to pass Trump’s agenda” rather than “hold the line on conservative positions. ” Democrats divide nearly evenly on whether their party should compromise with the president. The president’s personal popularity is far weaker than his economic agenda. Just 39 percent say they approve of how he is doing his job, compared with 48 percent who disapprove, and 13 percent who said they don’t know or were unsure. One reason for this may be that many of the most public actions taken by the Trump administration have been in areas where public support is weaker. Nearly half of Americans say they disagree with the Trump administration’s attempt to replace Obamacare. The border wall also divides Americans, with slightly more Americans opposing it than supporting it, according to the CNBC survey. Efforts to rollback some of the Obama administration’s policies on climate change also have more opposition than support. The survey is not perfect. It’s results show that nearly half of Americans oppose Trump’s “Immigration Ban,” when there was no ban on immigration. Instead, the administration tried to put in place a temporary halt on travel from certain countries. Perhaps the actual question asked, which CNBC has not released, was less contentious. | 0fake |
If Hillary Clinton Is Charged With Obstruction Of Justice She Could Go To Prison For 20 Years | By Michael Snyder, the Economic Collapse Blog .
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. | 1real |
CA Middle School Won’t Release Student Council Election Results…Winners Aren’t Diverse Enough | Your daily dose of insanity A San Francisco middle school withheld the results of a student council election because the principal was concerned about the lack of diversity among the winners of the top four spots. Eighty percent of the children who attend Everett Middle School in the Mission District are students of color and Lena Van Haren was alarmed no Latino or black candidates were chosen for the top council spots.Only white, Asian and mixed-race students, who are in the minority at Everett, were elected to the top four spots during the October 9 election, which prompted Van Haren to delay releasing the results.Van Haren, 36, informed parents about the delay via email and said the community had to create a council that is truly representative of all voices at Everett , the San Francisco Chronicle reported.She also scheduled a meeting with all the student candidates to discuss ways to make the results more representative of the student body and brought up the possibility of adding new council positions, according to KTVU.The principal said: I m very hopeful this can be a learning experience and actually be something that embodied our vision which is to help students make positive change. We re not nullifying the election, we re not cancelling the election and we re not saying this didn t count. Via: Daily Mail | 1real |
BOOM! TOMI LAHREN’S Top Tips For Liberals In 2017 [VIDEO] | 1real | |
Poll Finds Americans' Support For Police Highest In Nearly 50 Years |
In the past year, Americans have seen police officers ambushed and assassinated, and they have watched as the thin line protecting citizens from criminals has been reviled by groups such as Black Lives Matter.
And now America is taking its stand.
A new Gallup poll shows that respect for the police has hit its highest point in almost 50 years.
Related Stories Video: Suspect Beats Female Officer Who Didn’t Use Weapon Out Of Fear Of Backlash Police Officer Issues A Moving Response To Kaepernick’s Protest NBA Anthem Singer Drops To Knee During Final Line To Protest Racial Inequality The poll, taken in early October, found that 76 percent of Americans have “a great deal” of respect for police and another 17 percent say they have “some” respect.
“Obviously, this violent rhetoric we have seen from BLM has backfired ,” wrote Andrew Mark Miller on Young Conservatives.
“People respect the cops more than ever and they clearly see what a difficult job they have,” he added.
Miller said the Black Lives Matter movement denies its true purpose.
“And don’t give me this nonsense about how BLM isn’t anti-police,” he wrote. “In fact, many BLM supporters have been out there saying we should eliminate the police force entirely .”
Miller said the bottom line is clear.
“This poll is a repudiation of the tactics the left has used to demonize law enforcement. No getting around it,” he wrote.
Trending Stories Frustrated With Media Bias, Trump Campaign Takes Its Case Directly To Voters With Nightly Show On Facebook RNC Official Takes CNN Host To Task For Claiming There Is No Media Bias Independent Voters Push Trump To The Front In Florida And Ohio The level of Americans supporting the police that was reflected in the 2016 poll had not been reached since 1967, when urban riots and protest-driven long, hot summers were making cities dangerous and 77 percent of respondents said they gave police “a great deal” of respect. Gallup began surveying Americans about the police in 1965.
The 2016 poll also shows a major change in attitudes from just a year earlier. The 2015 poll showed the highest level to date of Americans lacking confidence in their police officers, at 18 percent.
“The increase in shootings of police coincided with high-profile incidents of law enforcement officials shooting and killing unarmed black men. Despite the flaring of racial tensions after these incidents, respect for local police has increased among both whites and nonwhites,” Gallup reported in analyzing its results.
“The sharp increase over the past year in professed respect for local law enforcement comes as many police say they feel they are on the defensive — both politically and for their lives while they are on duty — amid heated national discussions on police brutality and shootings,” it added.
Gallup said future events could change the level of support enjoyed by police.
“It’s unclear whether the spike in respect for police will have staying power or if it reflects mostly a reaction to the retaliatory killings against police officers last summer,” it wrote.
What do you think? | 1real |
Pentagon should move U.S. dependents out of South Korea due to North Korean threat: senator | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday urged the Pentagon to start moving U.S. military dependents, such as spouses and children, out of South Korea, saying conflict with North Korea is getting close. It s crazy to send spouses and children to South Korea given the provocation of North Korea, Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on CBS s Face the Nation. So I want them (the Pentagon) to stop sending dependents and I think it s now time to start moving American dependents out of South Korea, Graham said. The United States has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. On Wednesday, North Korea tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that can fly over 13,000 km (8,080 miles), placing Washington within target range, South Korea said on Friday. Graham said this development showed conflict is approaching. We re getting close to military conflict because North Korea is marching toward marrying up the technology of an ICBM with a nuclear weapon on top that can not only get to America, but deliver the weapon. We re running out of time, Graham told CBS. The Pentagon referred questions to the Pacific command, which was not immediately available for comment. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster told Fox News Sunday that President Donald Trump is prepared to take action against North Korea but is working to convince China, Russia and other nations to use more economic pressure to help curb its nuclear ambitions. The president s going to take care of it by, if we have to, doing more ourselves. But what we want to do is convince others, it is in their interest to do more, McMaster said. The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea s ballistic and nuclear weapons programs, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option. | 0fake |
ANGRY DAD CONFRONTS SCHOOL BOARD After Finding Out Children Being Taught Islam In School [Video] | We can t say enough great things about this dad! He confronted his child s school board to speak against the school teaching Islam. We ned more dads like this one to speak up against the very active push to teach Islam in schools.This is disturbing for all parents. CAIR has taken it upon themselves to claim that they need to fight Islamophobia . They see this as a problem but we see this as a shady way to have Islam taught in schools . We see what they re doing but the bleeding heart liberals in San Diego are just passively accepting this propaganda:Janet Levy of American Thinker: If allowed to stand, the SDUSD anti-bullying program geared specifically to the CAIR-identified needs of Muslim students could mark a dangerous departure from treasured constitutional principles and First Amendment protections. This case warrants serious attention, as it has grave implications for the direction of education and the supremacy of Islam in the nation. There s a huge problem on so many levels with this. The most obvious one is that a Christian would be hammered for even remotely trying to push Christianity on the kids. So why should we accept teaching Islam to our kids? The answer is WE SHOULDN T! Dad Christopher Wyrick,Finds Out School Is FORCING #Islam #ReligionBeliefs Down His Son s Throat!His #PATRIOTIC Reply Goes VIRAL!#BanSharia pic.twitter.com/8yKcFvOiRk TRUMP ANOMALY (@ANOMALY1) May 4, 2017WATCH FOR THIS IN YOUR SCHOOL!American Thinker reported: With a decade-long history of yielding to Islamic demands and recent, more alarming submissions, San Diego city schools appear to be ground zero for Islamic indoctrination within American public schools. The current capitulation includes an Islam-centric curriculum with input and resources from a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization, which raises First Amendment issues as well as serious concerns of favoritism toward Muslims students over students of other faiths.This past week, SDUSD, in collaboration with the Council on American Islam Relations (CAIR), instituted an anti-bullying campaign aimed specifically at protecting Muslims students. In launching the initiative, SDUSD cited an unsubstantiated study by CAIR claiming that 55% of American Muslim students surveyed in California said they were bullied because of their religion. The new program will include adding lessons on Islam to the social studies curriculum that emphasize prominent Muslims in history, creating Muslim-only safe spaces, adding Muslim holidays to the school calendar, and providing support and resources for Muslim students during Ramadan.According to Stan Anjan, SDUSD s executive director of family and community engagement, the new program will focus on promoting a positive image of Islam. Special disciplinary measures will also be created for the so-called bullying of Muslims cited by CAIR. Instead of detention, the school plans a restorative justice program in which students dialogue with each other about perceived bullying words or actions. Educational materials on Islam and resource listings will be provided to parents and school personnel as well.CAIR, a radical fundamentalist front group for Hamas, according to terrorism expert Steve Emerson, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror-funding case brought by the Justice Department in 2007. CAIR operatives have repeatedly refused to denounce terrorist groups Hamas and Hezb allah, and several CAIR executives have been successfully prosecuted and incarcerated for terrorist activities. CAIR was designated as a terrorist group by the UAE in 2014.In 2015, Kevin Beiser and Michael McQuary, two members of the SDUSD Board of Education, issued a formal proclamation in support and recognition of CAIR San Diego, citing ten years of constructive civic engagement in San Diego and Imperial Counties. They praised the organization s work to promote not only religious and cultural tolerance and understanding but also justice and equality for all who live in the United States. CAIR director Hanif Mohebi was specifically complimented for his commitment to promoting equitable educational opportunity for all students and preparing them to succeed in a culturally diverse society. The trustees recognized a community partnership with CAIR in mediating school situations involving discrimination and other behavioral issue[s] and announced CAIR s upcoming tenth anniversary banquet, centered on the theme Strengthening Our Voices, Advancing Together. CAIR, billing itself as a benign Muslim civil rights organization, has long been at the forefront in pressuring schools and businesses to accommodate the special needs of Muslims. In 2009, CAIR complained of favoritism when Christian students in Roseville, a Detroit suburb, were given permission slips to attend off-site Bible study classes. Yet CAIR pushed in 2012 for Dearborn public schools to accommodate Muslim prayer on school grounds and early Friday dismissals for Jumu ah prayers. The organization has pressured schools to have a say on textbook selection and to feature its own lecturers for school assemblies. When a public school teacher in Concrete, Washington referenced the Taliban and Hamas while citing examples of the use of violence to bully people, CAIR cried racism and called for a federal investigation, saying the teacher had veered off topic to make anti-Muslim statements. The school district responded that the teacher s comments were taken out of context.Mohebi, the head of CAIR San Diego, has been pushing the anti-Islamophobia program. He recently tried to prevent the San Diego Police Department from attending a training session on Islamic terrorism featuring Ryan Mauro, national security analyst for the Clarion Project, a nonprofit dedicated to exposing the dangers of Islamic extremism. Mohebi said officers would be learning conspiracy theories from Mauro. Further, Mohebi importuned that no taxpayer dollars should pay for the training and that the SDPD should not confer continuing education credits for attendance. In a further attempt to control police training on Islam, Mohebi requested the ability to monitor police training to vouch for its accuracy and to provide clarifications throughout the session.CAIR s recent activity and its incursion into the San Diego schools curriculum has been criticized by Charles LiMandri, president and chief counsel of the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund (FCDF). LiMandri said the San Diego program represents a wholesale realignment of school curricula and the students learning environment to the recommendations of a religious organization whose stated mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam and empower American Muslims. The FCDF maintains that the First Amendment prohibits a government agency from attempting to effect a secular goal by the propagation of religious concepts. LiMandri points out the litigious pitfalls of a curriculum which could easily be construed as a governmental endorsement of a religion. He also cautions that CAIR s interpretation of the term bullying could extend to the stifling of criticism of Islam, further impinging on First Amendment protections.Citizens for Quality Education San Diego, a non-partisan group of citizens concerned about public education, voiced their opposition to the new Islamic-friendly curriculum and characterized it as an attempt to implement at local schools anti-American sharia law, incompatible with the U.S. Constitution. The group criticized the blatant singling out of the Muslim religion for special accommodations and demanded that the policy be rescinded. Despite widespread community outcry, the district seems to be moving ahead.Disturbing! | 1real |
2016 Tribute to our Troops: veterans who continue to serve | ‹ › Arnaldo Rodgers is a trained and educated Psychologist. He has worked as a community organizer and activist. 2016 Tribute to our Troops: veterans who continue to serve By Arnaldo Rodgers on November 4, 2016 veterans By fox2detroit.com Since 2003, FOX 2 has honored the men and women who put their lives on the line for our country. Each year, our goal is to pay “Tribute to our Troops” from Michigan and with ties to the Great Lakes State. That tradition continues this year, as we honor our veterans who continue to inspire us, long after their service. We also focus on issues facing our veterans, including homelessness, PTSD and the unique battles for female veterans. Here are some of the highlights from this year’s program: – President Obama presents the Medal of Honor to LTC Charles Kettles of Ypsilanti, nearly 50 years after his service. Kettles is a U.S. Army veteran. The war hero saved dozens of American soldiers in Vietnam.
Read the Full Article at www.fox2detroit.com >>>> Related Posts: No Related Posts The views expressed herein are the views of the author exclusively and not necessarily the views of VNN, VNN authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, technicians or the Veterans Today Network and its assigns. Notices Posted by Arnaldo Rodgers on November 4, 2016, With 0 Reads, Filed under Veterans . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 . You can leave a response or trackback to this entry FaceBook Comments
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NYT: FBI Failed To Connect Trump To Putin | NYT: FBI Failed To Connect Trump To Putin By: Robert Kraychik November 2, 2016 The New York Times reported on Monday that the FBI has failed to establish “any conclusive or direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government.” Speaking with unnamed FBI sources, the left-wing “paper of record” reported that the FBI pursued an investigation into stateside Russian attempts to affect the presidential election. “Agents scrutinized advisors close to Donald J. Trump" in order to search for financial connections between Donald Trump’s political circle and “Russian financial figures," reported The New York Times . A report from Slate ’s Franklin Foer sought to advance the narrative of collusion between Trump and Putin pushed by Hillary Clinton, Democrats, and affiliated political allies. It was then forwarded by left-wing Democrat media personalities and affiliates. Trump Tower had a special server to communicate with Russia's Alfa Bank, reports the eternal badass @FranklinFoer . https://t.co/yIX6rZXbxJ — Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) October 31, 2016 So, why? Why Trump's stubborn almost devotion to Putin? Why the Russia friendly policies? Why the Mantafort links? Why the secret server? — Scott Gilmore (@Scott_Gilmore) October 31, 2016 Putin's Puppet didn't cover his tracks: Trump server directly communicating with Russia. Voters deserve answers now. https://t.co/VXQNIoQXB6 — Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) November 1, 2016 Despite the narrative of Putin preferring to see Trump elected president, the FBI investigation apparently arrived at a different conclusion. The New York Times reported that unnamed FBI investigators said they “have become increasingly confident, based on the evidence they have uncovered, that Russia’s direct goal is not to support the election of Mr. Trump, as many Democrats have asserted, but rather to disrupt the integrity of the political system and undermine America’s standing in the world more broadly.” No mention was made of the Kremlin-run English-language propaganda outlet RT, which regularly pushes what can broadly be described as mostly left-wing anti-American and pro-Russian agitation. Also ignored were actual financial connections between Russian-related interests and the Clintons or their inner circle. For months, Democrat politicians and operatives have colluded with their news media allies to push a narrative of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin directing the Russian state apparatus to provide political support to Donald Trump.
Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter . Tags | 1real |
California sues Trump administration over border wall | SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California filed a lawsuit on Wednesday over the Trump administration’s plan to construct a wall along the border with Mexico, adding to the obstacles facing one of the Republican president’s key campaign promises. President Donald Trump has insisted Mexico would pay for building the wall, which experts said could cost about $22 billion and take more than three years to complete. With Mexico refusing to pay, Trump has said since taking office in January that the wall will initially need U.S. funding but that he will find a way to make Mexico ultimately pay for it. Democrats in the U.S. Congress, however, firmly oppose the border wall, and at least some Democratic senators would need to vote for its inclusion in a spending package. Democratic attorneys general including California’s Xavier Becerra have sued the Trump administration on a range of issues. The border wall lawsuit filed in a San Diego federal court alleges that Trump’s wall violates federal environmental standards, as well as constitutional provisions regarding the separation of powers and states’ rights. Representatives for the U.S. Justice Department declined to immediately comment on the case. The lawsuit asks a judge to stop the administration from building the wall until it demonstrates compliance with environmental laws, and issue an order that the Department of Homeland Security cannot waive any federal guidelines in order to facilitate the project. Last month the Trump administration said it had selected four construction companies to build concrete prototypes for a wall, which will be will be 30 feet (9 meters) tall and about 30 feet wide and will be tested in San Diego. | 0fake |
Austria will stay pro-European, election victor tells Brussels | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Austria s likely next chancellor assured European Union leaders on Thursday of his support for the EU, allaying concerns that his country would become a dissonant voice in the bloc with the far right expected to enter its government. Sebastian Kurz of the mainstream conservative OVP party won a parliamentary election on Sunday after campaigning on an anti-immigration platform, and a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is widely anticipated. Arriving at a meeting of conservative EU leaders, the 31-year-old Kurz said he would speak to all parties in the Austrian parliament before deciding on a governing partner. Any government I form will be a pro-European one, Kurz, who has been the Alpine republic s foreign minister since 2013, told reporters. I m not just glad we have this European Union, but I also see it as the responsibility of my younger generation to actively engage and shape the EU in a positive way. Kurz, who will not represent Austria at regular EU summits until he forms a government, also met European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker. Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, hailed Kurz on Twitter as a truly pro-European winner of the Austrian elections . Austria became a member of the European Union in 1995 after a two-thirds majority voted to join the bloc. Recent opinion polls show three-quarters of Austrians want the affluent country to remain a member of the EU. The FPO, which won over a quarter of Austria s vote to the conservatives nearly 32 percent, gained from public unease over a large influx of mostly Muslim migrants into Europe in 2015. Once anti-EU, the FPO now professes to be pro-Europe but wants Brussels to hand back more powers to member states. | 0fake |
Access to U.S. financial system not part of Iran nuclear deal: White House | (Corrects headline and first paragraph to show spokesman was referring to U.S. financial system, not global financial system in April 15 story.) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An agreement with Iran aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons does not include giving it access to the U.S. financial system, the White House said on Friday. The comment from a White House spokesman at a regular news briefing followed a request by Iran’s central bank governor earlier on Friday for the United States and European Union to help Iran gain access to the global financial system. | 0fake |
Trump: I'll Only Lose With 'Cheating,' Asks Supporters To Watch Polling Places | Trump: I'll Only Lose With 'Cheating,' Asks Supporters To Watch Polling Places
Politicians often urge supporters to get out and vote. But Donald Trump wants them to go further: Get out and vote, and then stake out polling places to watch for cheating.
At a Friday campaign event in Altoona, Pa., the Republican presidential nominee said voting might not be enough for him to win.
"The only way we can lose, in my opinion — I really mean this — in Pennsylvania, is if cheating goes on," Trump said. "We have to call up law enforcement. And we have to have the sheriffs and the police chiefs and everybody watching."
He wanted the voters themselves to get involved as well.
"I hope you people can sort of not just vote on the 8th, go around and look and watch other polling places, and make sure that it's 100 percent fine," Trump said.
These weren't just off-the-cuff remarks for Trump. On his campaign website, you can sign up to "volunteer to be a Trump election observer."
Critics have decried his call to voters as voter intimidation, which is illegal.
If his remarks are found to be voter intimidation and if Trump is deemed an agent of the Republican National Committee, it would also violate a consent decree banning the RNC from such activity.
That decree, which has been in place since 1982, was ordered in response to claims of voter intimidation against minorities in the 1970s and '80s, according to Politico's Josh Gerstein.
The consent decree states that the RNC must "refrain from undertaking any ballot security activities in polling places or election districts where the racial or ethnic composition of such districts is a factor in the decision" to monitor those areas.
It allows normal poll watching, like rallying supporters to vote, but not anything aimed at voter suppression, like posting armed guards at polling locations or questioning people in an intimidating way before they vote.
"It's possible Trump is trying to use this as a fundraising ploy to get people's names," says Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine. "If that's what this is, I'd be relieved, but he's playing with fire here."
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the RNC's plea to remove the decree in 2013, but added an expiration date of Dec. 1, 2017. If Trump is violating the decree, the DNC could ask for an extension of up to eight years, according to Hasen.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller says claims that volunteer poll observers could be a form of voter intimidation are unfounded.
"To be clear, liberals love to throw out the voter intimidation card. What we're advocating are open, fair and honest elections," Miller said in a statement to NPR's Sarah McCammon.
He also added that poll watchers are "standard for professional campaigns" and pointed out poll watcher guides from around the country, including New York and Texas.
In his statement to NPR, Miller echoed Trump's concerns about a "rigged system."
"As we've seen from Crooked Hillary's willingness to use — and outright lie about — government institutions for personal and political enrichment, there's a lot of cheating going on," Miller said.
It's notable that Trump made these remarks in Pennsylvania. It's a key state he'll need to win in November, but Hillary Clinton has a big lead over Trump there. And according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Trump is getting zero percent of the black vote in the state.
Pennsylvania also notably struck down a voter ID law in 2014, a fact that Trump said was "shocking" in his Friday speech.
Voter ID laws have long been criticized as a masked strategy to discourage minorities from voting. Last month, a federal appeals court threw out a voter ID law in North Carolina that, as Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote, targets "African-Americans with almost surgical precision."
Trump's suggestion that the election will be rigged is one he keeps making, even though proven cases of voter fraud are actually very rare. As of 2014, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who has spent years tracking fraud allegations had found only 31 instances of voter fraud out of more than 1 billion votes cast.
In the absence of a Pennsylvania ID law that might deter certain voters, Trump's call to action could be seen as another strategy to deter voters: voter intimidation.
And unlike voter fraud, voter intimidation has been a problem historically. It's what the RNC consent decree is trying to prevent, and it's not restricted to the GOP. During the 2008 election in Philadelphia, two members of the New Black Panther Movement were charged with voter intimidation after they stationed themselves outside of polling locations. The Department of Justice later dropped the case, which led to criticism that the Obama administration was unwilling to prosecute the black men for civil rights violations. | 0fake |
OOPS: Trump Forgets That He’s A Twitter Obsessed Narcissist Who Talks About Himself | Donald Trump is a complainer, but he really only has himself to blame.Long before Election Day in 2016, a lot of books and articles had already been written about Trump, but since taking office, news about Trump has skyrocketed.For some reason, Trump has a problem with it.Fascinating to watch people writing books and major articles about me and yet they know nothing about me & have zero access. #FAKE NEWS! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2017I myself have written about Trump so many times that I have to take mental health breaks from time to time.Trump has apparently forgotten that everybody has access to him. Not only that, the man is constantly talking about himself he can t keep his mouth shut. Over the years he has appeared on radio and television, and has even repeatedly phoned into Fox News.Trump s Twitter feed alone is a rich source that has spawned thousands of articles and, yes, it could fill a book or two.It s never-ending for him. He is obsessed with being the center of attention and if he s not he will do or say something to become the center attention.Trump is such a public person that it makes sense that there s enough material out there to fill up books and give journalists and bloggers things to write about on a daily basis.Trump s other problem is that people who have personal access to him, such as aides and White House staffers, are leaking information. That s how the media has a good idea of what is going on inside the White House.It s how we know Trump s White House is chaotic.Make no mistake, Trump is whining because he thinks every book and article written about him should be nothing more than propaganda that makes him look good.But as long as he keeps acting like a buffoon on Twitter (and during public appearances), he can expect the truth to continue to be written whether he likes it or not.Featured Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | 1real |
What is the goal of the Progressive Movement: to gain power or to give it away? | pirate clip art free printable | Illustration of Pirate Skull ...(image by ) The Pirate Party of Iceland, the one nation that jailed its crooked bankers, is poised to win the election, less than 4 years after forming.
Their motto is: " "We are not here to gain power. We are here to distribute power."
I think this formulation can serve the Progressive Movement in the US, as it approaches mainstream status and is the most popular political movement in the nation, with 67% approving of the term progressive, over 55% supporting Sanders, and a robust majority supporting progressive programs like gun and immigration reform, raising the minimum wage, etc.
And this formulation also deals with the issue of Bigness, which many think incompatible with democracy and human rights. What if the purpose of bigness (ie winning elections) is NOT to consolidate power in new hands but to change the system by using this status to distribute power. - Advertisement -
Progressives are commonly accused by the right of being for Big Government, for thinking that government power is the solution to all problems. This Pirate formulation disrupts that claim, by showing a way to use the consolidation of power in order not to create a stronger state but to redistribute power and thus lessen the power of the state and powerful corporations and other institutions, public and private.
This formulation comes out of the anarchist tradition of decentralized power. The Pirate party has allied libertarians of both the right and left to take power, in order to distribute it from the banks and their servants back to the people themselves. Anarchism, we understand, is self-government, which means decentralized power. - Advertisement -
The success of the Pirate party shows how anarchists and libertarians of all kinds can come together to form a coalition Big enough to win but committed to breaking up the concentration of power, mostly in the hands of the financial institutions and their corrupt public servants.
The way to get beyond the "Iron Law of Oligarchy," which over 100 years ago German sociologist Robet Michels, which states " states that all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop oligarchic tendencies, thus making true democracy practically and theoretically impossible, especially in large groups and complex organizations." is to use consolidation of power (bigness) in the service of decentralizing power, pushing it back to the people and smaller communities.
Therefore, the goal of Progressives is NOT to gain power that is the means: the goal is to replace the old hierarchical system with a system of decentralized power, a model of self-government. | 1real |
Christian Charity Forfeits Federal Food in Favor of Faith | Email
“We don’t force our faith on anybody else,” Chuck Wingate, executive director of Bethesda Mission, told PennLive.com . “But we find the whole idea that the government’s going to come in a[nd] tell us what we can and cannot do in our own facility to be out of bounds, especially in matters of faith.”
Wingate, who says his Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, ministry serves 100,000 people a month, was referring to a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation forbidding recipients of USDA food from requiring “a beneficiary to attend or participate in any explicitly religious activities that are offered by the organization.” A USDA press release stated that the rule was established pursuant to an executive order issued by President Barack Obama and would “provide new religious liberty protections for beneficiaries of federally funded social service programs.”
Bethesda, which has been helping the poor and homeless in the Keystone State capital for nearly 102 years, formerly received about 1,000 pounds of USDA food per month via the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. But given the choice between taking Uncle Sam’s freebies and continuing to offer thanks to God before serving meals, the mission’s leaders decided on the latter.
“We can no longer take the food on principal [sic] because prayer is an integral part of everything we do at Bethesda Mission,” Scott Dunwoody, the shelter’s vice president of business development, told Harrisburg’s WHTM-TV .
“The USDA revised regulations regarding this food distribution to say that no religious services or religious activities could occur during the distribution of the food,” Wingate told CNSNews.com . “Well, we pray before meals, so if there’s a meal being served — and we serve 3,000 meals a week — if there’s a meal being served with USDA food somewhere in it, then we would be prohibited from praying. We just said ‘nope’ that’s too onerous for us and we’re not going to continue to accept the food if that’s a condition of receiving it.”
Many religious charities are now faced with the same dilemma as Bethesda. So far, few seem willing to cut the umbilical cord to Washington — or perhaps they long ago made the necessary compromises to get USDA comestibles. Jennifer Powell of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank told PennLive that “only a handful” of the bank’s 900 program partners have chosen either to stop taking the USDA food or to change their practices — by, say, conducting prayers outside the room in which the food is served — to fall in line with the new rule.
Eric Saunders, executive director of Harrisburg-area New Hope Ministries, told PennLive his ministry didn’t need to change its practices because they have never required people to participate in prayer or a religious service in order to obtain food. “When the new rule came out,” reported the website, “Saunders said he simply reminded staff to make sure any religious activities were done at a different time or place from when people were being served.”
Bethesda doesn’t require participation in religious activities, either, but anyone there for a meal is going to be in the presence of an audible prayer. This, apparently, does not comport with the Obama administration’s definition of religious freedom, whereby passively causing someone to hear a prayer before giving him free food is unacceptable but forcing a Christian charity or business to pay for contraceptive coverage for its employees is worth defending all the way to the Supreme Court.
Saunders said of Bethesda, “I have a lot of respect for them and the principled stand they took.”
Bethesda will probably not be hurt much by declining the USDA’s food. Although 1,000 pounds a month sounds like quite a bit of food, it really only amounted to about 0.5 percent of the food distributed by the shelter, according to Wingate. He claimed the announcement has already led to an increase in donations to the ministry. In addition, Powell said the food bank has plenty of other food the mission could use.
All of these problems could have been avoided, of course, if the federal government had not strayed from its enumerated powers under the Constitution. Nowhere in that document is the government delegated the authority to distribute food, no matter how noble its intentions may be in doing so. As James Madison, the father of the Constitution, so eloquently put it, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”
Charities, especially Christian ones, ought also to be mindful of the fact that the “free” food they get from Washington and other levels of government is paid for by the expropriation of the citizenry; “Thou shalt not steal” contains no exceptions for either government or charities. Furthermore, they should recognize that by accepting the government’s largess, they are also accepting its control, even to the point of denying their faith. It may be more cumbersome and less reliable to subsist on voluntary contributions, but it is the only sure way to maintain a charity’s religious character over the long run. Please review our Comment Policy before posting a comment
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Catalan crisis to have an impact on Spain's 2018 growth: De Guindos | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Spain s economy is expected to be impacted by the political crisis with Catalonia next year, Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Monday. For 2018, we expect growth of 2.3 percent, which would be 2.7 or 2.8 percent without the Catalan issue, he told reporters as he arrived at a meeting with his EU counterparts. The government had already lowered the 2018 forecast from 2.6 percent to 2.3 percent last month due to Catalonia. (This version of the story corrects quote) | 0fake |
In Praise of Manly Men | Becky Akers blog/praise-manly-men/
In response to “ Such a Nasty Marxist ,” my Canadian friend, David Maharaj, reminds me that repulsive as female feminists are, male ones are even worse.
I couldn’t agree more. My thanks go out to all you manly men who’ve resisted, defied, mocked, ignored or otherwise trashed the feminists’ toxic agenda. Are you still opening doors for ladies, yielding your seats to them, or standing when they enter the room? Thank you. Are you teaching your sons to treat women with true respect rather than with the brutal “equality” that feminism dictates? Kudos to you. Do you refuse to deny the obvious differences in the sexes despite PC’s orders to the contrary? Bravo! Do you revel in your God-given physical strength, your masculine orientation, your courage, honor, initiative and other male traits? Way to go! Do you love your wife as Christ does His Church, protecting her and your home and children as God designed you to do? May He richly bless you in this difficult task!
America desperately needs many things: repentance and spiritual revival, love of liberty, rejection of all Marxism. But among our most devastating shortages are manly men who will vanquish the cultural and political nonsense enslaving us.
Now, gentlemen, go lift some weights and smoke a few cigars. 11:37 am on October 26, 2016 | 1real |
Billionaire Branson to ride out Hurricane Irma on Necker Island | (Reuters) - British billionaire and adventurer Sir Richard Branson will stay on his private Caribbean island, Necker, for the potentially devastating arrival of Hurricane Irma, the founder of the Virgin group of companies said on Tuesday. Packing 185 mph (295 kph) winds, Hurricane Irma is due to reach the British Virgin Islands on Wednesday before grinding west across Haiti and Cuba then heading for the southern United States. The storm is classified as a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level on the scale used by the National Hurricane Center to measure strength. We had some lovely guests staying on Necker Island who have cut their trip short for safety reasons, and another group of guests have also postponed, Branson said in a statement on the Virgin Group website. I will be on Necker alongside our team, as I have been on the three times we have had hurricanes over the past 30 years. Necker, which has a large main house and several small Balinese-style houses that can accommodate about 34 people in total, is rented to private groups for $80,000 a night, according to its website. The island has more than 100 staff and two infinity pools. Branson said Necker boasts really strong buildings with hurricane blinds that should be able to handle extreme weather pretty well. He said their main concern was for British Virgin Islanders, who should make themselves as prepared as possible. Whatever happens, keep inside, away from the ocean and away from flying debris, Branson wrote. Recalling seeing two powerful hurricanes, Earl and Otto, strike the British Virgin Islands in 2010, Branson said he had beheld nature at its most ferocious. And he noted the damage done in Texas and Louisiana by Hurricane Harvey, which came ashore as the second-strongest Category 4 storm and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, killed an estimated 60 people and displaced more than 1 million more. Harvey was a tragic and costly reminder that society is not doing enough to tackle climate change, Branson wrote. If Irma is any indication, we must brace ourselves for more of these catastrophic weather events. | 0fake |
Watch Donald Trump Fail So Hard At Trying To Pander To Right-Wing Christians (VIDEO) | During an interview on CNN s State of the Union on Sunday, Donald Trump was questioned by host, Jake Tapper, on his religious beliefs and support among the socially conservative, right-wing Christians.Things have been getting heated between Republican primary frontrunner Donald Trump, and the runner-up Ted Cruz, to say the least. Cruz has been surging in the polls as Trump maintains his lead. While Trump s lead appears to be unshakable, his support is also static. So the two have been at each other s throats trying to win over voters. In order to win over those voters, they have to convince people that they are the true spokesman for god and the Christian religion.In that arena, Cruz has a major advantage over Trump. During the Family Leadership Summit, last July, Trump made the mistake of saying something somewhat reasonable to a crowd of hardcore social conservatives. He was asked if he had asked God for forgiveness. Trump responded, saying: I m not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don t think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don t bring God into that picture. I don t. He tried to explain away the gaffe, but it was too late. For those not in the know, asking god, and or Jesus, for forgiveness for their sins is the first and most important thing you can do as a Christian. For many, Trump might as well have said that he is not actually a Christian.This was brought up early in the interview. Trump was asked the question again, to which he replied that he has a good relationship with God. Tapper then goes on to question Trump about his behavior that has been seen in tabloids for the past two decades. Trump says that, he has been living a good life now for the past few years, so that shouldn t matter.Let s compare that to Cruz, who has a strap-on set of God s armor. Whether is trying to take away the rights of LGBT people, or claiming that atheists should not be able to hold public office, Cruz embodies all the terrible qualities that are revered by right-wing Christians.Based on the sentiments expressed in the interview, I don t think Trump has any idea how these people work. Trump can stir up and exploit hatred towards minorities without it coming back to hurt him, but pandering and exploiting the Christian right takes both skill and experience. Two things Trump has neither of.If the Republican primary race was a 90 s boy band, Trump would be the bad boy of the group. Many conservatives might be attracted to him, but Cruz is the one they are going to invite over for Sunday dinner. They might even let him say grace.You can watch the interview, below.Featured Image Credit: Screenshot via YouTube | 1real |
Former Director Of National Budget Warns That Markets Will Tank After US Election | Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Reagan, David Stockman, warns that regardless of who wins the US presidential election, Americans can expect the stock market to drop by... | 1real |
African Migrants Brutally Rape Swedish Teen Leave Male Friend With Brain Damage | Two migrants have been given sentences of three and years for beating a young man almost to death before violently raping his female friend. The government will try to deport only one of them, temporarily. [The Freie Zeiten reports that three teenage girls and one male friend met for a party at an apartment in Kista, near Stockholm, citing Solna District Court documents. One of the girls invited a migrant from Liberia, Richelieu Jarara, with whom she was acquainted. This man brought another African migrant, a Kenyan named Fayed Mwangi, with him. Before long, the migrants began sexually harassing the girls. Matters quickly escalated from there, with the pair conferring briefly before spraying their friend in the face with pepper spray. The Freie Zeiten describes how they then beat and kicked the man with “brutal force” leaving him with “multiple cerebral haemorrhages, severe swelling and bruises all over his body, as well as bone fractures and open wounds”. The three girls, as well as the attackers, thought the young man had been beaten to death, with Jarara actually uploading a video to Snapchat in which he made light of having “killed a guy”. He was, in fact, still alive, but unconscious and permanently brain damaged. Jarara’s younger companion, Mwangi, is said to have “strangled” one of the girls when she tried to intervene, slamming her into a wall and “hurling” her to the floor. The Kenyan then grabbed another of the girls by the hair, dragged her into the bedroom and raped her. She was also strangled, with the Kenyan threatening to strike her if she screamed. The ordeal was finally brought to an end when a neighbour burst into the apartment, allowing the girls to flee. According to the Fria Tider, the court sentenced Mwangi to just years for his crimes, despite his having raped another woman in May 2016. The government will attempt to deport him afterwards — although he will be allowed to return to the country after ten years, and judges have prevented other European countries, such as the United Kingdom, from following through on deporting criminal migrants after their sentences in the past. Jarara, who has a string of previous convictions for crimes including theft, serious bodily injury, and resisting arrest, was given a slightly longer sentence — three years — but he will not be deported. | 0fake |
Republicans make repealing Obamacare 'first order of business' | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama exhorted fellow Democrats on Wednesday to preserve his legacy-defining healthcare law as Republicans moved ahead with their long-sought bid to scrap it in what Vice President-elect Mike Pence called the “first order of business” of Donald Trump’s administration. The emerging Democratic strategy is to warn that Republicans risk throwing the entire U.S. healthcare system into chaos by moving to dismantle the 2010 Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, without a plan to replace it. Republicans argue the system is already broken and that they will help more people gain coverage by repealing the law while working to minimize disruptions to those who depend on it. Both Obama and Pence visited Capitol Hill for closed-door discussions on Obamacare. Pence, the Indiana governor and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, met Republican lawmakers to plot the path forward on scuttling the law. “The first order of business is to keep our promise to repeal Obamacare and replace it with the kind of healthcare reform that will lower the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government,” Pence told a news conference. Down the hall from Pence, Obama, who hands over the presidency to Trump on Jan. 20, urged Democratic lawmakers to protect his signature domestic policy measure. He told reporters his message was: “Look out for the American people.” Democrats acknowledge they lack the votes needed to stop repeal legislation being pushed by Republicans, who will control the White House and both chambers of Congress when Trump takes office. But they are warning of the risks of the repeal legislation in hopes of spurring a public backlash against it. Without a replacement by Republicans, as early as 2018, the roughly 20 million people who gained insurance under the law could see their coverage in jeopardy. “The Republican plan to cut healthcare wouldn’t ‘make America great again,’” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters, invoking Trump’s campaign slogan. “It would make America sick again and lead to chaos instead of affordable care.” Since the law was enacted, Republicans in Congress have voted more than 50 times to try to repeal all or part of it and conservatives have filed suits to try to invalidate it. Republicans criticize Obamacare as an excessive government intrusion into the healthcare market and contend it is harming job growth by adding burdens on businesses. Republicans on Wednesday stepped up their rhetorical attack on Obamacare, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying the law ruined the American healthcare system. Trump wrote on Twitter that Republicans “must be careful in that the Dems own the failed ObamaCare disaster, with its poor coverage and massive premium increases.” Pence said Trump would work with congressional leaders for a “smooth transition to a market-based healthcare reform system” through legislative and executive action. Republicans have offered few details, however, on what a replacement for Obamacare would look like. Ryan said lawmakers would take action that did not “pull the rug out from anybody” and that the party had “plenty of ideas.” Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said Republicans were “pulling the string that’s going to unravel the whole (healthcare) system.” Schumer said any effort by Republicans to shift the blame to Democrats would fail: “They want to repeal it and then try to hang it on us. Not going to happen. It’s their responsibility, plain and simple.” The House Republican Study Committee, composed of the most conservative members of the chamber, signaled they were aware of the risk of appearing not to have a plan and filed a bill on Wednesday that could constitute a replacement. House Republicans last year offered a proposal that would, among other things, provide refundable tax credits to help people afford their medical insurance premiums. Obamacare helped people obtain insurance by increasing funding to states to expand the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor and providing government subsidies to help people obtain coverage from private insurers through government-run exchanges. Republican Senator Rand Paul, who is a doctor, joined the Democrats in voting against beginning consideration of the Obamacare repeal resolution. While Paul said he supported repealing the law, he added the current proposal would increase the government debt by $9.7 trillion in the next 10 years. “Is that really what the Republican Party represents?” Paul said during Senate floor debate. The United States has a more complicated healthcare system than some other rich nations whose governments provide medical coverage. Many Americans get health insurance through their employers. Others buy policies directly from private insurers or are eligible for government-run programs for elderly and low-income people. About 29 million had no medical insurance in 2015, according to the most recent government statistics. The U.S. population tops 320 million people. Trump has vowed to protect some popular parts of Obamacare, such as barring insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. | 0fake |
HILLARY’S “OH SH*T” MOMENT: FBI Reveals Emails Found On Weiner’s Laptop Are NOT Duplicates [VIDEO] | The FBI reportedly has found emails from Hillary Clinton s private server on the laptop computer seized from Anthony Weiner and they are not duplicates of those already found in the server probe, according to CBS News.It was not clear, however, if the emails were related in any way to the Clinton server scandal or how many new messages were found.Weiner s estranged wife, Huma Abedin who is Clinton s top aide has claimed she had no knowledge of the existence of any Clinton emails on her husband s laptop.The FBI on Monday obtained a warrant to look through the laptop s 650,000 emails. NYP | 1real |
LOL! DEMOCRAT Congressman HUMILIATED After Comparing Trump To Dangerous “RACIST” Republican Governor…WATCH Republican Congressman Explain Governor Was Actually A Democrat [VIDEO] | Democrat dummy of the day Rep. Tom Cole (R., Okla.) embarrassed Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.) on ABC Sunday morning when the latter falsely claimed that former Democratic Alabama governor George Wallace was a Republican.Wallace is perhaps best remembered as being one of the most strident supporters of segregation in the 20th century. He sought the Democratic nomination for president multiple times, with racist stances as a key of his platform. In 1968, he ran as the American Independent Party candidate and received 46 electoral votes, making him the most recent third-party candidate to capture votes in the Electoral College.Ellison was attacking Donald Trump when he made his false charge. At the same time, we do have the worst Republican nominee since George Wallace, Ellison said.Host George Stephanopoulos didn t correct Ellison and went on to ask Cole a question about whether the Republican National Convention was a success, but Cole first called out Ellison. Well, first I want to correct my friend, Cole said. George Wallace was a proud Democrat and ran for the Democratic nomination. Via: Free Beacon | 1real |
Catalonia refuses to send weekly accounts to Madrid before referendum | MADRID (Reuters) - Catalonia will stop sending weekly financial accounts to Madrid, defying a demand by Spain s central government that the region prove it is not using public money to promote an independence drive. The decision follows a series of moves to block a Catalan referendum on self-rule, planned for Oct. 1, which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy s government has declared illegal. In a letter dated Sept. 13, Catalan Deputy Governor Oriol Junqueras told Spanish Budget Minister Cristobal Montoro the region would no longer comply with the obligation to submit its accounts every week. He said the arrangement implied political control that is not related to the objectives of budget stability or to the purposes of state legislation in this matter . Madrid ordered Catalonia to start providing the weekly data in July. The government warned the region would lose access to some public funds if it was found to be using state money to organize the vote. All of Spain s regions pay taxes to the central government, and are then given a quota to spend on health, education and infrastructure. Catalonia, which has one of the strongest regional economies, says the system is unfair. After the referendum was announced, Madrid warned Catalonia it risked losing access to a separate funding program, set up in 2012 when economic crisis hammered regional budgets, if it failed to provide weekly accounts. Junqueras said in his letter that his administration was committed to financial stability and would still collaborate with Montoro s ministry, and continue to account for their spending every month. The will of the (Catalan) government is to continue to focus on dialogue and the exercise of democracy as a way to resolve the debate on political relations between Catalonia and Spain, the letter said. Catalonia accounts for around 20 percent of Spain s gross domestic product and has received some 70 billion euros ($83 billion) in funding from Madrid since 2012. | 0fake |
BREAKING: PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKES HIS PICK For The Supreme Court | JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH A strict conservative similar to Justice Scalia A STRICT CONSTITUTIONALISTJudge Neil Gorsuch, 49, is President Donald Trump s pick for appointment to the Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated a year ago by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP:BREAKING: Donald Trump reveals that his choice for US Supreme Court is Neil Gorsuch, 49 https://t.co/D91eYAcIMZ https://t.co/dbCiP2bP2U CNN (@CNN) February 1, 2017Gorsuch has the typical pedigree of a high court justice. He graduated from Columbia, Harvard and Oxford, clerked for two Supreme Court justices and did a stint at the Department of Justice.Since 2006, he has served on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in Denver, Colorado. His supporters note that he is an outdoorsman who fishes, hunts and skis. On the court, conservatives hope he could become the intellectual heir to Scalia, long the outspoken leader of the conservative bloc. The real appeal of Gorsuch nomination is he s likely to be the most effective conservative nominee in terms of winning over Anthony Kennedy and forging conservative decisions on the court, said Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitution Center. He s unusual for his memorable writing style, the depth of his reading and his willingness to rethink constitutional principles from the ground up.Like Justice Scalia, he sometimes reaches results that favor liberals when he thinks the history or text of the Constitution or the law require it, especially in areas like criminal law or the rights of religious minorities, but unlike Scalia he s less willing to defer to regulations and might be more willing to second-guess Trump s regulatory decision. Read more: Politico | 1real |
Kremlin: Putin, Trump to meet on sidelines of G20 summit | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty summit in Hamburg next week, but no separate meeting is planned, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday. “They will meet in any case there, on the sidelines of this summit, but no (separate) meeting is planned at the moment,” Peskov said. | 0fake |
Texas Parents Accused of Child Abuse but Claim Medical Evidence Overlooked | Michelle Wallace kisses her baby. Photo source: Love Eva Rose Facebook page .
by Health Impact News/MedicalKidnap.com Staff
A couple in West Texas was devastated when they were accused of abusing their 6 week old daughter. Michelle and Elliot Wallace began seeking answers after the explanations given by doctors placed the blame on the parents and landed their baby in foster care. They have since learned that baby Eva sustained injuries at birth, injuries which are known complications of the kind of difficult birth that their baby had. These injuries were overlooked at the time of her birth, but are now the very injuries that doctors are claiming are caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Here is their story:
On Jan 29, 2016, Michelle came home from the grocery store when Elliot met her at the door with their six-week-old daughter Eva, who was crying—a high-pitched, wailing type of cry. Her eyelids were fluttering, and her eyes were pointed left and upward, not focusing on anything.
Suddenly, Eva’s body went limp, and she passed out.
When they placed Eva on the bed to examine her, she woke up crying but quickly passed out. While lying there, the baby woke up crying, and passed out again. The couple loaded Eva in the car and took her to the Shannon Medical Center emergency room in San Angelo, Texas.
The hospital staff ran tests, took x-rays, and did a CT scan. While waiting for the results, Michelle fed Eva a bottle. But, Eva could not keep it down. She projectile vomited.
The hospital staff began a round of antibiotics, which is standard protocol in an infant presenting with a fever. Also, a CT scan showed she had a blood clot in her brain. The hospital staff determined that Eva needed a specialist, so they airlifted her and Michelle to Cook’s Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. Elliot drove the 4 and 1/2 hours to join them. Hospital Staff Stopped Looking for Cause of Injuries
That night Eva suffered from intermittent fevers. A lumbar puncture was done to check for meningitis. However, it failed—no fluid was drawn. The staff said that they would hydrate Eva for up to 24 hours and try again. However, when Michelle inquired about it later, she was told that they were not going to try the lumbar puncture again because they had ruled out meningitis as the cause of Eva’s injuries.
Afterwards, an MRI was done which showed a ligament injury to her upper neck. The staff believed that it was also a result of abuse.
Reportedly, the consensus among hospital staff was that Eva’s injuries were trauma-related, and they stopped looking for other causes.
While waiting on the neurologist, Eva had another seizure and was moved to the intensive care unit. There, she was sedated and given anti-seizure medication. Throughout the night Michelle never left Eva’s side, and she looked on as Eva was inundated with hospital staff handling her.
During the night, a CPS worker approached Michelle and pointed at a light-colored bruise on Eva’s cheekbone that Michelle had not seen before. Michelle’s thoughts went immediately to the hospital staff checking on the thrush in Eva’s mouth, and that their fingers were placed in the exact location of the bruise on Eva’s cheekbone. Michelle wondered if the bruise had come from the hospital staff handling her face.
While the family awaited Eva’s diagnosis, Child Protective Services (CPS) separated everyone present, including their guests, and interrogated them. Then they asked for information to run background tests, as well as names of people with whom they could place Eva. Michelle approached a CPS worker, saying that this was premature and uncalled for, since they had yet to receive a diagnosis. But, Michelle said that she was told that this was to get “ahead of the game.” Michelle holding baby Eva. Photo source: Wallace family.
Michelle requested a conference with the Child Advocacy Resources and Evaluation (CARE) team to ask questions. In the meeting, Neurologist Dr. Adrian Lacy said the staff would look at the birth records the following day. He said that Eva had “bilateral subdurals, areas of stroke, bruising on her head, [and] retinal hemorrhaging,” but that the skeletal survey showed no broken bones. He informed them that the ophthalmology department said that the bruising was “consistent with shaken baby or child abuse.”
He said that Eva had multiple bleeds of different ages in her brain, alleging that Eva had been abused repeatedly over time.
Michelle asked if Eva’s injuries could have been caused by vacuum extraction delivery. Dr. Lacy said, “Talking to neurosurgery [department]…they don’t believe that it’s from any kind of vacuum delivery.” He said that this is because “retinal hemorrhages” could not possibly be result of vacuum extraction. Dr. Lacy went on to say that Eva had undergone “a significant trauma.”
His assertion is contradicted in the medical literature regarding vacuum extraction. Many medical journals and medical resources mention that retinal hemorrhaging is a known complication of birth via vacuum extraction. An article in Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology lists retinal hemorrhaging in the list of neonatal complications:
Vacuum-assisted vaginal deliveries can cause significant fetal morbidity, including scalp lacerations, cephalohematomas, subgaleal hematomas, intracranial hemorrhage, facial nerve palsies, hyperbilirubinemia, and retinal hemorrhage.
As Michelle pondered the possible events that could have occurred to cause Eva’s injuries, Dr. Lacy interjected, “These are things that are severe enough [that] you would have told me. You know, [like] she was in a bad car wreck.” He went on to say that, the children who come to the hospital emergency room who were in car wrecks “don’t have the degree of retinal hemorrhages” that Eva had. He and the hospital staff suspected that Eva had been repeatedly shaken. Michelle said that they equated it with “the force equivalent to being in a car crash at 40 mph.”
Dr. Lacy concluded, “There’s nothing in the story, as far as the history, her history, that explains the history that we see.” He said that there was no other explanation but Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Not long after that, Cook’s Children’s Medical Center Child Abuse Specialist Dr. Sophia Grant said that Eva’s injuries must be non-accidental trauma. She said that she found the “classic Shaken Baby Syndrome triad.” The accusation of abuse came despite Michelle informing the hospital staff that Eva had been born via vacuum extraction. Further, reportedly, Dr. Grant expressed concern over the scratches on Eva’s face, and said that a child at six weeks old was not capable of inflicting them upon him or herself.
It was at that point that the staff stopped looking for other causes, Michelle said. CPS arrived and served her and Elliot an order for emergency removal. The couple was then escorted out of the hospital by security guards.
Afterwards, Eva was discharged from the hospital wearing a c-collar. It left a large dent in the back of her head, and she had to wear a helmet for a couple of months to reshape her skull.
Eva now suffers from dysphasia and is at risk of choking. She also only has 20% of her peripheral vision. Currently, Eva is in therapy and is walking and crawling. Eva still faces challenges today. Photo source: Wallace family. Difficult Birth
During pregnancy, Michelle experienced excessive fatigue, swelling, discomfort, nausea, etc., but she was told it was normal. Also, under doctor’s orders, Michelle received the Tdap and flu shots while pregnant.
On December 13, 2015, the OB/GYN, reportedly “roughed up” her cervix in an attempt to bring on labor. Two days later, at 8:30 pm, Michelle was admitted to Shannon Medical Center Women and Children’s Labor and Delivery Unit with excessive bleeding. The next day, around 2:00 am her doctor administered Pitocin and an epidural.
During labor Michelle was shaking a lot, and Eva’s heartrate kept dropping. About ¾ of the way in, Michelle was given an oxygen mask and was told to keep it on because the baby was not getting enough oxygen. Eva’s medical records indicate that she had hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, which meant that she was oxygen deprived. There was no mention of staff attempting to change the mother’s position in order to help facilitate oxygen flow to the baby.
After about eight hours, the placenta began detaching prematurely. She had a 30% placental abruption. The doctor opted for vacuum extraction instead of an emergency C-section. Eva was born at 7:00 am, after about eight hours of labor and 15 minutes of pushing, weighing 5 lbs. 11 oz.
Birth records indicate that Eva’s hands and feet were blue, and her coloring was gray. Eva’s pathology reports indicated infection, as well as inflammation of the fetal membranes and connective tissue of the umbilical cord.
Photos taken after her birth indicate a red, bruised and molded head with vacuum marks. They also reveal swollen eyes with cuts on and above them, as well as bruising that started over her right eye. Also, at birth Eva received Hepatitis B and Vitamin K shots and erythromycin eye drops. Pattern of Medical Concerns
When Eva’s pediatrician, Dr. Elizabeth Young, came by during her rounds, Michelle mentioned that Eva slept poorly the night before. However, reportedly, Dr. Young dismissed it and said that “it was normal for a newborn to do that.”
Michelle attempted to breastfeed Eva for three days, but it was unsuccessful. As a result, Eva was put on formula.
At Eva’s one-week checkup, everything seemed normal. Eva had been sleeping well, as well as feeding every two to three hours. That day she received the standard vaccines. Afterwards, Eva’s fussiness escalated. She had a lot of gas and was sleeping poorly. Eva with sunglasses during a visit. Photo source: Wallace family.
Michelle suspected an allergy to formula, so she changed brands—to one that was for sensitive digestive systems. However, it did not seem to make a difference. Eva began sleeping poorly and crying excessively, as if she was in pain. Even talking and soft noises were waking her.
Michelle called Medical Exchange Hotline and was told by the nurse that it sounded like constipation. The nurse advised Michelle to add a bit of Karo Syrup to her bottle and use glycerin suppositories when needed, and then follow-up with the doctor the next business day.
The nurse’s suggestions helped some. Once Eva would have a bowel movement, she would settle down some. But, within few hours, she would begin crying again. She seemed to be in pain. Michelle also gave Eva gripe water, which sometimes brought some temporary relief.
At the follow-up appointment with Dr. Young, Michelle was told to try putting Eva on soy formula with an extra ounce or two of water to help with constipation. The doctor also showed Michelle how to lay Eva down on her stomach to help ease gas pain.
The soy formula helped for a few days, and then the colic-like symptoms returned “as bad as ever.”
At Eva’s one month checkup, Michelle told the doctor that Eva was not sleeping and had inconsolable crying spells, severe constipation, and gas. Also, she told the doctor that she had seen Eva making “jerky, circular arm movements,” and that she had seen Eva’s chin quivering. When Michelle expressed concern, the doctor said that there was nothing to worry about.
Eva was prescribed Zantac for possible acid reflux. The doctor sent them home with a sample of another formula that was hypoallergenic. After about five bottles of it, Michelle discontinued using it because it gave Eva “explosive diarrhea” and worsened her gas problem.
Michelle tried other formulas, in hopes that she would find one that agreed with Eva’s system, but the problems only worsened. Eva’s sleeping deteriorated, as well. Even the slightest sound would wake her, and she rarely slept for more than an hour at a time.
Michelle and Elliot continued giving Eva gas drops, gripe water, glycerin suppositories, and adding water to her formula. They tried giving her Zantac, but they could not get Eva to swallow it. Eva began spitting up with more frequency.
The morning of January 29, 2016, Eva started getting very fussy and crying inconsolably. Michelle got her to settle down for a nap. But, within half an hour, she awoke. When Michelle went to pick her up, she noticed that Eva had two little scratches on her face, with a bruise behind each of them. She figured that Eva had scratched herself.
Later that day, Michelle went to the grocery store to get formula. She returned to find Elliot trying unsuccessfully to comfort Eva, and that’s when they saw her go limp with the strange cry and fluttering eyelids. Father Charged but Not Indicted
Because Elliot was the last person to be around Eva when the symptoms occurred, he was arrested in April and charged with first degree felony assault on an infant with a $75,000 bond. Though he has been charged, there has been no indictment. A no-contact order has been issued against him. Elliot adores his daughter, but he can no longer see her. Photo source: Wallace family.
Elliot has been out on bond. He would like to meet with his court-appointed attorney to make a plan to fight the charges and to challenge the no-contact order. However, since there is no indictment and no case file opened by the district attorney, his attorney will not meet with him.
Meanwhile, he is banned from seeing his daughter. Foster Care Placement Is Five Hours Away
When Eva was discharged from the hospital, she was placed with family friends, who live five hours away from her home. Michelle and Elliot have been trying to get Eva placed with blood relatives instead who live closer to them. It has been a difficult road for the Wallaces because of Eva’s special needs. Since coming off the anti-seizure medication, under doctor’s orders, the baby must have 24/7 care for a year.
Because Eva’s placement is five hours away, and visitation must be supervised with a CPS staff, the only time available for visits has been during the week, when Michelle was working. She is only able to go once a month for a three hour supervised visit. Michelle has to abide by strict attendance guidelines by her employer. She would readily visit Eva more often if it were possible. Missing and missed by her parents. Photo source: Wallace family.
Additionally, Michelle has had to be the breadwinner since Elliot’s ability to find work has been hindered by the criminal charges against him. He has been working as a contractor laying cable, and his last contract finished at the end of August.
At their recent hearing, on November 2, 2016, the Wallaces were given a reprieve, and the judge removed the supervised visit requirement and approved visits with a caregiver. This was met with opposition from CPS. However, the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) and Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers recommended it, stating that it was in the child’s best interests to have the opportunity to bond with her mother. This means that Michelle is not restricted to weekday visits and can be with Eva on her birthday and Christmas. CPS Seeks to Terminate Parental Rights
Despite the fact that Elliot and Michelle have faithfully worked their service plan, last July CPS notified the couple that they are seeking to terminate their parental rights. This is allegedly because they believe that Elliot is guilty. Additionally, the couple had agreed to separate, if it meant bringing Eva home to live with Michelle. However, CPS will not consider the option, since Michelle still believes that Elliot is innocent and that Eva has been misdiagnosed.
Further, the Guardian ad Litem and CASA volunteer are parroting CPS’ recommendation of termination of parental rights because the “medical professionals” say that Eva was shaken. This is especially concerning to the Wallaces because neither the GAL nor the CASA volunteer has met with Elliot and Michelle to interview them or discuss their daughter. Medical Expert Says This is a Birth Injury
Eva was born via vacuum extraction, which is the use of a cup that attaches to the baby’s head and creates suction. According to Healthline , the risks of vacuum extraction or vacuum-assisted delivery, “range from minor scalp injuries to more serious problems, such as bleeding in the skull.” It lists the following injuries:
hematoma, cephalohematoma, subgaleal hematoma, intracranial hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage, and neonatal jaundice.
Eva suffered from a retinal hemorrhage, something that Dr. Adrian Lacy said could not be a result of vacuum extraction. She also had intracranial hemorrhaging as well as a subgaleal hematoma.
According to Medical Child Abuse Investigator Anne Renk-Bernardo of Ohana Advocacy Center , who was obtained by the parents to look at this case:
“This is a birth injury case, plain and simple,” and “vacuum extraction could’ve easily caused the injury.”
She said that the cup is required to be in a “very specific position,” and as a result, “any excessive or repetitive pressure” or incorrect position could easily cause injury to the infant. Michelle holding newborn Eva. Photo source: Wallace family.
Renk-Bernardo said that the Pitocin that Michelle was given caused the baby’s oxygen levels to drop, and then go back up again, making it difficult for the baby to regulate the oxygen going back into its system. She said that amount of Pitocin was “too much, too fast,” causing hyper stimulation. As a result, she said that it produces a “constant squeezing,” which can cause complications while the baby’s head is engaged in the birth canal using vacuum extraction. Additionally, medical records show that Eva experienced a couple of episodes of severe bradycardia, which is a slowing of the heartbeat caused by a deficiency of oxygen.
Another contributing factor to the complications is the placental abruption. According to the Mayo Clinic :
Placental abruption can deprive the baby of oxygen and nutrients and cause heavy bleeding in the mother.
With regards to the scratches on Eva’s face, she said that Eva could have done that herself, and that they are “not significant enough” to warrant abuse. She said that Dr. Sofia Grant said in her affidavit that Eva had bruising on her forehead, two 0.5 cm bruises, and a small scratch, which were a result of abuse.
Renk-Bernardo said that Dr. Grant’s opinion was issued without reviewing Eva’s records. Further, she said that the bruising she is referring to is actually on Eva’s cheek. Further, she describes it as “superficial” and “over the fatty part” of her cheek, not on Eva’s head. She said that Eva, at the time, “was moving her extremities,” and that she could have easily scratched herself.
Renk-Bernardo said that the wide fluctuations in autonomic functions during labor and significant feeding intolerances correlate with those types of complications, indicating that she was in pain. Additionally, her eyes were swollen.
She said that hematomas are not atypical with vacuum extraction, including progressive bleeds. It is possible that Eva had a bleed that could have been slowly bleeding since birth. She pointed out that Eva was irritable and had trouble feeding from birth, including choking episodes. Renk-Bernardo said that the choking episodes are a result of the hypoxia from the subdural hemorrhages and cerebral edema.
Renk-Bernardo believes that Eva’s ligament injury was probably a result of the vacuum extraction. She referred to the fact that the baby was “high up” in the pelvis and “never progressed” out of the birth canal. As a result, she said that the baby had to be forcefully pulled out. According to American Family Physician , this is a risk factor for complications while giving birth.
Lastly, with regards to the multiple bleeds on Eva’s brain, Renk-Bernardo said that they are a result of “probably a bleed from birth that re-bled.” She pointed out that there are several things that can cause a re-bleed, such as choking, coughing, and illness. She said that vacuum extraction injuries can manifest up to three months after birth. If This is Abuse, “How Did They Shake the Baby?”
After examining Eva’s medical records, Renk-Bernardo said that the accusation of Shaken Baby Syndrome begs the question, “How did they shake the baby?” She pointed out that Eva had no fractures or bruising on the arms, chest, etc., that would be evidence of such abuse. She also said that, to her knowledge, there was no soft tissue damage. Further, Renk-Bernardo said that if there were blunt force trauma, then there would have been evidence, such as significant bruising. “Miniscule bruising is not from impact,” she said.
Lastly, in her expert opinion, there is no evidence that Eva has been violently shaken. She pointed out that when the Wallaces took Eva to the emergency room, both the trauma and neurology department refused to admit Eva because they said that the cause of her injuries was not trauma-related. “Problems All Along, but Nobody Paid Attention”
According to Michelle, about a month after Eva’s release from the hospital, new bleeding was found in a follow-up MRI that the doctor ignored. Further, he did not relay the information to anyone, not even the foster mother.
Further, nowhere in the medical records from Cook’s Children’s Medical Center does it say anything about a chronic bleed. However, during the CARE team meeting, Dr. Adrian Lacy told the family that Eva had multiple bleeds.
Michelle had expressed concerns since Eva’s birth, but they were dismissed. She said, “There had been problems all along, but nobody paid attention.” For instance, Eva was born with meconium in the amniotic fluid, which means that she is at risk for developing Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS). MAS is associated with neonatal seizures and chronic seizure disorders. Renk-Bernardo said, “Normally, it’s a concern. But, they [medical professionals] didn’t seem concerned.” Further, Eva’s family history includes heart problems, bleeding and bruising disorders, as well as nephrotic syndrome, which involves seizures.
Now, Elliot and Michelle want to share their story to “help spread awareness of the plague of false allegations based on junk science that destroys innocent families.” Eva – her parents’ little Superhero. Photo source: Wallace family.
At the November 2, 2016, hearing, the CPS attorney told the Wallaces that she had contacted the district attorney about Elliot’s criminal charges and that his case is to go before a grand jury in the next month or two. She went on to say that CPS had secured their own medical expert to testify against the Wallaces. Elliot and Michelle plan to request assistance from the court for securing their own medical expert testimony.
There is a pretrial hearing on December 12, 2016, and a permanency hearing on February 15, 2017. There is a family court bench trial date set for March 23-24, 2017. However, the Wallaces are considering requesting a jury trial instead. If granted, it will take place in late April of 2017. How You Can Help
There is a Facebook page set up for the family called Love Eva Rose where supporters can follow the Wallaces’ story and help.
Supporters are asked to contact legislators on behalf of the family.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott may be reached at (512) 463-2000 or contacted here . His Facebook page is here , and here is a link to his Twitter page.
The Texas state representative for the Wallaces’ district is Rep. Drew Darby. He may be reached at (512) 463-0331, or contacted here .
The US representative for the Wallaces’ district is Rep. Mike Conway. He may be reached at (325) 659-4010, or contacted here .
Charles Perry is the Senator for their district. He may be reached at (512) 463-0128, or contacted here .
Courts and judges across the U.S. are increasingly overturning Shaken Baby abuse convictions, as most of these cases do not present the science against “Shaken Baby Syndrome,” and the medical evidence that can support injuries apart from parental abuse.
Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.
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Trump Just Got Ripped To F*cking Shreds After Telling Americans To Believe Putin Again (TWEETS) | Between Trump s daily tantrums before I ve even had my goddamn coffee and White Power Barbie, Tomi Lahren s, surprisingly hilarious meltdown over someone finding her old tweets about the moisture levels of her vagina (something about drowning?), one thing is for certain: While Trump s America is going to more resemble a gasoline-soaked kitten fire than a legitimate political regime, we re going to have plenty of laughs for the next four years at least until our nation utter its final, agonized mew. Trump s FAKE NEWS Twitter tantrum stretched into yet another day on Friday. It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued . Trump tweeted with his trademark extra-long ellipsis indicating that Part Deux will be coming sometime in the next year or so.It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued . Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017It has always been clear that the information came from a former British intelligence operative who currently does opposition research but this is apparently new information to Trump, who (six minutes later) jumped to the but Daddy Putin says defense.Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both Democrats and Republicans FAKE NEWS! Russia says nothing exists. Probably Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017Russia has, indeed, said they have nothing on the man for whom their leader ordered an aggressive propaganda and fake news campaign as well as a far-reaching hack of Donald Trump s political opponents in what seventeen intelligence agencies agree was part of a plot to install The Donald in the White House. They also say that the Kremlin does not engage in spying, so we totally know that is true.Five minutes later, he indicated that intelligence agencies knowingly released false information to attack him because he s a poor tortured widdle guy everyone s out to get and the world looks so unfair from the top of his golden tower:released by "Intelligence" even knowing there is no proof, and never will be. My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017Six minutes later, it was time for Trump s favorite activity: questioning the legitimacy of political candidates:What are Hillary Clinton's people complaining about with respect to the F.B.I. Based on the information they had she should never .. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017have been allowed to run guilty as hell. They were VERY nice to her. She lost because she campaigned in the wrong states no enthusiasm! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017 What Hillary Clinton s people are complaining about is that FBI Director James Comey broke precedent and used his position to interfere in the election in a clear effort to aid Trump multiple times.And then, having spewed a literal pile of garbage, Trump decided it was over. He had won. Our hero boldly declared that:The "Unaffordable" Care Act will soon be history! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017And the crowd went wild or at least that s the way it looks inside Trump s rather deranged mind. The rest of the world just mocked him:@realDonaldTrump speaking of phony allegations, remember when you said Obama was born in Kenya? Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump dude you picked the head of Breitbart to be your chief strategist you love fake news Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump Still using the If Russia says it s true, it must be true! defense? I don t think Americans find it too convincing. MatthewDicks (@MatthewDicks) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump here we go. "Russia says " Liz Garbus (@lizgarbus) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump all you talk about is Russia anymore! pic.twitter.com/KXEz06Wgl0 Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) January 13, 2017@realdonaldtrump Exactly and what possible reason would Russia have to say they re not blackmailing you, Donald? Dan Howdle (@DanHowdle) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump Are you having difficulty squeezing out the morning turd? Would it help if someone came and peed on you? Elliott Lusztig (@ezlusztig) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump I bet you can t wait to see what the FBI have got on you. Also: she got 3m more votes than you but hey ho. Emma Kennedy (@EmmaKennedy) January 13, 2017@realdonaldtrump She didn t have a hostile foreign superpower on her side either pretty sure she s kicking herself about that one, Donald. Dan Howdle (@DanHowdle) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump Rage-tweeting in the middle of the night is beneath the office of the president. Put down the cocaine and get some sleep. Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump if you think Clinton's "guilty as hell", then why'd you abandon your pledge to appoint a special prosecutor for her? Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 13, 2017.@realDonaldTrump She had a point pic.twitter.com/rPeXh8PjFt Simon Hedlin (@simonhedlin) January 13, 2017@realDonaldTrump FYI you tweet like this woman has you waking up in a cold sweat every day at 5am Maria Mora (@MariaMelee) January 13, 2017Now you re probably wondering what Trump is distracting from? Maybe it s an old Howard Stern recording in which someone reminds him that he says he likes to go to Russia to have sex with women because they have no morals. That s pretty interesting considering the current situation, but it s probably the recent bombshell report by a BBC correspondent that there are at least four sources for what Trump is calling fake news. According to Paul Wood in a recent op-ed:Claims about a Russian blackmail tape were made in one of a series of reports written by a former British intelligence agent. As a member of MI6, he had been posted to the UK s embassy in Moscow and now runs a consultancy giving advice on doing business in Russia. He spoke to a number of his old contacts in the FSB, the successor to the KGB, paying some of them for information. .The former MI6 agent is not the only source for the claim about Russian kompromat on the president-elect. Back in August, a retired spy told me he had been informed of its existence by the head of an East European intelligence agency .Later, I used an intermediary to pass some questions to active duty CIA officers dealing with the case file they would not speak to me directly. I got a message back that there was more than one tape , audio and video , on more than one date , in more than one place in the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow and also in St Petersburg and that the material was of a sexual nature . The claims of Russian kompromat on Mr Trump were credible , the CIA believed. .Last April, the CIA director was shown intelligence that worried him. It was allegedly a tape recording of a conversation about money from the Kremlin going into the US presidential campaign.It was passed to the US by an intelligence agency of one of the Baltic States.The CIA cannot act domestically against American citizens so a joint counter-intelligence taskforce was created .A lawyer outside the Department of Justice but familiar with the case told me that three of Mr Trump s associates were the subject of the inquiry. But it s clear this is about Trump, he said.Audio. And. Video.Trump spent well over a half hour attacking Hillary Clinton and screaming about how the Kremlin is right. He did this a week before he officially becomes President. Is this what it s going to be like for the next four years?Featured image via Getty Images (Scott Olson)/screengrab | 1real |
‘Family Values’ GOPer Sexually Harasses Intern, No Longer Can Have Interns | Social conservatives run campaigns and win elections on platforms of so-called family values. Often, though, it turns out that these supposedly pure people are anything but. Case in point Cheektowaga, New York lawmaker Angela Wozniak.This particular gem has now been forbidden to have interns after conducting an extramarital affair with one. After the young man, Elias Farah, shut the affair down, Wozniak began sexually harassing him. She also make his job a living hell, and kept him from attending and participating in events. After all of this came to light, a panel committee consisting of both Republicans and Democrats was formed to address this grossly and obviously improper conduct. Ultimately, it was decided that Wozniak was guilty of incredibly poor judgment in conducting this affair and her behavior after it was over. There was, however, no way to prove on a legal level that Wozniak created a hostile work environment or sexually harassed Farah.Despite the lack of legal evidence, though, the investigating committee is now going to look into Wozniak s office every six months going forward. Also, her attempts to go after her accuser have luckily backfired, as she ironically ran for office after a Democratic opponent, Dennis Gabryszak, resigned over his own sexual scandal. A potential November Democratic opponent, sums up Wozniak s hypocritical behavior perfectly: She ran on a platform of family values based on the conduct of her predecessor. I hope to restore voters confidence in their government and be a leader they can be proud of. And that is the problem with these holier than thou family values types. They make literal careers of condemning other people s lives and modes of living, all the while doing in private just what they preach against in public.No one would care if these people didn t try to pretend to be above the rest of us. But, since they do good riddance to yet another family values hypocrite. I m sure it s only a matter of time before Angela Wozniak is forced to resign.Featured image via video screen capture from Raw Story | 1real |
Trump Now Has An EVEN WORSE Excuse For Why He Mocked A Disabled Reporter (VIDEO) | Donald Trump never runs out of new ways to disgust and offend people. Ever since the first day of his presidential campaign, the presumptive Republican nominee has created controversial moment after controversial moment behavior that has unfortunately won over the hearts of America s most racist, bigoted citizens. However, now that he s beat out all of his conservative rivals and has a more clear view of the White House, he wants America to forget all of the ways he s tarnished his chances of appearing presidential. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Trump tried to reframe a horrific incident that happened last November, in which he made a disgusting mockery of a New York Times reporter s physical disability. It was a cringe-worthy moment that was heavily circulated, and Trump got rightfully blasted for it after it happened but now, he s trying to deny it. And as expected, any time Trump tries to defend himself, he only makes it worse. Here s what he said: I would never say anything bad about a person that has a disability. I swear to you it s true, 100 percent true Who would do that to [the] handicapped? I ve spent a lot of money making buildings accessible. Is he serious? For Trump to act like he makes his buildings accessible for people with disabilities is absolutely ludicrous because that kind of accessibility is required BY LAW. This is also coming from a guy who posted a picture of himself eating a taco bowl to show how much he loves Hispanics a particular minority that he has insulted and made racist comments toward during his entire campaign. So obviously, just because Trump s buildings are accessible to people with disabilities, that doesn t mean he wouldn t mock or be prejudiced against them.But it gets worse. The Washington Post also reported that after Trump bragged about how his buildings were so accessible, Trump then satirically reenacted the scene, his arms jerking all around, and said he was trying to show a guy who grovels Oh, oh, I didn t say that. I didn t say that. That was the imitation I was doing. Now is that a believable story? What an idiot. If you need a refresher, here s the original video where Trump made fun of the reporter. Watch this, and see if you think Trump s latest pathetic excuse for his behavior is a believable story. Corey Lewankowski, Trump s campaign manager (who physically assaulted a female reporter a few weeks ago) has spoken on Trump s effort to rebrand himself: This is deeply personal for Mr. Trump. He will do anything he can to correct the narrative. He wants to point to specific things that are absolutely false about him and go out and talk about them. Well, he s doing a really shitty job so far.Featured image is a screenshot | 1real |
Trump says will speak with China's Xi on North Korea on Friday | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday night about the “very dangerous” situation regarding North Korea. “Hopefully, it will all work out,” Trump told reporters at his New Jersey golf resort. “Nobody loves a peaceful solution better than President Trump that I can tell you.” | 0fake |
Thousands of children referred to UK's counter-terrorism scheme, figures show | LONDON (Reuters) - Thousands of children and teenagers, including large numbers of girls, were referred to Britain s often-criticized counter-terrorism program Prevent, new official figures showed on Thursday. Prevent is a key strand of Britain s security strategy which was launched in 2003 to combat extremism after the Sept 11 attacks on the United States. It has grown in prominence since the 2005 suicide attack on London s transport network which killed 52 people and the rise of the Islamic State in recent years. It has been dogged since its inception by claims that it is used to spy on Muslim communities and a 2015 government edict instructing public bodies such as schools, health workers and universities to report concerns further exacerbated those fears. The first official Prevent figures from Britain s Home Office (interior ministry) showed that of the 7,631 individuals thought to be at risk of being drawn into terrorism from April 2015 to March 2016, almost a third were children. Of all those referred, only five percent, the 381 assessed to be the most at risk, were eventually deemed to need support from specialist mentors in the voluntary, de-radicalization scheme known as Channel. Some 63 individuals withdrew from the process and the Home Office said there was no data about whether they or any others who had been referred to Prevent or gone through the Channel process had later gone on to be involved in extremism. Two-thirds of Prevent referrals were made over fears of Islamist extremism and 10 percent because of far-right concerns. The vast bulk came from the education sector and police, with 2,127 aged under 15, including 532 girls, and 2,147 aged 15 to 20, with 420 female. A senior Home Office official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cited the case of a nine-year-old boy who had been referred to Prevent after he stood up in class and said he supported Islamic State. The boy, who had been bullied at school, had been watching IS execution videos after searching for news coverage after the Paris attacks. After a year of support, his life was turned around, the official said. In the last two years the number of teenagers has spiked and the number of teenagers that I ve had who are on the autistic spectrum has also spiked, one of Channel s Islamist mentors, told reporters. What IS and these groups have understood is young people need narratives and they ve created narratives which make a very complex world seem very simple. Britain suffered four militant attacks this year that killed 36 people - the deadliest spate since the London 7/7 bombings of 2005. Britain s Home Secretary has been meeting representatives of leading U.S. tech firms Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter in Washington this week as part of her ongoing effort for them to do more to tackle online extremism. A Prevent coordinator said the proliferation of extremist online content was an accelerant rather than a cause. It s the petrol going on the fire, but it s not the tinder which sparks the flame in the first place, he said. | 0fake |
White Artist’s Painting of Emmett Till at Whitney Biennial Draws Protests - The New York Times | The photographs of the mutilated body of Emmett Till, the teenager who was lynched by two white men in Mississippi in 1955, served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement and have remained an open wound in American society since they were first published in Jet magazine and The Chicago Defender at the urging of Till’s mother. The images’ continuing power, more than 60 years later, to speak about race and violence is being demonstrated once again in protests that have arisen online and at the newly opened Whitney Biennial over the decision of a white artist, Dana Schutz, to make a painting based on the photographs. An artist, Parker Bright, has conducted peaceful protests in front of the painting since Friday, positioning himself, sometimes with a few other protesters, in front of the work to partly block its view. He has engaged museum visitors in discussions about the painting while wearing a with the words “Black Death Spectacle” on the back. Another protester, Hannah Black, a black artist and writer working in Berlin, has written a letter to the biennial’s curators, Mia Locks and Christopher Y. Lew, urging that the painting be not only removed from the show but also destroyed. “The subject matter is not Schutz’s,” Ms. Black wrote in a Facebook message that has been signed by more than 30 other artists she identifies as nonwhite. “White free speech and white creative freedom have been founded on the constraint of others, and are not natural rights. The painting must go. ” She added that “contemporary art is a fundamentally white supremacist institution despite all our nice friends. ” The protest has found traction on Twitter, where some commenters have called for destruction of the painting and others have focused on what they view as an attempt by Ms. Schutz to aestheticize an atrocity. Mr. Bright, in a Facebook Live video of his protest, makes some of the same points in objecting to the painting’s inclusion in the show. The biennial is an unusually diverse exhibition of work by 63 artists and collectives nearly half the artists are female and half are nonwhite. Calling the painting “a mockery” and “an injustice to the black community,” Mr. Bright adds that he believes the work perpetuates “the same kind of violence that was enacted” on Till “just to make a painting move. ” “I feel like she doesn’t have the privilege to speak for black people as a whole or for Emmett Till’s family,” Mr. Bright says in the video. He also objects to the thought that the painting could be sold and make Ms. Schutz, whose work is highly sought after, a significant amount of money. Ms. Schutz, who first exhibited the painting last year in a gallery in Berlin, has stated that she intends never to sell the work. In a statement on Tuesday, Ms. Schutz said: “I don’t know what it is like to be black in America but I do know what it is like to be a mother. Emmett was Mamie Till’s only son. The thought of anything happening to your child is beyond comprehension. Their pain is your pain. My engagement with this image was through empathy with his mother. ” She added: “Art can be a space for empathy, a vehicle for connection. I don’t believe that people can ever really know what it is like to be someone else (I will never know the fear that black parents may have) but neither are we all completely unknowable. ” The curators said that they wanted to include the painting because many of the exhibition’s artists focus on violence — racial, economic, cultural — and they felt that the work raised important questions, especially now, in a political climate in which race, power and privilege have become ever more urgent issues. “For us it was so much about an issue that extends across race,” said Mr. Lew, who along with his Ms. Locks, met with Mr. Bright on Tuesday to discuss his protest. “Yes, it’s mostly black men who are being killed, but in a larger sense this is an American problem. ” Ms. Locks said: “Right now I think there are a lot of sensitivities not just to race but to questions of identities in general. We welcome these responses. We invited these conversations intentionally in the way that we thought about the show. ” She added that she felt the painting was a means of “not letting Till’s death be forgotten, as Mamie, his mother so wanted. ” The story of Till’s murder has begun to resonate loudly again in recent months. News recently emerged that the Mississippi woman who said that the Till whistled at her and was verbally and physically aggressive — an account that led to Till’s abduction, torture and killing — told a historian in 2007 that she had made up the most sensational part of her account. The Black Lives Matter movement and greater awareness of the killing of black men by the police have led to efforts to film the Till story, with at least three screen adaptations in production. | 0fake |
Turkey's Erdogan calls on mayors to resign, Hurriyet newspaper says | ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on mayors of three major cities to resign, including the high-profile mayor of the capital, Ankara, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on Thursday, in a push to revitalize his ruling party ahead of 2019 elections. The comments mark Erdogan s most explicit demand yet for a shake-up of veteran politicians - some of whom are nationally prominent - after voters in many cities rejected an April referendum granting him sweeping power. While Erdogan narrowly won the referendum to change the constitution and create an executive presidency, voters in 17 of Turkey s 30 largest cities voted against the change. Since then, Erdogan has spoken of the need for renewal in local government and the ruling AK Party, citing signs of metal fatigue within administrations. People do not take these offices as independent candidates but as candidates shown by parties. We cannot regard these posts as chairs which are kept eternally and never abandoned, the Hurriyet quoted him as telling reporters on his plane back from a trip to Poland this week. A request had been conveyed for the resignation of the mayor of Balikesir in northwest Turkey, the newspaper quoted him as saying. Likewise, this situation was conveyed to (Ankara Mayor) Melih (Gokcek). The same with Bursa, he was quoted as saying. Bursa is a city in northwest Turkey. The mayor of Istanbul has resigned in the last month, as has the mayor of Duzce city in northwest Turkey. The mayor of Nigde city in central Turkey, resigned on Wednesday. But Gokcek, who has been Ankara mayor since 1994 and won five consecutive elections, has so far stayed in place, despite widespread speculation that we would step down. Gokcek has avoided addressing the resignation issue and pointedly steered clear of the subject in public when he made an unexpected visit to the presidential palace this month. I presented to my president all the project details of the museum to be built opposite the (presidential) palace. I also gave various information about ongoing municipal projects... For the public s information, he wrote on Twitter. Gokcek, generally regarded as a staunch Erdogan loyalist, is well known in Turkey for tweets in which he has engaged in spats with journalists and other senior members of the AKP. In February he suggested the U.S.-based cleric blamed for last year s failed coup might be plotting an earthquake, with the help of foreign powers, to damage the economy. | 0fake |
Academy Awards, James Comey: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing - The New York Times | (Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the .) Good evening. Here’s the latest. 1. President Trump is quickly dismantling policies. He revived two blocked pipeline projects: the Keystone XL pipeline, the focus of years of debate over energy needs and climate change and the Dakota Access pipeline, the target of intense Native American protests. Mr. Trump also pressed automakers to increase jobs in the U. S. But a new forecast of a federal budget deficit that could expand to almost $10 trillion over 10 years could complicate his agenda to slash taxes and ramp up spending. And the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, stood by Mr. Trump’s repetition of the false claim that only millions of illegal votes by undocumented immigrants cost him the popular vote. _____ 2. On Capitol Hill, Mr. Trump’s pick to be secretary of health and human services, Representative Tom Price of Georgia, defended his investments in an Australian pharmaceutical company. And James Comey, above, told top agents that he’d been asked to remain as head of the F. B. I. averting another potentially bruising confirmation battle. It’s a delicate time for the intelligence community, which is looking into ties between Mr. Trump’s associates — including his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort — and Russia. Mr. Trump said he’d name his Supreme Court pick next week. The top contenders are conservatives on federal appeals courts: William Pryor Jr. known for his opposition to abortion and gay rights, and Neil Gorsuch, more distinguished by credentials, erudition and relatively muted stances. _____ 3. This year’s Oscar nominations are out. Voters gave “La La Land” 14 nominations, a tie for the most in Academy Award history. The academy also honored six black actors — a record. They included Denzel Washington and Viola Davis for their roles in “Fences,” above. Here is the full list of nominees our critics’ rundown of surprises and snubs reactions from some of the nominees a form to complete your own ballot and a guide on how to stream the nominated movies. _____ 4. Israel, discarding diplomatic restraint just a few days into the Trump administration, approved the construction of 2, 500 housing units in West Bank settlements. A month ago, the Obama administration declined to veto a Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements as a “flagrant violation of international law,” and a week ago, a gathering of world leaders warned Israel to stop expanding them. _____ 5. Two days of talks in Kazakhstan on the Syrian war concluded with an agreement by Iran, Russia and Turkey to enforce a partial . But they didn’t say how, and none of the Syrians at the conference — neither the government, nor the rebels, above — signed the agreement, and the main result was solidifying Russia’s role in the diplomacy. _____ 6. The Manhattan jail holding the notorious drug lord known as El Chapo is said to be tougher than Guantánamo. A remarkable figure in the annals of crime history, with two escapes from Mexican prisons, he was extradited to the U. S. last week. The lights are on almost 24 hours a day, security is extraordinarily stringent, and the most closely guarded prisoners are denied almost all human contact. But it has seen several successful escapes. _____ 7. The expensive wonder drugs approved in recent years to cure hepatitis C, which can lead to liver disease and cancer, offered the hope of resolving a huge public health problem in the U. S. and around the world. But a report coming out Wednesday warns of the possibility of serious side effects, including liver failure, and doctors said the issue warranted further study. The news set off a new round of debate over the risks of expedited approval for badly needed drugs. “Benefits and side effects evolve over the long term, not over 12 weeks,” an author of the study said. _____ 8. Burning dinner might seem like a mistake. But the art of strategic charring, browning and blackening has deep roots in many cuisines. Exercised with care, it can conjure a world of flavor. Chefs are embracing the technique. Consider moles made with charred and ingredients, above, blackened avocado and, mmm, lamb heart ashes. _____ 9. Houston is preparing to welcome the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, and its leaders are eager to show off the makeover the city has undergone since it last hosted the game more than a decade ago. A hub for the oil and gas industries and the nation’s city, Houston is on the upswing, boasting an array of new restaurants, green space, and cultural and entertainment venues. _____ 10. On the move? Our travel writer reviewed several meditation apps that have sessions for use on planes, trains — even your daily commute. One is called “OMG. I Can Meditate!” Another offers the affirming reminder: “The more our mind learns about itself, the stronger it becomes. ” As we’ve said before about mindfulness exercises: Hey, it can’t hurt. _____ 11. Finally, there are many ways to look at history. We’re gauging it through antique lace: our 165 years of wedding reporting. The project’s first installment focuses on the subjects of The Times’s first wedding announcement, on Sept. 18, 1851, Sarah Mullett and John Grant. And, amazingly, generations of their descendants, who gather every year for a family photo with the ancestral portraits. _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p. m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a. m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a. m. Sundays. Want to look back? Here’s last night’s briefing. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes. com. | 0fake |
Review: In ‘The Innocents,’ Not Even Nuns Are Spared War Horrors - The New York Times | Much of Anne Fontaine’s blistering film “The Innocents” is set within the walls of a Polish convent in December 1945, just after the end of World War II. What at first appears to be an austere, holy retreat from surrounding horrors is revealed to be a savagely violated sanctuary awash in fear, trauma and shame. The forested landscape of the convent is photographed to suggest an ominous frontier that offers no refuge from marauding outsiders. The central character, Mathilde (Lou de Laâge, of “Breathe”) is a young doctor caring for French soldiers in a Red Cross hospital. One day, a young nun appears and pleads with Mathilde to make an emergency visit to a Benedictine convent to save the life of a sister who lies gravely ill. Defying hospital protocol, Mathilde slips away to the convent, where she discovers a pregnant novice in the throes of labor. Mathilde delivers the baby by cesarean section but is sworn to secrecy by the fearful Mother Abbess (Agata Kulesza, of “Ida”) who is terrified lest the news of a pregnant nun tarnish the convent’s reputation. Mathilde, a nonbeliever, learns that several months earlier, Soviet soldiers occupying Poland stormed the convent and repeatedly raped the nuns, leaving many pregnant. Mathilde agrees to return and assist in the deliveries of their babies. “The Innocents” is based on real events, recounted in notes by Madeleine Pauliac, a Red Cross doctor on whom Mathilde is based. Ms. Fontaine (“Coco Before Chanel,” “Gemma Bovery”) who extensively researched these atrocities and spent time in two Benedictine convents, writes in the production notes that the soldiers felt no sense of wrongdoing, because they were encouraged by their superiors to commit these crimes as a reward for their hard work on the battlefield. While driving back to the hospital, Mathilde is intercepted at a Soviet checkpoint and pounced on by soldiers, one of whom announces, “She wants all of us!” Were the assault not interrupted by a senior officer, the scene would be unwatchable. “The Innocents” weaves several narrative strands into a complex of themes that sometimes pull against one another. Mathilde, serenely acted by Ms. de Laâge, is a beautiful, preternaturally wise and compassionate young woman: a modern heroine undaunted by the horrors of the world. When a band of soldiers returns to the convent while she is there, her quick thinking saves the nuns from another harrowing round of assaults. The movie gives her a story in her affair with a medical supervisor, Samuel (Vincent Macaigne) a soulful Jewish doctor. The screenplay (by Ms. Fontaine, Pascal Bonitzer, Sabrina B. Karine and Alice Vial, working from a concept by Philippe Maynial) depicts the relationship as a friendly romance of convenience by two lonely, overstressed people who may never meet again. When Mathilde returns to the convent, he accompanies her, and they work as a team to deliver the remaining babies. The film takes care to distinguish the sisters from one another in their responses to a kind of brutality that the most naïve among them couldn’t have imagined. Those with more worldly backgrounds are better able to cope. “The Innocents” resists the temptation to wallow in sentiment as the nuns give birth, and images of new mothers cuddling their newborns are kept to a minimum. What you feel is their agony, terror and confusion. But the film surrenders to convention once a solution is found for the care of the little ones. It is a soggy end to an otherwise tough, troubling film whose images of brutality and helplessness are hard to shake. “The Innocents” is most interested in exploring how the atrocities test the sisters’ religious faith. As more of them give birth, the movie creates a complex group portrait. To a degree, Maria (Agata Buzek) the sister who showed up at the hospital begging for help, speaks for all of them when she describes the challenges and rewards of belief and as “24 hours of doubt for one minute of hope. ” The most complicated and compelling character is the severe Mother Abbess, who faces an excruciating choice between saving a baby’s life and risking disgrace, or abandoning the infant. Ms. Kulesza’s anguished performance conveys the weight of an almost unbearable choice, which she believes condemns her to eternal damnation. “The Innocents” is rated (Parents strongly cautioned) for a scene of sexual assault and some bloody images. It is in French and Polish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. | 0fake |
Dutch authorities try to avoid Russian air ban over Schiphol landing slots | AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Authorities in the Netherlands tried on Tuesday to defuse a threat by Moscow to close Russian air space to Dutch planes in a dispute over landing slots at Amsterdam s Schiphol airport. The Dutch Airline Pilots Association said Russia has indicated it will enforce the ban from Saturday. It would mainly hurt Air France subsidiary KLM, the former Dutch flag carrier and the only Dutch airline that flies over Russia. The dispute centers on a reduction from 23 to 13 in the number of slots available to Russian freight carrier AirBridgeCargo at Europe s third-busiest airport following Schiphol s half-yearly reallocation.on Oct. 28. The Dutch transport ministry is in talks with several parties over the availability of slots for freight traffic at Schiphol, said spokesman Roel Vincken, who declined to comment further for fear of negatively impacting the talks. A spokesman for the Russian transport ministry said KLM and AirBridgeCargo were in talks about KLM giving up some of its slots as part of a possible compromise. Russian-Dutch relations have been tense since the 2014 downing of Malaysia passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people, most of them Dutch. AirBridgeCargo s Dutch chief Henk-Jan van Keulen said in a telephone interview that his company had been forced to reroute almost half of its traffic through Liege, Belgium, using trucks, because of the reallocation of slots at Schiphol. Van Keulen said financial damages were difficult to estimate, as they are lessened by lower fees at Liege and are being partly borne by the various freight-forwarding companies it works with. Spokesman Joost van Doesburg said the Dutch Airline Pilots Association had received a request from KLM to add an extra pilot to all flights traveling to Asia, as they will have to re-route beginning on Saturday. If Russia follows through on the ban, hours of travel time will be added to Asian flights. It s only a threat but you have to prepare, Van Doesburg said. Russia does this sometimes when it feels countries aren t giving appropriate attention to a complaint. De Telegraaf newspaper reported that around 15 percent of KLM s flights would be affected. A KLM spokeswoman said the airline would respond later. Airport Coordination Netherlands, the organization which allocates slots at Schiphol, said AirBridgeCargo s slots had been cut for failure to fully utilize its existing slots, according to European rules, and it did not have the power to grant any additional slots because of a cap imposed at the airport. | 0fake |
Hillary Clinton’s Elections 2016 concession speech from New York (FULL, streamed live) | 19 mins ago 3 Views 0 Comments 0 Likes It's fair to say, Europe's been shocked by Trump's Europe's Trump's RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air | 1real |
Indonesia group pinpoints suspected mass graves from 1965 massacres | JAKARTA (Reuters) - The head of an Indonesian group representing victims of the mass killings of alleged communists in the mid-1960s said he had pinpointed 16 suspected mass grave sites in central Java that could contain about 5,000 bodies. Bedjo Untung, of the 1965 Murder Victims Research Foundation (YPKP 65), said the sites were around the town of Purwodadi where suspected communists were sent for execution. Untung has asked the human rights commission (Komnas HAM) to investigate. Some of the bodies were thrown into a ravine. Some were thrown in wells, Untung told a new briefing, citing the testimony of three witnesses. I have a witness who when he was a kid used to follow his father to wash the dead bodies. Every morning people sent them around 50 bodies. So we estimate there were around 5,000, he said, adding that human bones had been found in the area. I can conclude that they were suspected followers of the Indonesian communist party (PKI), said Untung, who was himself jailed for being a member of the now banned PKI. One of the worst massacres of the 20th century, some historians say at least 500,000 people died in an orgy of bloodshed after then-general Suharto took power following an abortive coup. A million or more people were jailed, suspected of being communists. The killings in 1965 and 1966 have never been officially investigated and perpetrators have never faced justice despite a pledge by President Joko Widodo to resolve human rights issues. Untung said that 122 other suspected sites of mass graves had previously been identified. According to newly declassified U.S. documents, the U.S. government had intimate knowledge of the mass killing of alleged communists even as it failed to publicly reveal the slaughter. The documents also reveal that Indonesian army intermediaries told Western embassies they were considering toppling then president Sukarno less than a fortnight after the killing of six generals by rebel military personnel that sparked the bloodletting. [L4N1MT2UD] Amiruddin Al Rahab, a commissioner at Komnas HAM, said he would look into the matter. The rights group has previously made recommendations to launch an official investigation and set up ad hoc human rights courts but so far these have not been enacted. Indonesia, the world s largest Muslim-majority country, still has periodic bouts of anti-communist hysteria. In September, a meeting by human rights activists and YPKP 65 was shut down after Islamists and nationalists rioted outside the venue. | 0fake |
Fox CEO Desperately Begs Donald Trump’s Wife And Daughter To Get Him Back In Debate (TWEET) | Fox News and Republican front-runner Donald Trump have been in a strange power struggle ever since Trump decided to boycott the network s Thursday night GOP debate because the business mogul can t stand to be in the same room as Fox host and debate moderator Megyn Kelly.Clearly shaken up since Kelly got the best of him the first time she moderated the Republican debate, Trump has decided to make the GOP lineup look like even more of a circus by skipping the debate. So far the network is standing by Kelly, stating that it wouldn t give into terrorizations toward any of our employees. But it appears that Fox might not be genuine, as it is still secretly trying to get Trump back in by using two secret weapons Trump s wife and daughter.On Wednesday morning, Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough exposed Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for trying to get Ivanka and Melania Trump to change The Donald s mind about skipping the debate, but Trump refused to speak with him and insisted that he d only speak with network owner Rupert Murdoch. Scarborough stated: Per our sources, Roger Ailes was calling Ivanka, he was trying to get in touch with Trump, he was calling Melania, people that he s got a good relationship with, they love Roger. They have a great respect for him. But at this point, Trump s only gonna talk to Rupert, and they re going to figure it out. In response to Trump s childish boycott, there s been an outpouring of controversy in the media, even from Kelly s side. Earlier this week, Kelly welcomed liberal filmmaker Michael Moore onto her show, where the documentarian mocked Trump and congratulated the Fox host for scaring Trump out of the debate a task that not even his Republican rivals could pull off. Moore said, In all seriousness, let me say this, you ve done something that Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Rubio, Cruz none of them have been able to do. Which is to, essentially, frighten him. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to bash Kelly on social media, signaling that his immature, mostly one-sided feud with her is far from over. Solidifying Kelly s point during the first GOP debate that Trump had zero respect for women, Trump tweeted:TwitterFeatured image via Donald Trump Facebook | 1real |
DELUSIONAL OBAMA BLAMES “Fake News” For Hillary’s Big Election Loss [Video] | 1real | |
CNN HACK ATTEMPTS “GOTCHA” Moment With Trump…Immediately Regrets It [VIDEO] | Watch CNN, Dana Bash ask Donald a question she wishes she didn t:Trump shuts down Dana Bash after questioning him for "taking time off" to attend his hotel's grand opening. pic.twitter.com/LtLAu1jkbQ Asa J (@asamjulian) October 26, 2016 | 1real |
German industry says Trump's climate pact pull-out harms global economy | BERLIN (Reuters) - German industry associations on Friday criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from a landmark agreement to fight climate change, warning that the move would harm the global economy and lead to market distortions. Trump said on Thursday the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate deal, a move that fulfilled a major campaign pledge but drew condemnation from global leaders and executives. He said his administration would begin talks either to re-enter the Paris accord or to have a new deal with better terms for the United States. “Trump’s climate refusal harms the economy,” said Thilo Brodtmann, Managing Director of Germany’s VDMA engineering industry association, adding that Trump was “putting campaign promises over the long-term interests of the world community.” This would harm the economy as well as the environment, since the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can go hand in hand with economic growth if companies have planning certainty for investing in efficient technologies, he added. “Europe and its allies, as well as important federal states and companies in the U.S., must now hold their course,” Brodtmann said. In the long term, Europe would profit from its investment in climate-friendly technologies. Germany’s DIHK Chambers of Commerce warned that some U.S. companies could gain short-term advantages by Trump’s decision to pull out of the climate deal. “Climate protection can be pushed forward in an effective and competition-friendly way only by all states,” said DIHK President Eric Schweitzer. Schweitzer said other countries should stick to their commitments, but warned that attempting to compensate for the U.S. withdrawal by other countries redoubling their commitments would be self-defeating. | 0fake |
DUP Set to Spurn Tory Remainers and Back Full Brexit | Ulster’s Democratic Unionist Party, which is expected to prop up Theresa May’s minority government over the coming months, has spurned Tory Remainers who hoped they would force the Prime Minister to ask the EU for a ‘Soft Brexit’. [According to ITV’s Robert Peston, a source within the DUP “was very keen to be quoted” as saying that his party “completely backs [May’s] vision of Brexit” — and not that of her Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond. While both May and Hammond campaigned for a Remain vote during the EU referendum, the Prime Minister has subsequently endorsed what supporters call a “Clean Brexit“ taking Britain out of the bloc’s Single Market and its associated Free Movement regime, as well as the Customs Union which precludes from conducting an independent trade policy. Remain diehards, who want a ‘Soft Brexit’ in which Britain would remain party to the Single Market and Customs Union in order to maintain the closest possible links to the European Union, term this a “Hard” or “Extreme” Brexit. Hammond’s team at HM Treasury — the engine room of the Remain campaign’s ‘Project Fear‘ under his predecessor George Osborne — are said to have entered “ mode” as he canvasses support for such a deal. DUP backs Theresa May’s vision of Brexit, not Philip Hammond’s — ITV News https: . — Robert Peston (@Peston) June 15, 2017, If Peston’s source is reliable, however, it seems the ‘Soft Brexit’ faction have lost crucial leverage. It had been claimed that the DUP, which is keen to see a minimum of economic friction between Ulster and the Irish Republic after Brexit, would at least back their calls for Britain to stay in the Customs Union. The ITV presenter has been led to believe that the DUP is “100 per cent committed to the UK leaving the Single Market AND the Customs Union” — having preferred to use its bargaining power to press for plans to introduce for the winter fuel allowance and scrap the pensions triple lock to be dropped. Leavers within the Government are predicting ferocious resistance to Brexit from without the Cabinet as well as within, with one minister predicting “utterly bitter, trench warfare” as opposition politicians and Tory rebels “fight us line by line, in committees, on the floor and in the Lords, for months and months on end. ” | 0fake |
OOPS! BOTH Bernie Sanders And His Wife Are Under FBI Investigation For Bank Fraud | Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his wife, Jane Sanders have hired prominent defense attorneys, amid an FBI investigation into a loan Jane Sanders obtained to expand Burlington College while she was its president, CBS News confirms.Politico Magazine first reported the Sanders had hired lawyers to defend them in the probe. Sanders top adviser Jeff Weaver told CBS News the couple has sought legal protection over federal agents allegations from a January 2016 complaint accusing then-President of Burlington College, Ms. Sanders, of distorting donor levels in a 2010 loan application for $10 million from People s United Bank to purchase 33 acres of land for the institution.According to Politico, prosecutors might also be looking into allegations that Sen. Sanders office inappropriately urged the bank to approve the loan.Heat Street When Jane O Meara Sanders served as president of Burlington College between 2004 and 2011, she oversaw an aggressive effort to enroll more students and expand the campus to accommodate a bigger student body. Part of that plan: Taking out hefty loans to finance the $10 million purchase of 32 acres of prime property from the Roman Catholic diocese at the end of 2010.But Burlington College soon found itself unable to make its loan payments. The Roman Catholic diocese, which had sold off the land to help pay for a $17 million sexual-abuse settlement, ultimately lost between $1.5 million and $2 million, according to the letter calling for investigation, as well as several Vermont media outlets. The diocese did not respond to a request for an interview. But a source with direct knowledge of the diocese s involvement in the land acquisition says Burlington College almost immediately struggled to meet its obligations. It was within a relatively short time after closing [the deal], they were experiencing financial problems that made it impossible to pay the diocese, the source says, adding that Burlington soon went into default mode on its loan.Parishioners now say that to secure loans to buy the land, Ms. Sanders misrepresented the amount that had been pledged to the college in its fundraising push.The request for investigation notes that defrauding a bank is a federal crime; it s punishable by up to 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines, according to federal code. Watch Sanders rail against inequality and corruption at his commencement speech to the 2017 graduating class at Brooklyn College: Ms. Sanders push for the liberal arts college s costly land acquisition was cited in a press release by the college when it shut down in 2016. And as for the claim that Ms. Sanders manipulated the loan application, Weaver said, The loan was approved by the financial board at the college. Sen. Sanders, formerly mayor of Burlington, Vermont s largest city, regards the claims as a political game levied against him after his run for president in the 2016 primary election, a platform which has transformed the small-state senator into an influential voice in American liberal politics. CBS News | 1real |
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