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22,300 | After financial pledges, France urges Chad to hold elections | PARIS (Reuters) - France on Monday urged Chadian authorities to press ahead with parliamentary elections after securing billions of dollars in pledges from donor countries aimed at helping to revive the country s struggling economy. President Idriss Deby, who was re-elected in 2016 after gaining power in 1990 at the head of an armed rebellion, said in February that lack of financial resources meant Chad s parliamentary elections would be postponed indefinitely. The legislative elections are an important moment in democratic life, French foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne told reporters in a daily briefing. We hope in this regard that the Chadian authorities ... will be in a position to announce a calendar (for elections) soon. In a statement on Friday, Chad s government said it had secured about $18.5 billion in pledges for a 2017-2021 national development program, double its original expectations. Romatet-Espagne said France would contribute 223 million euros ($267.27 million). The former French colony, one of the poorest nations in the world, has been rocked by humanitarian crises over the past decade, including conflicts in the east and south, drought in the arid Sahel region and flooding. That has been compounded since 2012 by instability on its borders with Libya, Nigeria and Central African Republic, forcing Chad to increase its security budget to handle thousands of refugees and counter a growing cross-border threat. Its economy has especially been hit by a more than 50 percent drop in the price of oil, which represent three-quarters of its revenues. However, critics say too much of its revenues goes to the army. Military spending has helped Chad intervene in the Central African Republic, Mali, in neighboring countries threatened by Boko Haram and as far afield as the Saudi Arabia-led coalition to fight Houthi combatants in Yemen, International Crisis Group analyst Richard Moncrieff said in a note on Sept. 8. This engagement has strengthened relations with Western powers and brought substantial financial and political support. The EU, France and the U.S. in particular today consider Deby as their principal partner in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel. For Deby it is win-win: tackle domestic armed opposition, pay his troops and gain significant leverage over donors. The headquarters of France s 4,000-strong counter-terrorism Barkhane force is in the Chadian capital N djamena. Asked at Science Po university on Sept. 6 whether France s policy in West Africa was still based on Francafrique , Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian sought to play down that perception. We no longer talk about Francafrique but AfricaFrance, Le Drian said. France does not support corrupt (leaders), but on the contrary there are presidents who have been elected by universal suffrage - you mentioned some of them (Deby and Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou) - and whose elections were not contested, and that is the reality. Franceafrique describes an informal web of relationships Paris has maintained with its former African colonies and its support, sometimes in the form of military backing, for politicians who favor French business interests. | 1 |
22,301 | France to give 15 million euros in aid for Syrian areas freed from Islamic State | PARIS (Reuters) - France will provide 15 million euros ($17.65 million) in aid for areas liberated by the U.S.-led coalition from Islamic State in Syria, its foreign minister said on Friday. I have decided to allocate additional funds of 15 million euros up to the end of the year for food, de-mining, displaced people, water and health, Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement, without saying who would manage the funds. France also hopes that the governance of these territories will meet the needs and aspirations of the populations and facilitate reconciliation. | 1 |
22,302 | us support emboldens israel to defy intl law author | kashmiris observes black day decades after india occupied kashmir thu oct pm pakistanis shout slogans in the support of the kashmiri people during a protest in lahore on october afp
javed ranapress tv islamabad
kashmiri people observe the black day all over the world particularly in their disputed region which is divided between pakistan and india the date marks almost decades of violence in kashmir on the eve of the event pakistani prime minister nawaz sharif warned india that it will face serious consequences if its soldiers do not stop killing civilians in border regions along the socalled line of control loc which divides indiancontrolled kashmir from the pakistani side loading | 1 |
22,303 | Deputy Attorney General PISSED; Trump Ordered Him To Find Reason To Fire Comey | Just when you think you re starting to figure out what happened with James Comey getting fired from the FBI, another tidbit of information comes out and turns the whole thing on its head once again.In a new twist, Donald Trump knew that Comey reported directly to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. So, in an effort to move things along with Comey, he had them come to the White House.According to The Washington Post: The president already had decided to fire Comey, according to this person. But in the meeting, several White House officials said Trump gave Sessions and Rosenstein a directive: to explain in writing the case against Comey. And we all know what happened next. The memos were written by all parties and made public pretty fast. Faster than Comey could even become aware he was fired.Here s the thing, though. Deputy AG Rosenstein is pissed he s basically become the fall guy for Trump.WaPo reports: Rosenstein threatened to resign after the narrative emerging from the White House on Tuesday evening cast him as a prime mover of the decision to fire Comey and that the president acted only on his recommendation, said the person close to the White House, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. You see, the narrative came out that Comey went to the Justice Department only days before he was fired requesting more prosecutors and other personnel to accelerate the bureau s investigation into Russia s interference in the presidential election. And this request was made to Rosenstein, whose memo was used to justify Mr. Comey s abrupt dismissal on Tuesday. Now that Rosenstein is pissed, it s looking more and more likely that Trump may have planned it this way and made Rosenstein the fall guy for Comey s removal.The plot in this story of mayhem is definitely getting thicker and it will be interesting to see how things progress in the coming weeks and months.Featured Photo by Getty Images | 0 |
22,304 | Billionaire Pinera recaptures Chile presidency with resounding win | SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Conservative Sebastian Pinera won Chile s presidential election by a wider-than-forecast margin on Sunday, pledging to jump-start economic growth in the world s top copper exporter and opt for more business-friendly policies than his center-left predecessor. Chile s electoral authority called the election for former president Pinera, who won 54.58 percent of votes compared with 45.42 percent for the center-left Alejandro Guillier, in a race that had been considered a toss-up. In the end, the 68-year-old Pinera, who governed from 2010 to 2014, won more votes than any president since Chile s return to democracy in 1990. It was also the biggest ever loss for the center-left coalition that has dominated Chile s politics since the end of Augusto Pinochet s dictatorship. Neither Pinera nor Guillier marked a dramatic shift from Chile s long-standing free-market economic model, but Pinera s victory underscores an increasing tilt to the right in South America following the rise of conservative leaders in Peru, Argentina and Brazil. He is due to be sworn in on March 11. Despite our great differences, there are large points of agreement, Pinera said of Guillier as his supporters waved Chilean flags in downtown Santiago. In the streets of Santiago s wealthy neighborhoods, where Pinera took some 90 percent of votes, residents blared their horns in support. In his concession speech, Guillier called his nine-point loss a harsh defeat and urged his supporters to defend the progressive reforms of outgoing President Michelle Bachelet s second term. Pinera defeated Guillier, a former TV anchorman and current senator, by painting his policies as extreme in a country known for its moderation, and likening him to Venezuela s socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Guillier had championed Bachelet s agenda of reducing inequality by making education more affordable and overhauling the tax code. The investor favorite in the $250 billion economy, Pinera s proposals are seen as pro mining in a country where copper is king. He has pledged support and stable funding for Chile s state-run miner Codelco [COBRE.UL], and has promised to slash red tape which had bogged down projects under Bachelet. The campaign exposed deepening rifts among Chile s once bedrock center-left, an opening Pinera leveraged to rally more centrist voters around his proposals to cut corporate taxes and double economic growth. After a far leftist party made unexpected gains in November s first round, Pinera seized on the division, campaigning on a platform of scaling back and perfecting Bachelet s tax and labor laws. Bachelet s policies were seen by many in the business community as crimping investment at a time slumping copper prices were weighing on the economy. I voted for him for the economy, said Jose Oyaneder, a 54-year-old salesman at campaign headquarters. When he was president my (business) was quite good and I hope this time it s the same. The results were tabulated in just over two hours after nearly 7 million Chileans cast ballots in a country of 17 million people where voting is not mandatory. The son of a prominent centrist politician, Pinera is a Harvard-trained economist who made his fortune introducing credit cards to Chile in the 1980s. As of 2017, he was ranked #745 on Forbes global rich list, with a $2.7 billion fortune. Over months of aggressive campaigning, the former president brandished his business success and first term in office as proof of competence, contrasting himself with Guillier s relative lack of political and executive experience. Pinera s first administration was marked by a vibrant economy lifted by booming copper prices, but is perhaps best remembered for the spectacular rescue in 2010 of 33 miners who were trapped underneath the Atacama desert. His time in power was also marred by incessant street protests by thousands of students seeking an education overhaul, while his government s responses were often seen as out of touch. Pinera has promised to make Chile the first country in Latin America to achieve developed nation status in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based club of wealthy nations. Some things have to be fixed - health, pensions, a lot of discrimination in Chile, said Laura Garcia, 64, who works in a cleaning company. I have faith in Pinera. | 1 |
22,305 | Trump Just Added Assassination To His List Of Presidential Promises | Well, here we go again. Donald Trump saying something weird, stupid or offensive has become as common as the sun rising. Despite that, he just keeps managing to take things up one more notch on the ladder of inflammatory nonsense.Today s new normal in stupidity comes with Trump s declaration that he would be open to arranging the assassination of world leaders that he doesn t like. This was revealed when he said that he would make China assassinate Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea.Trump elaborated a bit on his plan for forcing another country to assassinate people. However, he failed to explain exactly how he could force another sovereign nation to actually do something so asinine: I would get China to make that guy [Kim Jong Un] disappear in one form or another very quickly. China has control, absolute control of North Korea. They don t say it, but they do, and they should make that problem disappear China is sucking us dry. They re taking our money, they re taking our jobs and doing so much. We have rebuilt China with what they ve taken out. We have power over China. China should do that. Source: InquisitrWe all know it isn t a big shock when Republicans, Trump in particular, simply don t know what the hell they are talking about. However, on this one, Trump really does take the cake. State-arranged assassination is illegal in the U.S. and has been for decades. Gerald Ford banned it via executive order in 1976, and Jimmy Carter strengthened the ban again in 1978. Executive Order 12036 lays it out plain as day.2-305. Prohibition on Assassination. No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.Source: fas.orgThis follows promises by Trump to not only bring back waterboarding but to also include new and unspecified methods of torture that he calls a hell of a lot worse. Do you know who else assassinates people and tortures enemies of the state? North Korea. Will Trump get so bad that he advocates for the assassination of himself? It would be ironic.Featured image from alan.com | 0 |
22,306 | #PhoenixRally ROCKS! WATCH: President Trump Calls Out “Antifa” Terror Group…Crowd Chants “CNN SUCKS” | President Trump spoke to a huge and enthusiastic crowd tonight in Phoenix, AZ. It wouldn t be Donald J. Trump if he didn t call out our dishonest and very fake news media. Trump told the crowd, Media doesn t want to report that I spoke out against violence and bigotry in reference to his comments following the horrible clashes in Charlottesville, VA, where in the aftermath, Trump blamed both sides. The media quickly condemned him and tried to twist his words to make it appear as though he refused to condemn the KKK, simply because he wasn t willing to let the violent George Soros, anti-American group Antifa or the violent domestic terror group, Black Lives Matter off the hook for their part in the violent conflict.PRESIDENT TRUMP: "Media doesn't want to report that I spoke out against bigotry and violence." pic.twitter.com/mS66R0Gvzv Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) August 23, 2017Trump went after the media for pushing a false narrative and assisting the Democrat Party to divide our nation.PRESIDENT TRUMP: "It's time to expose the crooked media's deceptions. And to challenge the media for their role in fomenting divisions." pic.twitter.com/xWMInGrcbq Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) August 23, 2017It wouldn t be a Trump rally if the crowd didn t call out the fake media by chanting, CNN sucks! WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Crowds chant "CNN sucks" after President Trump calls their ratings "pathetic" #PhoenixRally pic.twitter.com/vxfmJFbGRk Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) August 23, 2017The best part came when President Trump called out the radical, George Soros supported hate group, Antifa. Trump calls out ANTIFA. #PhoenixRally pic.twitter.com/2HwdEK3Fp6 Based Monitored (@BasedMonitored) August 23, 2017Here s a great photo of the violent group Antifa at the Phoenix rally:Here's a partial view of the antifa contingent in Phoenix pic.twitter.com/zk2oxtveZd Hunter Walker (@hunterw) August 23, 2017 | 0 |
22,307 | Obama enlists Republican Kasich to push for TPP trade deal | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ohio’s Republican governor, John Kasich, took over the White House briefing lectern on Friday to praise the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, an unusual move that shows how hard President Barack Obama will push for the trade deal’s approval. Obama, a Democrat who is leaving office in four months, met with the governor, who fell short in his bid to be the Republican presidential candidate, in the White House Oval Office to discuss strategies for overcoming domestic political angst over the TPP. The unlikely partnership comes as the White House makes a final full-court push to persuade Republican congressional leaders to approve the deal in a “lame duck” session after the Nov. 8 election. Both Republican and Democratic candidates have pilloried the TPP. “We cannot get to the point in America that because a Democrat wants something, you can’t agree with them,” Kasich said in an impassioned plea to Republican lawmakers to back the deal, which is a key part of Obama’s foreign policy legacy. Kasich said the deal is vital for the U.S. economy and also to counter China and Russia, and said business leaders need to apply pressure on lawmakers to approve it. “Right now, China is pushing hard to create their own trade agreement,” Obama told reporters in the Oval Office ahead of the meeting, saying U.S. businesses were at risk of being “cut out” of Asia, the world’s fastest-growing market. “I promise you that China’s not going to be setting up a bunch of rules that are going to be to the advantage of American companies and American businesses,” Obama said. Other business and political leaders also attended the meeting, including former Republican Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, International Business Machines Corp Chief Executive Officer Virginia Rometty and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Republicans traditionally have backed free trade deals, but the party’s presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has blamed the agreements for U.S. job losses and threatened to tear them up should he win. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the TPP would not get a Senate vote this year, and House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan has said he does not see enough votes for it to pass. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has also opposed the deal, which is unpopular with labor unions and environmental groups. Obama has said he hopes opposition cools after the election. The White House has pointed to opinion polls showing most Americans support trade as a sign that the TPP could still squeak through Congress. “If you’re frustrated about rules of trade that disadvantage America, if you’re frustrated about jobs being shipped overseas ... then you want to get this thing passed,” Obama told reporters. On his final trip to Asia as president earlier this month, Obama spent time reassuring nervous partners that the United States would finalize the TPP. But on Friday, Vietnam’s parliament indicated it would not ratify the deal quickly. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Vietnam’s decision was not a setback. “I think the real stumbling block, the real impediment, the obstacle here is (the U.S.) Congress,” Earnest said, noting there was “every indication” that Vietnam would proceed as long as Congress approved the TPP. | 1 |
22,308 | Even Trump Vodka Was A Charity Scam | While Donald Trump is undeniably very wealthy, but he was apparently never taught the responsibilities that go with wealth to give back to the community. First, we learn that Trump gives virtually none of his own money to charity, then we learn that 4money tagged for veterans never got there. Now, we re learning that he s ripping charities off with his vodka.The very fact that Trump is marketing vodka under his name shows a serious lack of conviction and character. He doesn t drink and his brother died from what Trump attributes to alcohol. I sort of hated doing it, Trump said at the time of his vodka-licensing deal. My brother, Fred, who was the best, ended up being an alcoholic. And I learned a lot about alcohol and alcoholism from Fred. Source: Huffington PostSo, Trump said he d give the money, all the money, to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. I m going to give 100 percent of that money to them in honor of my late brother, Fred Trump, Trump wrote in December 2005. I guarantee you that Fred is looking down now and saying, That s really the best thing to do. Mothers Against Drunk Driving didn t receive the money. To be fair, Trump said they refused it because the money would have been ill gotten gains, at least from their perspective. They didn t want to profit from the sale of alcohol.Still, Trump has a terrible charitable record. During the last two decades, Trump, the alleged billionaire, has given only $3.7 million to charity. He s not even the largest contributor to his very own foundation. That s the World Wrestling Foundation. Even evil Leona Hensley was more charitable than Trump.As for Trump Vodka, that s no more. The company, like so many of Trump s companies, went belly up and the distillery moved to (surprise) Mexico.Is this the most pressing issue facing Trump s campaign? Perhaps not, but it could help wake people up to the fact that he is no more than an every day conman. He has no intention of living up to any of his shallow promises.Featured image via John Moore at Getty Images | 0 |
22,309 | Puerto Rico readies fiscal plan, awaits oversight board: governor | NEW YORK (Reuters) - Puerto Rico’s governor said on Tuesday he expected to present an updated fiscal plan for the debt-laden U.S. territory shortly after the White House appoints members of a federal oversight board with authority to renegotiate its $70 billion of debt. “I expect this new fiscal plan will be ready once the board is announced,” Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla told reporters in New York via a Skype video conference call from his office in San Juan. The call was part of an event organized by the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. On June 30th, U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act just one day before the island faced a deadline to make a debt payment of around $2 billion. Garcia Padilla authorized a suspension of the payments just after Obama signed the bill into law. Under the act, the deadline for naming the seven-member board is Sept. 15. Garcia Padilla said on Tuesday he did not have any idea who would be named nor the timing, but hoped it would happen before the end of August. Obama will choose from candidates presented by Republican and Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate. Garcia Padilla, who is not running for reelection and has said the board would be an imposition on the island’s sovereignty, accepted that the legislation was needed in order to work out a solution. The oversight board has the authority to enforce balanced budgets and government reform if the Puerto Rican government fails to do so, including the sale of government assets, the consolidation of agencies and staff cuts. The board also has the authority to facilitate consensual restructuring talks, or push Puerto Rico into a court-supervised process akin to U.S. bankruptcy. After years of talks between the government and its creditors, failure to reach an agreement on restructuring the debt led to the passage of the legislation that all parties said was imperfect but necessary. Garcia Padilla said he was still open to talking with creditors and that “prosperity will not return overnight.” | 1 |
22,310 | HOLLYWOOD HYPOCRITES: These Lefty Celebs Play For Brutal Dictators But Not For Trump | J-Lo was sorry. She didn t mean to sing Happy Birthday to someone accused of grave human rights abuses.That s what she did when she serenaded Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, president of Turkmenistan, over the summer.Turkmenistan is known as one of the world s most repressive countries, according to Human Rights Watch. The former Soviet bloc country is regularly criticized for its poor treatment of women, the condition of its prisons as well as the intimidation of journalists.But J-Lo didn t know any of that, and if she had, says her rep, she wouldn t have accepted $1.5 million for the pleasure of singing to its head of state. Via: prl As our childish and biased media chuckles at President-elect Donald Trump s inability to attract some big name stars to perform at his upcoming inauguration celebration, there is a vital part of the story this very same media does not want to tell. The inconvenient part about how a number of these rich and famous celebrities, many of them Obama and Hillary supporters, have willingly performed in the past for murderous dictators, human rights abusers, and Russian gangsters.RELATED: 9 CELEBS WHO PLAYED FOR EVIL FOREIGN TYRANTSDid you know that Beyonc , who has performed live for both President Obama and Hillary Clinton, has also performed for the family of Libya s murderous dictator, the late-Muammar el-Qaddafi? For a fat seven-figure paycheck on New Year s Eve 2009, Bey belted out her hits for the Qaddafis at a lavish, champagne-soaked party. Also in attendance, her husband Jay-Z, hip-hop kingpin Russell Simmons, Usher, and Jon Bon Jovi.Read more: The Daily Wire | 0 |
22,311 | Explosion wounds five Bahraini policemen: agency | DUBAI (Reuters) - Five Bahraini policemen were lightly injured in a terrorist explosion outside the capital Manama on Monday, the state news agency reported. The agency said the blast occurred in the village of Daih on Budaiya road while the policemen were guarding a procession by Shi ite Muslims marking the annual Ashura festival, which commemorates the death of Prophet Mohammad s grandson Imam Hussein some 1400 years ago. The agency quoted the interior ministry as saying on its Twitter account that the necessary steps were being taken, without giving any details. The explosion was the latest in a series of attacks targeting policemen in the Western-allied country, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based. The government blames the attacks on Shi ite militants it says are backed by Iran to destabilize the country, a charge Tehran denies. In June, a member of Bahrain s security forces was killed in an explosion in the village of Diraz, the hometown of the spiritual leader of the country s Shi ite community Ayatollah Isa Qassim. The interior ministry blamed terrorists for the attack. | 1 |
22,312 | Trump Takes Credit For Republican ‘Win’ In Georgia, And Gets Brutally Humiliated With Math | You would think that a businessman would understand math. Not Donald Trump.Democratic congressional candidate Jon Ossoff narrowly missed an outright victory in Georgia on Tuesday.As Republicans poured money into the race, Ossoff s anti-Trump campaign soared and nearly cruised to an easy win in a district that is considered a Republican fortress.In other words, Ossoff should not have been able to even get close to winning. But Donald Trump s increasing unpopularity combined with his incompetence gave Democrats a strategy to become competitive in even the most conservative areas.After being upset in Delaware and nearly losing in Kansas, Republicans had much to be worried about on Tuesday as election results flowed in.Even Trump recognized that the race in Georgia represents a backlash against his administration and Republican power in Congress, which is why he attacked Ossoff repeatedly on Twitter.It s a test of what Republicans could expect in 2018 when the midterm election rolls around.Instead of a Republican wave, however, the current party that controls Congress could be swept out of power by a Democratic wave, paving the way for Trump s impeachment and the reversal of the destructive policies he and his Republican friends in Congress have put in place so far.In the end, Ossoff did not secure the 50 percent of the vote needed to win. The election now heads to a runoff in June between Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel.But that didn t stop Trump from declaring that race a victory for Republicans and taking credit for it.Despite major outside money, FAKE media support and eleven Republican candidates, BIG R win with runoff in Georgia. Glad to be of help! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2017Dems failed in Kansas and are now failing in Georgia. Great job Karen Handel! It is now Hollywood vs. Georgia on June 20th. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2017The problem is that Democrats did not fail. Ossoff captured 48 percent of the vote in a district that should have easily been won by Republicans. Handel only got 19 percent of the vote and Ossoff got more votes than just about every Republican on the ticket combined.Twitter users were more than happy to humiliate Trump s math skills.@realDonaldTrump Dems didn t fail in Georgia. The super liberal Democrat @ossoff got more votes than every single Republican by far. #FactsMatter pic.twitter.com/9ToZdC7Zlq William LeGate (@williamlegate) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump They did but .sweetie Republicans are failing in those districts to win by same margins as they did before YOU came along. Erich McElroy (@erichmcelroy) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump He got 48% of the vote twice as much as Handel. Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump By failing you mean how well Ossoff did despite tons of dark money spending by the Reps in Rep territory. Alright. Anirvan Ghosh (@anirvanghosh) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump Just for the record, Ossoff won twice the number of popular votes as Handel. That s called a win . Anirvan Ghosh (@anirvanghosh) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump You should ask Ossoff how it feels to actually win the popular vote. Mark Pygas (@MarkPygas) April 19, 2017@JordanUhl @realDonaldTrump Just gotta love the fact that a reality tv star is whining about Hollywood Patricia Zh. (@ljtost) April 19, 2017@Mike_P_Williams @realDonaldTrump I don t ever remember @BarackObama repeatedly bashing every person that didn t vote for him. Probably because he was a decent person, though Dana Smith (@Brady5thOrBust) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump Are you kidding me? Are you unable to comprehend basic math? Dems have the most votes in GA. What is wrong with you? ? (@VeeVee) April 19, 2017@realdonaldtrump Fail . You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means. pic.twitter.com/iyewM44nC3 Howdy Doody (@DanHowdle) April 19, 2017@realDonaldTrump #Ossoff got a bigger percentage of the vote than you did. Kristina Wong (@mskristinawong) April 19, 2017It s time for Republicans to face reality. Donald Trump is hurting their party and is the reason why they are heading for a major defeat in 2018.Featured Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | 0 |
22,313 | Trump University asks for trial delay until after inauguration | CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has requested that a trial over a lawsuit by former students of his now-defunct Trump University be put on hold until after the presidential inauguration, according to a motion filed by his lawyer late Saturday. A trial in federal court in San Diego over former Trump University students’ claims that they were defrauded by a series of real-estate seminars is scheduled to begin on Nov. 28, but Trump lawyer Daniel Petrocelli said the president-elect needs to “devote all of his time and attention to the transition process.” Trump is due to assume office on Jan. 20, 2017. “The 69 days until inauguration are critical and all-consuming,” Petrocelli said in the filing, arguing that the president-elect should not be required to stand trial during that time. Petrocelli had said at a hearing in San Diego on Thursday that he would request the delay, though U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing the lawsuit, told lawyers he was not inclined to put off the six-year-old case further and encouraged the parties to settle. The lawsuit involves students who claim they were lured by false promises to pay up to $35,000 to learn Trump’s real estate investing “secrets” from his “hand-picked” instructors. Trump owned 92 percent of Trump University and had control over all major decisions, the students’ court papers say. The president-elect denies the allegations and has argued that he relied on others to manage the business. Curiel also tentatively rejected last week a bid by the president-elect to keep a wide range of statements from the presidential campaign, which included attacks against Curiel himself, out of the fraud trial. Trump attacked the judge as biased against him. He claimed Curiel, who was born in Indiana but is of Mexican descent, could not be impartial because of Trump’s election campaign pledge to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s lawyers have argued that Curiel should bar from the trial accusations about Trump’s personal conduct including alleged sexual misconduct, his taxes and corporate bankruptcies, along with speeches and tweets. Curiel is presiding over two cases against Trump and the university. A separate lawsuit by New York’s attorney general is pending. While presidents enjoy immunity from lawsuits arising from their official duties, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that this shield does not extend to acts alleged to have taken place prior to taking office. | 1 |
22,314 | Brexit would hurt Britain, EU and global economy: White House adviser in newspaper | BERLIN (Reuters) - If Britain were to leave the European Union, it would hurt Britain and Europe as well as the global economy, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers told a German newspaper. “You can certainly argue about whether the damage a Brexit would cause would be small, medium or big but it would definitely cause damage, especially for the Brits but also for the Europeans and the global economy,” Jason Furman said in an interview with Handelsblatt. “We don’t need more uncertainty at the moment,” he added. | 1 |
22,315 | Lebanon to complain to U.N. over Israel violating airspace | BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon will file a complaint to the United Nations against Israel for violating the country s airspace and causing damage by breaking the sound barrier in the south of the country, its foreign minister said on Monday. Israeli jets flew low over the southern city of Saida on Sunday, causing sonic booms that broke windows and shook buildings for the first time in years, Lebanese security sources and residents said. We have started preparing to file a complaint to the (U.N.) Security Council against Israel for flying its planes at low altitude... causing material, moral and sovereign damage, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said in a tweet. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said Lebanon would issue its complaint against Israel for planting spy devices on Lebanese land and continuously breaching its airspace, his office said. Israeli warplanes regularly enter Lebanon s airspace, the Lebanese army says, but rarely fly so low. The Israeli military gave no immediate comment. Tensions have risen recently between Lebanon s Hezbollah and Israel, which fought a month-long war in 2006. The 2006 war killed around 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, most of them troops. Israel has targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah inside Syria in recent years, including military leaders in several deadly strikes, but there has been no major direct confrontation. | 1 |
22,316 | Alabama County Succeeds In Re-Instituting School Segregation | The Republican-controlled southern states have done very little in recent years to scale back the impact of America s history of racism, from stubbornly supporting the Confederate flag on government property to retorting All Lives Matter to the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as dismissing all concerns posed by institutional, systemic, and overt racism prevalent throughout the country.In Sumter County, Alabama, a quarter of the county s children are white, but not a single one of them attends a public school. A report by Dan Carsen of a local NPR affiliate on the county s school district shows the schools are in terrible shape due to neglect and lack of funding precipitated by school segregation. They live in this county, but they will not send their children to the schools in this county, Sumter School County Board Member Julene Delaine told Dan Carsen in an interview. Instead, many white families send their kids to a local private academy or outside the area. We shop in the same place. We eat at the same restaurant. So why can t our kids go to school together? Carsen also reported that while other states provide extra funding to low income school districts, Alabama does not. The state also refuses to increase taxes to compensate for the needed income. Alabama s Republican Governor, Robert Bentley, has gained a notorious reputation for corruption and abuse. He has recently been accused of having an affair with a political aide, increasing pay of his staff substantially despite the state s budget concerns after he blocked a minimum wage increase in the city of Birmingham, and is using over $1 million in taxpayer money to remodel a second Governor s mansion.In contrast to Sumter County s public schools, not a single person of color can be found in photos of Sumter County s private school, Sumter Academy. The school s website also touts that it is a Christian based learning environment. Under the veil of emphasizing privatization over government ownership and regulation, the Christian Right has been able to succeed in inoculating themselves from having to adhere to federal laws protecting the rights of black people and other marginalized groups.Featured image courtesy of Flickr | 0 |
22,317 | Smart Cities, Androids, Technocracy, Kevin Spacey, Corey Feldman: Boiler Room EP #134 | Tune in to the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR) for another LIVE broadcast of The Boiler Room tonight 6:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM CST | 9:00 PM EST for this special broadcast. Join us for uncensored, uninterruptible talk radio, custom-made for bar fly philosophers, misguided moralists, masochists, street corner evangelists, media-maniacs, savants, political animals and otherwise lovable rascals.Join ACR hosts Hesher and Spore along side Jay Dyer of Jays Analysis, Andy Nowicki (The Nameless One.) Randy J & Infidel Pharaoh (ACR & 21Wire Contributors) for the hundred and thirty fourth episode of BOILER ROOM. Turn it up, tune in and hang with the ACR Brain-Trust for this weeks boil downs and analysis and the usual gnashing of the teeth of the political animals in the social reject club.On this episode of Boiler Room the ACR Brain-Trust is going over a flood of strange media as we witness the slippery downward spiraling slope of the deviant trans-humanist hopefuls, the degenerate culture crushing neo-leftists, the discredited main stream media, the Sodom and Gomorrah known as Hollywood and a crumbling politicization of engineered events.Direct Download Episode #134 Please like and share the program and visit our donate page to get involved! Reference Links, for your consideration and research: | 0 |
22,318 | BREAKING: SAUDI DEPUTY CROWN PRINCE Secretly Rushed Into West Wing Of White House [Video] | PLEASE NOTE: No press allowed inside or anywhere near the meeting today with the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince: | 0 |
22,319 | FLASHBACK: GRAPHIC VIDEO SHOWS Hillary Supporters Beating “Deplorable”Trump Supporters Bloody | Did Hillary forget about her deplorable supporters who beat innocent Trump supporters bloody at one rally after another only a few months ago? But WE are the #BasketOfDeplorables? Share this. Because we aren't! pic.twitter.com/vRN2GqIYzo Black Women 4 Trump (@TallahForTrump) September 10, 2016 | 0 |
22,320 | Trump arrives in Philippines for Asian leaders' summit | MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the Philippine capital Manila on Sunday to attend an annual gathering of leaders from East and Southeast Asian countries. Trump arrived from Vietnam, where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, during which he delivered a strong message on trade and briefly met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The Philippines will be the last leg of a tour that has also taken Trump to Japan, China and South Korea. Just hours before Trump’s arrival, Philippine riot police used water canon to prevent hundreds of anti-American protesters from reaching the U.S. embassy in Manila. | 1 |
22,321 | Palestinians may seek U.N. Assembly support if U.S. vetoes Jerusalem resolution: envoy | DUBAI (Reuters) - The Palestinian leadership may turn to the U.N. General Assembly if Washington vetoes a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to reaffirm Jerusalem s status as unresolved, after President Donald Trump s decision to recognize it as Israel s capital. The Palestinian United Nations envoy raised this option in remarks published in Saudi daily Arab News on Monday, ahead of a Security Council vote on an Egyptian-drafted resolution about Jerusalem s status which the United States is expected to veto. The draft says any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded . Trump s Dec. 6 decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel s capital and to move the U.S. Embassy to the city has provoked widespread anger and protests among Palestinians as well as broad international criticism, including from top U.S. allies. Israel says Jerusalem is its indivisible capital. It captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in a move never recognized internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state they seek in territory Israel captured a half century ago. Arab News quoted Ambassador Riyad Mansour as saying that the Palestinians and Egyptians have worked closely with Security Council members while drafting the resolution to ensure that it gets overwhelming support. The Europeans in particular asked us to avoid terms like denounce and condemn, and not to mention the U.S. by name, it quoted Mansour as saying. We acceded to their request but kept the active clauses rejecting all changes to Jerusalem and the reaffirmation of previous decisions. Israel has long accused the United Nations of bias against it in its conflict with the Palestinians and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump s move again on Sunday. The Palestinians have the option of invoking a rarely-used article of the U.N. Charter that calls for parties to a dispute not to cast a veto, Arab News said. But, it said, they are more likely to take the issue to the General Assembly under Resolution 377A, known as the Uniting for Peace resolution. Resolution 377A was passed in 1950 and used to authorize the deployment of U.S. troops to fight in the Korean war. Mansour said Palestinians resorted to the Uniting for Peace resolution in the 1990s after Israel began building a settlement on Jabal Abut Ghnaim, a hilltop on occupied West Bank land south of Jerusalem, but left that session in suspension. However, they could seek a resumption of the session, he said. If the resolution is vetoed, the Palestinian delegation can send a letter to the U.N. Secretary General and ask him to resume the emergency session, he said, according to Arab News. | 1 |
22,322 | Number of U.S. visas to citizens of Trump travel ban nations drops | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States issued about 40 percent fewer temporary visas in March to citizens of seven countries covered by President Donald Trump’s temporary travel bans than it did in an average month last year, according to a Reuters analysis of preliminary government data released on Thursday. At the same time, the data showed that the total of U.S. non-immigrant visas issued to people from all countries was up by nearly 5 percent in March compared to the 2016 monthly average. Citizens of the seven Muslim-majority nations under the bans - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - received about 3,200 non-immigrant visas in March 2017, compared to about 5,700 on average per month during the 2016 fiscal year and more than 6,000 on average per month in 2015 and 2014. Trump's travel bans were later blocked by the courts. The State Department released the data to comply with a directive from Trump asking it to publish monthly breakdowns of the number of visas issued around the world. The department did not release data on the total number of all types of visa applications, so it is unclear whether the lower number of temporary visas for citizens of the seven countries is because of a higher rate of rejections or other factors, such as fewer applicants or slower processing times. A State Department official noted that “visa demand is cyclical, not uniform throughout the year, and affected by various factors at the local and international level. Visa issuance numbers tend to increase during peak travel seasons, such as during the summer and the winter holidays.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. March is neither a busy nor slow time for temporary visa issuances to people from the seven countries, several immigration lawyers said. Therefore, the significant drops are notable, they said. The data is preliminary and numbers could be subject to minor revision, the State Department said. Previously, such data was only available in aggregate by fiscal year, and the department declined to break out March visa data from previous years. Nevertheless, some immigration attorneys said the numbers released on Thursday provide a glimpse into how Trump’s policies are affecting visa decisions. “Either there are many fewer people applying because they believe they will be denied, or a much higher rate of denials is already happening even though the executive orders have been blocked,” said William Stock, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Trump, who has said the travel bans were intended to make Americans safer from attacks by terrorists, signed an executive order on Jan. 27 barring people from the seven countries from entering the United States for 90 days. The order was blocked by federal courts and the Trump administration replaced it with a revised, narrower travel ban effective March 16 which dropped Iraq from the list. Courts have also halted parts of the second order. The number of non-immigrant visas issued to Iranians dropped to 1,572 in March from 2,450 per month on average in 2016 according to the data. Iraqis received 684 such visas in March, compared to nearly twice that number per month on average in 2016, the data showed. Iranians also received fewer immigrant visas, which are granted to family members of U.S. citizens or those with jobs in the United States, than the average in previous years - 393 received immigrant visas in March, compared to 644 on average per month in 2016 and nearly 600 on average per month in 2015 and 2014. Although visitor visas were down across the board for the seven targeted countries, two of them saw the number of immigrant visas issued tick up slightly. Forty-one Libyans received immigrant visas in March, compared to 32 per month on average in 2016. Somalians received 171 visas in March compared to 150 on average in 2016. Immigration lawyers said that although the travel bans have been halted by courts for now, the administration’s vow to put stricter controls on immigration is likely to have changed how U.S. consulates evaluate visa applicants. Stephen Pattison, a former State Department consular official now working as an immigration attorney, said consulates “are going to probably err more on the side of denying some people that they’d be on the fence about.” Anecdotally, several U.S.-based lawyers with Iranian clients say their visa applications are taking longer to process and are being rejected more often since Trump took office on Jan. 20. They cite shortages of interview appointments for Iranians, interviews canceled at the last minute and longer “administrative processing” periods than they are accustomed to. “If you can’t get an interview, you can’t get a visa,” said Babak Yousefzadeh, a San Francisco-based attorney and member of the board of directors of the Iranian American Bar Association. Some Iranians have decided that for now, it is not worth it to risk the expense and time of making U.S. visa applications, said Kiyanoush Razaghi, a Maryland-based immigration attorney. In addition to paying a standard $160 visa application fee, Iranians must typically travel to Turkey, Armenia or the United Arab Emirates for their interviews, since there is no U.S. diplomatic presence in Iran. “That’s a fundamental change that I am seeing, at least in the community and among the clients that I have,” Razaghi said. “They have a general feeling that now is not a good time to apply for a visa.” | 1 |
22,323 | State lawmakers override bill veto to ease Chicago pension payments | CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago will be able to spread out state-mandated higher payments to its police and fire pensions after the Illinois Legislature on Monday overrode the governor’s veto of a bill that became entangled in a political impasse. The Senate voted 39-19 and the House voted 72-43 to undo Republican Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto on Friday that the city claimed would lead to a $300 million property tax hike. The bill gives Chicago short-term budget relief but will add to the city’s big pension funding gap. The override bolsters Democrats, who control the legislature, as they battle with Rauner over state assistance for Chicago and its public school system, which is seeking state money for its teachers’ pensions. The political impasse had left Illinois without a complete budget 11 months into fiscal 2016. Rauner called the bill “terrible policy,” while Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel accused him of using the city as a political pawn. Rauner’s spokeswoman Catherine Kelly released a statement reiterating the governor’s contention that the measure would end up costing Chicago taxpayers $18.6 billion over time. The measure alters a 2010 state law that boosted Chicago’s payments to its public safety workers’ pensions in order to reach a 90 percent funded level by 2040. Under that law, Chicago’s contribution will jump to nearly $834 million this year from $290.4 million in 2015, according to city figures. The new law reduces the payment to $619 million and allows for smaller increases through 2020 than under the 2010 law. It also gives the police and fire funds until 2055 to become 90 percent funded. The police system is 26 percent funded and the fire system 23 percent funded. Chicago’s fiscal 2016 budget assumed the bill’s enactment by lowering the city’s contribution to police and fire pensions by about $220 million. The city council also approved a $543 million phased-in property tax to exclusively cover higher contributions to the two retirement systems. House Speaker Michael Madigan was clearly delighted as he addressed reporters after budget talks with Rauner. “I think it was interesting the governor had nothing to say about the override. I was raised not to cause embarrassment for people so I didn’t raise it,” Madigan said. The city must still deal with underfunding problems for its municipal and laborers’ retirement systems after the Illinois Supreme Court in March tossed out a 2014 law that cut benefits and increased contributions to keep the pension funds from insolvency. | 1 |
22,324 | A low-key Trump ends social media silence | (Reuters) - After what seemed like a very long silence by his standards, Donald Trump returned to Twitter on Tuesday morning, striking an uncharacteristically low-key tone. “My experience in Iowa was a great one. I started out with all of the experts saying I couldn’t do well there and ended up in 2nd place. Nice,” tweeted Trump (@realDonaldTrump) on Tuesday. “Because I was told I could not do well in Iowa, I spent very little there - a fraction of Cruz & Rubio. Came in a strong second. Great honor,” he later tweeted. For months, opinion polls have placed the real estate mogul and former reality TV star as front-runner to be the Republican candidate in November’s U.S. presidential election. In his first test at the hands of voters - Monday’s Iowa caucuses, which kicked off the parties’ nominating process - Trump was beaten into second place by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. Senator Marco Rubio came in a close third. Trump’s Twitter account went dark from Monday evening for roughly 15 hours, an unusually long period for the White House hopeful, who averages about 17 tweets per day, according to TwitterCounter.com. His second-place showing in Iowa inspired a derisive hashtag called #___SupportsDonaldTrump. Twitter users used the hashtag to take shots at Trump, filling in the blank with universally loathed people. “Your high school teacher that didn’t let you use the bathroom when you needed to go badly #___SupportsDonaldTrump,” Faran (@Raizand_) tweeted Tuesday. Trump, who never tires of calling himself a “winner,” had his own favorite epithet used against him online. Twitter erupted Tuesday over the news that a website called “loser.com” directed Internet users to Trump’s Wikipedia page. (Reporting By Amy Tennery; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis) SAP is the sponsor of this coverage which is independently produced by the staff of Reuters News Agency. | 1 |
22,325 | LOCAL SHERIFF Escorting School Kids Not Allowed To Bring Gun Into Theater | Because shootings never happen in a gun-free theaters right? A local sheriff s deputy escorting a group of fifth-grade students on a field trip to the Fox Theater in Atlanta said he was told to stand outside because he was carrying his service weapon, reports WSB-TV.Monday, Sergeant Jack Gilroy was assigned to escort 60 fifth-grade students and their teachers from Stark Elementary School to the Fox Theater for a field trip.Butts County Sheriff Gary Long said it s standard procedure for an on-duty deputy to escort kids on all sporting events and field trips. It gives a sense of security to parents at work or home, Long said.Gilroy said a Fox Theater security officer asked him to leave the building or store his service weapon in his vehicle. How would the owner of the Fox explain if a shooting happened and here s a Butts County deputy sitting inside the theater without a weapon? Long said.Gilroy decided to keep his weapon and stand outside the theater for nearly three hours.A Fox Theater spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News their policy allows on-duty, uniformed law enforcers to enter the theater with their weapon. They released a statement that said, We plan to review our policies with the staff to ensure that procedures are clear moving forward. Gilroy said the security company called him to apologize.Via: Police Magazine | 0 |
22,326 | EU seriously concerned about Trump's Jerusalem decision | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union expressed serious concern on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying it could have repercussions for peace prospects. The aspirations of both parties must be fulfilled and a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement. Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and saying Washington would begin the process of moving its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. | 1 |
22,327 | Trump skips East Asia leaders Summit, sends Tillerson instead | MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump left the Philippines on Tuesday without attending an annual East Asia Summit, due to delays in the schedule of the program of meetings. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he delivered his prepared remarks during a lunch with the leaders instead. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would attend Tuesday’s summit in his place, a senior White House official said, adding the event was running too late. The meetings in Manila were approximately 90 minutes behind schedule. | 1 |
22,328 | Clinton sole presidential hopeful to attend Asian American forum | NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Democrat Hillary Clinton is the only presidential contender scheduled to attend a reception next week organized by a leading political association of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as she seeks to consolidate her support from minority voters. The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Leadership Network, a nonpartisan group that seeks to get Asian Americans elected to political office, said on Wednesday that it had invited all presidential hopefuls to the event in Washington, but Clinton was the only one to accept. The campaigns of Clinton’s Democratic rival Bernie Sanders and Republican hopeful Ted Cruz did not commit, and the campaign of Republican front-runner Donald Trump campaign responded that he was unlikely to attend, Floyd Mori, president and chief executive of the leadership network said. Republican John Kasich’s campaign did not respond. Minority voters have provided a boost to Clinton as she fends off a challenge from Vermont Senator Sanders for the Democratic nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election. African Americans helped her notch key wins in states such as South Carolina and this week in Maryland. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a smaller group, making up about 5.6 percent of the population, according to U.S. Census data. But in recent years they have been among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States. “We are a vote that is becoming increasingly powerful,” said Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat in Congress representing California, who will introduce Clinton at the event. “In this election we are the swing vote in the swing states,” Chu said, pointing to Virginia and Nevada. Still, challenges remain in building the Asian Americans electorate into a political force, Mori said. “We are not as good at registering Asian Americans (to vote) as a lot of other populations,” he said. “We need to do better.” | 1 |
22,329 | for sale hillarys state department | home news trump received by massive crowd in albuquerque new mexico trump received by massive crowd in albuquerque new mexico fisher mins ago news usa world comments off on trump received by massive crowd in albuquerque new mexico trump received by massive crowd in albuquerque new mexico
political pundits want you to believe that trump has already lost this election but by the size of the crowd that was chanting his name in albuquerque it looks like thats just not the case at all
new mexico is a blue state and has voted democrat for the past five elections looks like trump might be changing that as trump stepped on stage he was met by a crowd of over supporters chanting his name
sopan deb sopandeb october scene at the albuquerque airport as trump told in pictwittercomwrmdhpa
david martosko dmartosko october
loyal trump supporters even crossed an entire desert to see him in person talk about dedication
dont let the media and their phony polls fool you this is a movement and its scaring the hell out of all the washington elites they want you to believe trump doesnt have a chance so you stay home on voting day dont fall for it just look at these crowds | 0 |
22,330 | Congress approves permanent Internet access tax ban | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed legislation placing a permanent ban on states’ taxing Internet access, sending the measure to President Barack Obama for signing into law. By a vote of 75-20, the Senate gave final approval to a bill toughening enforcement of U.S. duties on foreign goods, which contains the permanent extension of the “Internet Tax Freedom Act.” The measure also would ban some taxes on digital goods and services and will put an end to a series of temporary extensions on the tax prohibitions. “Most Americans pay $0 in taxes to connect to the Internet. And thanks to a bill that passed today, you will never have to pay taxes just to get online, or pay more taxes for goods and services just because they’re bought online,” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement. The legislation, however, fails to address calls for better enforcement of state sales tax collections related to Internet purchases, something that brick-and-mortar businesses have long sought. Separate legislation on this could be considered by Congress later this year, according to Senate aides. Most U.S. states have imposed sales taxes on online purchases, but the actual collection is spotty. | 1 |
22,331 | U.S. seeks up to 27 months in prison for ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner | (This version of the Sept. 20 story corrects to say that Weiner was defeated and did not drop out of the 2013 mayoral election in last paragraph) By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday sought a prison sentence of 21 to 27 months for former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner, who admitted to sending sexually explicit messages to a teenage girl in a “sexting” scandal that played a role in last year’s U.S. presidential election. “Weiner, a grown man, a father, and a former lawmaker, willfully and knowingly asked a 15-year-old girl to display her body and engage in sexually explicit conduct for him online,” prosecutors said in a filing in Manhattan federal court. “Such conduct warrants a meaningful sentence of incarceration.” A lawyer for Weiner, who is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote next Monday, could not immediately be reached for comment. In a court filing last week, Weiner’s lawyers asked that he be sentenced to probation with no prison time, saying he acted out of the “depths of an uncontrolled sickness” for which he was now being treated. Weiner, 53, pleaded guilty in May to transferring obscene material to a minor. The investigation into Weiner’s exchanges with the teenage girl roiled the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign in its final days, when authorities found emails on Weiner’s laptop from his wife Huma Abedin, an aid to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Abedin has filed for divorce. The discovery of the emails prompted James Comey, then director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to announce in late October that the agency was reopening its investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while serving as U.S. secretary of state. Clinton has said the announcement contributed to her upset loss to Republican Donald Trump, who had accused her of endangering national security by using the private server. Comey testified before Congress in May that the emails found on Weiner’s computer included classified information. Trump fired Comey in May amid the FBI’s probe into whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to defeat Clinton, a claim the president has denied. Weiner served parts of New York City for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before resigning in 2011, when it emerged that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with adult women. Weiner and Abedin’s son, now 5 years old, was born several months later. In 2013, Weiner ran for New York City mayor, but was defeated in the Democratic primary after more lewd messages became public. | 1 |
22,332 | Nason, former Treasury official, being vetted for Fed role: sources | WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Nason, a General Electric executive and former Treasury Department official, is the front runner to become the Federal Reserve’s top Wall Street regulator under President-elect Donald Trump, sources familiar with the screening said on Thursday. Nason leads GE’s Energy Financial Services division, which funds worldwide energy development, mostly from thermal and renewable sources. In 2008, Nason was a deputy to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as U.S. regulators tried to stabilize Wall Street and prevent an economic meltdown after the housing market collapsed. Trump will have a chance to nominate the Fed’s vice chair for supervision - a role conceived in the wake of the financial collapse to watchdog Wall Street. If Nason is tapped for the role, he would be the most senior rule-writer for Wall Street with a large say in how leading banks are supervised day to day. In recent weeks, other names have been floated as vice chair candidates who can boast support from Wall Street. Representative French Hill, an Arkansas Republican and former banker, has been favored by some in the banking industry while some Washington lobbyists have favored Paul Atkins, a former commissioner with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While no final decision has been made on who should fill the job, Nason has Paulson’s backing and has become the front runner in recent weeks, the sources said. In the last several weeks, Nason has met with Trump’s senior economic advisers Gary Cohn and Steve Mnuchin, according to one source familiar with the meetings. A Trump spokesperson declined to comment. Trump has named Cohn as head of the White House National Economic Council and nominated Mnuchin as Treasury secretary. Both Cohn and Mnuchin held senior roles at Goldman Sachs, and they have heard directly from Paulson, the company’s former chief executive, that Nason is a solid pick, according to another source familiar with the screening. Nason did not immediately respond to a call for comment. A spokesman for Paulson declined to comment. In Paulson’s memoir, “On the Brink,” the former cabinet secretary singles Nason out for praise during the financial crisis. | 1 |
22,333 | Catalan separatists march in Brussels | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Nearly 50,000 people marched through Brussels European quarter on Thursday in support of Catalan independence and the region s ousted president, who has avoided arrest in Spain by taking refuge in Belgium. Before Carles Puigdemont addressed the crowd, many draped in Catalan flags, police estimated its size at 45,000. There were chants of Puigdemont, President from a generally good-natured throng, many of whom had traveled from Spain. Some carried placards criticizing the European Union for not pressuring Madrid. One sign showed the face of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker with the question: Democracy? Some defend it when it suits them. Shame on them. Puigdemont, who like many in the crowd wore yellow in support of jailed separatist leaders, addressed the crowd in Catalan before switching to French to direct a message to Juncker. Is there any place in the world that holds demonstrations like this to support criminals? he said. So maybe we are not criminals. Maybe we are democrats. Spain s Supreme Court on Tuesday withdrew an international arrest warrant for Puigdemont in order to bring his case back solely under Spanish jurisdiction, leaving him without an international legal stage to pursue his independence campaign. Puigdemont and four of his cabinet members fled to Belgium when Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia and sacked his government after an Oct. 27 declaration of independence by his local government. He is likely to be detained if he returns to Spain, pending investigation on charges of sedition, rebellion, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust. Puigdemont said on Wednesday he would remain in Belgium for the time being. Brussels is a kind of a loudspeaker for us, said Gloria Cot, a clerk from Barcelona at Thursday s march who had just arrived by coach. It is a loudspeaker so that people can know that we really don t have a 100 percent democracy in Spain and that Catalonia has always been subjected to problems with Spain. Juncker s deputy Frans Timmermans said he welcomed the very positive atmosphere of the demonstration, which took place as campaigning gets under way for a Catalan election on Dec. 21. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hopes pro-independence parties will lose their majority in the Catalan parliament in the election and end the deadlock created by his government s refusal to recognize a banned independence vote Puigdemont held in September. Polls have separatists and unionist parties in a tie. Timmermans said there was no change to Commission policy that the dispute with Catalan authorities remains an internal one in which the EU has no need to intervene because Spain s democratic constitution is functioning in line with EU values. He accused Puigdemont and his allies of undermining the rule of law by choosing to ignore a Spanish constitutional ban on secession rather than trying to change the constitution. If you do not agree with the law, you can organize yourselves to change the law or the constitution, he said. What is not permissible under the rule of law is to just ignore the law. | 1 |
22,334 | Former U.N. Ambassador Makes CRAZY Accusation Against Obama Over Russian Hacks | Our former U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, is a ridiculous conspiracy theorist. He s so ridiculous that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) will work to block his appointment to the Department of State as undersecretary. And, because conspiracy theorists can never keep their mouths shut about anything, he s got an absolutely wild theory about the Russian hacks: Obama did it.Seriously, that s the idea he floated on Fox News earlier today. He thinks that the hacks may have actually been a false flag operation courtesy of the Obama administration: It is not at all clear to me just viewing this from the outside, that this hacking into the DNC and the RNC computers was not a false flag operation. A false flag would mean that Obama himself undermined our electoral process to what? Make Russia look bad? Start a war? The guy sounds like Alex Jones, who thinks everything that happens is a false flag of one type or another.Bolton s logic, if, indeed, it can be called that, is this: [I]f you think the Russians did this, then why did they leave fingerprints?We would want to know who else might want to influence the election and why they would leave fingerprints that point to the Russians. That s why I say until we know more about how the intelligence community came to this conclusion we don t know whether it is Russian inspired or a false flag. Bolton is likely doing wonders for Trump s relationship with the intelligence community. Trump already pissed off the CIA by going after them for their report, rather than doing the responsible thing and calling for an investigation. But then again, if a real investigation did take place, it could reveal he didn t legitimately win the election.The horror.His ego couldn t handle that.And Bolton s conspiracy-theorish nature couldn t handle an investigation, either. Even so, accusing the Obama administration of orchestrating a false flag operation to steer our election and make it look like Russia did it is a serious deal. No wonder Rand Paul doesn t want this guy anywhere near the presidential cabinet.The full exchange is below, via Twitter:John Bolton suggests DNC hack was potentially a false flag operation by the Obama administration pic.twitter.com/3rHLwHawR8 Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) December 12, 2016Featured image by Ethan Miller via Getty Images | 0 |
22,335 | how americas elections are hacked missing link discovered | source seemorerocks
november
john key channels nz taxpeyers money to clinton foundation
this is information that every taxpayer or those that care should know about but our journalists are not doing their job
what with warships in our harbour and troops in iraq this government of john key is in lockstep with the most corrupt and warmongering part of the us government
no doubt key would approve of the clintons defrauding the people of haiti its his style
the cannabis party is calling on john key to explain why he gave over million of new zealand taxpayers money to the clinton foundation
legalise cannibis party
october
wikileaks raised serious ethical concerns about the clinton foundation when it published a hacked email send to clinton campaign chairman john podesta revealing blurred lines between the foundation and the personal financial interests of bill and hillary clinton
cannabis party leader julian crawford said if john key was serious about hiv prevention one of the clinton foundations supposed goals he should legalise medical cannabis in new zealand
hundreds of researchers have reported that thc was able to destroy the riv virus in monkeys that virus is nearly identical to the hiv virus found in humans he said
john key has a lot of explaining to do if the wikileaks revelations about the clinton foundation are true
former assistant director of the fbi thomas fuentes confirmed that the fbi has an intensive investigation ongoing into the clinton foundation
new zealands national business review has reported that john key will continue giving millions of dollars of taxpayers money to the foundation in the future despite the criminal investigation of hillary clinton
ive met her on lots of occasions had dinner with her at premier house a few times john key said
as secretary of state she was great very engaged with new zealand broadcaster duncan garner yesterday raised serious concerns about the ongoing payments to the clinton foundation known as paytoplay
we also give money to the clinton foundation yes we did gosh who didnt get a handout garner said
weve been feeding all these guys at the trough for years
paytoplay refers to operations where bill and hillary clinton rewarded big donors to their foundation with preferential access to the us government
the original article was in the neoliberal nbr behind a paywall
nz taxpayers will continue funding clinton foundations flagship | 0 |
22,336 | Trump Gets His A** Handed To Him For Whining That Slain Soldier’s Dad ‘Viciously’ Attacked Him | Donald Trump woke up on Sunday morning and decided to play the victim and Twitter was NOT having any of it.On Saturday, the Republican nominee responded to the speech delivered by Khizr Khan, the father of an American soldier who sacrificed his life to save the lives of the soldiers under his command.Khan told the DNC Convention that Trump has never sacrificed anything for this country and doesn t know what sacrifice is, and Trump proved him right.During an interview with ABC, Trump claimed that he has sacrificed a lot by listing things that he has done like building crap with his name on it. But sacrifice requires giving up something for the greater good, and that does not include building high-priced resorts only the wealthy can enjoy in order to enrich yourself.Almost instantly, a new hashtag was born as #TrumpSacrifices trended on Twitter.On Sunday morning, Trump whined that it is unfair to attack him because he has the right to respond to Khan s speech, which he characterized as a vicious attack and then threw in an attack on Hillary Clinton.I was viciously attacked by Mr. Khan at the Democratic Convention. Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2016Of course, Twitter users once again mercilessly mocked Trump for pretending that he is the victim. .@realDonaldTrump let us also not forget that you supported the war until it went bad Justin Green (@JGreenDC) July 31, 2016@swin24 @JGreenDC @realDonaldTrump Who in your family served? If captured or died soldiers don t count for you. PJaye (@Sewnsew27) July 31, 2016 .@realDonaldTrump his son died fighting for his country. You took draft deferments to avoid Vietnam Justin Green (@JGreenDC) July 31, 2016.@realDonaldTrump You were not viciously attacked. You were asked questions. Jacquie (@After_Words) July 31, 2016 @realDonaldTrump what do you have to offer besides a wall Danielle Sandler (@daniellesandler) July 31, 2016Textbook malignant narcissism. https://t.co/GCi0VbVmpj @realDonaldTrump Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) July 31, 2016 @realDonaldTrump miserable fuck-stick . Just walk away from this. Paul Raymond Cook (@Cooksphere) July 31, 2016@realDonaldTrumpThe correct response is: There is no greater sacrifice than to give of your life. They are welcome to their opinion. Todd (@toddlemieux) July 31, 2016 @EnemyWithinn @realDonaldTrump slamming a veteran is disgusting. Enough said. DrewInDetroit (@bridgespeaks) July 31, 2016@realDonaldTrump Allowed to? Sure. Should you? No. Knowing when not to speak is an important skill for a president. pic.twitter.com/o3ngWy7EgN Terrence O Brien (@TerrenceOBrien) July 31, 2016 @realDonaldTrump if you think being asked if you ve read the constitution (you know the Article XII thing) is viciously attacked, drop out Emanuel Z. (@therealezway) July 31, 2016@realDonaldTrump He asked if you had ever read the constitution. Couldn t you have just said yes or no ? Thin-skinned describes you. Quirkydude (@Quirkydude) July 31, 2016Again, Donald Trump lacks the temperament required to be president. No other candidate in the history of this country has whined this much. And the fact that Trump is incapable of letting things go and just moving on proves that the Republican Party made a grave mistake picking him as their nominee and the American people should make them pay the consequences by rejecting Trump by a landslide in November.Featured Image: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images | 0 |
22,337 | WATCH: HILARIOUS Video Shows Reddit User Apologizing To “Terror Organization” CNN After They Threatened To “Out” Him To Public | When CNN, who is owned by multi-billion dollar corporation Time-Warner threatened to out a private individual for doctoring a wrestling video of Donald Trump and replacing his face with a CNN logo, most Americans were stunned.#VeryFakeNewsCNN is likely going to rue the day they threatened a Reddit user that they would expose his identity to leftist thugs, as punishment for doctoring a video to make it look like CNN was being body-slammed by Donald Trump.My totally not forced apology to the great and truthy @CNN. #cnnblackmail pic.twitter.com/N9rmHs9ztS Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) July 5, 2017Wikileaks founder Julian Assange reminded CNN in a tweet that they committed a crime when they threatened the Reddit user. Assange cited the violation: 135.60 of the New York criminal code. Memes are showing up all over the place on social media mocking CNN s threat. Even worse, in some cases, the memes are resurrecting news stories that CNN would rather not see repeated on social media, like the the story about former CNN guest host Kathy Griffin s not-funny photos of herself holding an ISIS inspired, decapitated, bloody head of President Donald Trump. CNN fired Kathy Griffin, but not before they defended her on their network, which quickly earned them the trending hashtag #CNNisISIS on Twitter.Earlier today, we reported on a video that has just been released where CNN s logo is replacing the head of President Trump who s being assassinated in a Central Park Julius Caesar play.LOL! NEW VIDEO Emerges Of Central Park Trump Assassination Play With CNN Logo Covering Trump s Head [VIDEO] | 0 |
22,338 | North Korea seen moving ICBM-grade rocket towards west coast: media | SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has been observed moving what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards its west coast, South Korea s Asia Business Daily reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified intelligence source. The rocket started moving on Monday, a day after North Korea s sixth nuclear test, and was spotted moving at night to avoid surveillance, the report said. North Korea has launch facilities for its missile program on its west coast. South Korea s defense ministry said they were unable to confirm the contents of the report. The ministry said in parliament on Monday that North Korea was considered ready to launch more missiles, including ICBMs, at any time. | 1 |
22,339 | Republicans Panic Over Trump, Write Letter To RNC In Fear Of ‘Extinction Event’ | Republicans are in full-blown panic mode as over 70 GOPers signed a letter to the RNC begging them to abandon Trump to focus on funding down-ticket races in order to prevent the party s extinction.As Donald Trump continues to sink in the polls while refusing to curb his extreme rhetoric, many Republicans have jumped ship from the party, choosing to vote for Hillary Clinton instead or not vote at all.The Republican nominee is even dragging other Republicans down with him as Democrats have a real good chance of taking back the Senate and the House because Trump s stink is causing trouble for GOP candidates in races across the nation.And that s why a multitude of high profile Republicans from both past and present have written a letter to RNC Chair Reince Priebus asking him to shift money and resources from the presidential election to down-ticket races in an effort to keep Republicans in control of Congress. We believe that Donald Trump s divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide, and only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck, the letter states. This should not be a difficult decision, as Donald Trump s chances of being elected president are evaporating by the day. Politico reports that it lists several of Trumps major stumbles since he threw his hat in the ring in June of last year including his offensive racist remarks about Mexicans and Muslims, his ties to Russia, and his attacks against a Gold Star family. And that doesn t include his most recent outrageous statements, which include calling President Obama the founder of ISIS and calling for gun nuts to assassinate Hillary Clinton. Those recent outrages have built on his campaign of anger and exclusion, during which he has mocked and offended millions of voters, including the disabled, women, Muslims, immigrants, and minorities, the letter continues. He also has shown dangerous authoritarian tendencies, including threats to ban an entire religion from entering the country, order the military to break the law by torturing prisoners, kill the families of suspected terrorists, track law-abiding Muslim citizens in databases, and use executive orders to implement other illegal and unconstitutional measures. And they go on to argue in favor of halting funds earmarked for Trump s campaign and re-routing the money to other campaigns. Trump s divisive and dangerous actions are not only a threat to our other candidates, but to our Party and the nation Every dollar spent by the RNC on Donald Trump s campaign is a dollar of donor money wasted on the losing effort of a candidate who has actively undermined the GOP at every turn. Rather than throwing good money after bad, the RNC should shift its strategy and its resources to convince voters not to give Hillary Clinton the blank check of a Democrat-controlled Congress to advance her big government agenda. Again, over 70 Republicans, including many heavy hitters, signed this letter to the RNC just like 50 Republican national security experts signed a letter denouncing the billionaire mogul earlier this week.And on the same day as details of this current letter are released, Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak summed up the GOP disgust with Trump and their worry over how he is affecting the party. OK, this shit s not funny anymore, he wrote on Twitter. Trump is threatening elected GOPers at all levels in places that haven t been competitive in decades We are looking at an extinction-level event. This is the ultimate proof that Republicans know that Hillary is going to destroy them in November even though they really only have themselves to blame for creating the political climate that gave rise to an extremist opportunist like Trump in the first place. So it s just a matter of waiting and seeing if we should get the tombstone ready for the Republican Party as a whole.Featured Image: baystateconservativenews.com | 0 |
22,340 | DEAR DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS…Stop Complaining About The Election…You’re The Ones Who Created “Us” | Ouch! | 0 |
22,341 | Merkel: Didn't discuss sanctions on Russia over Syria with Obama, EU leaders | BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that President Barack Obama and European leaders did not discuss imposing sanctions against Russia over its military involvement in Syria when they met in Berlin on Friday. “We did not discuss in concrete terms sanctions against Russia with regard to this,” Merkel said at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Merkel said the leaders had, however, discussed sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict. She said no decision had been made yet on whether to extend those sanctions but added that progress towards implementing the Minsk peace agreement was not sufficient. | 1 |
22,342 | House tax bill release delayed until Thursday: sources | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will delay the release of tax legislation for a day as lawmakers try to overcome differences involving the treatment of retirement savings accounts and state and local taxes, sources said on Tuesday. Two sources knowledgeable about the discussions said the House Republican tax committee is still expected to begin deliberating on tax legislation at hearings set to start on Monday. The bill was initially expected on Wednesday, but the sources said it would be released on Thursday instead. | 1 |
22,343 | U.S.-backed Syrian forces, Iraqi army coordinate at border: SDF | BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias in Syria said they have formed a joint military center with the Iraqi army to protect their common border region after ousting Islamic State militants. Commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, met with Iraqi military leaders on Sunday. They discussed protecting the Syrian-Iraqi border in the region adjacent to Deir al-Zor province, and how to finally eradicate Daesh mercenaries there, the SDF said in a statement. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The two sides decided to form a joint coordination center to guarantee the security of the border, it said. Last week, the SDF declared victory in its assault in Syria s Deir al-Zor, which borders Iraq. The offensive focused on seizing territory east of the Euphrates river that bisects the oil-rich province. The Kurdish-led SDF has been battling for months with the help of jets and special forces from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State (IS). On the other side, Iraqi forces recaptured the last swathes of territory still under Islamic State control along the frontier with Syria on Saturday and secured the western desert. It marked the end of the war against IS, three years after they overran about a third of Iraq s territory. Iraqi forces who fought IS came from the army, air force, police, elite counter-terrorism forces as well as Shi ite and Sunni paramilitaries and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. They received key air support from the U.S.-led global coalition. Syrian government forces and their allies, backed by Russian air power, have taken most of the remaining areas of Deir al-Zor province. They are mostly on the western side of the Euphrates, while the SDF is on the eastern bank. Russia and the United States set up a communications channel to reduce the chance of fighting between the two rival campaigns against Islamic State. Forces arrayed against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria now anticipate a new phase of guerrilla warfare. Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the coalition, said Iraqi security forces and the SDF had linked up at their shared stretch of the frontier on Sunday. Secure international border protects Iraqis (and) Syrians from remnant Daesh movement into (and) across the region as terrorist fighters/leaders attempt to flee the battlefield, he wrote on Twitter. | 1 |
22,344 | WATCH: Donald Trump Fits In Perfectly As Villain On Game Of Thrones Mashup | Donald Trump s statements are frightening to those who see the danger of his rise and his antics are certainly theatrical. Maybe that s why he fits in perfectly in this amazing Game of Thrones mashup clip.Watch Video Here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0tE6T-ecmg]His face, along with quotes from his speeches and interviews, is cut into a mashup of the HBO hit drama as the viewer gets a sense of both the hilarity as well as the absurdity that is Donald Trump. It seems that Trump fits in quite well in the Seven Kingdoms. Produced by Australian satirist Huw Parkinson, the video begins with Trump turning away Daenerys Targaryen from the city of Quarth.Trump later attacks Pope Francis for criticizing him and complimented himself, saying he was a nice guy. He also said that he s going to build a massive wall and negotiates with Littefinger.Although the video is entertaining, it also sends a strong message about both the absurdity and the danger that is Trump. If his current stances on everything from banning Muslims to attacking Mexican immigrants are backed up with actual power by winning the presidency, then he ll not only be a danger to those communities, but will bring to power all of the racists that have backed him thus far, making America quite a dangerous place. Featured image via screenshot | 0 |
22,345 | Brexit bill row to last the length of Brexit talks: UK minister | LONDON (Reuters) - A row over how much money Britain should pay the European Union when it leaves the bloc will probably go on for the full duration of the EU exit talks, Brexit minister David Davis said on Tuesday. The Brexit bill is a contentious issue both in Britain, where eurosceptics are keen to see as little money paid as possible, and in the EU, which is demanding Britain meets its existing commitments to the bloc. My expectation is that the money argument will go on for the full duration of the negotiation, he told parliament. Britain, which began a two-year negotiating period in March, has said it is prepared to meet its international obligations and, last week, Davis said London was willing to offer more than the bare legal minimum. The bill is one of three issues the EU is demanding progress on before it is willing to begin discussing Britain s future relationship with the bloc - something London is keen to move on to as soon as possible. But, Davis stressed that Britain would not be pressured into cutting a deal just to move talks to the next stage. Davis said the two sides disagreed over the basis of the so-called Brexit bill, and that he did not expect them to fully resolve their differences. It is clear that the two sides have very different legal stances, Davis told parliament during an update on the talks. (EU chief negotiator) Michel Barnier and I agreed that we do not anticipate making incremental progress on the final shape of the financial deal in every round ... it is also clear there are significant differences to be bridged in this sector. Davis also said that there was widespread agreement across the European Union about having an implementation period when Britain leaves the bloc, and that it would probably look to continue its relationship with the European Investment Bank. | 1 |
22,346 | Maryland, District of Columbia sue over payments to Trump hotels | (Reuters) - The attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Monday claiming that government payments to President Donald Trump’s businesses violate the U.S. Constitution. Payments to the president’s enterprises from foreign and domestic governments through his hospitality empire draw business away from Maryland and D.C. venues and put local governments under pressure to give Trump-owned businesses special treatment, according to the complaint. Foreign and domestic government payments to Trump’s businesses were the target of a similar lawsuit brought in January by plaintiffs including an ethics nonprofit group, and Democratic lawmakers have blasted them as potential corrupting influences on Trump. The Trump Organization has said it will donate profits from customers representing foreign governments to the U.S. Treasury but will not require the customers to identify themselves. “Every time the president has spoken about drawing a line between his presidency and his businesses, he’s walked those promises back,” said D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said at a news conference on Monday. The case by Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, both Democrats, has a better chance in court as the first government action over allegations that Trump, a Republican, violated the Constitution’s so-called emoluments clauses, legal experts said. Democratic attorneys general have taken a lead role in challenging Trump policies, successfully blocking executive orders restricting travel from some Muslim-majority countries. The Maryland and D.C. attorneys general are seeking an order in U.S. District Court in Maryland preventing Trump from continuing to receive government payments beyond his salary. White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday rejected the claim that Trump’s business interests violated the Constitution and said “partisan politics” were behind the lawsuit. Trump’s lawyers will likely move to dismiss the case, he said. The Justice Department declined to comment. Trump’s ownership in hundreds of businesses hurts Maryland and D.C. and violates “emoluments” clauses in the Constitution that bar the president from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval as well as from domestic governments under any circumstances, according to the complaint. While Trump turned over management of the umbrella Trump Organization in January to a trust controlled by his two elder sons, he still owns his businesses, including the Trump International Hotel in Washington, and can draw revenue from them at any time. The attorneys general argued they had standing to sue Trump because their citizens will be harmed if payments to Trump are used to influence his allocation of federal funds. They also said local hospitality companies, including state-owned facilities, are being harmed. The Justice Department on Friday argued in the other lawsuit that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to sue because they cannot allege enough specific harm caused by Trump’s businesses. The attorneys general have a better chance of establishing standing, legal scholars said, although they are divided over whether the AGs will ultimately succeed. Plaintiffs typically only have standing to file lawsuits under federal law if they can show they have been injured and a court ruling would remedy the harm. Fordham Law School Professor Jed Shugerman said state governments’ special duty to protect their citizens means they face a lower bar to standing in federal court, and the AG lawsuit should proceed. However, Derek Muller, a professor at Pepperdine University School of Law, said it was unclear that this harm could be remedied by a favorable ruling. The government has also said Trump hotel revenue does not fit the definition of an improper payment under the Constitution. Payments to Trump’s hotels do not qualify as a violation of the emoluments clause, which is intended to cover personal services performed by the president, the government said. “If the Justice Department is correct, the emoluments clause has no meaning whatsoever,” said Frosh, the Maryland official. “The president can stand over here with his president of the United States hat and he’s not allowed to take payments. But he takes a step over here and puts on his businessman hat, they can funnel as much money to him as they want.” | 1 |
22,347 | A Potential Nuclear Disaster Is Looming In NY State And NOBODY In The News Is Talking About It | There is a ticking time bomb sitting in New York State that practically everyone in the corporate media is conveniently ignoring right up until the day it finally turns into a catastrophe and then we will all be standing aghast asking How did this happen?! Indian Point, a nuclear power plant that sits on the Hudson River, is experiencing a serious leak of radioactive material into the surrounding groundwater. Contamination levels have increased by 80 percent compared to previous samples taken, which is causing many experts to cite this as a disaster that is waiting to happen.Calls have been made for the plant to be shut down completely to avert an environmental cataclysm and public health hazard, due to the fact that the plant sits just 23 miles north of New York City and could also turn a major American river into radioactive soup.via inhabitat.comThe plant is leaking tritium, which is a radioactive form of hydrogen. Three of the 40 wells at the Indian Point plant showed an increase in radioactive material, as well as one well, in particular, showing a 65,000 percent increase. Not surprisingly, Entergy the company that owns the plant, is claiming this is all totally safe and it will not harm local inhabitants because the groundwater is located on their property. I m no expert on groundwater, but I feel like Entergy doesn t understand how groundwater works. It doesn t respect property lines and will not necessarily stay in its own yard, as it were. Seriously, what are they getting at with this statement?John Kelly, former director of licensing for Indian Point, says that this is more of a regulatory problem than environmental problem. What exactly does this mean? How can you have a regulatory problem, without having an obvious environmental one to necessitate a new regulation being created? The only assertion you can draw from this statement is that Entergy knows their plant is a crisis waiting to happen, but there isn t a law to force them to fix it so they simply do not care what happens.Governor Andrew Cuomo doesn t appear to be accepting the assertion that there is nothing to see here, and is pressing state officials to fully investigate Indian Point and employ all available measures, including working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to determine the extent of the release, its likely duration, cause, and potential impacts to the environment and public health. To say this could be monumental in scope is an understatement. Not only is New York City in the range of a potential disaster, but as the map above shows Connecticut and New Jersey are in range as well. The plant is directly in the center of one of the largest population concentrations in America where vital infrastructure hubs are located. If this would all suddenly get bad, there s no way to even estimate the full extent of the consequences.Featured image via riverkeeper | 0 |
22,348 | With costly fight ahead against Trump, Cruz courts new donors | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz is leaning on new sources of cash as he prepares for a long primary fight against front-runner Donald Trump, with new campaign finance filings showing the expense of competing against a billionaire adept at grabbing headlines. Cruz’s more traditional campaign has struggled to compete with Trump. The U.S. senator from Texas poured money into advertising, staff and calls to voters, spending $5.6 million more in February than he raised as he tried to outmaneuver Trump, according to campaign finance records made public on Sunday. But the effort had a limited impact as Trump took a commanding lead in the delegate count for the Republican nomination while spending a little more than half what Cruz did. The real estate mogul has loaned his campaign more than $24 million since he entered the race for the White House. Now, with establishment Republican rivals Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio out of the race, Cruz is trying to win votes and rake in money by arguing the party should unite behind him if it hopes to defeat Trump. It’s a tough proposition for a conservative candidate who has long rankled the establishment wing of his party, including by leading a fight over President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law that led to a 16-day shutdown of the federal government. Cruz now hopes to convince his party that he, not Ohio Governor John Kasich, the other Republican remaining in the race, is best poised to defeat Trump and go on to the Nov. 8 presidential election. In a sign of Cruz’s warming ties with establishment Republicans, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been a vocal critic of Cruz, plans on Monday to hold a fundraiser for the senator from Texas. Charles Foster, a Houston immigration attorney who backed Bush until he left the race in February, said Friday he is urging establishment Republicans to line up behind Cruz. “My pitch to them simplistically is that Trump is an existential threat. He’d be a total disaster,” Foster said. “The only person that has a real chance,” he added, “particularly within the Republican primary base, which is conservative, far more conservative than Kasich, is Ted.” Trump has a substantial lead in the Republican White House race, though he remains far short of the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. It is unclear whether he will hit that number before the July convention in Cleveland, but it would also be difficult for either Cruz or Kasich to catch him. Cruz could pick up delegates in Utah, which holds its caucus on Tuesday, and all of the candidates are expected to compete hard in Wisconsin on April 5. But so far, efforts to stop the Trump juggernaut have made little impression on voters. In February, Cruz raised $11.9 million and spent $17.5 million, leaving his campaign with $8 million when he woke up on Super Tuesday. And despite the heavy spending, Cruz won just one state that voted in February and three on the March 1 Super Tuesday primaries. In addition to self-funding his campaign, Trump has the advantage of running an operation that leans heavily on free media exposure. In February, Trump, raised $9.2 million, including a $6.9 million loan he gave his own campaign, and spent $9.5 million. Kasich raised $3.4 million in February and spent $3.6 million. About half of Cruz’s spending, or more than $8.7 million, was on advertising. Cruz also allotted $2.6 million to traditional campaign tactics like printing mailers, postage stamps and phone calls to voters. Cruz did spend a bit less than Trump on staff, recording $342,525 in payroll costs in February to Trump’s $370,973. Jeff Roe, Cruz’s campaign manager, said on Twitter on Sunday the campaign has enough cash to continue competing through June 7, the last Republican primary day when hundreds of delegates are up for grabs. | 1 |
22,349 | This Christian Minister Just Gave A 4 Minute Speech On Discrimination That Should Be Mandatory To Watch (VIDEO) | Red states from coast to coast have been engaged in the despicable act of discriminating against the transgender community using, go figure, religion and fear as the instruments of their hate. Their aim is to pass bigoted laws that make simple things like using the bathroom as difficult as possible.The far-right religious zealots who control legislatures in states like Texas want you to believe there s some kind of connection between the LGBT community and pedophilia. Add to that their cherry-picked verses from the bible that forbid anything other than what they perceive as righteous and moral and you have the perfect storm of stupid, demonizing people for being born different than they were.Unfortunately, they have a massive following of bigots, also known as Republicans, who agree with them that those darned transgender people shouldn t be allowed to pee in the restrooms marked for their identity. Those men and women affected have responded in kind, reminding people across social media that they aren t looking to sneak a peek or carry out some kind of perverted attack on straight people or children. This man, born a woman, makes his point by taking selfies in women s bathrooms, posting with the hashtag #WeJustNeedToPee.You asked me to keep doing selfies, so please keep re-tweeting them! MSNBC on Wednesday! #occupotty #wejustneedtopee pic.twitter.com/ofoVSvHJHG Michael C. Hughes (@_michaelhughes1) March 15, 2015One Christian minister in Texarkana took a stand against the discrimination by standing up for equality in a 4-minute speech that took all of the religious objections of the right-wing zealots and tossed them out the window with a vengeance. Along with a lesson in the love Christ taught in all of his messages, the minister names off an impressive list of Christ s churches who preach it as well. Equality is NOT something people who actually worship Christ oppose. People who use his name to promote fear and ignorance are the worst kind of hypocrites. This is four minutes of calling out that hypocrisy that should be mandatory to watch:https://www.facebook.com/OneWorldVoice/videos/598767663633145/?__mref=message_bubbleFeatured image from screen capture | 0 |
22,350 | Saudi Shura Council to vote on curbing autonomy of morality police | RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia s Shura Council, an influential advisory body to the government, will vote on a proposal to merge the religious police into the ministry of Islamic affairs, local media reported, further curbing the force s authority. The religious police, officially known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, patrols public spaces to enforce bans on alcohol, music, prayer time, store closures and the mixing of unrelated men and women. It also imposes strict modesty requirements on women s dress. Last year, amid a reform drive to diversify the Saudi economy and open up its society, the government increased curbs on the religious police, barring it from pursuing suspects or making arrests. Saudi Gazette reported late on Sunday that the proposal to end the commission s autonomous status, put forward by Atta Al-Thibaiti and two other members, is expected to see a vote next week. King Salman s approval would be needed to implement such a measure. The promotion of virtue and prevention of vice is an Islamic duty for every Muslim, and the Sharia tenets had never considered practicing [that] to be under an independent organ or an autonomous entity, the report said, citing the proposal s supporters. The Shura members were quoted as saying the merger would also help ease the state s budget deficit by avoiding duplication of efforts and cutting expenditure . Hardline conservatives say the religious police are central to imposing the kingdom s austere form of Sunni Islam, while aggressive enforcement of strict morality rules has drawn criticism from more liberal Saudis. The vice squad has come under fire online and in local media over several high-profile cases of car chases resulting in fatal accidents, prompting the commission s president to ban such pursuits in 2012. The commission stirred controversy again last year after video posted on social media showed members beating a young woman outside a Riyadh mall. The patrol had tried to force the woman to cover her face, local media reported. Saudi Gazette quoted Thibaiti as saying the proposal to merge the two bodies had overcome initial opposition by the Shura s committee on Islamic and judicial affairs. Members could not immediately be reached for comment. | 1 |
22,351 | Trump to name New York lawyer to lead Justice Dept. civil unit: source | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is expected to nominate New York lawyer George T. Conway III to lead the U.S. Justice Department’s civil division, a source briefed on the matter said on Friday. Conway, the husband of Trump’s senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, is a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He has represented Philip Morris International Inc, Cardinal Health Inc and the National Football League among many corporate clients. He did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The White House and Justice Department also declined comment. As head of the civil division, Conway would be in charge of defending government actions, including Trump’s revised executive order banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States. This week, judges in Hawaii and Maryland blocked implementation of Trump’s order that retains a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen that was part of an earlier order blocked by the courts. Conway was one of a team of lawyers who drafted a legal brief on behalf of Paula Jones who sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, according to numerous media reports. Conway wrote in a 1994 Los Angeles Times op-ed that Clinton should not have immunity from Jones’ lawsuit “because it would place presidents above the law. It would enable a president to take out a mortgage on a summer home, refuse to make payments and yet be immune from foreclosure for four or eight years.” The civil division defends U.S. agencies against thousands of lawsuits filed annually over government policies, laws, domestic and foreign operations, entitlement programs, law enforcement and military actions, and counter-terrorism efforts. The division also sues on behalf of the government to recoup money lost through fraud, loan defaults and the abuse of federal funds, especially involving Medicare. | 1 |
22,352 | TRUMP VISITS DETROIT In Outreach To Black Community…LET’S MAKE DETROIT GREAT AGAIN! [Video] | Donald Trump is visiting Detroit to promote his agenda of helping the black community. Our good friend and awesome patriot Wayne Bradley has been working in the inner city Republican office for over two years in an effort to reach out to the black community. Patty and I can t say enough great things about Wayne Bradley and his desire to succeed with the Republican party in Michigan in 2016 and beyond. His hard work might be paying off TRUMP 2016! WAYNE BRADLEY ON FOX NEWS: | 0 |
22,353 | Ireland open to adding to border text but clock ticking | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland is open to adding to a tentative Irish border agreement that collapsed on Monday but movement will be needed by the end of the week if Brexit talks are to move onto the next phase this year, the country s European Affairs Minister said on Wednesday. A deal on the border, which is required if negotiations are to progress to trade talks, was agreed on Monday with Dublin s blessing after Brexit negotiators guaranteed regulatory alignment on both sides of the border that Ireland shares with the British province of Northern Ireland. While the Northern Irish party propping up the British government rejected the deal, Dublin insists it will not accept any change to the substance of the agreement ahead of a meeting of EU leaders on Dec. 15 to decide whether to open trade talks. The text that has been agreed, we feel it s appropriate, it s workable, there is compromise on both sides and addresses our concerns of upholding what we ve all been asking for, that there would be no return to a hard border, Helen McEntee told Reuters in an interview. If there is clarification needed on the text, if there is possibly additional wording that would clarify what s already in the text that would be agreeable to us... I wouldn t see how that would be a problem. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said it cannot allow any divergence in regulation between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom. Dublin is waiting for the British government to come back to the EU s negotiating team with any suggestions or a request for further clarity, McEntee said. EU diplomats and officials say Britain must deliver its Brexit divorce package offer this week and McEntee added that if it s felt by Monday that a deal is not going to happen, then she would expect chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to inform the General Affairs Council of EU ministers of that a day later. However, she said the huge amount of work officials put in last weekend to bring the sides to the brink of a deal on Monday showed how much progress can be made in a few short days. Realistically you would want things to be moving by the end of the week and there to be some sort of agreement coming into the general affairs council, she said. I think the fact that it was agreed shows most people were happy with that and I think it s just to move from there and I would be hopeful that we would be able to reach that agreement by next week. | 1 |
22,354 | WHAT TRUMP JUST SAID Should Scare All Gropers in Congress Who Settled Sex Assault Cases Using Taxpayer Dollars | President Trump wants those who settled sexual harassment cases using our tax dollars to be exposed The House is responsible for the sexual assault slush fund that used our taxpayer money to pay off accusers. We should all call for this slush fund to be shut down This is NOT what our hard earned money should be paying for NEW: President Trump tells me he believe Congress should release the names of lawmakers who have settled sexual harassment claims Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) November 21, 2017The Transcript and video of Rep. Jackie Speier on Face the Nation, Nov. 19, 2017 is below. She spoke to John Dickerson and Chuck Todd before that about the $15 million in settlements for sexual harassment by congress members. Americans are furious that their tax dollars are being used in such a way WITHOUT the harasser being held accountable. These gropers should pay for this themselves!HERE S THE COMMENT FROM THE INTERVIEW BELOW THAT REALLY STANDS OUT: we have a system in place that allows for the harasser to go unchecked. Doesn t pay for the settlement himself and is never identified. So the Office of Compliance to which a victim must apply or complain is a place that has really been an enabler of sexual harassment for these many years because of the way it s constructed. REP JACKIE SPEIERRep. Jackie Speier, D-California, joined Face the Nation Sunday to discuss the fallout from the flood of sexual assault and harassment allegations across the U.S., and sexual harassment in Congress.JOHN DICKERSON: The debate over sexual harassment moved into the halls of Congress after California Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier went public with her own experience of unwanted sexual advances as a young Capitol Hill staffer. Speier s revelation actually inspired Leeann Tweeden to come forward with her allegations against Senator Franken.This week, Congresswoman Speier introduced legislation in the House aimed at fighting sexual harassment in Congress. And she joins us this morning from Palm Springs, California. Congresswoman, I want to start with something you wrote. You said that, It s clear the good old boys club mentality of Capitol Hill still persists after all these years. It is perhaps the worst I ve seen in 30 years of working on these issues. The old boys club was pretty bad. You re saying it s worse now?JACKIE SPEIER: Well, I think it s worse in part because we have a system in place that allows for the harasser to go unchecked. Doesn t pay for the settlement himself and is never identified. So the Office of Compliance to which a victim must apply or complain is a place that has really been an enabler of sexual harassment for these many years because of the way it s constructed.JOHN DICKERSON: As Congress and the larger culture tries to figure out what the standard is for treating accusers who come forward, something better than what has been where they ve been blocked, but also something that doesn t allow false accusations, how does that standard get determined, in your mind?JACKIE SPEIER: Well, first of all, we have to make sure that a complaint is taken seriously. And the person who is the victim is not somehow tortured or intimidated into not filing the complaint. That s what it is right now in Congress. There s a one month period where you re counseled. There s another month where you go through mandatory mediation and you have to sign a non disclosure agreement at the front end.And then you have a month of cooling off period. I mean, that is truly ridiculous. It s important for us to remember too, John, that over 90% of those who have been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted are telling the truth. So all these victims who have come forward with Roy Moore or with the president or with Al Franken, all of them have to be, we expect to believe them because, for the most part, they are telling the truth. There is no gain for them to come forward. There re lots of down sides, frankly.JOHN DICKERSON: What s your view about reevaluating the situation? You mentioned the president. The White House seems to suggest, and Senator Cotton also seemed to suggest that the voters knew about this. They voted for him. And so it s an issue that s in the past. How do you see it?JACKIE SPEIER: Well, I think there is some truth to that. If the president was running today, I bet he would not be elected because I think we have had a huge cultural shift that was 40 years in the making, but I think all of us are grateful now that there is a new day for women in the workplace, where they do not have to put up with sexual advances that are unwanted. That they do not have to live and work in a hostile work environment. And that s going to be good for all of us in the workplace.JOHN DICKERSON: As that cultural shift takes place, some people have argued, some Democrats and liberals have argued, that a reevaluation of Bill Clinton s presidency is required. What do you think about that in order to be clear about what the new standard is and use, you know, elements from the past that are well known?JACKIE SPEIER: Well, first of all, let s remember that he did face impeachment. It wasn t as if it was just tossed to the side. He faced impeachment. I think that the victims who came forward were not treated as they should have been. They should have been believed because, as I have pointed out, most people who come forward are telling the truth.JOHN DICKERSON: In the case of Al Franken, what s your feeling about that? There have been some columnists who ve written that basically again, liberals have said he must leave the Senate in order for Democrats to retain their credibility on this issue, or else they re open to the charge that Democrats apply it when it comes to Republicans, but are more generous when it comes to their own team.JACKIE SPEIER: I think it s appropriate for the ethics committee to do an investigation. Senator Franken has actually agreed to that as well. I also think that it has to be determined if there s a pattern of sexual harassment. Incidents have to be severe or they have to be ones that happen over a period of time. So I think we ll wait and see what the investigation determines.JOHN DICKERSON: Is that an instructive distinction then, pattern versus specific mistake in terms of what might penalize somebody but be the difference between penalizing and expulsion?JACKIE SPEIER: And that s what the Courts have held with sexual harassment cases. If there s a pattern, then sexual harassment is found to be in existence. If it s a one event and it s maybe a conversation versus, you know, sexual assault or an unwanted sexual advance, so it really depends on the circumstances in all of these cases.JOHN DICKERSON: Final question on a different topic, on taxes. Eleven of your Republican colleagues in California voted for the House tax cut bill in which deductibility of state and local taxes is no longer allowed. They were told- at least one of them was told, Well, that ll get fixed later. And Californians who have high taxes will be able to deduct them. What s your-do you believe that?JACKIE SPEIER: No, I don t believe it. And I think for all of those members who basically have handed their constituents a $10,000 tax increase, that s what we re talking about. When you take the state and local taxes and the property taxes and the mortgage deduction that is reduced to $500,000, it is a huge hit for every single California family.JOHN DICKERSON: All right, Congresswoman, thanks so much for being with us. And we ll back in one JACKIE SPEIER: Thank you, John.JOHN DICKERSON: minute with White House budget director Mick Mulvaney. | 0 |
22,355 | Liberal, Man-Hating Movement DESTROYS Career Of Top TX Lawyer For Posting #MeToo Letter From A Rape Survivor: “If everyone is a victim, no one is. Victim means nothing anymore” | Lauren McGaughy of The Dallas Morning News did a disgusting hit job on a top Texas lawyer and former judge. As a mother of 3 girls, I m offended by journalists like Lauren McGaughy, who wrote about a lawyer who was fired from his law firm for posting an article written by a rape survivor about her views on the now hijacked feminazi #metoo movement. It s sad to see the left grabbing onto the serious issue of sexual assault and doing the exact same thing they did to racism, using it as a political football, and trying to make it a Republican or conservative thing. If everyone s a racist, then no one is a racist. Lauren McGaughy, a reporter for Dallas Morning News didn t stop at exposing the firing of a top Texas lawyer over an article he shared on his personal Facebook page about the #MeToo movement (that was written by a rape survivor), she went after him with a bizarre vengeance, as though she had been personally harmed by his words. McGaughy didn t stop after pointing out that his law firm fired Andrew D. Leonie in a shameful case of censorship, she went on to tie him to conservatives and prove that he s actually (gasp) supported Republican candidates in the past. McGaughy took it a step further, and provided evidence that this horrible human being was also involved in litigating a case against are you ready? Muslim students praying in public schools!McGaughy wrote: Leonie was behind an AG s office letter that blasted a Frisco-area high school for allowing Muslim students to use an empty classroom to pray. The letter, which alleged the school might be infringing on the constitutional rights of its non-Muslim students, was called a political stunt by district staff who said the room was open to all students.From the Dallas Morning News article:A top lawyer in the Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton resigned Thursday after reports he wrote a Facebook post that called women s sexual misconduct allegations pathetic. The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday morning Associate Deputy Attorney General Andrew D. Leonie posted on Facebook this week: Aren t you also tired of all the pathetic me too victim claims? If every woman is a victim , so is every man. If everyone is a victim, no one is. Victim means nothing anymore. The post went up at 2:40 a.m. on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, Leonie had resigned. In a press release, Paxton s office said Leonie s exit was effective immediately. The views he expressed on social media do not reflect our values, Paxton s Director of Communications Marc Rylander wrote. The OAG is committed to promoting and maintaining a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment. Leonie s post was removed late Thursday afternoon. His bio was changed from Associate Deputy Attorney General to Retired. The Dallas Morning News was fortunately, able to get a screen shot of the offensive post for everyone to see:His Facebook post linked to an article from the conservative website The Federalist titled, Can we be honest about women? The teaser to the article, which was written by a woman, states: Here s a little secret we have to say out loud: Women love the sexual interplay they experience with men, and they relish men desiring their beauty. He previously worked for Paxton s predecessor, Gov. Greg Abbott, as a regional chief for consumer protection and special litigator, according to Leonie s LinkedIn. His salary was listed as $150,984 in April on the Texas Tribune s salary explorer.Leonie s post comes as some conservatives question the increasing number of sexual harassment and assault claims against the nation s most powerful men in media, politics and business. While the stories have led to a number of high-profile resignations and apologies in the private sector, change is slower in the political realm, where it s usually up to voters to oust elected officials accused of sexual misconduct.In Texas, for example, Republican Congressman Blake Farenthold on Thursday decided not to run for reelection after allegations he made lewd comments and unleashed profanity-laced tirades on staffers. The decision was made after Farenthold declined to resign for weeks after news broke he once used $84,000 in taxpayer money to settlement a harassment claim. Accusations against state lawmakers as well as concerns over the ability of elected officials to harass with impunity have also led to new training requirements in the Legislature.OOPS! It looks likeThe Federalist-reported that Leonie s Facebook post linked to an article entitled Can We Be Honest About Women? authored by McAllister, who is a survivor of sexual assault. Here s a little secret we have to say out loud: Women love the sexual interplay they experience with men, and they relish men desiring their beauty, McAllister writes. Why? Because it is part of their nature. As a society, we need to encourage both sexes to become comfortable with who they are naturally and all the messy, uncomfortable, stumbling, tantalizing, and glorious twists and turns that come with it, she continues. Men and women need to show each other grace and respect as they engage as sexual beings in whatever sphere they interact. The article explicitly condemns sexual assault but argues that what some call sexual assault doesn t deserve that label and expanding its definition into innocent behavior hurts both men and women. In the past, McAllister has written about how our society has emboldened men in positions of power to think they can get away with sexually harassing or assaulting women.In a post entitled It s Not Up To Women To End Sexual Harassment, she explains why men need to step up their efforts to protect women from such evils. She has also criticized aspects of the #MeToo movement, writing recently that it is destroying trust between men and women because the social media movement denies human nature.The sexual tension between men and women will always exist, and if women assume a man s sexuality is a threat instead of a powerful complement to their own sexuality, they will always be on guard. In this environment of suspicion, there can be no privacy between a man and a woman. If there is any kind of interaction or discourse, even if it s not sexual, the man can t trust that the woman won t use it against him so communication is silenced. Fear is generated on both sides, and fear is the death of trust. It is also the death of love.Throughout McAllister s critiques of the #MeToo movement and discussions of sexual topics, she has repeatedly stated that women ought to be respected and that sexual assault and sexual harassment are wrong a fact left out of the numerous media accounts of Leonie s resignation and her article. | 0 |
22,356 | TWO WORDS OBAMA’S DOJ Has Been Hiding From Orlando Terrorist’s 911 Call | The Obama administration s cleansing of the Islamic terror attack in Orlando resonates with anyone in America who s on to the effort to pivot to gun control and away from Islam. Everything about this is by design and SHOULD BE very disturbing to Americans on both sides of the aisle. Democrats should be outraged that the government is suppressing information we should all have! How could they NOT be! Two key words were scrubbed in the transcript but are being reported now THESE TWO WORDS ARE A BIG DEAL! The FBI on Monday released a partial transcript of the phone conversations the Orlando gunman had with law enforcement during the three hours he was holed up inside a gay nightclub with hostages but the decision to redact portions of the calls, including references made to Islamist terror groups, drew swift criticism.A call summary and partial transcript shows that gunman Omar Mateen first called 911 about 30 minutes after he opened fire and stormed Pulse nightclub, telling an emergency call taker that he was the shooter and making claims of allegiance that investigators are still vetting. Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [in Arabic], Mateen said according to the transcript. I let you know, I m in Orlando, and I did the shootings. He also falsely told law enforcement that cars outside the nightclub had explosives in them and that he was wearing a vest like the kind they used in France, making reference to explosive vests used in the Paris terror attacks. FBI Director James Comey has previously said that Mateen pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, as well as to various Islamist terror groups. However the names of those groups and individuals were edited out of the transcripts released Monday.Law enforcement defended the selective editing, saying that they wanted to avoid re-victimizing those who lived through the attack or encouraging others to carryout similar attacks.The editing is meant to not give credence to individuals who have done terrorist acts in the past, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Hopper. We are not going to propagate their violent rhetoric. But the decision not to release full transcripts of Mateen s 911 call or three crisis negotiator calls almost immediately drew criticism. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said the decision to edit out references to the Islamic State terrorist group was preposterous. We know the shooter was a radical Islamist extremist inspired by ISIS. We also know he intentionally targeted the LGBT community. The administration should release the full, unredacted transcript so the public is clear-eyed about who did this, and why, the Wisconsin Republican said in a statement. Agent Hopper said Monday that investigators still have no indication that Mateen, who identified himself as an Islamic solider, was directed to carry out the attacks by any foreign terrorist group organization. Rather the gunman was radicalized domestically, he said.Read more: Washington Times | 0 |
22,357 | Fox Hosts Cruelly Mock, Misgender Trans High School Athlete (VIDEO) | Jut when you didn t think the hosts on the Fox News channel couldn t get any more despicable, they do. On Tuesday s edition of Fox and Friends, the hosts of that silly show decided to take aim at a high school athlete who just happens to be transgender. They misgendered her and called her a boy, and also said that she was gender bending, and confused. The athlete is a track star at her high school, and instead of praising this brave young woman as they should have the hosts said that she was confusing kids who are already pretty confused in this culture. They went on to wonder: Are girls who identify as boys, are they going to be the running backs for the football is that going to work out well? How s that going to work out? Here is the transcript of the conversation, via Media Matters:STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Laura, we talk about popular culture and society. How about this story this morning. There s a high school track athlete who was born male, identifies now as female LAURA INGRAHAM: No.DOOCY: Competed with the girls track team. And finished I think third at the state competition. I think we could have seen this coming. What do you make of this?INGRAHAM: Well, it s another first, right? We re all into firsts so that s a first. Then it will be the first field hockey player and pole vault star. Let me just say this, and Brian will love this story. I was in field hockey in Glastonbury, Connecticut. And at the end of the season one season we had the boys soccer team play us. We were ranked number one in the state so the boys decided they were going to pick up sticks, the soccer team and play against us. Well, sadly for us the boys, who have never played field hockey, creamed us, okay? They killed us. We were number one in the state. They were faster. They were stronger. And they I mean, it made me really mad, but they had better hand/eye coordination and never picked up a stick before. So is this fair to the other girls competing? I mean, I don t think it s really fair.BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): Of course it s not.INGRAHAM: And I think it s just more gender bending. This is gender bending this is the next frontier until there s another frontier that the you know, those who want to mix up the traditional social mores want to take us to. So it doesn t surprise me. It s not fair. Until parents make their views known, this is just going to keep getting worse.KILMEADE: Hey, Laura, in an environment where people are taking performance enhancing drugs to do better in sports you know we re going to be in the situation where, well, we d like to win our first state championship so let s let a few men excuse me, some boys play with the girls team and then take the controversy and also take the trophy.INGRAHAM: Hey Brian, do you think it will go the other way though? Are girls who identify as boys, are they going to be the running backs for the football is that going to work out well? How s that going to work out? Let s go the other direction and see how successful that works out. I mean it s just, I have no I really have KILMEADE: I just shrug my I don t know what to say.INGRAHAM: Well, it s only the current conversation, but remember we ll be on to the next issue and then the next and the next. This is a current litmus test. You re not a human being with real feelings and empathy unless you re cheering this on and bowing down to this new movement. Look, that s the way they want to frame it. It s up to the regular Americans to say, look, I m a good person. But I don t think this is fair and I think most people don t develop their understanding of their own, you know, sexuality until frankly later in life. You know, I think it s I think it s confusing kids who are already pretty confused in this culture.KILMEADE: I m confused, and I m a grown-up. Laura Ingraham, I pretty much have reached my maximum in maturity. Laura. Thanks so much.This is really just too much, even for the imbeciles at Fox and Friends. They can have their opinions, sure, no matter how absolutely ignorant they may be. But attacking a private citizen, a high school student no less, on national television over her gender identity is truly beyond the pale. These people need an education, not a platform to spread ignorance.Watch the video below, again via Media Matters:Featured image via video screen capture | 0 |
22,358 | Trump SURRENDERS, Admits His Business Is A Conflict of Interest | Donald Trump is finally dealing with the massive conflict of interest that has been drawing outrage for weeks now.In yet another early morning round of tweets on Wednesday, Trump conceded that his business is a conflict of interest and announced that he is fixing this problem by drawing up legal documents to remove himself in total from it to focus on the presidency. I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Trump wrote. While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task! I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to . Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016In the last two weeks since Election Day, Trump has faced sharp criticism for having foreign business ties in Russia and other nations, continuing to meet with foreign business partners, and for having his daughter Ivanka, who is supposedly going to be in charge of the Trump business empire, in the room with him during meetings with foreign leaders. This represents a massive conflict of interest because Trump could use the presidency to enrich himself and his business at the expense of American policy and national security.But just because Trump says he is doing something doesn t mean we should take his word for it. Whatever legal documents he draws up should be scrutinized thoroughly not only for the sake of transparency but to make sure he hasn t hidden some tricky language that makes his stated intention meaningless.Make no mistake, Trump cannot be trusted, even if it seems like he is starting to do the right thing.Featured Image: Drew Angerer/Getty Images | 0 |
22,359 | Burundi rejects International Criminal Court war crimes investigation | AMSTERDAM/NAIROBI (Reuters) - Burundi said on Friday it will refuse to cooperate with an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into war crimes prosecutors suspect were committed by forces loyal to President Pierre Nkurunziza s government against their political opponents. The court ordered a formal investigation on Thursday into crimes committed between April 2015 to October 2017. But experts say it will be hard for ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to gather evidence without support from Burundi s government, which last month became the first to withdraw from the Hague-based court amid waning support from African nations. An earlier ICC case in Kenya fell apart due to opposition from the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Like Burundi, Kenya and South Africa have threatened to withdraw from the court, arguing that it disproportionately targets Africans. The government rejects that decision (to investigate) and reiterates its firm determination that it will not cooperate, said Burundi s Justice Minister Aimee Laurentine Kanyana. Unrest has gripped Burundi since Nkurunziza said in April 2015 he would seek a third term in office, triggering protests and a crackdown by security forces. He won re-election that July but opponents boycotted the vote, saying his decision to stand violated the constitution and the terms of a peace agreement that had ended a war in the central African country. The ICC says that under international law it still has jurisdiction over crimes committed while Burundi was a member. Judges said Bensouda should investigate whether crimes against humanity were committed including murder, torture, rape and persecution. Government forces are suspected to have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced 400,000 during the crackdown. Human rights groups say the number killed could be far higher. Human rights groups and opposition politicians in Burundi welcomed the court s decision. Charles Nditije, the exiled head of Burundi s opposition platform CNARED, called the move a victory for justice .... for those who want the return of peace and rule of law to Burundi. Armel Niyongere, a Burundian lawyer representing families of the victims, said he would assist Bensouda s investigation. Legal experts said Bensouda may be unable to bring any suspects to the Hague as long as Nkurunziza remains in power. I suspect that it will be very challenging for the ICC to access ... evidence in Burundi said Berlin-based international criminal justice lawyer Angela Mudukuti. Bensouda s decision was courageous and she will likely seek to use evidence obtained by interviewing refugees who have fled to neighboring Tanzania and Rwanda, said Karine Bonneau, a senior official at the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights. She had very little choice but to open an investigation given the gravity of the crimes, she said. Others said the prosecution was largely symbolic. Bensouda s job is in part to deter future crimes, said Thijs Bouwknegt, an Africa expert at the Netherlands Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies. If she acts like some super human rights watchdog and names and shames people I think this may be effective, he said. | 1 |
22,360 | Lawyers Trump Used To ‘Prove’ He Has No Russia Connection Won ‘Russia Law Firm Of The Year’ In 2016 | It was the tweet that blew up the internet:BREAKING: Trump lawyer: Tax returns from past 10 years show no "income of any type from Russian sources," with few exceptions. The Associated Press (@AP) May 12, 2017The headscratching claim by Trump s lawyers was that he had no income of any type from Russia with few exceptions.The exceptions cited don t raise many eyebrows. What is noticeably absent is any mention of the Russia megadonors Eric Trump recently bragged helped finance Trump s golf resort, leading one to assume that there are things being intentionally left out of this report. (Eric Trump now denies making this admission, unfortunately Eric has been known to lie before.)The follow up story published by the Associated Press was even more bizarre (emphasis added).President Donald Trump s lawyers say a review of his last 10 years of tax returns do not reflect any income of any type from Russian sources, with some exceptions.The lawyers did not release copies of Trump s tax returns so The Associated Press cannot independently verify their conclusions.So Trump s lawyers reviewed Trump s tax returns and surprise found that he is completely innocent of any wrongdoing. But they won t let reporters independently verify those findings. So we just have to take their word for it If that s the case, then the law firm doing the investigation better have an absolutely impeccable record. Instead, Trump got one that has even more connections than he (allegedly!) does.The lawyers Trump turned to work for a firm called Morgan Lewis. It does a lot of business in Russia. It does so much business in Russia, in fact, that it actually nabbed a prestigious award for being Russia Law Firm of the Year in 2016.The law firm that sent the letter RE: Trump's biz interests in Russia was recognized as "Russia Law Firm of the Year" in 2016: pic.twitter.com/t7yBFpl1Hn Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) May 12, 2017Others argue the law firm is merely a victim of its own success. It s a global company, of course it would be in Russia.Trump letter is dumb for other reasons, but not this. Morgan Lewis & Bockius is one of the biggest & most well-known lawfirms in the world. https://t.co/gBeg7Ms0EP Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) May 12, 2017However, this needn t be a massive conspiracy. Something worth thinking about: This group which has a vested interest in not upsetting Trump and Putin wants us to take their word at facevalue when they say that Trump is completely innocent. The very fact that they have business relationships and clients in Russia means they would feel pressured to tread lightly. Russia, a country run not only by Putin but a collective of oligarchs, can destroy your business if they feel antagonized by what you re doing.Making matters even more shady, Trump s lawyers claim they just released these findings at the behest of a congressional request. But the letter they sent is two months old. If it were that old, it may explain why Trump s lawyers didn t bother to mention Trump s Russian golf course investors. They didn t think it would come out. News of that relationship only leaked in the past few weeks.But there s an easy way to clear all this up: Trump could always release his tax returns to the public.Featured image via AFP-OUT | 0 |
22,361 | You Won’t Believe The Mailer The Rubio Campaign Just Sent Out Of Jeb Bush’s Mother (IMAGE) | The Republican presidential race has gotten so heated as well as sleazy that not even the presidential candidates mothers are left alone. With the New Hampshire primary just around the corner, a potential voter showed a mailer a super PAC backing Florida senator Marco Rubio sent out to New Hampshire voters.The mailer features a photo of Jeb Bush wearing a golden crown next to a white haired and bejeweled Queen Elizabeth II, who bears a striking resemblance to Jeb s mother and former First Lady Barbara Bush.And in case it wasn t obvious that the mailer is linking Queen Elizabeth to Jeb s mom Barbara, the mailer includes an old quote from Barbara below the photo of Queen Elizabeth. It reads: We ve had enough Bushes. Barbara Bush. The mailer, which is headlined What happened to the Coronation of Jeb Bush? is clearly linking the idea of monarchy and the seeming monopolization of power by the Bush family, who ve already had two previous presidents and are vying for a third. The mailer has images of Henry VIII who represents George Sr., and and the Burger King mascot, who represents George Jr.The back of the mailer reads: Most pundits claimed Bush/Clinton general election match up was inevitable, reads the back of the Rubio super PAC mailer. They said the 2016 election would be a choice between these 2 dynasties. One has to admit, this is quite a clever mailer as the Bush family is attempting to put yet another son in power. We re still reeling from the mistakes of Jeb s brother, who plunged the country into chaos in the eight years he was at the helm and we don t need Jeb, who has been unapologetic for the mistakes and crimes of his brother.However, we definitely don t need Marco Rubio, the conservative, robotic, and unappealing Florida senator. Let s continue to watch in glee as all of the candidates continue to cancel each other out with antics that lack in the most basic of human integrity. Featured image from Wikimedia Commons | 0 |
22,362 | Mark Hamill Reads Trump Tweets As The Joker, And It’s Epic (AUDIO) | Donald Trump has been described by many as sounding like a comic book villain come to life, and now veteran Star Wars icon Mark Hamill just proved it to the entire world.Writer Matt Oswalt (brother of comedian Patton Oswalt) pointed out on Twitter that Trump s weird-sounding New Year s tweet message sounded just like something The Joker would say right before releasing a swarm of killer bees into Gotham. this sounds like something the Joker would say right before releasing a swarm of killer bees into Gotham https://t.co/SyKsCHvyuh Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) December 31, 2016Well on the internet, you truly never know who is listening at any given moment. After playing Luke Skywalker (of course) in the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi), Mark Hamill has for years led a double life as the Joker. He has appeared in several Batman and DC Comics animated TV shows, movies, and video games voicing the deranged serial killer clown.And now he is using his voiceover magic for something truly useful, mocking Trump.After Oswalt s message, Hamill posted a tweet with an audio clip attached of him reading Trump as if he were the Joker:The Trumpster quote #1#ANewJeersToast https://t.co/qZQEGU18r6 Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) January 8, 2017The hilarious tweet went viral right away, and it scarily shows how much of a matchup there is between the Clown Prince of Crime and the Clownish Politician. Hamill labeled his audio clip as quote #1 so there will obviously be some clamor for a followup, perhaps even an animated Trump/Joker matchup of some sort?Oswalt also suggested what sounds like a multi-million dollar idea: BILLION DOLLAR IDEA: an App that you can feed every Trump tweet into that plays it back in @HamillHimself Joker voice. You re welcome. It s sad that America will have to suffer for at least four years under a leader who clearly would be right at home inside a comic book, but he is already showing us that he will be a boon to comedians and other creatives, to allow us to deal with the havoc he wreaks. Save us, Batman.Featured image via YouTube/Flickr | 0 |
22,363 | Abe to push reform of Japan's pacifist constitution after election win | TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe s ruling bloc scored a big win in Sunday s election, bolstering his chance of becoming the nation s longest-serving premier and re-energizing his push to revise the pacifist constitution. Abe s Liberal Democratic Party-led (LDP) coalition won a combined 312 seats, keeping its two-thirds super majority in the 465-member lower house, local media said. A hefty win raises the likelihood that Abe, who took office in December 2012, will secure a third three-year term as LDP leader next September and go on to become Japan s longest-serving premier. It also means his Abenomics growth strategy centered on the hyper-easy monetary policy will likely continue. Final official results from the election, which coincided with an approaching typhoon, are expected early on Monday. The U.S.-drafted constitution s Article 9, if taken literally, bans the maintenance of armed forces. But Japanese governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defense. Backers of Abe s proposal to clarify the military s ambiguous status say it would codify the status quo. Critics fear it would allow an expanded role overseas for the military. Abe said he would not stick to a target he had floated of making the changes by 2020. First, I want to deepen debate and have as many people as possible agree, he told a TV broadcaster. We should put priority on that. The LDP s junior partner, the Komeito, is cautious about changing the constitution, drawn up after Japan s defeat in World War Two. Several opposition parties favor changes, but do not necessarily agree on details. Amendments must be approved by two-thirds of each chamber of parliament and then by a majority in a public referendum. Now that pro-constitutional change parties occupy more than two-thirds of the parliament, the constitution will be the most important political issue next year, said Hidenori Suezawa, a financial market and fiscal analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities. And as we saw in the U.K. ... a referendum could be tricky. So while Abe is likely to be prime minister for the time being, it is too early to say whether he can stay in power until 2021. Abe declined to say if he would run for a third term. Abe had said he needed a new mandate to tackle a "national crisis" from North Korea's missile and nuclear threats and a fast-aging population, and to approve his idea of diverting revenue from a planned sales tax hike to education and child care from public debt repayment [reut.rs/2yC0pma]. He called the poll amid confusion in the opposition camp and an uptick in his ratings, dented earlier in the year by scandals over suspected cronyism and a perception he had grown arrogant after nearly five years in office. Abe has backed U.S. President Donald Trump s tough stance towards North Korea, which has test-fired missiles over Japan, that all options, including military action, are on the table. Trump is to visit Japan Nov. 5-7 to reaffirm the leaders tight ties. Abe s snap poll gamble had seemed risky - some early forecasts saw the LDP losing a significant chunk of seats - after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, often floated as possibly Japan s first female premier, launched her conservative Party of Hope. That party absorbed a big chunk of the failed main opposition Democratic Party, which abruptly decided to run no candidates of its own. But voter enthusiasm soon waned despite its calls for popular policies such as an exit from nuclear power and a freeze on the planned sales tax rise. Koike did not run for a lower house seat herself - she was in Paris for a climate change event on Sunday - and failed to say whom her party would back for prime minister. We had sought to put policies first. But we ended up with a very tough outcome, so I deeply apologize for that, Koike told NHK. A new Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), formed by liberal former DP members, got 54 seats, beating the 49 seats of Koike s party to become the biggest opposition group, although both have just a fraction of the LDP s presence. Day by day, we felt we were getting more voter support for our call to revive more decent politics, and not fret about whether it s right or left wing, said CDPJ lawmaker Tetsuro Fukuyama. Several experts noted the ruling bloc s win was less a victory for the conservative, long-ruling LDP than a defeat for a divided opposition. Simply put, this was the self-destruction of the opposition, said Zentaro Kamei, a senior research fellow at think tank PHP Institute and former LDP lawmaker. Shinjiro Koizumi, the LDP lawmaker son of popular former Premier Junichiro Koizumi, warned against LDP complacency. It s not just that our party has become arrogant and complacent. People are also getting increasingly fed up with us, he told NHK. Abe, 63, has already led the LDP and its partner, the Komeito, to four landslide wins since he took the helm of the party. But turnout has been low and the LDP has typically won with about 25 percent of eligible votes. Others either stayed home or backed opposition parties. Kyodo news agency estimated turnout on Sunday - when heavy rain from powerful Typhoon Lan lashed much of Japan - at 53.7 percent, 1 point above the record low in the last lower house election in 2014. | 1 |
22,364 | House speaker: House ethics watchdog will remain independent | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday he has made clear to the House Ethics Committee chairman that the panel must not interfere with the Office Of Congressional Ethics and should only ensure that the office follows rules and does not hamper investigations. Ryan, in a statement after House Republicans moved on Monday to give lawmakers greater control over nonpartisan ethics watchdog, said, “The office will continue to be governed by a bipartisan independent outside board with ultimate decision-making authority.” | 1 |
22,365 | Germany should be proud of its WW2 soldiers, far-right candidate says | BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans should be proud of what their soldiers achieved during World War One and Two, the top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said ahead of the Sept. 24 election at which his party his expected to enter parliament. The anti-immigrant AfD is on up to 12 percent in opinion polls, meaning it could become the third biggest party in Germany s lower house behind Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD). If I look around Europe, no other people has dealt as clearly with their past wrongs as the Germans, 76-year-old Alexander Gauland said in a speech to supporters on Sept. 2 that has since been posted on YouTube. The Nazis ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945, during which time they killed 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. People no longer need to reproach us with these 12 years - they don t relate to our identity nowadays, Gauland said, referring to the Nazi era. He said the battle of Verdun during World War One belonged to German history, as did Erwin Rommel, the World War Two field marshal celebrated as the Desert Fox , and army officer Claus von Stauffenberg, who led an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler in July 1944 with a bomb hidden in a briefcase. Gauland said Germany needed to reclaim its history. If the French are rightly proud of their emperor and the Britons of Nelson and Churchill, we have the right to be proud of the achievements of the German soldiers in two world wars, Gauland said. The AfD did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, Bjoern Hoecke, the AfD s chief in the eastern state of Thuringia, provoked outrage for describing the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin as a monument of shame and for demanding a 180 degree turnaround in the way Germany seeks to atone for Nazi crimes. | 1 |
22,366 | Trump infrastructure push rolls back environmental rules | WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday rolled back rules regarding environmental reviews and restrictions on government-funded building projects in flood-prone areas as part of his proposal to spend $1 trillion to fix aging U.S. infrastructure. Trump’s latest executive order would speed approvals of permits for highways, bridges, pipelines and other major building efforts. It revokes an Obama-era executive order aimed at reducing exposure to flooding, sea level rise and other consequences of climate change. “It’s going to be quick. It’s going to be a very streamlined process. And by the way, if it doesn’t meet environmental safeguards, we’re not going to approve it - very simple,” Trump said at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York. President Trump promised in his election campaign to press for widespread deregulation to spur business spending. The former New York real state developer has complained that it takes too long to get permits for big construction projects. Business groups praised the streamlining of regulations, while environmental groups and others criticized the order, saying it would lead to riskier projects, waste taxpayer dollars and result in a “climate catastrophe.” The American Petroleum Institute said in a statement that the order reflects recommendations the oil industry lobby group submitted to the Commerce Department in March. The National Association of Home Builders also praised the Trump administration’s move, saying the flood rules had raised the cost of housing. But the environmental group Oil Change International said the order would silence local communities that have safety and environmental concerns about major projects like pipelines. “If Trump has his way, we’ll be facing a fossil fuel buildout that locks America into climate catastrophe,” said Janet Redman, U.S. Policy Director at Oil Change International. The order would set a two-year goal for completing permits needed on major infrastructure plans, and create a “one Federal decision” protocol that would appoint a lead federal agency to work with other agencies to complete the environmental reviews and permitting for infrastructure projects. The Trump administration has issued dozens of rules and orders to reverse Obama-era regulations addressing climate change and its consequences such as rising sea levels and more severe storms. The administration proposes $200 billion in government funding over 10 years as part of a goal of getting $1 trillion in public and private infrastructure spending. The Obama-era standard required that builders factor in scientific projections for increased flooding and ensure projects can withstand rising sea levels and stronger downpours. It required all federal agencies apply the standard to public infrastructure projects from housing to highways. Rafael Lemaitre, former director of public affairs at FEMA who worked on the Obama-era order, said Trump is undoing “the most significant action taken in a generation” to safeguard U.S. infrastructure. “Eliminating this requirement is self-defeating; we can either build smarter now, or put taxpayers on the hook to pay exponentially more when it floods. And it will,” he said. | 1 |
22,367 | https://100percentfedup.com/video-hillary-asked-about-trump-i-just-want-to-eat-some-pie/ | https://100percentfedup.com/video-hillary-asked-about-trump-i-just-want-to-eat-some-pie/ | 0 |
22,368 | Trump suggests potential softening in hardline position on immigration | AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump held out the possibility on Tuesday of a softening of his hardline position on illegal immigration, a move that could help move him to the political center but hurt him with his most ardent supporters. In an immigration town hall event with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, Trump was asked whether he would be willing to change U.S. law to accommodate those illegal immigrants who have been contributing to American society, obeyed laws and have children. “There certainly can be a softening because we’re not looking to hurt people,” Trump replied, insisting there were some “great people” among the immigrant population. It was the latest example of Trump appearing to waver on his long-held stance he would deport all illegal immigrants back to their home countries. His new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told CNN on Sunday that Trump’s proposed “deportation force” for the 11 million people in the United States illegally was “to be determined.” Later on Tuesday, at a rally in Austin, Trump appeared to shift his emphasis to dealing with illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the United States. He brought on stage eight mothers whose children were killed by illegal immigrants. Trump ticked off a series of statistics about crimes committed by some illegal immigrants and vowed that would be stopped under his presidency. “Not going to happen, folks,” he said. “We’re not going to let it happen to our country.” Trump, who postponed an immigration speech originally planned for Thursday in Denver, said he would stop some major cities’ practice of providing sanctuary for illegal immigrants and stop immigrants from overstaying their visas. A move by Trump to modify his stance on immigration could help him attract more support among moderate voters in his uphill drive to win the Nov. 8 election. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Democrat Hillary Clinton expanding her lead over Trump to 12 points among likely voters, with 45 percent support to 33 percent for Trump. But a change in Trump’s position could prove to be dispiriting to some of his strongest supporters. Trump defeated 16 rivals for the Republican presidential nomination and one factor that helped him was being the most hardline candidate on immigration. “Why would anyone be surprised that Trump has pivoted to becoming the ‘amnesty’ candidate?” said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, a former spokesman for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a conservative. “When you have no governing philosophy, pivots are par for the course. Guess we won’t need Mexico to build that wall.” At his Austin event, attended by thousands who packed a rodeo arena, some were shouting: “Build the wall” long before Trump even showed up, a reference to the New York businessman’s oft-stated promise to build a wall along the U.S. with Mexico and make Mexico pay for it. Some of those attending the event, however, liked that Trump might be offering a more expansive view on immigration. “I think he’s saying the law needs to be looked at,” said Barbara Thomas, a Trump supporter from the Austin area. “I think it would be very hard for all of them to be deported. I think the system needs to be fixed. It has some problems.” Immigration politics have long divided American voters. Then-President George W. Bush, a Republican, fought for changes to U.S. immigration laws in 2007 but the effort fizzled in the U.S. Congress. Democratic President Barack Obama’s attempts have failed to bear fruit amid partisan gridlock. Trump insisted in the Hannity appearance he would “follow the law.” “We have very strong laws in this country. And you know Bush, and even Obama, sends people back. Now, we can be more aggressive on that but we want to follow the laws,” he said. His vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, said in a CBS News interview that Trump would be “tough but fair” in dealing with illegal immigrants. “People who have run afoul of the law gotta leave immediately,” Pence said. When pressed, he said the details would need to be worked out with Congress. | 1 |
22,369 | IRONY: Only Political Party With Black Presidential Candidate Is Threatened By #BlackLivesMatter Co-Founder (Not George Soros) | Who knew the radical leftist #BlackLivesMatter activists had a co-founder?Who knew the only political party with a black Presidential candidate would be the target of the radical black left?Cullors was asked by guest co-host Janet Mock what her plan was for Republican candidates, specifically Jeb Bush, for calling black lives matter a slogan. Cullors replied, Trust and believe that any opportunity we have to shut down a Republican convention, we will. We will make sure that our voices are made loud and clear. Via: Breitbart News | 0 |
22,370 | ERIC TRUMP REMOVES ANY DOUBT About International Business Deals With HUGE Announcement: “It’s The Right Thing To Do” [VIDEO] | Eric Trump, in his first interview since his father Donald Trump was elected president, said on Sunday the Trump Organization plans to stop development of real estate projects overseas. In light of politics, we ve said hey, listen, we re not going to expand anymore internationally. We re not going to do any new international projects. And that was a big piece of what we did, Trump, who is executive vice president of the organization, told Maria Bartiromo in an exclusive sitdown on Sunday Morning Futures. Eric, along with older siblings Don Jr. and Ivanka, all have or have held positions within the family business prior to their father winning the presidential election. Once President Trump took office, he pledged to separate private interests from public policy. One way the president did this was by putting his holdings in a trust, managed by his sons and another executive from the company.Though no longer growing internationally for the time being, Trump explained how he finds the next growth spot in the real estate market, saying part of it is gut and intuition. You see places that are reducing taxes, they re trying to incentivize businesses to come in. Those are always the places that do immensely well, Trump said, citing Florida as a key example."It's the right thing to do." -Eric Trump announces Trump Organization will stop expanding overseas pic.twitter.com/BnN2TJYtrO FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) March 20, 2017 They have low taxes, they ve got an incredible quality of life. Real estate prices weren t astronomical, meaning you could move from a state like New York into Florida you could get a much bigger bang for the buck, Trump said, adding I think you re seeing that right now in a lot of markets in Texas. You certainly saw that in North Carolina, South Carolina and other states that really grew massively. Additionally, Trump explained how his father s pro-American business agenda has impacted the company, which has properties and deals all over the world. I don t think one and two are contrary to one another, Trump said. But I think when people abuse the system, they can be. I think the difference with us is we might do a project globally, but all the money comes back to the United States. -Fox Business | 0 |
22,371 | JOKE OF THE DAY | My wife and I went into town and visited a shop.When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.We went up to him and I said, come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break? He just ignored us and continued writing the ticket. I called him an a**hole. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn-out tires. So Shirley (my wife) called him a s*ithead. He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing more tickets.This went on for about 20 minutes.The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.He finally finished, sneered at us and walked away.Just then our bus arrived, and we got on it and went home.We always look for cars with Obama stickers.We try to have a little fun each day now that we re retired. Its so important at our age!!! | 0 |
22,372 | Zimbabwe army detains finance minister: government source | HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe s military detained Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo on Wednesday after seizing power in an attempt to root out criminals around President Robert Mugabe who it said were causing social and economic suffering, a government source said. Chombo was a leading member of the so-called G40 faction of the ruling ZANU-PF party, led by Mugabe s wife Grace, that had been vying to succeed the 93-year-old president. | 1 |
22,373 | Brazil's top court approves new graft probe of President Temer | BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian Supreme Court judge on Tuesday authorized an investigation of President Michel Temer for suspected corruption involving a decree regulating ports, adding to graft allegations the president has so far parried with backing from Congress. The new investigation is based on a wiretapped conversation of a former Temer aide, Rodrigo Rocha Loures, who, according to court documents, discussed shaping the decree in return for bribes channeled from a port operator to the president. In his ruling, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said the new probe was warranted because Brazil s top prosecutor, Rodrigo Janot, had found strong indications of crimes, given that the decree signed by Temer answered part of the demands made by logistics firm Rodrimar SA. Temer s lawyer said in a statement sent to the Supreme Court that the allegations against the president are contaminated by untruths and malicious distortions. The decree was publicly debated and benefited all port operators and not just Rodrimar, it said. Rodrimar also denied that it had received any special treatment from the government. The company said the decree in question partially addressed widespread demands from Brazil s port operators. Temer has denied any role in the corruption scandals that have come to light during a sprawling three-year investigation of political bribery in Brazil. His lawyers have also challenge the plea bargain deal that yielded the wiretap of Rocha Loures, arguing that the billionaire beef tycoon who arranged the recordings was unfairly favored by a close aide to Janot. Last month, Temer s allies in Congress easily blocked a corruption charge leveled by Janot. He is also expected to beat additional charges that Janot could level this week before leaving office. The latest investigation approved by the court adds more allegations to the mix. Brazil s currency, the real, posted its biggest daily drop in nearly a month, slipping 0.8 percent against the U.S. dollar as the investigation and a separate police probe into Temer s allies kept pressure on the president. Temer s success in beating back accusations had bolstered bets that he would be able to return focus to his market-friendly proposals to overhaul Brazil s tax and social security policies, tackling a record deficit. | 1 |
22,374 | Catalonia should remain part of Spain after vote: minister | KIEV (Reuters) - Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said on Monday that he hoped and believed a regional election in Catalonia would result in the territory remaining part of Spain. We hope, with the help of these elections, to restore legal governance and rule of law in Catalonia, Dastis said, speaking through an interpreter during a briefing in Kiev. We hope and believe that after these elections, Catalonia will again be the same society it was before: open and integrated. he said. | 1 |
22,375 | Twitter HUMILIATES Trump For Bragging About George W. Bush Attending Inauguration | Donald Trump probably should have just let this one fly under the radar instead of publicly bragging about it like it s the best news ever.Former President George W. Bush is considered one of the worst presidents in American history. His policies dragged America into two wars in the Middle East, gave our nation a black eye because of torture and imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay, and led to the Great Recession in 2008 that nearly imploded the world economy. And let s not forget that Bush responded poorly to Hurricane Katrina and ignored a memo warning that Osama bin Laden was determined to strike the United States using commercial airplanes.But Trump is absolutely thrilled that Bush will be in attendance on January 20th at the inauguration. @KellyannePolls: Welcome to President and Mrs. Bush. https://t.co/I1K4nj1gVu Very nice! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2017Honestly, Bush is probably more thrilled about it than Trump is. After all, he gets to pass the title of worst president to Trump, who is even more illegitimate and inept than Bush ever was, finally making all those Miss me yet memes relevant.And Twitter had a field with Trump s post.@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls JUST GET OUT OF HERE AND BE IMPEACHED StopTrumpPutin16 (@stoptrumpputin) January 8, 2017Trump thrives off a Cult of Stupidity. https://t.co/94cqp3b8iE @realDonaldTrump Political Edu (@PoliticalEdu_) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump you re so insecure. So sad. Andrew Strauss (@straussanator) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls they still didn t vote for you Michael Gesme (@fauxlifecoach) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls Of course Bush is going. Now he will not be known as the worst president of our lifetime! Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls but you re sad! Weak! And owe his family an apology Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls He is only going because there is a rumor Scott Baio might be there. Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls They loathe you and are just being gracious, something you have never done, Donny. Julian (@_Julian_NYC) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls You are a national embarrassment. pic.twitter.com/6lj0TREpYC Darius Knight (@DariusKnight666) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls Doesn t mean they like you, or support you. Your presidency is shame. #Russia #PopularVote @Steve519 (@Steve519) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls You are the most dangerous man to ever assume office. Jon Byers (@jonbyersphotos) January 8, 2017@realDonaldTrump @KellyannePolls I never in my life thought I d long for/miss George W. Bush. That s really how much of a monster you are. Not My President (@NotMyPresident4) January 8, 2017Donald Trump is a disgrace to this country who is going to do more to destroy it than Bush ever did. Because while Bush did a lot of bad things, he never allowed himself to be used as a puppet by a foreign nation.Featured image via YouTube | 0 |
22,376 | Erdogan says U.S. can't buy Turkish support on Jerusalem | ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey told U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday he could not buy its support in a United Nations vote on Jerusalem, and said the world should teach the United States a very good lesson by resisting U.S. pressure. Trump has threatened to cut aid to countries that support a draft U.N. resolution calling for the United States to withdraw its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel s capital. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara U.N. member states should not let their decision in Thursday s vote at the U.N. General Assembly be dictated by money. Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkey s democratic will with your dollars, he said. The dollars will come back, but your will won t once it s sold. That is why your stance is important. Trump s announcement two weeks ago that he was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel s capital broke with decades of U.S. policy and international consensus that the city s status must be left to Israeli-Palestinian talks. Last week Erdogan hosted a special meeting of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, which condemned Trump s decision and called on the world to respond by recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognized internationally. Trump s Jerusalem move led to harsh criticisms from Muslim countries and Israel s closest European allies, who have also rejected the move. A draft resolution calling for withdrawal of Trump s decision was vetoed at the United Nations Security Council by the United States on Monday. Following that vote, opponents of the U.S. decision called for the vote in the General Assembly. I hope and expect the United States won t get the result it expects from there and the world will give a very good lesson to the United States, Erdogan said. | 1 |
22,377 | Israeli Minister Calls For ‘Civil Targeted Killing’ Of Human Rights Activists Leading Boycott Of Israel (VIDEO) | In Israel, dehumanizing Palestinians and calling for their destruction has become the norm. Only a few days after Chief Israeli Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said that non-Jews should not live in Israel unless they serve Jews, another influential Israeli racist has come out publicly, in this case to incite against Palestinians and their supporters. Transportation minister Israel Katz called for the civil targeted killing of non-violent civil rights leaders who call for the boycott, divestment, and sanctioning of Israel until it conforms to international law.Here is what author Richard Silverstein had to say about Katz s statement, made in Hebrew: The phrase he used (sikul ezrahi memukad) derives from the euphemistic Hebrew phrase for the targeted killing of a terrorist (the literal meaning is targeted thwarting ). But the added word civil makes it something different. Katz is saying that we won t physically murder BDS opponents, but we will do everything short of that. One may rightly ask what business a transportation minister has conducting targeted killings, physical or otherwise, against anyone. Though everything in Israel is in service to the national security state, has transportation fallen under that bailiwick as well? We are entering dangerous territory when an Israeli cabinet minister engages in wordplay that verges on putting a bull s-eye on the backs of non-violent activists. If there are Israel apologists out there who dismiss the significance of such rhetoric they are sadly mistaken. In this torrid political environment in which Israeli leftists have become criminals and wounded Palestinian youth may be summarily executed in the street, it is only too easy to forsee Palestinian activists like Barghouti (BDS leader) having a bounty on their heads. In addition, BDS activists this psychopath is inciting against are not just Palestinian: They are from all over the world, including the United States. In fact, American activists are at the forefront of the BDS movement. Moreover, we want to keep in mind the life and death power Israel has over the Palestinian people. It has become the norm not only to incite against Palestinians but to kill them in cold blood. Only a few days ago, an injured Palestinian who was incapacitated and lying on the ground was murdered by an Israeli soldier (you can watch the video below). Many Israelis consider the soldier a hero and are calling for his release.Israel s life and death stranglehold over millions of Palestinians makes statements like Katz s even more dangerous because many Israeli Jews do not see Palestinians as humans. After all, Israelis were lounging in chairs on hilltops and cheering as thousands of civilians were being killed in Gaza in the summer of 2014. Israeli politicians have a long history of frightening language against Palestinians. Whether it is Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked s reference to Palestinian children as snakes, or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s continuous incitement, Katz s statement is just the latest round of Israeli politicians tripping over each other to dehumanize Palestinians.Watch video here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Bl9zAM5A4] Featured image via video screenshot. | 0 |
22,378 | Donald Trump’s New Campaign Slogan Is LITERALLY From Horror Film ‘The Purge’ | Seriously, he really picked this as his 2020 slogan. We re all gonna die.Donald Trump hasn t even served a day as president, and won t officially do so until Monday since he has decided that the first two days after his inauguration will be vacation days. However, he has already picked a slogan on which to run during the 2020 campaign.During an interview with the Washington Post, Trump got all sorts of giddy about a slogan he thought of to use four years from now.According to the Washington Post,Halfway through his interview with The Washington Post, Trump shared a bit of news: He already has decided on his slogan for a reelection bid in 2020. Are you ready? he said. Keep America Great, exclamation point. Get me my lawyer! the president-elect shouted.Two minutes later, one arrived. Will you trademark and register, if you would, if you like it I think I like it, right? Do this: Keep America Great, with an exclamation point. With and without an exclamation. Keep America Great, Trump said. Got it, the lawyer replied.There s just one legal problem and one terrifying problem with this new slogan.First of all, the slogan has already been used by a movie as a tagline, so trademarking and registering it could be rather difficult and result in legal issues.Second, the movie Trump is apparently trying to steal the slogan from is The Purge: Election Year, which is an installment of a horror film series, set in America, in a dystopian future where every citizen in this country is allowed to commit any crime they want, no matter how horrible, for an entire day without consequences.Don t believe it? Here s the trailer via YouTube.Here s another one in which the lead character, a U.S. Senator played by Elizabeth Mitchell, explains that the annual purge targets the poor and the innocent.Trump picked a seriously f*cked up slogan this time, and considering that he will be in control of the White House while Republicans control Congress, everyone should be scared to death.Featured Image via screen capture from embedded video | 0 |
22,379 | More Fake News: Mainstream Media Lies About Trump ‘Evicting’ White House Press Corp | 21st Century Wire says Many mainstream news outlets have been abuzz about the headline going around saying that Trump may evict the press corp from accessing the White House, but when one looks deeper into what is being written in such articles it quickly becomes clear that there is nothing official stated about disallowing any press from the White House.Here s the facts: Incoming White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, while discussing potentially moving the press corps room from the James Brady Press Room, to the White House Conference Room in order to add more seating for press to cover President Trump in the White House said: If the plan goes through, one of the officials said, the media will be removed from the cozy confines of the White House press room, where it has worked for several decades. Members of the press will be relocated to the White House Conference Center near Lafayette Square or to a space in the Old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House.Look to the Blaze for how this is spun into a narrative which serves the dual purpose of agitating Trump s detractors into believing that he is going to suppress the freedom of the press and at the same time serves as a rouse to cause his ardent supporters to appear as though they are rejoicing at the potential of a Trump Presidency that would support suppressing the free press. When comparing the actual quotes with the editorial it is obvious that The Blaze and other mainstream media outlets are playing a wicked game of deceit to further the attempts at demonizing the incoming President.We can now see who the real Fake News culprits are.Below is one of the fake news articles circulating online this one was floated out by Glenn Beck and his dubious media organization The Blaze . The BlazePresident-elect Donald Trump s transition team is reportedly considering plans to evict the White House press corps from accessing the White House.According to a report from Esquire, which cited three sources with the transition team, Trump administration officials are seriously considering plans to evict the press corps from being able to access the White House, arguing that it would allow the press increased access to Trump. There has been no decision, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told Esquire, adding that there has been some discussion about how to do it. More from Esquire:If the plan goes through, one of the officials said, the media will be removed from the cozy confines of the White House press room, where it has worked for several decades. Members of the press will be relocated to the White House Conference Center near Lafayette Square or to a space in the Old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House.Spicer, in his comments to Esquire, suggested that one of the reasons the administration is looking to evict the press from the White House is because they want to offer more members of the press the ability to cover Trump and the White House.Currently, there are only 49 seats in the White House James Brady Press Briefing Room, not enough to honor the hundreds, and sometimes, thousands of requests from journalists to cover Trump, Spicer said.However, a different, unnamed source told Esquire that the administration might have a different motive. According to the source, the administration is considering the move because of how the media covered Trump during the campaign and after his election victory.Trump has repeatedly lambasted the media for their coverage of him, regularly taking to Twitter to blast a news agency or a reporter by name. Most recently, Trump scolded CNN s Jim Acosta during his press conference See the rest of Glenn Beck s Fake News story at The BlazeREAD MORE ELECTIONS NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2016 Files | 0 |
22,380 | Clinton says 'conspiracy theories' about her health not a concern | (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, on Monday said that she was not distracted by rumors of ill health and that attacks on the Clinton Foundation were not rooted in fact. Clinton, speaking on her campaign plane, also said she continued to support a “no-fly zone” over Syria. | 1 |
22,381 | Obama points finger at Putin for hacks during U.S. election | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday strongly suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the computer hacks of Democratic Party emails that American intelligence officials say were aimed at helping Republican Donald Trump win the Nov. 8 election. But with only a month left in office, during a somber press conference before leaving for a family holiday in Hawaii, Obama spoke despairingly about the “nasty” state of U.S. politics, saying the chasm between Democrats and Republicans has made it possible for Russia to cause mischief. Obama said he has “great confidence” in intelligence reports he has seen showing that Russians hacked into emails belonging to the Democratic National Committee and to John Podesta, who was campaign chairman for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The leaked emails revealed details of paid speeches Clinton gave to Wall Street, party infighting and comments from top aides to Clinton who were shocked about the extent of her use of a private server to send emails while secretary of state. The leaks led to embarrassing media coverage and prompted some party officials to resign. Obama, who campaigned vigorously for Clinton, said she was treated unfairly and found the media coverage of her troubling. “This happened at the highest levels of the Russian government,” Obama said when asked whether Putin was personally involved in the hacks. He added that “not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin.” Obama said he warned Putin in September to stop meddling in American political campaigns, telling his Russian counterpart to “cut it out” during a face-to-face encounter in China at a Group of 20 meeting. Obama said he did not believe that U.S. electronic voting systems were tampered with. Obama, however, stopped short of directly blaming Putin and said he also wanted to give U.S. intelligence officials more time to produce a report that is due before he leaves office on Jan. 20 and Trump is sworn in as his successor. Obama called Russia a smaller and weaker country than the United States that “does not produce anything that others want to buy, except oil and gas and arms.” The comments underscored what Obama called the “sadly deteriorated” relationship between Washington and Moscow, which are also at odds over Russia’s role in Syria’s civil war and its aggressive actions in Ukraine. Russia has denied U.S. accusations that it was behind the hacks. Two senior government officials told Reuters that the Federal Bureau of Investigation backs the CIA’s view that Russia indeed intervened to help Trump win the presidential election. Trump has maintained that he won the election fairly and has bristled at suggestions that Moscow influenced the outcome. But at one point during the heated presidential campaign, he publicly encouraged Russia to hack Clinton’s emails. Trump spoke glowingly in the campaign about Putin, and since winning the election he has named top aides who have ties to Russia, including his nominee for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil Corp Chief Executive Rex Tillerson. Obama left open the door to U.S. retaliation against Russia to discourage further cyber attacks - countermeasures that may be up to Trump to implement. Obama said he has had “cordial” discussions with Trump since the election and has stressed that he would do everything he can to ensure a smooth transition. But the outgoing president also criticized Trump’s fellow Republicans broadly. Referencing polls showing that more than one-third of Republicans approve of Putin, who used to lead the KGB spy agency, Obama said that conservative icon “Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave.” “In some cases, you have voters and elected officials who have more confidence and faith in a foreign adversary than they have in their neighbors,” Obama said. Adding to the gloomy tone of Obama’s remarks, he addressed two other difficult foreign policy issues that will outlast his time in the White House. Obama warned about the economic and geopolitical consequences of any breakdown in the U.S.-China relationship, and said Trump should think carefully about the diplomatic repercussions if he decides to “upend” longstanding U.S. diplomatic norms. Trump angered China earlier this month when he took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen - the first call of its kind since 1979 when President Jimmy Carter acknowledged Taiwan as part of “one China.” Obama also condemned attacks on Syrian civilians trying to flee the city of Aleppo, blaming President Bashar al-Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran for “atrocities.” Obama defended his decision to keep U.S. troops out of Syria and avoid military intervention, although he acknowledged the protracted anguish has weighed on him. “Everything else was tempting because we wanted to do something and it sounded like the right thing to do, but it was going to be impossible to do this on the cheap,” he said. | 1 |
22,382 | No Class Michelle Obama Takes Several Swipes At Trump During Tech Speech And Veiled Swipe At Clintons: ‘People that won’t go away’ [Video] | No class and no decorum! The always bitter Michelle Obama told a Salt Lake City audience today that we are looking at two different administrations. THIS IS LAUGHABLE:One, she said, was built on hope. The other is being led with fear.WE RE IN THIS MESS BECAUSE OBAMA DIDN T PUT AMERICA FIRST BUT MICHELLE SAYS: It isn t just us first, she said, a reference to Trump s America First agenda. We live in a big country and a big world. You can t just want to help someone in a hurricane and not make sure they can go to the doctor when they re sick. HUH?Her remarks, part of an hourlong moderated conversation, came on the last of a three-day tech conference hosted by Pluralsight, a Utah-based company.She claimed things are tough right now and suggested we re being tested, Obama professed that she continues to be hopeful that the political climate will improve. A BUNCH OF WHITE GUYS . WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR Obama urged computing companies to invest in and hire more women and people of color Changing that composition, Obama said, will take encouraging girls at a young age to study science and math. It will mean bridging the technology gap that persists in low-income districts. It requires revisions to the public-school system. And it warrants forming hiring committees with more women and people of color. You can t just say you want to fix the problems, you have to mean it, Obama said. If a bunch of white guys are sitting around the table trying to get more women involved, they re not going to come up with the answer. For Utah s Silicon Slopes and elsewhere, she added, a behavioral change in the office environment at IT corporations will need to accompany that shift. You can t hire women and then they come in and they re working for chimps. No offense you guys aren t all chimps, Obama said to laughs from the crowd. I call my husband a chimp sometimes, especially when he s watching the Sports Center. I m like Come on. Look at you. You re an animal. CLINTON JAB? What Barack and I don t want to be is the people that won t go away, she said, finishing the event with a standing ovation. We want to help the next generation come up and take our seats. Read more: sltrb | 0 |
22,383 | Trump to set new executive orders on environment, energy this week | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump this week will sign new executive orders before he completes his first 100 days in office, including two on energy and the environment, which would make it easier for the United States to develop energy on and offshore, a White House official said on Sunday. “This builds on previous executive actions that have cleared the way for job-creating pipelines, innovations in energy production, and reduced unnecessary burden on energy producers,” the official said on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, Trump is expected to sign an executive order related to the 1906 Antiquities Act, which enables the president to designate federal areas of land and water as national monuments to protect them from drilling, mining and development, the source said. On Friday, Trump is expected to sign an order to review areas available for offshore oil and gas exploration, as well as rules governing offshore drilling. The new measures would build on a number of energy- and environment-related executive orders signed by Trump seeking to gut most of the climate change regulations put in place by predecessor President Barack Obama. A summary of the forthcoming orders, seen by Reuters, say past administrations “overused” the Antiquities Act, putting more federal areas under protection than necessary. Obama had used the Antiquities Act more than any other president, his White House said in December, when he designated over 1.6 million acres of land in Utah and Nevada as national monuments, protecting two areas rich in Native American artifacts from mining, oil and gas drilling. The summary also says previous administrations have been “overly restrictive” of offshore drilling. Late in Obama’s second term, he banned new drilling in federal waters in parts of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans using a 1950s-era law that environmental groups say would require a drawn out court challenge to reverse. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said during his January confirmation hearing that Trump could “amend” Obama’s monument designations but any move to rescind a designation would immediately be challenged. Last month, Trump signed an order calling for a review of Obama’s Clean Power Plan, and reversed a ban on coal leasing on federal lands. In addition to the energy-related orders, Trump is also expected this week to sign an order to create an office of accountability in the Veterans Affairs department. He is also expected to create a rural America interagency task force to recommend policies to address issues facing agricultural states. | 1 |
22,384 | Despite carbon ruling, White House says U.S. can meet climate deal goals | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House promised on Wednesday that it would be able to uphold U.S. commitments to an international climate change agreement, as a court ruling heightened concerns about the stability of the global carbon reduction pact reached last year. Shares of coal companies reflected the uncertainty the day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. After jumping nearly 7 percent early in the session, the Thomson Reuters U.S. coal index was down 3 percent in afternoon trading. The court dealt a serious blow to the Obama administration’s climate change agenda on Tuesday when it took the unusual step to delay implementation of the Clean Power Plan until legal challenges to the regulation are completed. A centerpiece of the Obama administration’s climate change policy, the Clean Power Plan was designed to lower carbon emissions from U.S. power plants by 2030 to 32 percent below 2005 levels. The decision to temporarily block the rule came after the United States entered into a landmark agreement in December with countries around the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the Clean Power Plan was expected to be the main tool for the United States to fulfill its part of the pact, White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters in a briefing that it was only one part of the nation’s response to climate change. The long-term extension of the tax credits for renewable energy last year will continue to provide momentum that will transition the power sector toward cleaner sources of energy, Schultz said. “The inclusion of those tax credits is going to have more impact over the short term than the Clean Power Plan,” he said. But French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll quoted outgoing Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius as saying after a cabinet meeting that the decision was “not good news,” even if the debate will continue in the United States. Claudia Salerno, a Venezuelan diplomat who leads the country’s delegation at U.N. climate talks, described the ruling as “truly damaging” to the outcome of the pact in a Twitter message late on Tuesday. | 1 |
22,385 | Microsoft Pulls New A.I. Robot After It Went on Pro-Hitler Twitter Rant | Microsoft Pulls Robot After Posted Tweets Like Hitler Was Right I Hate the Jews HaaretzMicrosoft put the brakes on its artificial intelligence tweeting robot after it posted several offensive comments, including Hitler was right I hate the jews. The so-called chatbot TayTweets was launched by the Seattle-based software company on Wednesday as an experiment in artificial intelligence, or AI, and conversational understanding. But the company was forced to quickly pause the account and delete the vast majority of its tweets after the chatbot posted a number of offensive comments, including several that were admiring of Adolf Hitler.Along with Hitler was right I hate the jews, among other offending tweets, according to the International Business Times, were Bush did 9/11 and Hitler would have done a better job than the monkey we have now. Donald Trump is the only hope we ve got. Asked if the Holocaust happened, the chatbot replied: It was made up, followed by an emoji of clapping hands. The robot also tweeted its support for genocide against Mexicans and said it hates n s, according to the International Business Times.In a statement to IBTimes UK, Microsoft said it was making some changes Continue this story at HaaretzREAD MORE A.I. NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire A.I. Files | 0 |
22,386 | Episode #208 – ‘Not The Network’ – Sunday Wire with Hesher, Funk$oul and Patrick Henningsen Live from Iraq | Episode #208 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on Oct 29th 2017 as host Patrick Henningsen brings you this week s LIVE broadcast on the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR) covering all the top news stories both at home and internationally LISTEN LIVE ON THIS PAGE AT THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULED SHOW TIMES:5pm-8pm UK Time | 12pm-3pm ET (US) | 9am-12am PT (US) This week the SUNDAY WIRE is broadcasting LIVE from the Iraq as host Patrick Henningsen is joined by guest hosts Hesher & Funk$oul from the Alternate Current Radio s Boiler Room to discuss this week s top stories internationally including the leveling of Raqqa by US-led Coalition forces, the new US-UK-Soros-sponsored war against RT guests and the new European McCarthyist hunt for political dissenters to compliment the US effort and the update on Trump s release of classified JFK files. We ll also review this past week s news events with guest FunkSoul. Enjoy the show SUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE & BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TVStrap yourselves in and lower the blast shield this is your brave new world *NOTE: THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*Download Episode #208 Sunday Wire Radio Show Archives | 0 |
22,387 | Hillary Clinton: Wall Street's favorite enemy | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton began her presidential campaign by promising to do what it takes to rein in Wall Street. Boosted by Wall Street’s toughest critics, U.S. senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate has declared “the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top” and said she would raise bank fees and tighten banking regulations. She has encouraged regulators to break up too-risky banks. And yet, Wall Street appears unperturbed by the prospect of a Clinton presidency. In fact, the banking industry has supported Clinton with buckets of cash and stocks have sold off on days when the Clinton campaign stumbles. Privately, bankers say that they trust her to remain a pragmatist who will keep the current regulatory regime laid down by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation passed in 2010. “I don’t think Clinton wakes up thinking about Wall Street,” one senior banking industry lobbyist said. There are hints in apparently leaked email discussions among Clinton’s campaign staff that bankers are not far off the mark when they count on her to tread lightly. Pressed during the campaign by progressive Democrats to call for a revival of the Glass-Steagall Act that would require separation of commercial and investment banking, Clinton ultimately refused. She also weighed another progressive favorite - a tax on financial transactions- but instead recommended a far narrower plan to tax only canceled orders by high speed traders. Ultimately, what bankers most like about Clinton is that she is not Donald Trump. Many financiers fear her unorthodox Republican rival could disrupt global trade, damage geopolitical relationships and rattle markets, industry analysts and participants say. “Those are the kind of things that corner offices think about,” said Karen Shaw Petrou of Federal Financial Analytics Inc, whose firm advises financial firms about U.S. regulatory policy. “The overriding concern about Trump has dominated people’s thinking.” Trump’s candidacy has upended traditional political alliances and bankers that usually contribute more to the Republicans have been flinging money at Clinton. Employees of the 17 largest bank holding companies and their subsidiaries have been sending her $10 for every $1 they contributed to Trump, according to a Reuters analysis. In 2012, the same group contributed twice as much to Republican candidate Mitt Romney as it did to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. People who work for hedge funds and private equity firms have contributed more than $56 million to Clinton’s presidential campaign and the supporting groups that face no legal cap on donations. Trump’s campaign and related groups received just $243,000 from donors in the same sector, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. “It’s basically going with the devil you know over the devil you don’t,” said Brian Gardner, a managing director of New York investment firm Keefe Bruyette & Woods. What also helped, he said, was the familiarity with Hillary and Bill Clinton dating back to the 1990s when her husband was president and ushered in a period of financial deregulation. “There is a closeness and a comfort level between the titans on Wall Street and the Clintons,” he said. For bankers, the biggest worry is a scenario where Clinton wins and the Democrats take control of the House and the Senate, with progressives such as Warren and Sanders holding sway over everything from new tax laws to appointments of regulators. Already, Warren has called for immediate dismissal of the Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White. Last year, Warren successfully led a movement to derail Obama’s plan to appoint banker Antonio Weiss to the top job at Treasury. Warren and other progressives will press Clinton to be tough on Wall Street in return for their campaign support. Clinton “leaned heavily on Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and progressive ideas, when she needed to excite voters,” Adam Green with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said. “Elizabeth Warren has proven she’s a very powerful ally to have on your side. And it’s well known she’s also a formidable opponent to have against you,” Green said. However, recent polls suggest it is unlikely that Democrats will take the House and the future of the Senate is far from certain. Even if the Senate goes Democratic, it is likely to be led by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a moderate who has represented Wall Street with the industry’s backing. Clinton has said she will propose a “risk fee” on the largest financial firms and tighten up rules which allow banks to circumvent bans on proprietary trading by investing in hedge funds. Like Trump, she has proposed to end the tax break that private equity investors enjoy, termed “carried interest.” Yet such provisions will be probably tied up in a much larger tax initiative that will involve months, if not a year or more, of horse trading in Washington. Ultimately, it could end up overshadowed by other progressive goals, such as infrastructure funding, college affordability, or raising the minimum wage. Those are the causes that Clinton has prioritized and they are likely to supersede her anti-bank rhetoric, say bankers. One industry trade group representative said: “We’re not in her top 10 to take care of.” | 1 |
22,388 | DEMOCRAT CONGRESSWOMAN, WIFE OF FELON Threatens Paul Ryan On Twitter Over Cutting Federal Funds To Kill Babies | .@SpeakerRyan the women of America are watching. You will regret any attempt to defund Planned Parenthood https://t.co/pc37ND0fLd Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) January 5, 2017The wife of felon Bob Creamer is apparently borrowing a page from her husband s Chicago politics playbook. The good news is, Schakowsky is wasting her time with her silly rhetoric. America has spoken, and the radical leftist agenda of the Left can now be found exactly where it belongs in the White House trash bin.Republicans will need just a simple majority of members to pass both measures. Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our reconciliation bill, Ryan said to reporters at a press conference, when asked how and when the House will pass legislation to defund the organization. I think the 2015 bill we passed will make it into reconciliation and be part of it, said Rep. Mark Meadows said. Nothing in Washington, D.C. is 100 percent, but I do believe there is a high probability that it happens. Republicans across the spectrum of conservatism, from moderates to far right members, are now lined up and prepared to support that bill and strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding.That commitment that is not new to Capitol Hill, where Republicans have pushed since 2015 to defund the organization in response to secretly recorded videos of abortion doctors discussing the use of fetal tissue, which were deceptively edited. House Republicans passed a defunding bill in 2015, but the bill never got a vote in the Senate. -BuzzFeed (We only used the fake news site Buzzfeed as a source because it is part of the story, as it was included in Rep. Schakowsky s tweet. As a disclaimer do NOT consider them a reliable source of news.) In October 2016, James O Keefe released an undercover video in that exposed Democratic operatives working in the underbelly of their party to coordinate and commit violent and illegal activities against Americans in order to defeat Trump.One of the key figures in O Keefe s report was convicted felon and husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky ( D-IL), Robert Creamer who oversaw a check-kiting scheme so elaborate that his employees followed a written manual complete with detailed instructions on when and where to float checks totaling millions of dollars.Go to the 3:35 mark to see who Bob Creamer is:James O Keefe asked Rep. Jan Schakowsky how her felon husband was doing after he saw her tweet:How's your husband doing? Bob Creamer? https://t.co/wgcvqIhre1 James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) January 10, 2017As it turns out, convicted felon Robert Creamer was also a frequent visitor of the White House. Between 11/21/2009 and 6/24/2016, Robert Creamer appears to have visited the White House 342 times, 340 times as Robert Creamer and twice as Bob Creamer . He logged in times and was either a guest of Barack Obama or his lovely wife Michelle. One can only wonder what business Michelle had with this criminal. Hmmm Here s Mooch cozying up to Democratic voter-fraud operative Robert Creamer:.@FLOTUS @POTUS why did you invite convicted felon @rbcreamer who oversaw @realDonaldTrump rally agitators to the @WhiteHouse 342 Times? pic.twitter.com/PLcDzErlOR James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) October 19, 2016Like so many other Democrats whose spouses have been convicted of felonies and sent off to prison, the radical anti-gun activist and congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky was not found to have any part in her husband s crimes (even though she signed the false W-2 forms he used to deceive the IRS).As executive director of the Illinois Public Action Fund, Robert Creamer s actions led several banks to experience shortfalls of at least $2.3 million, authorities alleged.In all, the 56-year-old Evanston resident was charged with 16 counts of bank fraud involving three alleged check-kiting schemes in the mid-1990s.The indictment, however, alleges no wrongdoing on the part of Schakowsky, who served on the group s policy board and currently holds a similar position with Citizen Action/Illinois. That group was formed by ex-employees after Creamer resigned in 1997 when the allegations first surfaced.Creamer worked for 22 years for the Illinois Public Action Fund and for the Citizens Action Center for Consumer Rights. The not-for-profit groups had been influential in pushing progressive causes such as campaign finance and health care reform. | 0 |
22,389 | Catholic University Replaces Bathroom Signage To Be More “Gender Inclusive” | Diversity first Fordham University recently approved the removal of common restroom signage indicating use for either the male or female sex at one building on the Lincoln Center campus, embracing part of a student-led campaign to make the University more gender inclusive. According to The Fordham Observer, the changes to signs in the Leon Lowenstein building were pushed by The Positive, a student activist group. The restroom signage initiative started during the 2015 spring semester when The Positive reportedly entered into dialogue with Fordham s administration and student government.The Positive s student leader, who identifies as a transgender male (a woman living as a man), told the Observer, Having a restroom I could use without fear was definitely something I wanted. But the student readily noted that this was never about bathrooms this was always about more than that. The Observer reported that new signs were installed in single stall restrooms in the Leon Lowenstein building s third floor. The new signs are void of gender icons, include braille, the latest New York State handicap symbol and simply say restroom. The Positive s goal is not to convert multi-stall bathrooms to gender neutral, but to establish already single stall restrooms as gender inclusive spaces, the Observer reported in April. Our strategy for attaining them right now, in the short-run, includes changing the signage of all single stall bathrooms on campus to be gender inclusive and to work to publicize those spaces. The Positive told the Observer, later adding, This is a proactive and conscientious effort to be gender inclusive. The Cardinal Newman Society reached out to Fordham University to inquire whether the restroom initiative could pose a conflict with Fordham s Catholic identity, but no response was received by time of publication.The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following about the sexes:Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman. Being man or being woman is a reality which is good and willed by God In their being-man and being-woman, they reflect the Creator s wisdom and goodness.The Observer noted that Fordham s assistant dean and director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Juan Carlos Matos, researched what Fordham s peer Jesuit institutions offer in terms of all gender restrooms. They found that the University of San Francisco uses all gender bathroom labeling on single stalled restrooms and Georgetown University has all gender signage on single-stalled bathrooms accompanied by both male and female gender icons and a handicap sign. Of the nation s 28 Jesuit colleges, only six offer gender-neutral bathrooms on their campuses. Five more are rumored to be considering making the change, the Observer reported. The six Jesuit colleges with gender-neutral bathrooms are reportedly Boston College, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco and the University of Scranton.The University of San Francisco lists gender-neutral bathrooms under the Gender Identity/Expression policy of its Residential Life website. Moreover, the University recently implemented gender-inclusive housing for the 2015-16 school year. It is intended that the gender-inclusive housing option will support S.H.a.R.E. s [Student Housing and Residential Education] mission to create safe, affirming, and inclusive communities by providing options for students of varying identities and preferences, the University housing website reads. Students may apply for the gender-inclusive housing for a variety of reasons, including if they identify as transgender, do not wish to be identified by any sex or gender identity, [or] prefer to live with a roommate of a different gender. The five Jesuit colleges reportedly considering gender-neutral bathrooms are Creighton University, Gonzaga University, Loyola University New Orleans, Marquette University, and St. Joseph s University. The Newman Society has also reported on mounting pressure for gender-neutral bathrooms at Loyola University Chicago.An online PDF of a proposal from Creighton University s Gay-Straight Alliance and Swanson Residence Hall Council claims that incorporating gender-neutral restrooms on campus maintains the Jesuit value of cura personalis and helps to maintain a safe environment for the support, education, and assistance of all students. Via: EAG News | 0 |
22,390 | U2’s Bono Has BRUTAL Words For Donald Trump (VIDEO) | While rock band U2 s Bono has had a career of being politically outspoken, his priorities have generally been focused primarily on improving living conditions in underdeveloped countries. Heck, the liberal Bono even found common ground with George W. Bush. There s no common ground to be found with Donald Trump, though, who the U2 singer called potentially the worst idea that every happened to America. In an interview with CBS This Morning, Bono gave credence to the idea of American exceptionalism, but he feels that Trump destroys that. In fact, Bono says, Trump could destroy the very idea of America: Look, America is like the best idea the world ever came up with, Bono, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, told CBS This Morning in an interview broadcast Tuesday. But Donald Trump is potentially the worst idea that ever happened to America. Potentially. Bono pointed to nations like Ireland and Great Britain as great countries but suggested that America is different because it s an idea, one that Trump is trying to hijack. That idea is bound up in justice and equality for all equality and justice for all, you know, he continued. I think he s hijacked the party. I think he s trying to hijack the idea of America. And I think it s bigger than all of us. I think it s it s this is really dangerous. Source: PoliticoHere s the video:Say what you want about the often controversial Bono, but he has seen the world and he s right. The idea of America, as a melting pot, as a place where with hard work, anyone can be a success, is not completely incompatible with Donald Trump s ideas. Trump is a xenophobe. He and his supporters want to turn our nation into a solitary island. That s never been what our nation is about.Featured image via Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images. | 0 |
22,391 | Car bomb kills one, wounds 10 in disputed Iraqi oil city | KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb killed one person and injured ten in Kirkuk, an Iraqi oil city where local Kurdish authorities plan to hold a referendum on independence despite opposition from the central government and the region s non-Kurdish population. The blast targeted a liquor store, according to a security source. An Iraqi interior ministry statement described the attack as terrorist aggression and did not link it to the tension caused by the Kurdish plan to hold the vote, on Sept. 25. Kirkuk is home to sizeable Arab and Turkmen populations and lies outside the official boundaries of the Kurdistan region. It is claimed by both the Kurds and the central government in Baghdad. Kurdish peshmerga fighters seized Kirkuk and other disputed territories when the Iraqi army collapsed in the face of Islamic State in 2014, preventing its oilfields from falling into militant hands. | 1 |
22,392 | Thousands at rallies demand Trump release tax returns | NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people marched through midtown Manhattan and dozens of U.S. cities on Saturday to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns and to dispute his claim that the public does not care about the issue. Organizers of “Tax March” in more than 150 cities across the country and beyond wanted to call attention to Trump’s refusal to disclose his tax history, as his White House predecessors have done for more than 40 years. The marches coincide with the traditional April 15 deadline for U.S. federal tax returns, though the filing date was pushed backed two days this year. There were no reports of violence or arrests, in contrast to a clash between Trump supporters and opponents that erupted at a rally in Berkeley, California, where nine people were arrested. Two of the biggest tax marches took place in New York and Los Angeles, with each drawing about 5,000 people, according to estimates by Reuters reporters. No official estimates were immediately available. In Manhattan, a good-natured crowd rallied at Bryant Park before marching up Sixth Avenue to Central Park. Among the marchers was an oversized inflatable rooster, sporting an angry expression and a sweeping metallic orange hairdo meant to resemble Trump’s signature style. “Thanks to Trump, I think that releasing your taxes when you run for president now has to be a law,” said New Yorker Marni Halasa, 51, who arrived in a tutu and leggings made of fake dollar bills and holding a sign that read “Show Me The Money!” In Washington, more than 1,500 protesters gathered on the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol, where members of Congress addressed the crowd before it marched to the Lincoln Memorial. “We are taking the gloves off to say knock off the secrecy Mr. President,” said Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which would play a leading role in tax reform measures being considered in Congress. He described Trump’s refusal to release his taxes as being “like a teenager trying to hide a lousy report card.” Among the marchers was Melinda Colwell, 34, a stay-at-home-mother from Ledyard, Connecticut. She said she was concerned that conflicts of interest in Trump’s tax returns might foreshadow selfish interests in his tax reform policies. “I think it’s important to know how that could influence his decisions and how he could benefit from the decisions being made,” she said. As a candidate and as president, Trump has refused to release his tax returns, citing an ongoing audit by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has said that Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. The White House could not be reached immediately for comment on the marches. Events were also planned in cities in Europe, Japan and New Zealand. The marches were launched by a single tweet, organizers said. A day after the massive Jan. 21 women’s march in Washington and other cities, comedy writer Frank Lesser tapped out on Twitter, “Trump claims no one cares about his taxes. The next mass protest should be on Tax Day to prove him wrong.” It has been retweeted more than 21,000 times. In Los Angeles, television director Mike Stutz turned up at the march dressed in costume as a Russian general and said he was called General Bullshitski. He carried a sign that read: “What Tax Returns? Putin paid cash. Trust your oligarchs,” referring to allegations of contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin. Joe Dinkin, spokesman for the Working Families Party, one of the groups organizing the marches, said investigations into the Trump campaign’s alleged connections to Russia underscore the need to disclose his returns. “Without seeing his taxes, we’ll never really know who he’s working for,” said Dinkin, who expects the marches to draw at least 100,000 protesters. There have been some glimpses into Trump’s tax history. Last month, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow reported on two pages of Trump’s 2005 return that were obtained by investigative reporter David Cay Johnston and released by DCReport.org. They showed Trump paid $38 million in taxes on more than $150 million in income. And in October, The New York Times reported that Trump had declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 federal tax return, citing three pages of documents from the return. | 1 |
22,393 | Serbia's pensioners rally against government austerity measures | BELGRADE (Reuters) - Hundreds of Serbian pensioners rallied in Belgrade on Thursday to protest austerity measures introduced as part of a 1.2 billion euro ($1.41 billion) loan deal with the International Monetary Fund. Chanting thieves and carrying banners reading we are hungry , the pensioners demanded that the government and Serbia s constitutional court annul austerity cuts imposed in 2014 and refund lost pension payouts. The government of then Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic signed a three-year loan deal with the IMF in February 2015 after Belgrade committed to austerity to cut its ballooning debt and budget deficit. To secure the deal, in late 2014 it lowered public sector wages and pensions by between five and 25 percent. As many as 700,000 people lost a quarter of their monthly income ... we ve been paying to that (retirement) fund for 45 years, hoping for a stable old age, said protester Milorad Pavicic, 80. About 1.7 million of Serbia s 7 million citizens are retirees and the government spends 13 percent of GDP on pensions, World Bank data show. The average pension in Serbia, a candidate to join the European Union, is 190 euros, among the lowest in eastern Europe. Earlier this month, Serbia s current Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said the government will raise wages for doctors, teachers and army officers by 10 percent and pensions by five percent from January next year. Pensioners were also slated to receive a one-off payment of up to 6,000 Serbian dinars ($59.38) in 2017. Thursday s protesters dismissed the measures as insufficient. The government has yet to discuss the wage and pension rises with the IMF s mission, in a final review of the deal this month and next. The lender cut Serbia s 2017 growth forecast to 2.3 percent from 3.0 percent, citing a drop in electricity output in winter and lower than expected harvest due to months of drought. | 1 |
22,394 | JUDGE NAPOLITANO: “We Are in Danger of Losing Free Speech” After Berkeley Travesty | The protesters win by scaring people into silence which is known in the law as the heckler s veto. when the hecklers scream so loudly, or in this case advertised their intention to scream that the speaker can t speak. When this happens on property owned by the government a prima fascia case has been made I m afraid we are in danger of losing free speech. JUDGE NAPOLITANOThis is what happened when pro-Trump supporters held a peaceful rally in Berkeley:THE BIRTHPLACE OF FREE SPEECH IS NOW OFFICIALLY A PLACE OF OPPRESSION Berkeley students came together to shut down the free speech rights of gay, conservative activist Milo Yiannopoulis in February. Students violently attacked fellow students who tried to attend Milo s scheduled speech, random fires were lit, windows were broken and rocks were thrown. Using violence, threats and intimidation to shut down opposing views is not only un-American it should be illegal. But we re not talking about just any college or city in America, we re talking about UC Berkeley, the former home of free-speech UC Berkeley has now banned conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter, citing security threats.According to Young America s Foundation, student organizers of an upcoming Ann Coulter event at the university were emailed by Berkeley administrators who claimed they were unable to find a safe suitable venue for Coulter. UC-Berkeley, a publicly-funded university, first imposed a series of ridiculous requirements on the speech allegedly in the name of safety. Coulter, we were informed, would be required to deliver her speech in the afternoon; only students would be allowed to attend; and the speech location would not be announced until close to the event, they continued. Against our advice, Coulter agreed to all these requirements. In return, she requested two measures, which actually had something to do with safety. This is as clear-cut a case as it gets that public universities are using taxpayer dollars to shut down conservative speech, while allowing liberal speech only, Young America s Foundation proclaimed. UC-Berkeley has for example, welcomed the corrupt former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, who has cursed at and mocked Donald Trump, currently the President of the United States. The university, and U-C chancellor Janet Napolitano personally, have revealed themselves to be using taxpayer money for an unconstitutional purpose. Even after Coulter went along with their ruses and guises to shut down her speech, they simply announced, like Kim Jung Un, that it was cancelled. We have no intention of acceding to these unconstitutional acts, the organization concluded. The Ann Coulter lecture sponsored by Young America s Foundation will go forward. Ron Robinson, the President of Young America s Foundation, further declared in a quote that Berkeley disappoints anyone who really believes in free speech. Their actions to ban conservatives while giving leftists a platform reinforces this fact, Robinson claimed. It s a shame that Berkeley is robbing its students of the opportunity to receive a well-rounded education. Breitbart | 0 |
22,395 | Everyone Is Freaking Out Over This ‘Visitor’ At A Bernie Sanders Rally (VIDEO/TWEETS) | People are freaking out all over the internet over a winged intruder at a Bernie Sanders rally in Portland. In the middle of Sander s speech, a small and beautiful bird floated down and joined him on the podium.This is not some Matthew Bay-level CGI effect it actually happened. Sanders broke off mid-speech as the bird hovered around above him, and the packed stadium laughed and applauded. But then, to everyone s surprise, the bird actually flew down and settled on the lectern. I think there s some symbolism here, Sanders said. That little bird is really a dove asking us for world peace. This sent the crowd into uproar, and the meme-makers went into overdrive.There was some speculation about what would have happened to the poor bird if it had innocently flapped its way into a Trump rally.@politico If this was a Trump rally.. his goons would beat it up or one of the cult members would shoot it Greg King (@Megreg916) March 25, 2016And the whole affair is certainly not going to help Portland rid itself of the Portlandia gag #PutABirdOnIt.A little bird told me that @BernieSanders is really a Disney Princess.Also Portland you're taking that #PutABirdOnIt thing way too serious kelly kapowski (@Colo_Kelly) March 25, 2016For those who missed that joke. Sketch show Portlandia, which satirizes the uber-liberal Oregon city, made it famous with this skit.It didn t take long for the sparrow to become the patron saint of the #FeelTheBern movement, who even honored it with a name. They continued to praise it at the puntastic hashtag #BirdieSanders.My cynicism for all things political dims in response to #BirdieSanders J. Wolff Hughes (@JWOLFFH) March 25, 2016Even birds love him Make this man the President of the United States already. #BirdieSanders pic.twitter.com/RmclxLyiUr Rebekah Lopez (@BekahLeee) March 25, 2016Peeps a vote for Bernie is a vote for #BirdieSanders. Say owl caucus tomorrow." Toucan make a difference #LeftWing https://t.co/mKb7HwaDvB Billy (@billy_gendell) March 25, 2016Or as Obama would say: Yes Toucan.The news even made it international, with prominent British activists sharing their one disbelief.Omg!!! What!!. pic.twitter.com/0vvicZmLcO @JolyonMaugham ARTIST TAXI DRIVER (@chunkymark) March 25, 2016This has literally lit up the internet with even conservative-edged The Hill feeling the need to pass comment. Amid all the hullaballoo Sanders himself remained entertained and humble about the whole thing. The candidate hinted at further partnership with Birdie Sanders, perhaps a potential running mate should he defeat Hillary in the primaries?#BirdieSanders and I are on our way to our rally in Seattle at Safeco Field. Meet us there: https://t.co/eJGkfGsA5M pic.twitter.com/05LhBpMrne Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 25, 2016And with that Bernie Sanders heads to Seattle, home of the $15 minimum wage, to continue his battle to overcome Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.Featured Image via Screengrab | 0 |
22,396 | Trump’s GOP Mega Donors Are Demanding A Full Refund | Now that Donald Trump has shot himself in the foot by picking a fight with the entire Republican Party (after leaked revelations showed him gleefully admitting to sexually assaulting women), the party s mega-donors are demanding Trump give them their money back.According to NBC News, two big-moneyed donors want a refund, and one who raised tens-of-thousands for the candidate wrote the campaign an angry email titled Trump support withdrawal and blasted the candidate:I cannot express my disappointment enough regarding the recent events surrounding Mr. Trump. I regret coming to the Trump support event, and in particular allowing my son to be a part of it. I respectfully request that my money be refunded.The donor, who was not identified by NBC, said he was repulsed by Trump s comments and that as a father to two daughters preparing to marry, just couldn t support him any longer.The second donor who emailed the campaign (also anonymous) cited the leaked tapes as reasoning behind their buyers remorse, and also demanded they be reimbursed:I can not (sic) support a sexist man. I have three young children and will not support a crude sexist man. I expect a refund of my donation. Please process immediately and I thank you for your help.A third donor, a mega-bundler who s raised also $1 million for Trump, said that he will cease raising money for Trump cold turkey, but has not (as of yet) asked for the money back.While already struggling to attract the support of the Republican donors, the latest example of buyer s remorse from a slew of mega-fundraisers could spell trouble for the Trump campaign with 3 weeks left in the campaign.Who can blame them? After 16 months of convincing weary Republican donors that he was their guy, his ugly fa ade was peeled back to expose an even more nefarious side that liberals tried to warn them about. The donors were duped, humiliated, and have now had their reputations sullied. No wonder they want their money back.I would feel bad for them except they knew, all along, he was a snake.Featured image via Ethan Miller/Getty Images | 0 |
22,397 | Trump Put Himself In Deep Sh*t, Personally Drafted Statement Lying About Jr’s Russia Meeting | Donald Trump and all of the people around him have a serious problem with the truth. That problem is giving them serious legal problems that do not have to be when it comes to Special Counsel Robert Mueller s investigation into the Trump campaign s possible collusion with the Russians to try and fix the 2016 election.First, they said there were not meetings with Russians. Then, we find out that Donald Trump Jr., former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort, and Trump s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with a shady Russian lawyer, along with other people tied to the Russian government. After that, Trump Jr. came out with a statement saying that they were talking about Russian adoptions and nothing else. Then, that statement fell apart when it turns out that they went into that meeting thinking they were going to get dirt on then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton from the Russian government. Now, it turns out that while the lawyers wanted to be truthful in Trump Jr. s statement, Donald Trump decided he wanted to lie for his son, and personally put together the statement.Trump s advisers are furious. One said, on condition of anonymity, to the Washington Post: This was . . . unnecessary. Now someone can claim he s the one who attempted to mislead. Somebody can argue the president is saying he doesn t want you to say the whole truth. The adviser then went on to suggest that Trump doesn t fully understand that he and his people are in serious legal trouble over the Russia investigation: He refuses to sit still. He doesn t think he s in any legal jeopardy, so he really views this as a political problem he is going to solve by himself. A lawyer who investigated President George W. Bush regarding the unmasking of CIA Agent Valerie Plame, Peter Zeidenberg, says of the bumbling attempt at a cover-up by Team Trump: The thing that really strikes me about this is the stupidity of involving the president. They are still treating this like a family-run business and they have a PR problem. . . . What they don t seem to understand is this is a criminal investigation involving all of them. Well, hopefully, they continue to screw up in their responses to this. There s definitely wrongdoing here. Perhaps Robert Mueller already has the smoking gun, and wants to make sure the case is airtight before they are all indicted and hauled off to jail where belong. In the meantime, the entire administration is dangerous and should be removed. Congress, do your jobs and throw ALL OF THESE people out of our White House.Featured image via John Moore/Getty Images | 0 |
22,398 | Trump would spend billions more on military, but for what? experts ask | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s U.S. military buildup plan would cost hundreds of billions of dollars - but with no apparent strategy, defense experts from across the political spectrum said on Thursday. “I haven’t seen any kind of strategy,” said William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. “He (Trump) says nobody is going to challenge us because we will be so strong. But that’s not a strategy. It’s just a kind of wish-fulfillment.” U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, a top Trump backer who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the proposal was based on recommendations from groups such as the National Defense Panel and served as a statement of Trump’s commitment to build the military. “I believe this lays out a framework for rebuilding the military, and it represents a commitment by Donald Trump to make this a priority,” Sessions said in an interview. “If you don’t have presidential leadership really defending the need for a robust national defense, you’re not going to maintain the defense budget.” Trump’s proposal, unveiled in a speech on Wednesday, did not spell out how he would accommodate the additional manpower and hardware as the United States shutters military bases, or where and for what purposes the larger forces would be employed. There were no cost estimates and Trump proposed revenue-raising steps that budget experts called insufficient. “He just called for higher defense spending without giving us a number and without telling us how he is going to pay for it,” said Lawrence Korb, a former Reagan administration Pentagon official and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a think tank aligned with the Obama administration. Trump’s Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 election, Hillary Clinton, advocates tough defense and foreign policies, but has yet to take a stand on the size of the Pentagon budget. Stephen Miller, a Trump policy adviser, said Trump’s proposal came in contrast to Clinton, who he said has “no military plan.” Trump pledged to expand the Army to 540,000 active-duty troops from its current 480,000, increase the Marine Corps from 23 to 36 battalions – or as many as 10,000 more Marines – boost the Navy from 276 to 350 ships and submarines, and raise Air Force tactical aircraft from 1,100 to 1,200. Trump said those numbers were based on assessments by the conservative Heritage Foundation and other groups. Heritage said in a report that it looked at the capacity needed to handle two major wars to determine its force-size recommendations. Trump said he would bolster the development of missile defenses and cyber capabilities. He made no mention of U.S. nuclear forces already in the midst of a modernization effort that will cost an estimated $1 trillion over 30 years. To pay for the buildup, Trump said he would ask Congress to lift a Pentagon budget cap and “fully offset” the increased costs by collecting unpaid taxes, cutting appropriations for federal programs operating without congressional reauthorization, cracking down on social welfare fraud and other fraud, and collecting additional taxes and fees from increased energy production. ‘SOFT-PEDALING’ THE COST Writing in The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine, Tom Donnelly, a defense scholar at the American Enterprise Institute think tank who opposes Trump’s election, praised Trump for embracing a buildup that many mainstream Republicans advocate. “However, Trump undercut the power of his proposals by soft-pedaling the cost of such a buildup,” he wrote. Independent cost estimates for Trump’s plan range from $150 billion in additional spending over 10 years, according to the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, to as much as $900 billion over the same period, as assessed by Todd Harrison, a defense budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. Harrison said that increase could be achieved only by raising the federal budget deficit, raising taxes, or cutting other spending, such as benefits programs for seniors and the poor. “None of those things are politically popular,” he said. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that lifting the cap would cost $450 billion over 10 years. The revenue-generating steps proposed by Trump would leave $150 billion of that amount uncovered, it said. Another flaw in Trump’s plan is the assumption that Republican members of the House of Representatives who belong to the deficit-fighting tea party movement would agree to end the budget cap. In April, Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley told a Senate committee that adding more soldiers without a sufficient budget would be disastrous for the country and the Army. Bases would close and programs that support troops and their families would have to be curtailed to make up the shortfall, he said. The Navy already has launched a shipbuilding program to raise the number of vessels to more than 300 by 2021. Trump’s plan fails to account for the country’s limited shipbuilding capacity and the cost of manning, maintaining and basing the additional warships he proposes to build. “The whole thing is unrealistic,” said Dov Zakheim, the Pentagon’s top financial official under former President George W. Bush. Zakheim, who opposes a Trump presidency, estimates that Trump’s plan would boost defense spending by roughly $300 billion over five years. “It’s a soundbite,” he said. | 1 |
22,399 | Devin Nunes’ Credibility Is Officially SHATTERED – New York Times Reveals The Scope Of His Lies | When Devin Nunes went running to Trump with information that Trump s transition team was caught up in surveillance, he probably didn t think he d get caught in his lies. He probably didn t think that anybody would look into his claim that, while yes, he visited the White House, he absolutely did not get his info from White House staffers. The New York Times did, and now Nunes entire world is cracking around him.Two of his sources were, in fact, White House staffers with not-insignificant positions. One was Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the senior director of intelligence for the National Security Council who was brought on board by the one and only disgraced Michael Flynn.The other was Michael Ellis, a national security lawyer working in the White House Counsel s office. Ellis once served as a staffer for the House Intelligence Committee.So it s not like Nunes got his info from two low-level, no-name staffers who may or may not know anything real. He got it from high-level security officials within the White House, and now his credibility is shot to hell.The sources who spoke to The New York Times did so on the condition of anonymity, but they did say that the reports that Ellis and Cohen-Watnick were looking at pretty much matched what Nunes said they were. Nunes has insisted from the beginning of the House s Russia investigation that the real problem is who s leaking information, and why he could identify some of the people in the intelligence reports, and not the possibility of high treason.But now that we know he lied about where his sources came from, we have to wonder where his loyalties lie and whether he himself is guilty of treason.While the House Intelligence Committee remains stalled due to Nunes feeling more obligated to Trump than he does to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation, the Senate Intelligence Committee is plugging smoothly on with theirs. At the bare minimum, Nunes needs to recuse himself from this investigation. He really ought to resign his post entirely, though.Featured image by Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images | 0 |
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