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2,400 | Ireland sees 'a way to go' before agreement on border in Brexit talks | DUBLIN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Ireland s foreign minister warned on Friday there was still a way to go in Brexit talks on the Irish border and welcomed an EU paper suggesting Britain needs to avoid regulatory divergence with the bloc if it wants to maintain a soft border. The future EU/UK land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is one of three issues along with the exit bill and safeguarding expatriate rights that Brussels wants broadly solved before it decides in December whether to give the green light to move on to talks on future trade relations. I think that there is a way to go between the two negotiating teams to be able to provide credible answers and sufficient progress in the context of the Irish border before we can move on to Phase Two, Coveney told Irish state broadcaster RTE. While we welcome the language we get from the British government in the context of north-south challenges... there has always been a scepticism on how we are going to get there in the context of the British approach to Brexit as a whole. The Irish government has called on Britain to do more than simply promise a hard border will not return between it and Northern Ireland, which until a 1998 peace deal was separated by military checkpoints because of 30 years of sectarian violence in the British province. The best way to achieve this is by maintaining the same regulations on both sides of the border, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Friday, adding that this did not amount to a demand that any part of the UK remain in the EU customs union. That point was underlined in a working paper circulated to governments by the EU s Brexit task force this week, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. It said it was essential the UK committed to ensuring no regulatory divergence emerges from the customs union if it wants to prevent a hard border. While Britain restated its commitment on Friday to avoid erecting any physical infrastructure on the border, it also plans to quit the customs union and does not want to be bound by EU rules and regulations once it leaves. Brexit minister David Davis said a deal on the border was only possible in the context of talks on future trade and that cannot amount to creating a new border inside the UK , a nod to the Northern Ireland unionists backing his government firmly opposed to the province staying in the customs union. Coveney said the working paper showed that the other 26 EU countries remained absolutely in sync with Ireland on the issue and EU diplomats said there had been no shift in position. While some analysts saw it pushing for Northern Ireland to effectively remain in the customs union and single market in order to ensure regulations remained the same on both sides of the border, it can equally be read as suggesting the whole United Kingdom must not let its rules diverge far from the EU. This is simply confronting the British with the logic of Brexit and the avoidance of a hard border, one senior EU diplomat said. Either London ensures no regulatory divergence between north and south but allows divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that would create an effective customs border in the Irish Sea, he added. Or, to avoid a new internal UK border as Davis said, the UK as a whole must continue to follow EU market rules and standards closely something that EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier called for on Thursday. They need to clarify this to have sufficient progress, one Irish official said. Asked whether Ireland might veto a move onto trade talks, Coveney said he did not think it was helpful at this stage to talk about individual countries blocking things. | 1 |
2,401 | Jay Dyer on Tragedy & Hope – Part 4: Rothschilds, Central Banks, FDR & the US Imperium | Jay Dyer 21st Century WirePicking up where we left off in Part 3, we look at Quigley s analysis of Germany prior to World War II and the rise of Nazism, the situation in France with the dominance of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish banking houses, and how Rothschild came out on top. We also look at how all three of these colluded to establish a fake front known as the Bank of France at the behest of their agent, Napoleon. (Hour 2) Revolutions lead to consolidation and the establishment of a central bank, where the Great Leader hands the nation s assets and future capital over to the bankers. Sound familiar? You re correct FDR does the same thing, as Caroll Quigley explains. From there, we look at the sections where Quigley details the third way convergence and the coming technocratic global state and how the revolutions, from Protestantism to Darwinism, prepared the way for the Liberal U.S. Imperium. READ MORE SHADOW GOVERNMENT NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Shadow Government FilesTo hear Jay s full podcasts, see more information and learn how you can become a subscriber to JaysAnalysis.Jay Dyer is the author of the forthcoming title, Esoteric Hollywood: Sex, Cults and Symbols in Film from Trine Day. Focusing on film, philosophy, geopolitics and all things esoteric,JaysAnalysis and his podcast, Esoteric Hollywood, investigates the deeper meanings between the headlines, exploring the hidden aspects of our sinister synthetic mass media matrix. | 0 |
2,402 | Russia: Syria opposition sabotages Geneva talks to ruin proposed national congress: TASS | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syria s opposition is sabotaging the Geneva peace talks in a bid to ruin Russia s preparations for a planned congress of national dialogue in Syria, the TASS news agency cited Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying on Thursday. | 1 |
2,403 | Turnout high as Iraqi Kurds defy threats to hold independence vote | ERBIL/SULAIMANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Kurds voted in large numbers in an independence referendum in northern Iraq on Monday, ignoring pressure from Baghdad, threats from Turkey and Iran, and international warnings that the vote may ignite yet more regional conflict. The vote organized by Kurdish authorities is expected to deliver a comfortable yes for independence, but is not binding. However, it is designed to give Masoud Barzani, who heads the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a mandate to negotiate the secession of the oil-producing region. Turnout among 5.2 million eligible voters was 78 percent, the Kurdish Rudaw TV station said, and vote counting had started. Final results are expected within 72 hours. Voters were asked to say yes or no to the question: Do you want the Kurdistan Region and Kurdistani areas outside the (Kurdistan) Region to become an independent country? For Iraqi Kurds - part of the largest ethnic group left stateless when the Ottoman empire collapsed a century ago - the referendum offered a historic opportunity despite intense international pressure to call it off. We have seen worse, we have seen injustice, killings and blockades, said Talat, waiting to vote in the regional capital of Erbil, as a group of smiling women, in colorful Kurdish dress, emerged from the school showing their fingers stained with ink, a sign that they cast their ballot. At Sheikh Amir village, near the Peshmerga front lines west of Erbil, long lines of Kurdish fighters waited to vote at a former school. Most emerged smiling, holding up ink-marked fingers. In the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, Kurds sang and danced as they flocked to polling stations. Opposition to the vote simmered among the Arabs and Turkmen who live alongside the Kurds in the northern Iraqi city and there were rumors that the vote would not take place in mixed areas. Officials later ordered an overnight curfew. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered security services to protect citizens being threatened and coerced in the Kurdish region, after unconfirmed reports that Arabs in a small town in eastern Iraq were compelled to vote yes. Kurdish officials say no such coercion happened. The Kurds also say the vote acknowledges their contribution in confronting Islamic State after it overwhelmed the Iraqi army in 2014 and seized control of a third of Iraq. But with 30 million ethnic Kurds scattered across the region - mainly in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria - Tehran and Ankara fear the spread of separatism to their own Kurdish populations. President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could cut off the pipeline that carries oil from northern Iraq to the outside world, piling more pressure on the Kurds. After this, let s see through which channels the northern Iraqi regional government will send its oil, or where it will sell it, Erdogan said in Istanbul. We have the tap. The moment we close the tap, then it s done. The Iraqi army started major manoeuvres with the Turkish army at the border, the Iraqi defense ministry said, outlining coordinated measures by the two countries against the Kurds in retaliation for the referendum. Turkey later took the Rudaw TV channel off its satellite service TurkSat, a Turkish broadcasting official told Reuters. The U.S. State Department warned the Kurds last week that holding the referendum in disputed areas is particularly provocative and destabilizing . Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning told reporters on Monday: We hope that it does not become a distraction and take away the focus on destroying ISIS (Islamic State) and beyond that obviously this (is) an issue for Iraq, you know, they are going to have to sort that out. The referendum was held not only in the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq, but also in areas in the north of the country where Kurdish forces have advanced against Islamic State. These areas also have large non-Kurdish populations. Turkey said it did not recognize the referendum and would view its outcome as null and void, adding that the Iraqi Kurdish government was threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and the whole region. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said his government was evaluating possible punitive steps regarding its border with northern Iraq and air space in response to the vote. Erdogan said traffic was only being allowed to cross from the Turkish side of the border into Kurdish areas of Iraq. Ankara s forces are again fighting a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey following the collapse of a peace process. Iran announced a ban on direct flights to and from Kurdistan on Sunday, while Baghdad asked foreign countries to stop direct oil trading with the Kurdish region and demanded that the KRG hand over control of its international airports and border posts with Iran, Turkey and Syria. Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military adviser to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, said Iran regarded the referendum as treason against the Iraqi Kurds. Iran has blocked air traffic to this region but we are hopeful that the four neighboring countries will block the land borders with Iraq too, he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Tehran supports Shi ite Muslim groups who have been ruling or holding security and government positions in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Syria, embroiled in a devastating civil war and whose Kurds are pressing ahead with their own self-determination, rejected the referendum. Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barxani said he hoped to maintain good relations with Turkey and the referendum was not a threat to Ankara. The referendum does not mean independence will happen tomorrow, nor are we redrawing borders, he said in Erbil. If the Yes vote wins, we will resolve our issues with Baghdad peacefully. Opposition to the vote emerged among non-Kurdish populations in areas disputed by the KRG and Baghdad, mainly the oil-rich region of Kirkuk. Iraq is against the Kurds, so are the Turks, the Iranians, the whole Arab region and Europe. They are going to live in a cage, said Mohammed Mahdi al-Bayati, a Shi ite Turkmen and a local leader of the Iranian-backed Badr Organization paramilitary group in Tuz Khurmato, south of Kirkuk. In Sulaimaniya, a center for political groups opposed to Barzani, queues at polling stations were shorter than in Erbil. There were fewer billboards celebrating the referendum, reflecting resentment that a yes vote could be seen as a plebiscite for the Kurdish leader. I will not vote, the referendum is not good, and it could be dangerous because of the threat from Turkey and Iran, said a shop owner in Sulaimaniya, Ali Ahmed. | 1 |
2,404 | Swiss strip refugee status from Libyan preacher | ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland has stripped a Libyan Muslim preacher of his refugee status nearly two decades after he won it following a media firestorm over his sermons that some have branded hate speech. The man who goes by the name of Abu Ramadan has been in the headlines since a Zurich newspaper branded him a Islamist who incited hate in his sermons while living off more than 600,000 Swiss francs ($618,000) in social benefits. The 64-year-old preacher denied the hate speech allegations, saying his remarks were poorly translated from Arabic. In a ruling released on Friday, the Federal Administrative Court said immigration officials had been right to revoke Ramadan s asylum after finding he had kept a Libyan passport and gone home a dozen times, most recently for more than a month this year. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed but separate hearings will have to decide if the man can stay in Switzerland. The preacher has told Swiss media he was unaware he could not travel to his homeland as a refugee and wanted to see his 93-year-old mother. | 1 |
2,405 | Bulgaria warplane purchase on hold after lawmakers demur | SOFIA (Reuters) - Plans by Bulgaria to buy eight fighter jets are on hold after lawmakers on Wednesday questioned if all bidders for the contract had been treated equally. The NATO and EU member state, which is looking to replace its aging Soviet-designed MiG-29s, said in June it would start talks to buy new Gripen warplanes from Swedish manufacturer Saab in a deal estimated at 1.5 billion levs ($920 million). But a parliamentary committee set up to investigate the bid process, part of which was handled by a previous interim government, requested a defense ministry review after uncovering what it called disturbing facts . The most important thing is to treat all participants equally, said committee chairman Emil Hristov. Hours earlier, Slovakia s defense minister said it was deferring a planned fighter jet purchase also to replace MiG-29s - pending a broader upgrade of its armed forces. On Monday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov voiced doubt that Gripen was the best choice for the new fighter jet for the Black Sea state s Air Force. He had initially told his Swedish counterpart that negotiations on a Gripen acquisition would proceed within weeks. Bulgaria also received offers from Portugal for secondhand U.S. F-16s and from Italy for secondhand Eurofighter Typhoons. The question of which warplanes Bulgaria should buy has been vexing successive governments for more than a decade. The country has said it wants to upgrade between 2018 and 2022 to bring its fighter jet fleet closer into compliance with NATO standards. Bulgaria joined the Atlantic alliance in 2004 and the European Union three years later. | 1 |
2,406 | Trump goes to his comfort zone: campaigner-in-chief | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After a tumultuous opening month in the White House, President Donald Trump is heading to a friendlier, familiar and potentially rejuvenating place: the campaign trail. Beset by vicious fights over his Cabinet, legal setbacks over his immigration orders, the resignation of his national security adviser and an investigation into possible links between his campaign and Russian intelligence, Trump is turning to the winning formula that vaulted him into the White House: big, adoring crowds and fiery, angry speeches. He has replaced Hillary Clinton, his former Democratic presidential rival, with a new foil: newspapers and TV news outlets that have reported unflattering revelations of dysfunction or other problems in the White House. He has described them as “lying”, “corrupt”, “failing” and, late on Friday, as “the enemy of the American people.” On Saturday, he holds a campaign rally in an airport hangar in Melbourne, Florida, just up the coast from his Mar-a-Lago resort where he will spend the weekend. The event gives Trump a chance to bypass what he says is an unfair media and take his message straight to his supporters. “It will remind people that he still has a lot of support out there, and he probably needs the reminder,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “When you are inside the bubble, it’s not a bad idea to reconnect with your supporters and get re-energized.” Trump’s race against Clinton was marked by big, boisterous rallies, and the event in Florida is likely to be the first of many as he tries to appeal directly to his most passionate supporters and reframe his image following growing questions over his temperament and ties between his campaign and Russian intelligence. Shortly after an unusually long and combative 77-minute presidential news conference on Thursday, Trump’s campaign sent out a fundraising email featuring a “media accountability survey” asking supporters about coverage. “I’ve made it a point to cut through the media’s noise and go straight to the American people. It worked during the campaign, and it will work again over these next four years,” Trump said in the email. Democrats countered with their own fundraising email, seeking donations to ensure “Trump is a one-term president.” “First he had Republican primary opponents, then he had Hillary Clinton, and now he has the evil media,” said Republican strategist Rich Galen. “He’s very comfortable in this kind of campaign mode.” The Florida rally marks an extraordinarily early start to the 2020 White House campaign for Trump, who filed re-election papers with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) five hours after he was sworn in as president on Jan. 20. His predecessor, Barack Obama, filed the same form in April 2011, more than two years into his first term as president. The paperwork was not a formal declaration of Trump’s candidacy, but allowed him to continue raising funds, including the money received from sales of his popular red “Make America Great Again” hats. The Trump campaign raised $9.6 million in December and had about $7.6 million on hand at the end of the year, the last time it was required to file a report with the FEC. Obama and other presidents have traditionally held campaign-style events to support their legislative initiatives, but they were organized and paid for by the White House. Saturday’s rally will be organized and run by the campaign, the White House said. Obama hit the road frequently in early 2009 to rally voters behind his economic stimulus package. But he was also supported by an outside group called Organizing for America that filled some of the role of a campaign organization by building grassroots backing for his policies. By keeping his campaign intact, including his campaign website, Trump has made the concept of a “permanent campaign” into reality. The website, which features a photo of the inauguration, stresses Trump’s campaign cannot stop because “we still have much work to do.” Trump’s first presidential event outside Washington was on Friday in North Charleston, South Carolina, where he visited an airplane plant operated by Boeing Co to celebrate the unveiling of its latest Dreamliner jet. On Air Force One after the Charleston event, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump is headed back on to the campaign trail because the media does not always deliver his message well, and “he can do that very effectively by taking the stage and talking to the people of America.” Trump’s early re-election campaign start has created some confusion for federal workers worried about possibly violating a U.S. law prohibiting them from engaging in political activity in the workplace. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent government agency that protects federal bureaucrats from unfair personnel practices, issued guidance to federal workers last week after it said it received “numerous” questions about whether they can express their views on Trump given his intention to run for re-election. Federal workers would violate the law if they start calling for his re-election or defeat while on duty, the memo said, but since the election is still three years away workers can express approval or disapproval of his policies or actions but “may not display signs in their office that read ‘Reelect Trump in 2020’ or express” views on his candidacy while in the workplace. Once he formally announces his candidacy, the memo said, workers who are on duty or in the office cannot do anything “directed at the success or failure of his candidacy.” | 1 |
2,407 | As he shapes Cabinet, Trump meets former rival Romney and retired Gen. Mattis | BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney set aside a fierce rivalry on Saturday and held talks likely to feed speculation that Romney could be in line to be the next U.S. secretary of state. After a day of meetings, Trump emerged to tell reporters that his search process was going “really efficiently” and that he had spoken to “really, really talented” people who could form part of his Cabinet. Trump said he might have some announcements on Sunday. He spoke highly of retired Marine General James Mattis, who transition officials said was a strong contender for defense secretary. Earlier, Trump and Romney emerged from their meeting after an hour and 20 minutes, and Trump told reporters their talks “went great.” Romney said the pair “had a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theaters in the world.” “We discussed those areas, and exchanged our views on those topics – a very thorough and in-depth discussion in the time we had,” Romney said. “And I appreciate the chance to speak with the president-elect and I look forward to the coming administration and the things that it’s going to be doing.” Trump’s team said in a statement that Trump and Romney held a “substantive and in-depth conversation about world affairs, national security and the future of America.” “It was an extremely positive and productive conversation,” the statement said. Trump met for an hour with Mattis. Asked if Mattis would be his defense secretary, Trump said, “He’s a great guy. He is some great man.” The Trump team statement said Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence were “very impressed” with Mattis. “They had an incredibly in-depth conversation on plans for national security. The discussion included ISIS, the Middle East, North Korea, China, NATO and other hotspots around the world,” the statement said. Romney, who was a leader of the establishment Republican “never Trump” movement that tried to block Trump from becoming the nominee, was first in a long list of people Trump was meeting with on Saturday and Sunday as he seeks to fill out his Cabinet and gather advice ahead of his Jan. 20 move to the White House. In March, Romney said Trump would be dangerous as president, with policies that could touch off a recession. Romney also said, “I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart.” Trump had denounced Romney as a “choke artist” for losing the 2012 election to President Barack Obama. But with the New York real estate developer now president-in-waiting, Romney’s appearance at Trump National Bedminster on an unseasonably warm November day was symbolic of hard-won party unity. Whether Romney will join the Trump administration is unclear. Romney, a more mainstream Republican, would serve alongside more hawkish Trump appointees named on Friday: Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama as attorney general, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as national security adviser and Representative Mike Pompeo as CIA director. Those nominations suggest Trump is setting up his administration to take a hard line confronting Islamist militancy and curbing illegal immigration. Transition officials said Trump’s meeting with Romney was supposed to be a general discussion about the incoming administration. A Romney confidant said of Romney’s secretary of state prospects: “Could it happen? I suppose. But it’s unlikely.” Instead, the source said the meeting gives “the good housekeeping seal of approval to Republicans who don’t know if they should help Trump or not.” Trump has been considering former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a close adviser, for secretary of state, as well as former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton and Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee. Trump is to meet Giuliani on Sunday. Also on Saturday, Trump met with Andy Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the fast-food giant that operates the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains. Afterwards, Trump said he was “getting very close” to making some Cabinet decisions. Puzder, a possible labor secretary, said he would be “proud to serve in any position that this president asks me to serve in.” In addition, he met with two candidates for education secretary: Michelle Rhee, the former Washington, D.C., public schools chancellor, and Betsy DeVos, a former head of the Michigan Republican Party. On Sunday, Trump is to sit down with Wilbur Ross, a potential commerce secretary who made billions by investing in bankrupt companies and distressed assets, and business executive David McCormick, head of investment firm Bridgewater Associates, as well as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was recently demoted in his role on Trump’s transition team. | 1 |
2,408 | Mural Of Gov. LePage Wearing KKK Garb Has Maine City In Uproar (IMAGE) | The city of Portland, Maine has been thrown into pandemonium after a mural of the state s bigoted governor decked out in full Ku Klux Klan regalia appeared.The original graffiti art was painted onto the wall of the Portland Water District s wastewater treatment plant and featured Maine Gov. Paul LePage donning the trademark hood and robe of the KKK. Given the slew of racist remarks that he spews almost continuously, the image is fairly fitting. Next to the 6-foot-high likeness of LePage are the words racist, homophobe and moron. Governor, the last word listed, is crossed out with a red line.City won t remove graffiti of "racist" Maine Gov. LePage wearing KKK hood https://t.co/9KkhiUSVPp pic.twitter.com/PNvIaJhiob Talking Points Memo (@TPM) September 6, 2016The wall art sparked a string of graffiti and the image has since undergone several transformations. Portland resident Mark Reilly painted over the image with white paint, then a group of women scrubbed off his cover-up. By 10pm on Tuesday, the image had been reduced to just LePage s face with Mickey Mouse ears above his head. All references to the KKK were gone and the mural now reads only No Hate and Hate is Hate. As for city officials, they have been in turmoil over what should be down about the graffiti as well. Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling wanted the image removed. I do not want it up there. It is not reflective of our values, Strimling said Tuesday. The KKK has a long, problematic history in the state of Maine, and equating the governor and his rhetoric, as much as we disagree with it, is a step too far. The wall belongs to the Portland Water District and they have not removed graffiti from the wall in decades and has been treated as a public canvas. City officials initially said that they had no intention of removing the image, citing free speech. But later in the day, water district spokeswoman Michelle Clements said that the city and the district s general manager were discussing what should be done about the mural.Strimling, who has been known to be at odds with the Republican governor, clarified on Tuesday that his reasoning for suggesting that the mural should be removed had nothing to do with concern for LePage. I am as frustrated as the next person with the governor s rhetoric, he said. It is not appropriate to trivialize the KKK. LePage has a bad habit of letting his racism hang out for the world to see on a regular basis. He made headlines a few months ago when said black guys named shifty are coming into his state to sell drugs and impregnate young white girls. More recently, he said that he is at war and declared black people to be the enemy. A few days later, when he heard a rumor that a colleague had called him a racist, he decided to leave a ranting voicemail calling him a cocksucker. He has since promised that he will never talk to the media again so that they are less likely to catch him saying racist things.Featured image via WCVB | 0 |
2,409 | WATCH BARACK Become Agitated When CNN Ally Confronts Him On World Stage: “Why Can’t We Take Out These Bast*rds” (Obama’s JV Team) | Obama didn t appear to be very pleased when CNN ally, Jim Acosta confronted him on his feckless role as Commander In Chief an international stage during the G2 Summit. Acosta first mocked him about his reference to ISIS as Jayvee Team then lobbed some friendly fire: Why can t we take out these bastards? Obama s answer is arrogant, condescending and makes no sense whatsoever. His behavior is so predictable and completely unbecoming as the leader of our nation. This is exactly what we ve come to expect however, from this dangerous Commander in Chief. https://youtu.be/4pvGji2gkjs | 0 |
2,410 | State Department informed of court ruling on Trump's immigration order: spokesperson | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department was informed by the Justice Department of the ruling by a Washington state court blocking U.S. President Donald Trump’s order barring nationals from seven countries from entering the United States, a State Department spokesperson said on Friday. The State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to determine how the ruling affects its operations and will announce any changes affecting travelers to the United States as soon as that information is available, the spokesperson said. A federal judge in Seattle on Friday put a nationwide block on Trump’s week-old executive order. | 1 |
2,411 | What Cher Just Did For The Residents Of Flint, Michigan Is Absolutely Incredible | What s happening in Flint, Michigan is beyond heartbreaking. Residents cannot drink their water due to lead contamination, but to add insult to injury, the water was originally declared safe. Then, as children began getting sick and the water was exposed as being toxic, government officials, including a slow to react Gov. Rick Snyder (R) finally thought they should do something about the toxic levels. To be blunt, what s happening there is criminal, and someone needs to be held responsible. President Obama has even declared a state of emergency.Stepping up big time to help the residents of Flint is none other than the legendary artist Cher. She has been very outspoken in her feelings about what s been happening. Now, she s not only voicing her opinion, but putting action to her words, she s bringing fresh water to the people there who so desperately need it.Partnering with natural spring water company Icelandic Glacial, Cher is donating 181,440 bottles of water to Flint. According to the press release: After reading about the catastrophic situation in Flint, a city of 100,000 people who have not had clean water in over a year, Cher contacted her friend Brad Horwitz, an investor in Icelandic Glacial, who reached out to the company s Chairman and Co-Founder, Jon Olafsson, about Cher s desire to purchase water for Flint s residents. Icelandic Glacial committed to doubling Cher s purchase which is being trucked in to Michigan beginning Monday, January 18th.The water will reach The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (www.fbem.org) beginning Wednesday, January 20th. FBEM will immediately begin the distribution process to those who need it most for drinking, cooking and washing. The water will go directly to community centers, food banks and fire houses focusing in on low income housing areas where 40% of Flint s population is living below the poverty line. The bottles, once finished, will return to the food banks and will be recycled with money raised going right back into the food banks. Cher stated: This a tragedy of staggering proportion and shocking that it s happening in the middle of our country. I am so grateful that Icelandic Glacial has come on-board to help the city of Flint. I cannot wait for the water to get there to help these people who have been poisoned because the water they ve been getting out of their taps has been polluted for so long and remains that way without the state or the federal government stepping in with any substantial plan to resolve this problem. While this doesn t solve Flint s horrific water crisis, it will definitely be a welcomed effort and is sorely needed. The citizens of Flint have been poisoned, and in the most horrible way possible by the people who are elected to work in their best interests. However, thanks to the efforts of Cher and Icelandic Glacial, fresh water is on the way.Featured image: YouTube | 0 |
2,412 | REFUGEE STUDENTS SUE PA School District Because School Isn’t Good Enough For Them | Gee I sure hope their FREE housing, FREE education, FREE food, FREE health care and FREE monthly spending stipend is good enough for them A group of refugees is suing a Central Pennsylvania school district, saying the academy they were put in after their arduous journey to America is not up to snuff.Represented by the Pennsylvania branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, the six refugees sued Lancaster schools in federal court, saying they were dumped in a disciplinary school and are being denied access to a quality education. The students range in age from 17 to 21, and hail from Somalia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burma. [The] Plaintiffs are refugees who have fled war, violence, and persecution from their native countries, reads a statement from the lawsuit. Having finally escaped their turbulent environment to resettle in America, these young immigrants yearn to learn English and get an education so they can make a life for themselves. The refugees hoped to enter McCaskey High School, known for its superior academic program, but instead were sent to Phoenix Academy, an alternative high school for underachieving students in the district. Phoenix students are subject to pat-downs, banned from bringing personal belongings like watches and jewelry and forced to wear colored shirts that correspond with behavior. U.S. News and World Report s 2016 rankings show Phoenix Academy has a graduation rate of 54 percent, and its 458 students perform substantially below the state average on standardized tests. More than 90 percent of the students come from poor families, and there are just 11 full-time teachers at the school, according to the magazine. Our clients have already experienced much trauma and loss before arriving in this country, Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. Rather than helping them make the difficult adjustment by providing educational resources required by law, the school district has denied them an education completely or forced them into an alternative school, where they are often bullied and don t learn. Officials for the school district say the six students were sent to Phoenix for a special program geared towards their needs. [The District] believes the lawsuit is without merit, Superintendent Damaris Rau said in a statement. We are confident we are doing an excellent job supporting our refugee students who often come to school with little or no education. A special acceleration program at Phoenix was created for under-credited students, both refugee and non-refugee, which gives them the opportunity to earn credits toward a high school diploma by the age of 21, Rau said.At Phoenix, the students receive various services including remedial services, English classes for Second Language Learners, after school programs, job and computer skills as well as mentoring services, Rau added.Earlier this week, some of the students testified about their educational experience in an Eastern District of Pennsylvania courtroom.Khadidja Issa, who arrived in America from Chad with her family by way of their home country Sudan, said on Tuesday school officials told her she was too old for school and should get a job instead. I responded that I didn t want a job without an education, she said.Issa, who lived in a refugee camp from the age of 5 to 17, also said that she found the search procedure invasive while attending the school. I have been to school before and I ve never seen a place where they pat you down in order to enter school, and they do it every day, she said. FOX News | 0 |
2,413 | HILLARY LIES: Remember When Hillary Disclosed She Was Named After A Famous Person? | This story is from 2006 and is the first in a long series of Hillary s lies that we ll be exposing over the next couple of months For more than a decade, one piece of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton s informal biography has been that she was named for Sir Edmund Hillary, the conqueror of Mount Everest. The story was even recounted in Bill Clinton s autobiography.But yesterday, Mrs. Clinton s campaign said she was not named for Sir Edmund after all. It was a sweet family story her mother shared to inspire greatness in her daughter, to great results I might add, said Jennifer Hanley, a spokeswoman for the campaign.In May 1953, Sir Edmund and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, became the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1995, shortly after meeting Sir Edmund, Mrs. Clinton said that her mother, Dorothy Rodham, had long told her she was named for the famous mountaineer. It had two l s, which is how she thought she was supposed to spell Hillary, Mrs. Clinton said at the time, after meeting Sir Edmund. So when I was born, she called me Hillary, and she always told me it s because of Sir Edmund Hillary. Even though Bill Clinton repeated the story in his 2004 autobiography, My Life, Hillary Clinton did not mention it in her own autobiography, Living History, which was published in 2003.But one big hole has been poked in the story over the years, both in cyberspace and elsewhere: Sir Edmund became famous only after climbing Everest in 1953. Mrs. Clinton, as it happens, was born in 1947. Via: NYT | 0 |
2,414 | Ryan: Special counsel will not interfere with Congress Russia probes | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday he did not believe the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel will interfere with congressional probes of Russia and the 2016 U.S. election. Ryan also told his weekly news conference that he was in a meeting last night with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and congressional leaders, but would not comment on the discussion. | 1 |
2,415 | Loser Trump Rants About Hillary And The Election Again, Twitter Mocks His Petulant Insecurity | It is now 14 days until Donald Trump takes over the White House and he is STILL whining about Hillary Clinton.We know Trump still has a bruised ego from losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, but continuing to attack Hillary and brag about how he won is getting old and displays a childishness that no other president-elect has ever displayed.Hillary and the Dems were never going to beat the PASSION of my voters. They saw what was happening in the last two weeks before the Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017and knew they were in big trouble which is why they cancelled their big fireworks at the last minute.THEY SAW A MOVEMENT LIKE NEVER BEFORE Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017Hopefully, all supporters, and those who want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will go to D.C. on January 20th. It will be a GREAT SHOW! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017Trump is absolutely obsessed with Election Day and continues to pretend that the Trump movement is this massive thing we ve never seen before. But again, the facts remains that he lost the popular vote and his electoral win is one of the smallest in American history, like his hands.And Twitter users were quick to humiliate Trump.@realDonaldTrump She was more popular than you by close to 3,000,000 votes. Because math ?? Jeremy Pond (@JeremyPond) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump IGNORANCE of your voters actually. The Socialist Party (@OfficialSPGB) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump Focus! The campaign is over & now you have an actual job to do. Also realize that the new job will limit tanning bed time Kevin (@TheKevinDent) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump Many of your supporters have passion for nativism and jingoism, and they feed into your dangerous leadership qualities. Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump it s true, racists can be very passionate Andrew W Chamings (@AndrewChamings) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump seriously, how is this helping to heal division and unite America? It still sounds embarrassingly like you are campaigning. Matt Haig (@matthaig1) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump Way to reunite the country. Hint: Petulant insecurity isn t leadership. https://t.co/s85SLOjJPh Tim Guinee (@TimGuinee) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump I m pretty sure she beat the PASSION of your voters by almost 2.9 million votes. But, semantics. Nick Bilton (@nickbilton) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump wow.. what a child you are. Abraham Joffe (@Abrahamjoffe) January 6, 2017@realDonaldTrump Did you win? I forgot. Why don t you talk about it some more instead of going to your intelligence briefings. Joe Harris (@joeharris) January 6, 2017Donald Trump needs to stop bitching and bragging on Twitter and start focusing on the toughest job in the world. Anything less is unacceptable and a disservice to our country.Featured image via sreeenshot | 0 |
2,416 | re vladimir putin | area total of sq km acrespopulation july est ethnic groups italian swiss otherreligion roman catholiclanguages italian latin french various othersliteracy work force lay workers reside outside the vaticangovernmenttype papacy ecclesiastical governmental and administrative capital of the roman catholic churchindependence sovereign entity since medieval times lateran pacts confirming independence and sovereignty of the holy see signed with italy on february suffrage limited to cardinals less than years old economybudget revenues million expenditures millionindustries printing production of coins medals postage stamps a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms worldwide banking and financial activities this unique noncommercial economy is also supported financially by contributions known as peters pence from roman catholics throughout the world the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos fees from admissions to museums and the sale of publications the incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to or somewhat better than those of counterparts who work in the city of romepeople and history almost all of vatican citys citizens live inside the vaticans walls the vatican includes highranking dignitaries priests nuns and guards as well as about lay workers who comprise the majority of the work force the holy sees diplomatic history began in the fourth century but the boundaries of the papacys temporal power have shifted over the centuries from the th century through the middle of the th century the popes held sway over the papal states which included a broad band of territory across central italy in after prolonged civil and regional unrest victor emmanuels army seized the papal states leaving only rome and surrounding coastal regions under papal control in victor emmanuel captured rome itself and declared it the new capital of italy ending papal claims to temporal power pope pius ix and his successors disputed the legitimacy of these acts and proclaimed themselves to be prisoners in the vatican finally in the italian government and the holy see signed three agreements resolving the dispute a treaty recognizing the independence and sovereignty of the holy see and creating the state of the vatican city a concordat defining the relations between the government and the church within italy and a financial convention providing the holy see with compensation for its losses in a revised concordat altering the terms of churchstate relations was signed in | 0 |
2,417 | Chris Christie Says Only Stupid Judges Will Work For Low Wages; Teachers Can Still Suck It (VIDEO) | On New Jersey 101.5, Chris Christie made the argument for raising wages for judges and government employees, but he still presumably thinks minimum wage workers and teachers are the exceptions.Christie lost a bid to get a raise for judges, who currently make $140,000 a year in New Jersey. According to Christie, $140k makes for stupid judges. The idea somehow that judges are overpaid is ridiculous, Christie said.Christie said starting salaries for lawyers in the New Jersey area is $195,000 for a first-year associate. You don t want judges out there, lawyers becomes judges who think that getting $140,000 a year is a raise, Christie said. If you can t make $140,000 as a lawyer with the experience to actually be on the bench, you re not that good a lawyer. You want to appear before stupid judges? Then don t raise their pay anymore. Because the people you will get in the main applying for these jobs will be people who see it as a step up in pay for them, said Christie.Here s the video:Christie was referring to a defeated bill that would have allowed him and other government officials, including judges, to make money off of book deals. The bill would have also given a big raise to Christie s cabinet members, state and local judges and legislative aides.The bill would also have done some real damage to newspapers in New Jersey, which is currently the only place to find official legal notices. Christie s bill would have made the notices available online, and in a time when journalism is under assault, newspapers can t afford the hit that would cause in readership.But, let s just for a moment assume that Christie is right, and that it takes money to attract the best and the brightest. Well, he certainly doesn t seem to have that attitude when it comes to teachers or to the people who serve his copious amounts of food.Christie has long been engaged in a war against teachers. He even once threatened to punch teachers in the face. In New Jersey, teachers average less than half what Christie s judges make, and Christie fights tooth and nail to keep their pay low. Shouldn t we aim for smart teachers, as well?Christie has long been against raising the minimum wage in New Jersey, which has the fourth most expensive cost of living in the nation. It s even ahead of California. Still, the minimum wage for New Jersey is just $8.25. Christie vetoed a bill that would have raised the minimum wage.Featured image via Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images. | 0 |
2,418 | What do I need to know about the CIA's hacking program? | (Reuters) - WikiLeaks, the website that specializes in exposing secrets, released thousands of documents that described internal U.S. Central Intelligence Agency discussions on hacking techniques it used between 2013 and 2016 to circumvent security on electronic devices for spying. U.S. officials said on Wednesday that CIA contractors were the likely source of the leak. The following are some questions and answers users of consumer electronics may have: Q: How many of the vulnerabilities described in the Wikileaks document are still open to exploit by hackers or spies? A: There is no definitive answer in the documents, which describe attack techniques but often do not give enough detail for even the device and software vendors to understand fully how their products were targeted and close the security holes. Software updates have solved many of the flaws but it is unclear how many remain. In a chart of exploits for Apple’s iPhone, the most recent version listed as hackable was iOS 9.2, which was released in late 2015. Q: What did we learn about the CIA’s hacking program? A. WikiLeaks published documents that it says describe CIA tools for hacking into devices including mobile phones, computers and smart televisions. Q: How can you hack a TV? A: WikiLeaks said it identified a project known as Weeping Angel where U.S. and British intelligence agencies developed ways to take over Samsung smart TVs equipped with microphones, forcing them to record conversations when the device appeared to be turned off. Experts have long said smart TVs and other Internet-connected devices can be exploited to monitor a target. Q: Are these revelations new? A: While the specific details are new, it is well known in the cyber security community that intelligence agencies are constantly trying to leverage flaws in technology products to conduct espionage. Q: The documents suggest that the CIA can access information in encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal. I thought they were safe from even government spying? A: No system is perfect. The documents describe ways to get information in those apps on Android devices, but only after gaining full control of those phones. Reuters has not found evidence in the documents released by WikiLeaks that the CIA had figured a way to break the encryption in those apps. Q: Are iPhones also vulnerable? A: The documents discuss ways to get into iPhones as well. One appeared to show a list of Apple iOS security flaws purchased by U.S. intelligence agencies so they could gain access to those devices. Q: What should I do if I’m worried? A: Most people do not need to worry about being targeted by intelligence agencies. But everybody should stay on top of software patches so all their computers, mobile phones and other connected devices are running software with the latest security updates. Consumers should balance security concerns with their need to use smart devices. Q: What did we learn about how the CIA may try to make American hacking look like the work of hackers from other countries like Russia? A: The CIA has a library of attack code taken from multiple sources and sorted by function, including a program from a Russian criminal kit that permits spyware to survive rebooting and a data-destruction tool lifted from a suspected Iranian operation. One purpose of such a collection is to avoid having to write programs from scratch, while another is to confuse anyone who discovers the malware in action. The documents released so far do not show that the CIA set out to deceive victims into believing they had been hacked by someone else, but it suggests that the agency was capable of doing so if it wanted. Q: Is this as big as the leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden? A: The Snowden leaks revealed that the NSA was secretly collecting U.S. call metadata on ordinary Americans. The materials released by WikiLeaks on Tuesday did not appear to reveal the existence of unknown any unknown programs. Instead they supplied details on how U.S. intelligence agencies work to discover and exploit security flaws to conduct espionage. Q: How damaging is this revelation to U.S. intelligence? A: U.S. intelligence officials say the damage is limited because much of what was published is old, a number of the vulnerabilities in smart TVs and other devices have been known for at least two years and many have been patched. The breach was discovered late last year according to U.S. officials and most or all of the tools Wikileaks published are no longer in use. In addition, they said, unless additional codes that would enable users to exploit the leaked material are also published, it would be difficult for other countries, groups, or people to use the leaked material against the United States or its allies. Q: Are the documents authentic? A: Reuters could not immediately verify the contents of the published documents. U.S. officials told Reuters that they believe the documents are authentic. While the CIA has declined to comment, independent cyber security experts and former intelligence agency employees who have looked through them say that they appear to be authentic, citing code words used to describe CIA hacking programs. Q: How did WikiLeaks get the information? A: Unclear. Someone inside the agency may have leaked the information. Or, someone outside may have figured out a way to steal it. U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday that contractors were the likely source for the leak. Q: What has the U.S. government and other governments said in response? A: The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump was “extremely concerned” about the CIA security breach that led to the WikiLeaks release. Germany’s chief federal prosecutor’s office said it would review the Wikileaks documents which suggest the CIA ran a hacking hub from the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt, and would launch a formal investigation if warranted. | 1 |
2,419 | WATCH: Black Panelists SHUT DOWN Trump Fan For Saying Trump Is A Civil Rights Leader (VIDEO) | Donald Trump s efforts to reach out to voters of color has been going about as terrible as one might expect it to go. Kayleigh McEnany, an avid Trump supporter, took part in a panel discussion on CNN s Anderson Cooper 360 where she attempted to continue that campaign. Not surprisingly, all she did was got shut down by the black members of the panel, Bakari Sellers and Angela Rae.McEnary began the panel discussion which revolved around black issues, by shouting down the black panelists, citing statistics about black people and poverty, saying that: You might think a 27.2% poverty rate among African American individuals is a good thing but At that point, McEnary is interrupted by Rae who insists that no one had made that claim, asking her to retract the statement.That s when the panel really began to go into melt-down. McEnery tried to position Trump as a civil rights leader who was on the cutting edge of civil rights because he fought for inclusiveness in his clubs. While Trump might have expanded his customer base to include black and Jewish Americans. the other panelists were not buying it for a moment that Trump was a civil rights leader.What McEnery failed to mention, but Rae didn t, is that Trump only began to allow black and Jewish Americans into his clubs after he had been sued for housing discrimination.The best moment of the panel discussion is when Rae lays her thoughts out on the matter. She does not hold back, saying: If you want Donald Trump to say something that s meaningful to black people, and I m not going to be the spokesperson for all black people tonight, but what I m going to tell you is this. Plain and simple. He can disavow his racist butler. He can apologize for those two housing discriminations from the Department of Justice. He can tell me that that Black Lives Matter protester who he said deserves to get beat up, he can retract that and apologize for that. He can tell me that he never meant to say those legal fees of that guy that punched that black man in the face at his rally, should ve happened. He can apologize for the Indian man that was thrown out of his rally today. He can apologize to the Central Park Five Sellers interrupts to say All five of them. for taking out that full-page ad on them I m not done, I m just getting started and I haven t even got to last July, Rae continues. My only point to you is this: Donald Trump doesn t just have a messaging problem. He has a message and belief problem, Kayleigh, and he has to he has to hear it from more than Rhinestones and Polyester, his two little imps that go out on the trail for him. You can watch the panel discussion in full.Featured image from video screenshot | 0 |
2,420 | Tillerson, Zarif spoke directly at Iran nuclear talks | UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spoke directly during talks at the United Nations on Wednesday in what a European diplomat described as a very difficult meeting. Tillerson and Zarif spoke directly for a relatively long time. There was no real great surprise in the positions expressed, the diplomat said. The diplomat said there was unanimity that the nuclear deal was being respected, but the debate had not really focused on its implementation. There was no real visibility on what the American decision will be in October, the diplomat said. | 1 |
2,421 | BREAKING: C.I.A. Knew Russia Wanted Trump WAY Before Election; NOTHING Was Done (DETAILS) | We already knew that Russia wanted Donald Trump to be president and interfered with the election, but new information has just been revealed showing that not only was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) aware of this, but they were in the know as early as August of 2016. That s well before anything was revealed to the public.According to the New York Times: The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until after Mr. Trump s victory months later, former government officials say. Further: The former officials said that in late August 10 weeks before the election John O. Brennan, then the C.I.A. director, was so concerned about increasing evidence of Russia s election meddling that he began a series of urgent, individual briefings for eight top members of Congress, some of them on secure phone lines while they were on their summer break.It is unclear what new intelligence might have prompted the classified briefings. But with concerns growing both internally and publicly at the time about a significant Russian breach of the Democratic National Committee, the C.I.A. began seeing signs of possible connections to the Trump campaign, the officials said. By the final weeks of the campaign, Congress and the intelligence agencies were racing to understand the scope of the Russia threat. Then there s this: The officials said Mr. Brennan also indicated that unnamed advisers to Mr. Trump might be working with the Russians to interfere in the election. So, not only did Russia work to get Trump elected, but those closely connected to Trump may have been working directly with Russia.Here s the thing if this information was available before the election, and it was well known that not only was Russia trying to influence the election, but Trump advisers may have been talking directly to Russia, why was the election allowed to even go forward? For all intents and purposes, the election should be considered absolutely illegitimate and a new election should be held in light of all this new information.Our democracy and the core of everything we are as a republic has been compromised by a foreign adversary, and NOTHING has been done. This is NOT okay.The public had a right to know this information going into the voting booth, and nothing was said. This is beyond maddening, and someone needs to be held responsible.Featured Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images | 0 |
2,422 | Mexico to cut share of refined sugar sent to U.S., minister says | MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico will reduce the proportion of refined sugar it can export to the United States to 30 percent under a new agreement likely to be announced later today, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Mexican radio on Tuesday. Currently, the proportion of refined sugar exports from total sugar exports Mexico can send to the United States is 53 percent. | 1 |
2,423 | Pat McCrory’s Bigoted Bathroom Law Costs NC Millions In Lost Events | North Carolina Republican Governor Pat McCrory s bigotry is costing his state millions of dollars. Since he signed into law a bill that effectively blocks any and all discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, musicians have cancelled concerts in the state, businesses like PayPal have pulled the plug on plans to settle there, and the NBA has moved its All-Star game away from the state for 2017 as well. Now, the NCAA has delivered another blow, by relocating seven post-season games as well, which will cost the state millions.The NCAA released comments regarding the decision, saying that it is because of the cumulative actions taken by the state concerning civil rights protections. G.P. Bud Peterson, who chair s the NCAA s board of governors went on to say: This decision is consistent with the NCAA s long-standing core values of inclusion, student-athlete well-being and creating a culture of fairness. Here are details regarding the cancellations, courtesy of Boston.com: the Division I women s soccer championship scheduled for Dec. 2 and 4 in Cary, just outside the capital city of Raleigh; the Division III men s and women s soccer championships set for Dec. 2 and 3 in Greensboro; the Division I women s golf regional championships set for May 8-10 in Greenville; the Division III men s and women s tennis championships set for May 22-27 in Cary; the Division I women s lacrosse championship set for May 26 and 28 in Cary; and the Division II baseball championship from May 27 to June 3 in Cary.In addition, two March men s basketball games set for Greensboro will be relocated as well. Of course, the spokesperson for the North Carolina GOP had to weigh in with her ignorance. Kami Mueller said: I wish the NCAA was this concerned about the women who were raped at Baylor. This is unsurprising, considering that bigoted Republicans simply cannot understand that letting transgender people use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender presentation and identity has nothing to do with rape; in fact, it is trans people who are in the most danger regarding this law.McCrory s Democratic challenger, Roy Cooper, had more of the right idea here. His spokesman, Ford Porter, said: It seems that almost every day, we learn of a new consequence of HB2. We need to repeal this law and get our state back on track. With the NCAA pulling out of North Carolina due to what they describe as a new policy that makes sure that the places they allow to host their events demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination, that leaves that Atlantic Coast Conference. However, HB2 might cost North Carolina that event as well. The ACC says that there has been worry over the consequences of such a law within their ranks as well.Pat McCrory and North Carolina s bigoted Republican Party is literally killing their state s economy, all in the name of hate. None of these people have any business holding public office, because they clearly do not care about the impact of their legislated hate. Make no mistake, the NCAA is not the first, and nor will it be the last, organization that decides that they will not hold events or do business in a state whose hallmark is discrimination.Hopefully, North Carolina voters get rid of these idiots come November.Featured image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | 0 |
2,424 | Trump Stooge Nunes Just Gave the Most Immature Answer When Asked If He Will Recuse Himself (VIDEO) | Trump transition team member Devin Nunes, who inexplicably is leading the congressional investigation into Trump s ties with Russia, recently got himself in a spot of trouble when he met with a source he will not reveal on the White House grounds in the middle of the night on Wednesday to obtain sketchy intel that seems intended to back Trump s claim that President Obama tapped his wires. Nunes claims that he was shown U.S. surveillance documents that indicate numerous members of the Trump team were indirectly surveilled when they contacted some shady foreign people who were being investigated. Instead of taking this information, which may or may not be true as the alleged Trump investigator refuses to show his work, to his fellow investigators Nunes admits he ran straight to the main subject of the investigation.By Thursday, Nunes was scrambling to apologize for corrupting the investigation by leaking details to the guy he s supposed to be investigating amid calls for him to recuse himself. But Nunes refuses to do so despite a clear conflict of interest.On Wednesday, CNN caught up to Nunes to ask if he will recuse himself and he decided the appropriate response was that of a third-grader:This is the mentality of the people with whom we are dealing they are like children who have been handed too much power and are f*cking evil. But really, what did we expect given that Nunes boss regularly employs the I know you are but what am I? and But teacher, he hit me too defenses.Watch it below:Instead of recusing himself from the #TrumpRussia investigation, @DevinNunes insults and denies just like @realDonaldTrump. #Russiagate pic.twitter.com/0NNWxeygT7 American Bridge (@American_Bridge) March 28, 2017featured image via screengrab | 0 |
2,425 | UnitedHealth plans to exit Obamacare exchanges | (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc on Tuesday said it would largely exit the Obamacare individual insurance market in 2017, citing expectations for mounting losses from the program. UnitedHealth is the largest U.S. health insurer and one of the biggest sellers of plans on the exchanges, which were created as part of President Barack Obama’s national healthcare law. UnitedHealth sells these plans in 34 states this year, up from 25 states last year. “Next year, we will remain in only a handful of states,” UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley said in prepared remarks as part of the company’s first-quarter earnings report. The company warned investors late last year that it was losing money on the new plans and might exit the market. On Tuesday, the company raised its 2016 expectation for losses on the exchanges by $125 million to $650 million. UnitedHealth’s Hemsley said that the shorter term, higher risk profile of the new members, as well as the smaller than expected enrollment, suggested UnitedHealth could not offer plans on a sustained basis. For the first quarter, United Health’s profit was better-than-expected and UnitedHealth shares rose 1.9 percent to $130.29 in early New York Stock Exchange trading. Other health insurers including Aetna Inc and Anthem Inc are also large players on the exchanges. In recent months they said they will continue to sell exchange plans. The company has 795,000 customers from the exchanges, more than half of them new to UnitedHealth, it said. It expects about 650,000 members by year end. The government said in February that more than 12 million people had signed up for Obamacare-related insurance through HealthCare.gov or a state-based exchange as of Jan. 31. Previous government expectations had been for more than 20 million people. UnitedHealth raised its expectations for 2016 profit, in part because of a more favorable tax rate that also helped it beat Wall Street expectations for the first quarter. Lower sales and administrative costs and a decline in amortization of intangible assets also helped its first quarter results. On an adjusted basis the health insurer earned $1.81 per share, compared with Wall Street analyst expectations for earnings of $1.72 per share, according to ThomsonReuters I/B/E/S. Net profit rose to $1.61 billion, or $1.67 per share, from $1.41 billion or $1.46 per share, a year earlier. The company now expects 2016 adjusted net earnings of $7.75-$7.95 per share, up 15 cents per share from its previous estimate. | 1 |
2,426 | The Working Class Just Got Screwed By Trump AGAIN (TWEET) | Trump promised many hardworking Americans he d improve their lives if he got elected. Well, he got elected, but it looks like he isn t going to keep that promise.Donald is putting together his cabinet, but the people he s choosing don t seem to be fit for the job. His most recent addition to his cabinet is yet another millionaire, Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, as Secretary of Labor. Puzder has been opposed to raising the minimum wage for years and has even talked about replacing workers with robots.That s not good for the working class.Donald Trump just picked an anti-labor CEO as his secretary of Labor. What happened to his promise of siding with workers? pic.twitter.com/rfuQghAGcb Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 10, 2016Someone who wants to keep wages low, and even go as far as replacing human workers shouldn t be Secretary of Labor. Donald Trump said he would side with the working class but there s no evidence backing that up. In fact, so far he s only shown plans for the exact opposite.Many Americans believe there s too many people on welfare, but when they make only eight dollars an hour, how else are they supposed to get by? Meanwhile, more often than not, their CEOs make in an hour what they make in a year. Sadly this is likely to remain unchanged, or get even worse with our new Secretary of Labor.Featured image via screenshot | 0 |
2,427 | Greece debates bill on legal gender change, divisions laid bare | ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece began debating on Monday a bill allowing people to change their gender identity without medical treatment, a move that was welcomed by human rights groups but exposed political divisions and church opposition. Greece currently requires persons who wish to have their desired gender legally recognized to be diagnosed with gender identity disorder and have their reproductive organs removed. This practice has been widely condemned as a violation of human rights though is common in many European countries. The bill, tabled by the leftist Syriza party and to be put to a vote on Tuesday, says that changing legal gender is a matter of personal choice and should not be contingent on medical tests, therapies or surgeries that are all optional. It has been condemned as immoral by Greece s influential Orthodox Church and as a monstrosity by far-right wing politicians. The draft legislation says persons have the right to change legal gender twice, and applicants must not be married. A court will decide on their application. A group of supporters rallied outside parliament holding a banner reading: Transgender rights are human rights . I can t wait! The moment the bill passes, I m changing my identity, said Raffaela, 40, adding that she has lived in waiting for 27 years. The ironic stares, the mocking when people see that my identity doesn t correspond to my looks, will finally end, she told Reuters, covered in a rainbow flag. An article setting the minimum age for the change to 15 years has bared cracks in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras coalition. His ally, the right-wing Independent Greeks, said it would vote against it unless the age was amended to 17 years. Campaigners say the bill is a step in the right direction but falls short of fully recognizing the rights of transgender people. Denmark was the first European country to allow legal gender changes without any medical intervention in 2014. The government has 153 deputies in the 300-seat parliament. The bill is expected to be approved in principle by ruling lawmakers and center-left parties. The main conservative opposition, New Democracy, tabled its own proposals. To have access to the labor market, to travel and deal with daily life under a name that they want, and which corresponds to how they feel, should not be negotiable, said ruling Syriza lawmaker Anneta Kavadia. The Holy Synod, the ruling body of the Greek Orthodox Church, thinks differently. The proposal, it said, was an affront to society , and a threat to the sanctity of family . | 1 |
2,428 | dr duke andrew anglin the true voice of the republican party | httpmediaarchivesgsradionetddukemp
dr duke lauds white hero richard spencer the npi and the true alt right
today dr duke applauded national policy institute director richard spencer for having staged a conference in a major venue in washington dc that focused on white interests and specifically discussed jewish power as a threat to white interests having crossed the boundary into the taboo realm of jewish power spencer is now under vicious attack from not only the mainstream media but from some segments of the alternative media that are revealing themselves as nothing more that zionist tools
dr slattery joined the show and commented on the significance of someone with the visibility of spencer someone with the ability to stage a major conference addressing the reality of jewish power
this show will open your eyes to the amazing progress that we are making please share it widely
our show is aired live at am replayed at et pm eastern and am eastern related share | 1 |
2,429 | Trump to nominate Kansas Governor Brownback as religious freedom ambassador | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump intends to nominate Republican Kansas Governor Sam Brownback as ambassador at large for international religious freedom, the White House said on Wednesday. Brownback, who previously served in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, would assume the position created in the State Department by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, of which he was one of the key sponsors. In 2015, Brownback issued an executive order protecting the religious freedom of clergy and organizations that opposed same-sex marriage as Kansas began to comply with the landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage. “We ... recognize that religious liberty is at the heart of who we are as Kansans and Americans, and should be protected,” Brownback, governor since 2011, said at the time of the order. He was re-elected in 2014 and is not eligible to serve a third consecutive term. | 1 |
2,430 | Algeria's ruling caste set on orderly succession, when the time comes | ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerians are facing the eventual departure of their long-serving president, the ailing Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in the knowledge that all is being done to ensure little changes when he goes. The 80-year-old leader, who has ruled the North African country for nearly two decades, was incapacitated by a stroke in 2013 but may decide to run again in the next presidential election due in May 2019. Should he bow out, though, many Algerians believe the person elected to replace him will be secondary. Just as now, observers say, a powerful ruling caste dominated by the army will run the show from behind the scenes. That may be good news for an aged and thinning party elite from the Front de Liberation National (FLN), allied business tycoons and generals - collectively known as Le Pouvoir or The Powers That Be - that has long managed Algeria s politics. It is a source of frustration, however, for young Algerians who have known no other leader. They worry less about who is in charge and more about jobs at a time of high unemployment, low oil prices and economic austerity. For Samir Abdelaoui, who studies at a private English language school, leaving the country may offer the way out. I don t care about politics, all I need is a decent job, if not here, then overseas. I want a visa, not a president, said Abdelaoui, who is learning English to increase his chances of getting a work visa abroad. Speculation is rife abroad over what will happen to Algeria after the departure of Bouteflika, who has visited Europe several times for treatment and remained in hospital in France for months after his stroke. But inside Algeria, an apparent oasis of stability in a chaotic region, the regime s allies regard the problem as settled. After Bouteflika the military command will organize the succession. The political class is weak here, said Anis Rahmani, Chairman of Ennahar TV, an insider close to the authorities. One liberal Algerian analyst also expected continuity. The institutions in Algiers are stronger than the men. The men go but the institutions stay, the analyst said, requesting anonymity. The institutions are functioning well, whether Bouteflika is sick, in Algiers or abroad. As long as his health allows him to he will continue beyond 2018. Hopes for the election of a reformist, modernizing president who will bring in a competitive democracy and open society, have all but faded away. The priority, according to observers of Algeria s system, is the stability that its citizens see as incarnated in Bouteflika. The former French colony, which freed itself in a brutal independence struggle that ended in 1962, is haunted by memories of a 1990s civil war that erupted after the state canceled elections when an Islamist party appeared set to win. That conflict killed 200,000 people, leaving many Algerians wary later of the unrest that toppled the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in the Arab Spring revolts of 2011. Algeria is a country in a very bad neighborhood and because we are in a bad neighborhood the army should remain involved. I don t think the army would want to seize power after Bouteflika but they will be part of the political process, said another Algerian political analyst who also requested anonymity. Young Algerians, who form two thirds of the population of 41 million, nevertheless feel left out and disconnected with a remote political class. By contrast, French President Emmanuel Macron walked through the streets of Algiers on a visit last week and talked directly with excited young people - something they have not experienced with their own leader for a long time. One of the analysts described the ruling class as totally obsolete in a country of youths . We dream of a young class that has vitality, but the political class is not ready to give them one inch, said the analyst Bouteflika, in power since 1999, is rarely seen and has not spoken in public since his stroke. Yet if he or his circle decides he will run for a fifth term, sources close to Le Pouvoir say, he would be without doubt elected. The ruling FLN and the pro-government National Rally for Democracy dominate parliament while the opposition including leftists and Islamists is weak and divided. If Bouteflika doesn t run, the tight circle of army generals and intelligence officials could produce a joker candidate from outside the political class. For now, though, the possible alternatives are all members of the old elite such as Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia or former premier Abelmalek Sellal. Any succession scenario involving Said Bouteflika, the president s younger brother and a close aide, would be controversial as the military men don t favor hereditary rule, observers say. Foreign diplomats say they expect the generals to arrange a smooth transition. Instead they worry more about how the country, which relies on oil and gas exports, will manage the state-controlled economy in an era of low energy prices. The government spends about $30 billion a year to subsidize everything from basic foodstuffs and fuel to healthcare, housing and education. This system has helped to keep the social peace, but the government has failed to develop industries beyond the energy sector and is fiscally strapped. Algeria has done little to encourage foreign investment despite the desperate need for jobs, and even less to ease visa restrictions or build hotels to attract tourists to its beaches, mountains and desert wilderness, all a short flight from Europe. So far the uncontested success has been security. Even Western diplomats move freely without the convoys that accompany them in many other Arab capitals. Still, remnants of al Qaeda remain active and have declared allegiance to Islamic State. A twin car bombing killed 67 in Algiers in 2007 and at least 38 hostages died when jihadis seized a gas plant in 2013. The security services have also uncovered and infiltrated sleeper cells while Algeria has closed all its border crossings with Libya, Mali, Niger, Morocco and Mauritania, turning them into military zones to prevent jihadis scattered across the Sahel region from connecting with each other. The next president should be a strongman who will guarantee security because we are in a state of war against terrorism, said Rahmani. There is an external threat. The borders are all on fire. The next president should have a military background, power and authority to decide. | 1 |
2,431 | Pakistanis vote in by-election seen as test of support for ousted PM Sharif | LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistanis began casting votes on Sunday for the parliamentary seat vacated by ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a by-election seen as a test of support for the Sharif dynasty ahead of the 2018 general election. Sharif s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party hopes a resounding victory in the eastern city of Lahore would show that support for the family was undiminished despite the Supreme Court s removal of Sharif in July. Sharif s daughter Maryam has spearheaded the PML-N campaign for her mother Kulsoom - who is the MPL-N candidate despite receiving cancer treatment in London with Nawaz at her side. Maryam, who some PML-N leaders see as a future leader, has framed the poll as a chance for voters to give a bloody nose to the judiciary by handing the party a thumping victory. Will you take revenge for your disrespected vote? Maryam asked supporters at a recent rally. Opposition leader Imran Khan - whose threats of street protests pushed the Supreme Court to launch a probe into Nawaz s wealth - is seeking to build on the success of his anti-graft crusade by making inroads into Sharifs power base in Punjab. The Supreme Court in July disqualified Sharif because he did not declare a monthly salary, equivalent to $2,722, from a company owned by his son when the veteran leader, who had held power twice in the 1990s, became prime minister for the third time. Sharif denies receiving the salary. Khan has turned the by-election into a plebiscite about corruption, and has accused the provincial Punjab government, which is run by Nawaz s brother Shahbaz, of abusing state resources to help the PML-N campaign. Your prime minister owns some of the most expensive real estate in the world - all in his daughter s name. Meanwhile half the children of this country are malnourished, Khan told a rally on Saturday. Analysts predict PML-N will win again but they say Khan s party would build momentum ahead of the 2018 poll if PTI candidate Yasmin Rashid, a gynecologist from the area, substantially reduces the PML-N s 40,000 vote-winning margin from 2013. PTI would be very happy if the margin ended up being small. That would be a victory for them, said Hasan Askri a political analyst. Many of the 321,633 registered voters in the central Lahore NA-120 consituency are conflicted. My head goes towards PTI while my heart goes towards PML-N, said Ali Raza, 25, a bank employee. Kulsoom and Rashid will be competing against about 40 other candidates, including religious parties. One candidate is backed by a new party that is led by an Islamist firebrand who is subject to a $10 million bounty offered by the United States. Hafiz Saeed heads the Jammat-ud-Dawa (JuD) charity, having founded and formerly led the Lashkhar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group that carried out the 2008 attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. The United States has placed Saeed, the charity and LeT on a terrorist list. (L4N1LV52I) Voting began at 9am (0400 GMT) and the polls are due to close at 5pm, with results likely to be announced after midnight. | 1 |
2,432 | (VIDEO) AMAZING! TED CRUZ GETS CODE PINK TO SHUT UP AND LISTEN ON IRAN NUKE DEAL | Amazing! Ted Cruz does a beautiful job of getting Code Pink to zip it! | 0 |
2,433 | Supreme Court gives Trump more time to file travel ban briefs | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration more time to file papers responding to an appeals court ruling that upheld a block on a proposed travel ban on people entering the United States from six Muslim-majority countries. The move likely delays any high court action on the administration’s two emergency applications asking for the ban issued on March 6 to immediately go into effect. The March ban was Trump’s second effort to impose travel restrictions through an executive order. An entry on the Supreme Court docket said that the administration can file its new brief on Thursday. Hawaii, which challenged the ban and won in the appeals court, is permitted to file its own brief on June 20, meaning the court is unlikely to act on the emergency application until next week at the earliest. The court was responding to a request made by Acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall, who said in a letter that the ruling on Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco means the government needs to file a new brief. In an added dramatic twist, Trump himself plans to go to the Supreme Court on Thursday for the investiture of Justice Neil Gorsuch, an administration official said. Trump nominated Gorsuch in January. Gorsuch’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate in April restored the court’s 5-4 conservative majority. Trump’s visit to the court would be his first since he became president on Jan. 20 and would put him face-to-face with the nine justices as they consider the fate of his travel ban unless the court acts before then. It is common practice for presidents to attend such events, which are purely ceremonial. The Supreme Court could discuss how to act on the emergency application at its private conference on June 22, a week after the Gorsuch ceremony. Wall wrote that more time was needed because the 9th Circuit ruling in favor of the state of Hawaii is “the first addressing the executive order at issue to rest relief on statutory rather than constitutional grounds.” Hawaii’s lawyer, Neal Katyal, filed his own letter objecting to the government’s timeline, although he agreed that both sides needed to file briefs responding to Monday’s ruling. Federal judges in Maryland and Hawaii blocked Trump’s 90-day ban on travelers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The Hawaii judge also blocked a 120-day ban on refugees entering the United States. The 9th Circuit largely upheld the Hawaii injunction on Monday. In the second case, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, on May 25 upheld the Maryland judge’s ruling. The lawsuits by Hawaii and the Maryland challengers argued that the executive order violated federal immigration law and a section of the Constitution’s First Amendment, which prohibits the government from favoring or disfavoring any particular religion. The Supreme Court is weighing emergency applications in both cases, but is likely to act on them together. Trump’s first order on Jan. 27 led to chaos and protests at airports and in various cities before being blocked by the courts. The second order was intended to overcome the legal issues posed by the original ban, but was blocked by judges before it could go into effect on March 16. | 1 |
2,434 | Chris Cuomo STUNNED As Trump’s Advisor Blames Hillary For Melania’s Plagiarized Speech (VIDEO) | Republicans have routinely blamed President Barack Obama whenever something goes wrong, even if it s completely unrelated to him in any way. Perhaps it s a sign that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is going to be replacing Obama in the White House, because the GOP is already blaming the dumbest things on her including Melania Trump s disastrous speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention.Melania s speech raised eyebrows last night as people immediately recognized how similar it was to First Lady Michelle Obama s speech from the 2008 Democratic National Convention. It was clear that a good chunk of the speech had been plagiarized, but don t expect Trump s campaign to take any responsibility for it. On CNN this morning, Trump campaign advisor Paul Manafort refused to acknowledge the obvious similarities and awkwardly denied any plagiarism. It was an uncomfortable interview with Chris Cuomo, and Manafort made it even worse by trying to blame it on Clinton. Manafort told Cuomo, who appeared stunned by what he was hearing, that Melania s speech was original: There s no cribbing of Michelle Obama s speech. I mean, these were common words and values I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night, she knew that. To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama s words is crazy. Cuomo pointed out that the speech didn t just pull a few common words there were word-for-word sentences that were taken from the First Lady s 2008 address. Here s a few similarities, as a Twitter user pointed out:TwitterThe truth is blatantly obvious, but Manafort continued to refuse to admit that there had been any sort of wrongdoing and tried to place the blame onto Clinton. He said: This is, once again, an example of what happens when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton. She seeks to demean her and take her down. It s not going to work. You can watch Manafort make a fool of himself below:Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort: Melania Trump s speech used common words and phrases. https://t.co/lkuwa1KM6O CNN (@CNN) July 19, 2016Manafort isn t the only Trump advisor blaming Clinton for this incident. Donald Trump senior advisor Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the Trump campaign and Melania on Fox News America s Newsroom when host Martha MacCallum pointed out that the speech had been lifted. When MacCallum brought up the fact that many people thought Manafort should be fired for allowing such a thing to happen, Huckabee Sanders said: I think the person who ought to be fired is Hillary Clinton. She broke the law and that s been completely ignored. Featured image is a screenshot | 0 |
2,435 | Factbox: EU launches action against Poland over courts reform | WARSAW (Reuters) - Below are details of the European Commission s decision to launch the Article 7 procedure against Poland on Wednesday over judicial reforms that Brussels says undermine Polish courts independence. The procedure could lead to a suspension of Poland s voting rights in the EU if approved by all over EU members except Poland. Hungary has said it would veto any sanctions on Poland. First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, said at a news conference on Wednesday that thirteen laws passed in Poland over the last two years put at serious risk the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers in Poland . The common pattern of all these legislative changes is that the executive or legislative powers are now set up in such a way that the ruling majority can systematically, politically interfere with the composition, the powers, the administration and the functioning of these authorities, thereby rendering the independence of the judiciary completely moot, Timmermans said. He said that laws passed by Poland s parliament mean that: Almost 40 percent of current Supreme Court judges will be forced into compulsory retirement Poland s president will have discretionary power to decide if and for how long to prolong their mandates New Supreme Court judges will be appointed by the president on the recommendation of the newly composed National Council for the Judiciary (NCJ), which is dominated by political appointees of the ruling party. This politicized Supreme Court will decide directly about the validity of election results A number of judges in ordinary courts are forced to retire following a decrease of the retirement age of judges. Their mandates can be prolonged at the discretion of the Minister of the justice minister who is also the chief prosecutor Justice minister has discretionary power to appoint and dismiss all presidents of courts without concrete criteria, no obligation to state reasons and no judicial review Mandates of members of NCJ will be prematurely terminated and members will be reappointed by Polish parliament instead of by other judges as required by European standards NCJ plays key role throughout the career of judges when it comes to their appointments, their promotions, to where they are assigned to in the country and the courts, to disciplinary proceedings Timmermans said on Wednesday the European Commission asks Poland to: Restore the independence and legitimacy of the Constitutional Tribunal by ensuring that its judges, its President and its Vice-President are lawfully elected and appointed Publish and implement fully the three 2016 verdicts of the Constitutional Tribunal Amend the law on the Supreme Court so as to not apply a lowered retirement age to the current Supreme Court judges, and remove the discretionary powers of the President of Poland and remove the extraordinary appeal procedure Amend the law on the ordinary courts so as to remove the new retirement regime for judges of ordinary courts Amend the law on the National Council for the Judiciary so as to ensure that the mandate of members of the Council is not terminated and the members are elected by other judges The Commission said that should the Polish authorities implement the recommended actions in the coming three months the Commission stands ready to reconsider its decision to move forward with the Article 7 procedure. | 1 |
2,436 | Judge Who Blocked Trump’s Muslim Ban REPEATEDLY Dropped The Mic On DOJ Lawyer Trying To Defend It | While Trump is whining up a storm on Twitter about how Judge James Robart has made it so anyone can get into the U.S. by halting his Muslim ban, there s a conversation between Robart and Dept. of Justice attorney Michelle Bennett floating around that explains a lot about how Robart sees it.Robart asked Bennett the following pointed question, which everyone with any sense has been asking since Trump threw the world into chaos last week: How many arrests have there been of foreign nationals from those seven countries since 9/11? Bennett replied: Your Honor, I don t have that information. I m from the civil division if that helps get me off the hook. What a thing for a lawyer to say it almost sounds like Bennett felt a little silly defending Trump s Muslim ban in court. She may have felt even sillier after Robart said: Let me tell you. The answer to that is none, as best I can tell. So, I mean, you re here arguing on behalf of someone that says: We have to protect the United States from these individuals coming from these countries, and there s no support for that. Bennett argued that the rationale behind the order was to protect the U.S. from potential terrorists. Many people think that makes some sense, but neither Trump nor his administration ever weighed that against the possible impact of such a ban. Had any terrorists actually come from any of those countries, and attacked us, then the ban might have some merit.As it stands, though, it exempts countries that actually do have a history of exporting terrorism.Robart responded to Bennett s statement about protecting the U.S. with this: I m also asked to look and determine if the executive order is rationally based. And rationally based, to some extent, means I have to find it grounded in fact instead of fiction. The Muslim ban is currently based on the fiction that these countries pose a clear and present threat. They don t. The threat that Trump sees is vague and rooted in paranoia, not fact. Yet Trump is all over Twitter claiming that now bad people can just indiscriminately pour into the country as though U.S. Customs and Border Protection was only able to do its job with the ban in effect.He claims to have instructed DHS to very carefully look at people coming into the country, because DHS and CBP apparently weren t doing that. Chances are he did no such thing, or he made them roll their eyes. He ll take credit if nothing happens, and he ll blame Robart if something does.While the Trump administration is certain that they ll win this case and the ban will be reinstated, others aren t so sure. Some think this will go all the way to the Supreme Court, and if it has to, it has to. The harm the ban causes actually outweighs the dangers of not having it in place.Below is a video of the Feb. 3 hearing, and the relevant portion begins at the 38:00 mark:Featured image via screen capture from embedded video | 0 |
2,437 | [VIDEO] ‘TRUMPS GIRLS’ HAMMER MSNBC AFTER BEING UNINVITED TO APPEAR ON SHOW: “How Is It They Can Invite Brian Lyin’ Williams Back On MSNBC But Don’t Want To Invite Us” | There s something about these sassy ladies that makes you just makes you want to cheer for them The two ladies, Lynette Diamond Hardaway and Rochelle Silk Richardson, better known as the Trump-for-Stump Girls, have become a YouTube sensation with their hilarious rants.This weekend the duo was scheduled to go on MSNBC with Steve Kornacki but they were cancelled at the last second. The ladies said MSNBC wanted to know where they live, the names of their children and names of their employers. Then MSNBC cancelled their segment when they wouldn t disclose the information. This set them off.At the very last second, he uninvited us when we wouldn t provide the name of our employers, and deep personal information. Why he need that? So he could do a hit piece on us! So after dedicating 4 hours to be on his show, he cancelled us because we want to protect our privacy. They try to spread hate about Trump at MSNBC, and now they try to do it to us. But we don t play that game, we fight fire with fire!The two Trump supporters at WeBeSisters.com vented their frustration in a new video, MSNBC Screws US Over Because We Stump for Trump. Via: Gateway Pundit | 0 |
2,438 | Trump Escalates Confrontation With China In Move That Could Spark A Massive War | Donald Trump is moving the United States closer to a war with China over some tiny islands.The relationship between the United States has been cordial and peaceful for decades now, but Trump plans to change all that. For someone who claims that our military is depleted, Trump sure has no problem putting our country on the brink of war.China is currently making claims to islands in the South China Sea, which is an international body of water. The matter could probably be settled through diplomacy, but Trump has chosen to bully China instead. And he is inviting a catastrophic war in the process.According to Reuters,The comments at a briefing from White House spokesman Sean Spicer signaled a sharp departure from years of cautious U.S. handling of China s assertive pursuit of territory claims in Asia, just days after Trump took office on Friday. The U.S. is going to make sure that we protect our interests there, Spicer said when asked if Trump agreed with comments by his Secretary of State nominee, Rex Tillerson, on Jan. 11 that China should not be allowed access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea. It s a question of if those islands are in fact in international waters and not part of China proper, then yeah, we re going to make sure that we defend international territories from being taken over by one country, he said.Tillerson s remarks at his Senate confirmation hearing prompted Chinese state media to say the United States would need to wage war to bar China s access to the islands where it has built military-length air strips and installed weapons systems.The strong language suggests Trump is considering military action or a naval blockade to keep the islands out of Chinese hands, but even Chinese state media has warned that such action would lead to war between the two nations.And that would be a catastrophe. Not only would this be a war between two nuclear powers, it would be a war between the two largest economies in the world, which means a war between China and the United States would have serious global ramifications.But war is apparently what Trump is thinking about as he has repeatedly treated China with antagonism since before Election Day.And Americans should not expect our allies to help us either. If Trump starts a war with China, America would be on its own. Our troops would be fighting and dying because of Trump s fragile ego. The deficit and the national debt would also skyrocket, especially since Trump has promised Corporate America that he will cut their taxes in half, which would deprive the government of revenues to keep our military strong. That means Trump will get the revenues from the middle class and the poor.China s military and navy are improving rapidly, and they are the most populous nation on Earth. That means Trump would have a reinstate the military draft he himself dodged during the Vietnam War to get enough soldiers to put on the front lines. Even thinking about a military confrontation is insane.The longer Trump is allowed to remain in office, the more dangerous he becomes. This country is now on a path to a war that will cripple our nation and Trump doesn t give a damn because he thinks it makes him look tough. In reality, it just makes him look like an idiot.Featured Image: Spencer Platt/Getty Images | 0 |
2,439 | TINGLE UP HIS LEG? NBC Paid Off Chris Matthews Staffer After Sexual Harassment Claim | Here s yet another claim that s really iffy because the victim experienced juvenile and inappropriate comments from Matthews If this is sexual harassment then 99.9% of men AND women have encountered this sort of behavior We re obviously not fans of Matthews but this is a ridiculous claim by a staffer not matter who it is REMEMBER WHEN MATTHEWS WAS CAUGHT ON A HOT MIC OGLING THE FIRST LADY:PAYOUT TO ACCUSER:An MSNBC spokesman confirmed Saturday the company made a separation-related payment to one of Chris Matthews employees after the woman complained about sexual harassment.Matthews paid $40,000 to settle with an assistant producer on his show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, in 1999 after she accused him of harassment. An MSNBC spokesperson contested that claim to the Caller, saying the company instead paid significantly less as part of a severance package.The woman complained to CNBC executives about Matthews making inappropriate comments and jokes about her while in the company of others.The MSNBC spokesman said that they thoroughly reviewed the situation at the time and that Matthews received a formal reprimand. Based on people who were involved in matter, the network concluded that the comments were inappropriate and juvenile but were not intended to be taken as propositions.The woman received separation-related compensation when she left MSNBC and has gone on to work in a number of high-profile media positions. NBC declined to comment on whether the employee left because of Matthews or whether this was the only claim in Matthews history at the company.Read more: Daily Caller | 0 |
2,440 | Trump Plays Golf Again In Wake Of Damning Comey Testimony | Rather than stick around in Washington following former FBI Director James Comey s Senate testimony, Donald Trump decided to go golfing again instead as his scandals grow.At this point in his presidency, President Obama had only played golf ONE time. Trump, on the other hand, has played golf well over a dozen times since taking office. This is despite promising during the campaign that he would refrain from playing golf so much, and despite his repeated attacks on President Obama whenever he played golf.Unlike Obama, Trump is embroiled in scandal and America faces a difficult future as Trump continues distancing our country away from the international community and his policies continue hurting the homeland.During his testimony this week, Comey detailed how Trump demanded his loyalty and fired him for refusing to drop the Russia investigation. Interference in a federal investigation is known as obstruction of justice, an impeachable offense. By firing Comey in an effort to kill it, Trump committed a very serious crime.But that didn t stop Trump from declaring vindication on Friday and accusing Comey of perjury while calling him a leaker. Trump didn t even bother staying in Washington to face more questions. Instead, he ran away to his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey to avoid reporters, who have been busily analyzing Trump s claims and accusations. CNN even caught Trump lying and committing hypocrisy when he claimed that he has never asked anyone to pledge allegiance to him.Scandals are plaguing his administration and the world is in crisis, yet as usual, Trump is abandoning any and all responsibilities of the presidency to play more golf.Every American should be outraged. Conservatives repeatedly called President Obama lazy and irresponsible for playing golf. Yet Trump is on pace to play even MORE golf in a single year than President Obama played in eight. If anyone is lazy and irresponsible, it s Donald Trump. He should be in Washington facing questions. But like a coward who has something to hide, he made outrageous accusations, declared victory, and then cut and ran as far away from the press as possible.It s time for Congress to act. Trump and his entire administration should be impeached. America needs a full-time president who actually knows what the hell he is doing and doesn t mind working hard for the American people. Trump is neither of those.Featured image via Ian MacNicol/Getty Images | 0 |
2,441 | Joining NATO would help Finland's security but unlikely for now: finance minister | HELSINKI (Reuters) - Joining NATO would improve Finland s security but is unlikely to happen any time soon because of a lack of wider support, Finance Minister Petteri Orpo said on Wednesday. His National Coalition Party, part of a three-party ruling coalition, had a clear position that NATO membership would strengthen Finland s security, and Finland should be part of all western institutions, Orpo told Reuters. Finland is one of six members of the European Union that have not also joined the Western military alliance. It has forged closer ties with NATO in recent years over heightened security concerns in the Baltic Sea region, but has stayed out of the alliance in line with a tradition of avoiding confrontation with Russia, with which it shares an 833-mile (1,340 km) border and a difficult history. This government will not seek membership, and we are committed to that... When the next government will be formed, this issue will likely be considered again, taking into account the situation in the country and the security environment. A poll released by the Defence Ministry on Tuesday showed only 22 percent of Finns support NATO membership while 62 percent opposed it. Because a large majority of parliamentary parties, as well as of the citizens, do not support seeking a membership, the issue is not that topical. Orpo s NCP (National Coalition Party) leads opinion polls with support of around 21 percent. The next general elections will be held in 2019. President Sauli Niinisto said last month that any move to join NATO would need public approval via a referendum. | 1 |
2,442 | Colbert PERFECTLY Explains The Horror Of A World Where You Can’t Block Trump (VIDEO) | Donald Trump has always shown himself to be impulsive when it comes to his use of technology. He often tweets in the middle of the night, goes on long rants that make no sense, and generally makes an absolute ass of himself in front of the whole world via his Twitter account. However, we can block Trump from our Twitters. Once he becomes president, though, we will NOT be able to block him from our phones.You see, this president, and every president thereafter, will be using the same service that sends us severe weather alerts to text everyone in the nation with a cell phone. There s one person who has a platform and is not at all happy about this development, considering what we know about Trump Late Show host Stephen Colbert.During his Thursday night monologue, Colbert addressed this grim new reality. He began: Here s the deal you legally don t have to have to follow his tweets. You can un-follow Trump, delete Twitter, go into the world, live your life. But the bad news is, starting January 20th, Donald Trump can send unblockable mass text messages to the entire nation. The only person I would trust less with that technology is [former Rep.] Anthony Weiner [D-N.Y.]. Yes, feel free to block alerts about floods and missing persons, but if Trump wants you to know how he feels about the cast of Hamilton, you will listen. Now, it s important to remember that this can only be done via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs), and they must be approved first. However, given Trump s authoritarian tendencies, I m pretty sure whatever safeguards are in place to keep him from blowing up 300 million phones whenever he feels like it will be decimated in short order. In short, Colbert is right this is bad news.Watch the video below:[ad3media campaign= 1372 ]Featured image via video screen capture | 0 |
2,443 | Wisconsin Foxconn bill clears first legislative chamber | (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled Wisconsin State Assembly voted 59-30 on Thursday to approve a bill that paves the way for a $3 billion incentives package for a proposed liquid-crystal display plant by Taiwan’s Foxconn. The plan still needs to be approved by the joint finance committee, which has both Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate members, as well as the state Senate before going to the governor. The finance committee and state Senate are also controlled by Republicans. | 1 |
2,444 | North Korea says successfully launches new ICBM that can reach all of U.S | SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea successfully launched a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-15 that can reach all of the United States, the isolated country s state media said on Wednesday. The missile is the North s most powerful ever, and it flew 950 km (590 miles) for 53 minutes while reaching an altitude of 4,475 km (2,781 miles), according to a statement read by a television presenter. | 1 |
2,445 | South Africa court says cannot compel Zuma to set up influence-peddling inquiry | JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African High Court ruled on Friday that it could not compel President Jacob Zuma to set up a commission of inquiry into alleged influence-peddling in his government. The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) had asked the court to force Zuma to establish a commission based on a report last year by an anti-graft watchdog into allegations that businessman brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta had influenced the appointment of ministers. Zuma and the Gupta brothers have denied the accusations. The president has challenged the report in court, arguing that the Public Protector had no right to ask him to form such a commission, as this was the president s prerogative. To compel the President at this stage will not only be tantamount to denying the hearing or his day in court, but it will also be understood to mean the Public Protector s powers are unassailable irrespective of the content of the decision, that cannot be correct, Pretoria High Court Judge Motsamai Makume said. It will be in the best interests of justice to grant the President a stay of the implementation of the remedial action pending a decision of the review application. New allegations of inappropriate collusion between state-owned companies and the Gupta brothers have put more pressure on Zuma and ministers close to him. But the ruling was a boost for the scandal-plagued Zuma at a difficult time. Allegations of widespread corruption and the raiding of taxpayer funds by outside interests known locally as state capture have dented investor confidence in an economy which fell into a recession earlier in 2017. On Wednesday, thousands of South Africans marched in anti-corruption protests in a rallying cry against Zuma and his powerful allies three months before a new African National Congress leader is chosen. Zuma also survived a no-confidence vote in parliament in August but he lost the support of a number of ANC MPs, showing deep divisions within the party that has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. The DA said it had noted the ruling with interest , saying it approached the court to avoid delays in probing influence-peddling allegations. On a number of occasions, including before the National Assembly, President Zuma has stated that he will establish a Commission of Inquiry. To date, he has not done so, the party s federal council chairman James Selfe said in a statement. This matter has not been dismissed but has in fact been held back pending the outcome of the President s review application, which will be heard at the end of October, where we will also be in court to continue this fight for accountability. Some analysts said the legal battles would prolong probes into influence-peddling allegations. The court had its legal duties to perform, and this is going to allow Zuma not to perform his political duties, NKC African Economics analyst Gary van Staden said. Ultimately its negative for state capture . It s not going to bring any finality to what s been going on. | 1 |
2,446 | Ireland says new thinking from UK needed for Brexit breakthrough | DUBLIN (Reuters) - New thinking is needed from the British government to secure agreement on the Irish border and allow Brexit talks to move onto the next phase as the current proposals are not credible, Ireland s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Tuesday. Brussels wants three issues broadly solved before it decides in December whether Brexit talks can move onto a second phase about trade, as Britain wants. These are Britain s exit bill, safeguarding expatriate rights, and the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, which will be the UK s only land frontier with the EU after its departure. After the latest round of negotiations ended with little obvious progress last week, Coveney said there was still a way to go on the border proposals before the negotiating teams would be able to move on to the next phase. The current approach the British government are taking is not compatible with the solutions that we need, Coveney told reporters. Some of the ideas they published in their paper late in the summer hint towards finding solutions to those problems, but I don t think they are comprehensive or credible ... We need more detail and we need to see some new thinking that is flexible and recognises the unique challenges of the island of Ireland. He was referring to proposals in August when London said there should be no infrastructure or electronic surveillance on the 500-km (300-mile) border, with smaller firms exempted from any new customs processes and trusted trader arrangements put in place to reduce the burden for larger companies. Coveney said Ireland did not think Britain s three aims of quitting the EU s single market and customs union, that the whole of United Kingdom leave together, and that there be no border infrastructure were compatible. The European Union agreed with Dublin s position, he said. Some 30,000 people travel across the border every day via over 400 crossings without any controls, and the issue is particularly sensitive given the decades of violence over whether Northern Ireland should be part of the UK or Ireland. Around 3,600 people were killed before a 1998 peace agreement. Dublin has said that the best way to retain the status quo is by keeping the same rules and regulations on both sides of the border. We need a credible plan to avoid the imposition of border infrastructure in the future and we don t have it yet, Coveney said. | 1 |
2,447 | Democrats want Congress' authorization for anti-militant campaigns | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ten Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives said on Thursday they want Congress to vote on a formal authorization for the use of military force against al Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Taliban. The group introduced an authorization, known as an AUMF, that would last three years and replace authorizations passed in 2001 and 2002 that have been used by both Republican and Democratic presidents for military action against the groups. Some members of Congress have contended for years that those measures, approved in 2001 to retaliate against al Qaeda for the Sept. 11 attacks and in 2002 to pave the way for the Iraq War, were outmoded. Those arguments intensified when President Donald Trump ordered air strikes against an airfield in Syria this month, although Republicans, who control Congress, and many Democrats said they did not feel that a single action like that required formal approval by Congress. But a small, mostly Democratic, group of lawmakers has argued for years that Congress should stop abdicating its responsibility to consider an AUMF that would govern U.S. military action, whether against Islamist militant groups or the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “As deployments to Iraq and Syria increase, and with complicating factors like the recent cruise missile strike against the Assad regime in response to the use of chemical weapons, Congress cannot stand on the sidelines any longer and must debate and vote on any new war,” said Representative Adam Schiff, who introduced the bill with nine co-sponsors. The measure would authorize Trump to deploy combat ground troops against the three groups anywhere in the world, but also includes a mechanism to allow a motion to repeal or modify the authorization. It also would put in place new requirements for administration reports to Congress and the public on how force was being used. Without Republican co-sponsors, the measure stands little chance of passage, but if it picks up support, it could help pave the way for future legislation. | 1 |
2,448 | Factbox: Where key U.S. Republican senators stand on healthcare bill | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans offered a bill on Thursday to overhaul Obamacare, the next phase in the party’s long war against the 2010 law enacted by then-Democratic President Barack Obama. The legislation met a wall of opposition from Democrats and initial skepticism among some Republicans, leaving Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell a narrow path to passage. The bill would roll back an expansion of the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled over three years, cut its federal funding beginning in 2025, restructure Obamacare’s tax credits for low-income Americans, and repeal several taxes. To pass the bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can only afford to lose two Republican votes. The Senate is comprised of 52 Republicans, 46 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats (In the event of a deadlocked vote, Republican Vice President can vote to break the tie.) Several Republicans on Thursday expressed reservations or opposition to the bill: Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah said in a joint statement: “We are not ready to vote for this bill. ... There are provisions in this draft that represent an improvement to our current health care system, but it does not appear this draft as written will accomplish the most important promise that we made to Americans: to repeal Obamacare and lower their health care costs.” The four said they were open to negotiation, with Cruz saying in a separate statement that he wants to “get to yes.” Richard Burr of North Carolina said outside the Senate: “I’m supportive of it. I think it strikes a balance.” He added that the blueprint “can still be amended and probably will.” Three members of the Senate Republican leadership - John Cornyn of Texas, John Thune of South Dakota, and John Barrasso of Wyoming - all put out supportive statements, saying the bill would help improve the affordability of healthcare. Barrasso said the bill was not perfect, and “we will be working to improve on this draft.” UNDECIDED - LEANING YES Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania said he was “still studying it but it strikes me as a good first step in what will be an ongoing process of fulfilling a commitment we made to the American people.” Richard Shelby of Alabama: “We’re looking at it. My plan is to support the thrust of the bill. If it’s a good bill overall, I’m going to support it.” Lamar Alexander of Tennessee listed a number of benefits for his constituents in the draft, including that it makes no change in Medicare benefits. “I’m going to stay focused on it next week as the bill goes to the Senate floor ... and my focus will be on how it affects Tennesseans.” Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia: “I will review the draft legislation released this morning ... to evaluate whether it provides access to affordable health care for West Virginians.” Bill Cassidy of Louisiana: “I’m undecided. I have to read the text.” Marco Rubio of Florida said he will “decide how to vote on health care on the basis of how it impacts Florida.” Dean Heller of Nevada said he had “serious concerns” about the bill’s impact on Medicaid in his state. Susan Collins of Maine said it was “too soon” to judge the bill and she has some concerns about cuts to Medicaid after 2025 and defunding of Planned Parenthood. Rob Portman of Ohio said in a statement that he continued to have “real concerns” about the Medicaid policies in the bill, especially those that affect drug treatment. He said his decision will depend on what is in the final version of the bill. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said, “I’m going to read it.” James Risch of Idaho: “It’s a work in progress. Ask me again when we see the final product.” John McCain of Arizona said he is reading the bill. “It’s a big thing, we just found out about it. I am just waiting until I can absorb the entire bill.” Thom Tillis of North Carolina said in a statement that any replacement plan must be a net improvement over Obamacare, and he would be “reviewing the draft legislation over the next several days.” Tom Cotton of Arkansas said, “no comment.” | 1 |
2,449 | New Iran sanctions 'in pipeline' before Trump took office: White House | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Iran-related sanctions the United States imposed on Friday were “in the pipeline” before President Donald Trump took office, but were activated in light of recent events, the White House said on Friday. “These kinds of sanctions don’t happen quickly but I think the timing of them was clearly in reaction to what we’ve seen over the last couple days,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. “We knew we had these options available to us because they had been worked through the process ... They were in the pipeline.” | 1 |
2,450 | Bid to 'fix' Iran nuclear deal faces uphill climb in U.S. Congress | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s call for Congress to toughen the Iran nuclear deal faced opposition on Friday from among the ranks of his fellow Republicans as well as from Democrats, narrowing the chances any legislation could pass. As Trump announced that he had chosen not to certify Tehran is complying with the deal but would not immediately withdraw from it, Republican Senators Bob Corker and Tom Cotton offered an outline of legislation they said would “address flaws” in the accord. If passed, the measure would set stricter restrictions on Iran and immediately revive U.S. sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear program if Tehran is deemed able to produce a nuclear weapon within a year. “We have provided a route to overcome deficiencies (in the agreement) and to keep the administration in the deal, and actually make it the kind of deal that it should have been in the first place,” Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on a call with journalists. Republicans control Congress, but their four-seat edge in the Senate means any measure would need Democratic support to pass, even if every member of Trump’s party supports it. That is not a given. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he had “serious doubts” about the Corker-Cotton plan. He said he would reserve judgment until the final measure, but preferred that Trump abandon the deal. “Ultimately, leaving the nuclear deal, reimposing suspended sanctions, and having the president impose additional sanctions would serve our national interest better than a decertified deal that leaves sanctions suspended or a new law that leaves major flaws in that agreement in place,” Rubio said in a statement. Most Democrats were strongly opposed. Senator Ben Cardin, ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel, said he would only support a measure backed by European allies who had signed the nuclear pact, formally known as the JCPOA. “Anything we do must be consistent with the JCPOA, cannot lead us on a path to violate the JCPOA and must have the support of our European allies,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. Cardin said he wanted a full-Senate briefing on the plan from administration officials, and then committee hearings. Corker acknowledged the tough fight ahead, but said he hoped to win over Democrats. He pledged to seek the support of European allies Britain, France and Germany, who had signed the agreement and urged Trump not to decertify. | 1 |
2,451 | WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? INDIEGOGO HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR BLACK MAN AND BANK ROBBER WHO MURDERED WHITE COP AND MARINE VETERAN [Video] | Because #BlackCopKillersLivesMatter right?Supporters of Tremain Wilbourn, the Memphis ex-con accused of shooting Officer Sean Bolton when he interrupted a drug deal on Saturday night, have started an IndieGoGo campaign to funnel money to him and his family.Wilbourn turned himself in after a two-day manhunt. I want you to know that one, I m not a cold-blooded killer and two, I am not a coward, he reportedly told Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong. The campaign repeats his claims and says that cops are waging terrorism on black communities, and so they have to support ex-cons who kill.The description of the campaign reads in full:This year, police have killed 558 people. 68% of those people were black. Most of them were unarmed. Police brutality and terrorism on the black community remains largely unchecked and less than 1% of those police officers who murder black people without cause are charged with murder or manslaughter.Tremaine Wilbourn turned himself in to police on Monday, August 3rd for fatally shooting a police officer during a traffic stop and he wanted to make clear two things: one- he is not a cold-blooded killer, and two- he is not a coward. While the murderers of Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, 12 year old Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland and countless others are free to enjoy their families and lives, these men are no longer among the living.These barbaric, unjustified murders of black men, women, and children are supported under the rule of law. We have to step up and support our people like the murderers of these men, women, and children have been supported. Please donate anything you can to support Tremaine s children and his family during this difficult time for them.So far, the campaign has raised $116 with 12 funders out of its stated $61,000 goal. We have to support our people, the campaign s founder, PK EI wrote as a comment. If Darren Wilson can raise enough to put his children through college twice, we should be able to put together this change for Tremaine s family. We Should Always Support Our Own People, Especially When The Situation Is Grime And Questionable, Or When We Are Completely Within Our Rights. Because We Are All We have To Support Us, reads another from user thinkanotherway. The campaign declares that Wilbourn did in fact, shoot Bolton to death. If nothing else, its adherence to IndieGoGo s community guidelines is questionable: Indiegogo is not a place for hatred, abuse, discrimination, disrespect, profanity, meanness, harassment, or spam, the community guidelines read. Do no [u]se the Services to promote violence, degradation, subjugation, discrimination or hatred against individuals or groups based on race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. IndieGoGo did kill an April campaign helping a cop accused of murder: South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, charged for shooting fleeing suspect Walter Scott to death. Our Trust & Safety team regularly conducts verifications and checks and this campaign did not meet their standards, the company said at the time.Via: Breitbart News | 0 |
2,452 | WATCH: Trump Aide Asks CRAZIEST Question Ever About Hillary In Desperate Attempt To Defend Trump, Russia | Trump s pick for press secretary, noted numbnut Sean Spicer, appeared on ABC s This Week to discuss, well, various things. At one point, he was asked about whether Russia actually did try to rig our election, and he decided to deflect instead of actually give us a real opinion on it. However, his deflection is just plain insane. Despite the fact that Hillary lost the election, he decided to say: We re having part of a conversation. Why aren t we talking about other influences on the election? Why aren t we talking about Hillary Clinton getting debate questions ahead of time? That s a pretty valid attempt to influence an election. Well, first off, she lost, so why is Spicer even bringing this up? Most likely because there s no excuse for Russia meddling in our election, along with the fact that Trump s closeness with Russia looks really bad. It looks so terrible there s no way to make it look pretty without deflecting. So, yeah, sure, Russia s bad, but Hillary s worse, and blah blah blah punish her for it!Yes, Spicer said that, too: When are we going to start talking about the other side of this? Which is: What did Hillary Clinton do to influence the election? Is she being punished in any way? PLEASE. Someone stop these people from embarrassing the whole country any further. Watch the whole ridiculous segment below:Featured image via screen capture from embedded video | 0 |
2,453 | North Korea says sanctions threaten survival of its children | GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea told a U.N. rights panel that international sanctions imposed on it over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs would endanger the survival of North Korean children. Han Tae Song, Pyongyang s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, was speaking at a hearing of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child late on Wednesday. The panel of independent experts challenged North Korean officials over allegations of forced child labor, sexual abuse and trafficking in North Korea, Pyongyang s health and education budget, and Internet access for children. Han said North Korea, whose population is 26 million, is a people-centered socialist country... where protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of the child are given top priority ... There is room for improvement. But Han said that new sanctions imposed by the United States and the U.N. Security Council over North Korea s nuclear and ballistic missile tests were hampering the production of nutritional goods for children and provision of textbooks. The persistent and vicious blockade and sanctions against the DPRK (Democratic People s Republic of Korea) are not only hampering the endeavors for the protection and promotion of the rights of the child but also seriously threatening their right to survival, he said, calling for sanctions to be lifted. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously imposed nine rounds of sanctions on North Korea since 2006, the latest earlier this month capping fuel supplies to the isolated state. Han said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un - denounced by U.S. President Donald Trump as Rocket Man - personally guides the construction in different parts of the country of schoolchildren s palaces, children s hospitals, baby homes, children s homes, and primary and secondary boarding schools and works with devotion for the well-being of the young generation . South Korea approved a plan on Thursday to send $8 million worth of aid to North Korea as China warned the crisis on the divided Korean peninsula was getting more serious by the day and the war of words between Pyongyang and Washington continued. The U.N. panel asked how North Korea s songbun (caste system) that ranks citizens based on family loyalty to the ruling dynasty affected children s access to education, health and food. The North Korean delegation replied that this was an imaginary concept invented by hostile forces. Human Rights Watch has called on the rights panel to press North Korea s delegation on cases of child sexual abuse, which the New York-based group said it had documented. The (North Korean government) report was silent on the issue of sexual abuse so the delegation was asked to provide data, read a U.N. summary of the hearing. North Korea s delegation said that forced child labor did not exist in the country and was banned, and that the maximum duration of young people s work in agricultural fields was limited to three weeks per year. In response to a question on the use of the Internet, the delegation explained that there was public control of this medium in order to give preference to access to positive information for children. In addition, all children had access to the (North Korean internal) Intranet, the summary said. The committee will issue its conclusions on Oct. 4. | 1 |
2,454 | Syria toxic gas inquiry to end after Russia again blocks U.N. renewal | UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - An international investigation into who is to blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria will end on Friday after Russia blocked for the third time in a month attempts at the United Nations to renew the inquiry, which Moscow has slammed as flawed. In the past two years, the joint U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry has found the Syrian government used the nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack and has also several times used chlorine as a weapon. It blamed Islamic State militants for using mustard gas. Russia vetoed on Friday a Japanese-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution to extend the inquiry for one month. It was an eleventh-hour bid to buy more time for negotiations after Russia blocked U.S.-drafted resolutions on Thursday and Oct. 24 to renew the investigation, which the council created in 2015. Syrian ally Russia has cast 11 vetoes on possible Security Council action on Syria since the country s civil war began in 2011. The Japanese draft received 12 votes in favor on Friday, while China abstained and Bolivia joined Russia to vote no. After Friday s vote, the council moved to closed-door discussions at the request of Sweden s U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog to ensure we are absolutely convinced we have exhausted every avenue, every effort to try and renew the investigation. After a brief discussion, Italian U.N. Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, council president for November, told reporters: The council will continue to work in the coming hours and days, constructively, to find a common position. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council earlier on Friday that the inquiry could only be extended if fundamental flaws in its work were fixed. He said that for the past two year the investigators had rubber-stamped baseless accusations against Syria. The council voted on a rival Russian-drafted resolution on Thursday to renew the inquiry, but it failed after only garnering four votes in favor. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted. Russia is wasting our time, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council on Friday. Russia s actions today and in recent weeks have been designed to delay, to distract and ultimately to defeat the effort to secure accountability for chemical weapons attacks in Syria, Haley said. While Russia agreed to the creation of the inquiry two years ago, it has consistently questioned its work and conclusions. The April 4 sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens of people prompted the United States to launch missiles on a Syrian air base. Haley warned on Thursday: We will do it again if we must. Despite the public deadlock and war of words between the United States and Russia at the United Nations, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Thursday that President Donald Trump believed he could work with Russian President Vladimir Putin on issues like Syria. Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States. | 1 |
2,455 | Russia says closely monitoring signals from Trump's team: RIA | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that Russia was closely monitoring any signals from the team of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump regarding its future foreign policy, RIA news agency reported. Trump is expected to name Rex Tillerson, chief executive of Exxon Mobil XOM.N, as Washington’s top diplomat, a source familiar with the situation said on Saturday. The appointment would add another figure in Trump’s cabinet with close ties to Russia. | 1 |
2,456 | Scott Baio Emerges From 1940s Mob Film To Tell Fox News Why He Wants Trump (VIDEO) | One of the great mysteries of the universe is trying to figure out what makes people who otherwise may seem rational like and support Donald Trump for president. Appearing on Fox News, actor Scott Baio let us in on why he supports the real estate mogul, and why others should as well. Although, he seems to just be emerging from the set of a 1940s mob themed movie.When asked why he likes Trump, Baio said: What do I like about Trump? There s no BS. I understand him when he talks. Whomever the Democrat nominee is, he s gonna beat the crap out of em. Which is what we need. Instead of the crap beat out of us, and I like his policy proposals. What policy proposals? He s been all over the map on pretty much everything, except for his hatred of Muslims and that damn border wall.After being asked why people want Trump, he said: Well I think the thing is that Trump is not a typical Republican. He s sort of, you can t put a label on the guy, which I love. And because the media has stigmatized the Republican brand, he s smart to not cozy up to these guys, and he s unique. He s refreshing. He s exciting. I love to hear him talk, and I m excited about the guy. First of all, refreshing, really? Secondly, the media has not stigmatized the Republican brand, they did that to themselves by hating every minority group, the LGBT community, women s rights, and the poor. Blaming the media for reporting what they do is like blaming the guy who called 911 on the fire you set. Nah, it doesn t work that way.Baio clearly likes Trump, but also clearly doesn t understand anything of which he speaks.Check out the interview here:.@ScottBaio: Whomever the Democrat nominee is, [DJT s] going to beat the crap out of them. https://t.co/xQbQYNRVrJhttps://t.co/wmwgfpT70E Fox News (@FoxNews) May 14, 2016Featured image via video screen capture | 0 |
2,457 | Man Who Said There Was No Recession DURING The Great Recession Is Rumored For Top Economic Post | Reports are surfacing that CNBC s Larry Kudlow is on the short list of candidates for chairman the Council of Economic Advisers, which is the government s top economic policy group. Kudlow isn t just an advocate of the failed trickle-down theory of economics, he also claimed, back in 2007, that no recession was coming. As we all know, 2008 proved him dead wrong, and now Trump wants him in a top economic position.According to Craig Harrington, Director of the Economic Policy Program at Media Matters for America, this is how bad Kudlow is: According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), an award-winning nonprofit research organization that is perhaps best-known for determining a chronology of American business cycles and recessions, the Great Recession began in December 2007. Yet Kudlow published blogs on December 5, 6, and 7 of that year titled The Recession Debate Is Over, There Ain t No Recession, and Bush Boom Continues, in the conservative National Review. By July 2008, as the unemployment rate continued to balloon in the seventh month of recession, Kudlow was still arguing in National Review that there was no recession or housing crisis. In The Recession Debate Is Over, Kudlow claimed that the jobs numbers and business profits added up to no recession at all. In There Ain t No Recession, he doubled down on all of that, and in Bush Boom Continues, he actually said:That last one was published on Dec. 7, 2007. Eight months earlier, we began to see serious signs of an economic crahs with New Century Financial Corp., a major subprime lender, filing for bankruptcy. Unemployment began rising in Dec. 2007, and the Fed lowered short-term interest rates for the fifth time in four months.Kudlow didn t see any of that. He was focused entirely on the November jobs reports and business profits. He totally ignored other economic indicators. He s almost as bad as those who look only at the stock market for an idea of how our economy is doing.Moving on from Kudlow s absurdly incorrect predictions, in Feb. 2008, President Bush signed the first economic stimulus package into law, and then in March, the financial industry began crashing with the collapse of Bear Stearns. In April 2008, the Fed reduced interest rates yet again, and then in September, Lehmann Brothers collapsed.We all remember the chaos of the rest of 2008.This is more than simply putting someone who will work hard to make the rich richer and the poor poorer into an economic advisory position. This is someone whose economic experience and ideas are so far off that he couldn t, or wouldn t, see a recession coming despite the housing bubble collapse beginning in late 2006.Most economists worth their salt could see that foreshadowed the Great Recession, and knew that the Great Recession began at the end of 2007 (although Trump was excited for the housing crash because it meant more money for him).However, what can we expect from a president-elect who seems to see the presidency as just another reality show? Kudlow has published no scholarly papers on economics, and has no degree in economics at all, so he s not exactly qualified for the top economic position in our government.He plays an economist on television, though, and that s enough for Trump. Many of his cabinet picks seem to say that he has to know people from television in order to consider them for his cabinet. Kudlow is just another possibility that shows Trump has no idea what he s doing and thinks this is just another reality show.Featured image by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr | 0 |
2,458 | POLL: Bristol Palin Wants To Know Whose Voice Sounds Like Nails On A Chalkboard- Her Mom Or Tina Fey | Bristol Palin had something to say and pondered some questions after Tina Fey roasted her mommy on Saturday Night Live over the weekend.Last week, America s village idiot returned to the political stage to endorse Donald Trump in a rambling incoherent speech that has been lampooned repeatedly by comedians across the country.Frankly, Chris Hardwick s mockery of Palin s speech on Comedy Central s @Midnight has been my favorite thus far.But on Saturday, Tina Fey received yet another opportunity to mock Palin in what became an instant classic opening segment on the long-running NBC sketch comedy program.And of course, Sarah Palin s demon spawn couldn t resist taking shots at Tina Fey making fun of her looks and the way she sounds.Bristol Palin commented on the Saturday Night Live sketch on Monday by asking Who wore it better- Sarah Palin or Tina Fey? in reference to the jacket worn by both ladies. Anyway, I think it s funny that the producers of SNL couldn t get their hands on the same top my mom wore, because it was sold out, the failed abstinence advocate wrote. I have to admit, the shirt looked great. But I still think my mom wore it better. She then included a poll, which everyone should totally add their vote to, asking who wore it better.But that s not all.As mentioned earlier, Bristol also trashed Fey s impersonation of her mom and her looks. I m sure many of you saw Tina Fey, who sounds nothing like my mom, do a skit based on my Mom s endorsement of Donald Trump.I don t know about you, but hearing her fake accent is like nails on a chalkboard for me!I may be biased, but I think my mom trumps her in the looks department. (Especially for having three more kids and seven more years on Tina!)Saturday Night Live and Fey have been clinging to this impersonation a little too long. It s getting pathetic. Its been 7 years! Are they desperate for content? Or just desperate for viewers? In the interest of fairness- after all, Bristol did say she may be biased - here s a poll asking who s voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard- Sarah Palin or Tina Fey? Be sure to vote and don t forget to vote on Bristol Palin s poll, too.Sarah PalinTina FeyFeatured Image: Distractify | 0 |
2,459 | South Koreans seek to visit once-jointly run factory zone in North | SEOUL (Reuters) - A group of South Korean businessmen who own factories in the Kaesong industrial complex inside North Korea said on Wednesday they want to visit to verify the North s claim that it had restarted some operations there on its own. South Korea pulled out of the joint venture last year in response to the North s nuclear and missile tests, ending more than a decade of cooperation at the factory park, on the North s side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ), that was the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. North Korea s state-run web sites said on Friday North Korean workers were operating in the district, adding that it was nobody s business what we do in an industrial complex where our nation s sovereignty is exercised . The South Koreans said they would ask the Ministry of Unification for permission to visit. South Koreans have to obtain approval to contact North Koreans or travel in the country. The two sides are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. We urge the North to immediately halt the operation of any of our corporate assets, said Shin Han-yong, the leader of the group, who used to operate a plant making fishing nets in Kaesong. In recent weeks, North Korea has launched two missiles over Japan and conducted its sixth nuclear test, a sign that it may be fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last weekend that Washington was directly communicating with the North on its weapons programs but that it had shown no interest in dialogue. When the South suspended the operations at the industrial park, it said the North had diverted wages paid to its workers by South Korean firms to fund its nuclear and missile programs. But in July, two months after liberal President Moon Jae-in was elected in the South, a government official said there was no hard evidence to back up the assertion. Moon had initially sought to engage North Korea in talks and cooperation, but current political tensions have tied the president s hands. Despite military tension, the businessmen s visit, if it comes off, may provide a chance to restart talks with the North, Shin said. We don t know if the North will accept our trip at a time when it only sees the U.S. as its dialogue partner, but we are pinning our hopes on a one in ten chance that may exist, he said. | 1 |
2,460 | MUSLIMS ONLY: UK Water Park Attempts Diversity By Hosting Exclusion Events | Backwards logic: Since muslims won t integrate, then we must segregate or something like that.A British theme park is the latest organization to offer segregated events in an attempt to be culturally sensitive towards its Muslim visitors. Water World, in Stoke-on-Trent, in Britain s West Midlands region, is hosting sisters only and brothers only events, demanding visitors wear Islamically appropriate attire.The water-park which claims to attract nearly half a million visitors a year is believed to have hosted dozens of events over the past few years, with Islamic Fundays as well as fundraising events for Gaza charities dating back as far as 2009. The park even goes so far as to claim that female guards will keep men out of the venue for the day.Water World s website reads: Our sisters only event is an event restricted to female gender only and boys up to the age of 4 years old. All rides and attractions are open as normal. Clothing during this event must be both culturally and islamically appropriate for the event. There is a designated prayer area located in the reception area. All windows are blacked out with only female staff/lifeguards on duty throughout the night, Female staff will guard the front entrance to make sure that no males enter the facility. Breitbart London has seen other invitations to the water park, on behalf of Islamic charity Interpal, which has hosted fundraising events for Gaza. Interpal has been accused of fundraising for the Hamas terrorist organisation on three separate occasions, and while it has been cleared by Britain s Charity Commission, one of their recent findings also claimed that Interpal had not put in place adequate due diligence and monitoring procedures to be satisfied that these organisations were not promoting terrorist ideologies or activities. Where procedures were in place, they were not sufficient nor fully implemented .The group was also forced to sever any links to the Union of Good group, which, according to the U.S. government, was an organization created by Hamas leadership to transfer funds to the terrorist organization. One invitation to a Sisters Only Funday even went so far as to promote certain types of clothing. It reads:Dress Code Please ensure that your Awrah [nakedness] is covered at all times. Below are a few suggestions on what you can wear: Top Long Loose T-Shirt/Top. Bottoms Leggings 3 Quarter/Full Length Jogging Bottoms. We would also suggest wearing a leotard under the T-shirt or belt over it as it is likely to float up when you enter the water. A dark coloured T-shirt is recommended as white can become transparent when wet.The most recent Sisters Only day was held on May 17th 2015. The cause , it stated, was Rebuilding Lives in Gaza Providing Clean Water , this time hosted by the Human Appeal international charity, which is listed on an unverified CIA report from 1996 into NGOs (non governmental organisations) with Terror Links . Human Appeal reject the validity of the document, despite it being cited by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in the 2007 book, Understanding Islamic Charities .The organisation, listed as Human Appeal International on the Companies House register, is similarly named to a UAE-based organisation called Human Appeal International, though the Israeli government has linked both groups, as well as an Australian office. The organisation has not made the claim of mistaken identity, and indeed has liked the Human Appeal International (UAE) page on Facebook, via the UK organisation. Human Appeal UK told Breitbart London that the CIA document is a fake and that they have previously claimed damages from the Jewish Chronicle newspaper for alleging that the group is a terrorist organisation, which it is not, with further reference to alleged links to Hamas.The Australian Broadcasting Corporation website still carries a report from 2003 that states: The document, obtained by Lateline, outlines a close relationship between Human Appeal International and Hamas, as well as the US-based Palestinian charity the Holy Land Foundation For Relief and Development, which was raided and shut down three months after the September 11 attacks, and Wikileaks reveals that a State Department cable from 2005 stated, In 2003, there were indications that HAI was sending financial support to organizations associated with Hamas and that members of its field offices in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Chechnya had connections to al-Qa ida associates . It is not clear which Human Appeal organisation these reports refer to.The GulfNews website however goes further, and continues to host a diagram linking Human Appeal (UK) to the UAE organisation, and ultimately, Hamas. Human Appeal was banned in 2012 from hosting an event at Manchester Parrs Wood High School. Britain s Department of Education stated: Since the concerns about HAI have come to light, Parrs Wood has performed further research including consulting local Jewish community representatives. As a result they have decided not to allow HAI or other charities which appear to have links to political organizations to use the school in future. Via: Breitbart News | 0 |
2,461 | Obama says Islamic State fight far from 'World War Three': speech | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned against overstating the fight against Islamic State militants in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, but said his administration is focused on destroying the extremist group. “But as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War Three just play into their hands,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks, using an acronym for the militant group. “We just need to call them what they are - killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed,” Obama said, urging Congress to pass a formal authorization to use military force (AUMF) for the fight against the group. | 1 |
2,462 | JUST IN: Benghazi Attack Organizer On Way To U.S. After Being Captured In Libya In President Trump Approved Special Ops Mission | Remember when Hillary stood in front of the families and the 4 dead bodies of brave Americans and lied about an awful internet video being the cause of their deaths:Hillary was caught red-handed lying about the video by Rep. Jim Jordon (R-OH) in front of the House Select Committee on Benghazi during her testimony:Will today s capture of a top militant who was instrumental in the Benghazi attack finally solve the puzzle about what happened in Benghazi? Will the lies of Hillary and Barack Obama finally be exposed? American Military News U.S. Special Operations Forces have captured a top militant who was instrumental in the Benghazi attack in Libya in 2012 that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, an information management officer, and two former Navy SEALs, according to a report by the Associated Press.The Associated Press reported Monday that Special Operations Forces have captured the unidentified militant and are transporting the militant back to the U.S. The officials say U.S. commandos captured the unidentified man in Libya and are transporting him back to the U.S. The officials say the mission was approved by President Donald Trump and done in coordination with Libya s internationally recognized government, the AP reported, adding that the officials weren t authorized to speak and demanded anonymity. The U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens; U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith; and CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, both former Navy SEALs, were killed in the attacks against the diplomatic compound five years ago. | 0 |
2,463 | if trump loses im grabbing my musket former congressman tweets | email
reddit users also known as redditors are growing increasingly angry at prohillary clinton political action committee pac correct the record over its efforts to promote a prohillary narrative on the site
redditors are especially concerned that correct the records paid internet commenters are suppressing revelations from wikileaks release of clinton campaign chair john podestas emails which have produced a flood of damaging revelations about the clinton campaign
reddit which describes itself as a source for whats new and popular on the web is divided into thousands of subreddits which the site describes as subcommunities each focused on a specific topic
whether or not a post does well on reddit and consequently how large of an audience it reaches largely depends on how many upvotes and downvotes it receives | 0 |
2,464 | Pompe drug lauded by Trump costs $300,000 a year | (Reuters) - President Donald Trump told Congress on Tuesday that more needs to be done to bring down “artificially high” prices for prescription drugs, while at the same time praising a drug that turns out to cost $300,000 per year. During the televised address, Trump acknowledged in the audience Megan Crowley, a college student who has Pompe disease - a rare muscle disorder that can be treated with an expensive enzyme replacement therapy. “But our slow and burdensome approval process at the Food and Drug Administration keeps too many advances, like the one that saved Megan’s life, from reaching those in need,” the president said. “If we slash the restraints, not just at the FDA but across our Government, then we will be blessed with far more miracles like Megan.” Trump has in the past excoriated drugmakers for charging “astronomical” prices, while acknowledging how “complicated” the nation’s healthcare system is. Representatives of the Trump administration could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday on whether the president believes the treatment price for Pompe disease is fair. Trump’s comments on Tuesday night highlight an issue central to the industry and investors - the potential for deregulation of the FDA, the agency charged with approving pharmaceutical products. “I think Trump used this example somewhat cynically as a way of trying to advance the deregulatory agenda,” said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, a researcher at Harvard Medical School. “The FDA’s standards actually promote innovation because patients don’t want just any old drug - they want drugs that work.” Megan’s father, John Crowley, now chief executive at Amicus Therapeutics Inc, started a biotech company in 1998 to seek a treatment for Pompe disease. In 2006, the FDA - after a nine-month review - approved infused enzyme replacement therapy Myozyme for patients born with the condition. A similar drug, Lumizyme, was approved in 2010 for late-onset Pompe disease and is now used regardless of a patient’s age. The average annual cost of treatment is $298,000, according to Paris-based Sanofi SA, which now owns the drugs. Under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, drugs for rare diseases - defined as those that treat fewer than 200,000 patients - are given a range of incentives including seven years of marketing exclusivity. “Pharmaceutical companies know they get a free pass for very expensive drugs for orphan diseases, whereas they don’t for mainstream diseases,” said Joel Hay, professor of pharmaceutical economics and policy at the University of Southern California. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) applauded Trump’s recognition, but disagreed with the idea that the regulatory process needs an overhaul. “Our patients deserve the same quality therapies as everyone else, and to weaken the standards will only threaten our population with unsafe, ineffective therapies,” NORD said in a statement on Wednesday. Pompe disease, affecting 5,000 to 10,000 people worldwide, prevents the body from making enough of an enzyme used by heart and muscle cells to convert a form of sugar called glycogen into energy. When glycogen builds up in these cells it can lead to disability and death. NORD estimates that around 30 million Americans suffer from 7,000 rare diseases. | 1 |
2,465 | In first, U.S. defense chief to attend Mexican Independence Day events | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump s defense secretary plans this week to become the first Pentagon chief to travel to Mexico for its Independence Day activities, the Defense Department said on Tuesday, in a sign that defense ties are withstanding political tensions between the two countries. U.S.-Mexican relations have been strained by Trump s threats to curtail trade with Latin America s No. 2 economy as well as his demand that Mexico pay for a border wall to keep out immigrants and drug traffickers. Jim Mattis planned trip on Friday would be only the fifth by a U.S. defense secretary to Mexico, said Pentagon spokesman Army Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Davis. Secretary Mattis visit to Mexico reaffirms our commitment to the bilateral defense relationship and to the North America community, Davis said. Although Mexico s official Independence Day is on Sept. 16, most celebrations take place on Sept. 15. The event commemorates the launch of Mexico s war of independence from Spain in 1810. The fact that Mattis would be visiting for such an important national event is itself notable. Mexicans have a long memory of the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, which led to Mexico s loss of almost half its territory to the United States. The war has long made U.S.-Mexican military cooperation a somewhat sensitive subject in Mexico. The visit by Mattis also comes amid signs of improving U.S.-Mexican cooperation in cracking down on the heroin trade. Reuters reported in April that Mexico s army was allowing the United States and the United Nations to observe opium poppy eradication. [nL2N1HE07M] The Mexican army took U.S. military officials on helicopter tours of half a dozen sites in Sinaloa and Chihuahua, two of the three states that along with Durango make up the Golden Triangle where most Mexican opium is produced, one of the sources said at the time. | 1 |
2,466 | Cleveland, ACLU agree on protest limits at Republican convention | CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The city of Cleveland and the American Civil Liberties Union on Friday settled a federal lawsuit over free speech limits outside the Republican National Convention next month, setting the stage for lively demonstrations during Donald Trump’s big moment. The city had been seeking a restricted zone of 3.3 square miles (8.5 square km) around the Quicken Loans Arena, site of the convention, where free speech and mobility would be limited. That prompted an ACLU lawsuit on behalf of three protest groups that argued the so-called event zone was too large and the security regulations too strict. Details of the new event zone and protest rules were not immediately available. “Today, counsel advised me that the case is settled and that they will execute a settlement agreement expeditiously,” U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster said in a statement. Another judge on Thursday had struck down Cleveland’s plan for placing limits on protests, issuing a preliminary injunction in favor of the ACLU and referring the case to Polster for mediation. Trump is expected to become the Republican Party’s official nominee for president at the July 18-21 convention, which will attract protesters for various causes who plan to demonstrate outside. Trump campaign events have drawn large and raucous demonstrations with some resulting in clashes between the candidate’s supporters and opponents. The plaintiffs in the Cleveland lawsuit are Citizens for Trump, a Texas-based group that supports the wealthy businessman’s campaign; Organize Ohio, a liberal activist group; and Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, a charitable organization. Citizens for Trump anticipates 104 cars and trucks, 100 motorcycles, four horses and at least 5,000 people to participate in its event, while Organize Ohio expects 3,000 to 5,000 marchers, the ACLU said. | 1 |
2,467 | White House says it is reviewing House bill on Russia sanctions | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said it was reviewing a bill passed on Tuesday by the U.S. House of Representatives imposing new sanctions on Russia, North Korea and Iran. “While the President supports tough sanctions on North Korea, Iran and Russia, the White House is reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the President’s desk,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. | 1 |
2,468 | Hariri's party condemns attacks against Saudi Arabia: statement | BEIRUT (Reuters) - The party of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who unexpectedly quit a week ago while in Saudi Arabia, denounced on Saturday attacks against the kingdom and Iranian intervention in Arab countries. Hariri s Future Movement political party said it stands by him and was waiting impatiently for his return to Lebanon to handle his national responsibilities in leading this stage. Hariri s shock resignation, in a broadcast from Riyadh last week, has plunged Lebanon into crisis and thrust it back into the forefront of regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. | 1 |
2,469 | Republican 2016 platform calls for reinstating 1933 banking law | CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The U.S. Republican Party on Monday approved a new policy platform that calls for reinstating the 1933 Glass-Steagall law requiring the separation of commercial and investment banking, an addition White House hopeful Donald Trump’s campaign said it backed. Trump, who will formally accept the Republican presidential nomination in Cleveland this week, has vowed to dismantle most of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that was passed under President Barack Obama following the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The language in the Republican platform offered further details on Trump’s regulatory policies. Trump, who has sought to cast himself as a populist, has accused presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton of being too close to Wall Street. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, signed the legislation that repealed Glass-Steagall in 1999. “The Obama-Clinton years have passed legislation that has been favorable to the big banks, which is why you see all the Wall Street money going to her,” Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, told reporters on Monday. “They know she’s their champion, and they are supporting her fully.” Some U.S. lawmakers in both parties support a modern Glass-Steagall to keep banks from becoming “too big to fail,” or so big their collapse would destabilize the financial system. The Democratic Party’s 2016 platform, which has not been approved, calls for an updated version. Republicans universally despise Dodd-Frank, which their platform calls “Democrats’ legislative Godzilla.” But senior congressional Republicans back other alternatives. “Glass-Steagall is dumb politics and dumb economics,” said Tony Fratto, who worked in the administration of Republican President George W. Bush. “Returning to Glass-Steagall would be destructive and unworkable.” Clinton has said she would break up banks based on risk, not size, and frequently focuses on the risks posed by non-bank institutions. Manafort listed the Glass-Steagall language among platform points he said “reflect the issues that Mr. Trump has raised during the course of the campaign,” including building a wall at the border with Mexico and calling for tougher trade deals. The platform also calls for control of national parks and other lands to be handed over to states, an effort by the party’s conservative wing that got national attention during a 2014 standoff involving a Nevada cattle rancher. | 1 |
2,470 | MAXINE WATERS Uses Fake Term “Kremlin Klan”…Struggles to Name “Klan” Members [Video] | Maxine Waters made an appearance on CNBC trying to push the term Kremlin Klan to push the Russia scam.She tried to name the offenders in the group but drew a blank after naming a few people. It s always interesting to hear her talking points and hear what the Democrats are lying about every day. Notice that the anchors repeat the term at the end do you think they might want this term to stick? Clever Waters is on the Financial Services Committee that s scary! | 0 |
2,471 | State Department misses deadline to manage email records electronically | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department, which was criticized for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, said on Wednesday it failed to meet an end-of-2016 deadline to manage all its email records electronically. The department, and other U.S. government agencies, had more than four years to meet the deadline under an Aug. 24, 2012, directive that aimed to eliminate the use of paper records as much as possible in favor of electronic record-keeping. That directive was part of an Obama administration effort to update government record-keeping for the digital age and promote accountability for official decisions by ensuring they are properly documented and preserved for future generations. In a report posted by the National Archives on Wednesday, the State Department checked the “No” box in response to a question on whether it had met the goal of managing all its email records in an electronic format by Dec. 31, 2016. In the report, the State Department said it had met the goal on its main, centralized email systems accounting for the “overwhelming majority” of its emails. “However, the Department does have additional email systems that require further evaluation before we will certify that all email records are managed in an electronic format,” it said, saying it was working hard to “fully meet” the goal. The State Department had no immediate comment on the matter. The department’s record-keeping and email archiving practices attracted scrutiny during the 2016 presidential campaign when the New York Times reported that Clinton had used a private email server as secretary of state. The Democrat’s use of the server to conduct official business throughout her 2009-2013 State Department tenure was criticized by Republican Donald Trump, who defeated her for the presidency in last November’s election. An internal government watchdog issued a report last year that found Clinton broke government rules by using the private email server for her work as America’s top diplomat without approval. The State Department’s Office of the Inspector General said it found no evidence Clinton sought permission to use a server at her Chappaqua, New York, home to handle her work emails and it quoted officials as saying they would have rejected her doing so if they had been asked. The report also found problems in department record-keeping practices before Clinton’s tenure, and it documented how slowly the department had moved to bring record-keeping into the age of electronic communications. | 1 |
2,472 | Bernie Sanders And His Wife SHUT DOWN Supporter After He Disrespects Hillary Clinton (VIDEO/TWEETS) | On Thursday, Bernie Sanders wife Jane Sanders didn t hesitate to defend her husband s rival, Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton after she became aware that a supporter had disrespected the former Secretary of State.In an interview with CNN s Chris Cuomo, Jane completely dismissed a sexist comment that was made at a Sanders campaign event just the day before. Cuomo asked Jane what she thought about Sanders campaign surrogate and healthcare activist Paul Song making complaints about corporate democratic wh*res who wanted to change the healthcare system. Song s direct comments were: Medicare-for-all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic wh*res who are beholden to big pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us. Jane handled those comments with the same amount of class we ve seen from her husband during his entire campaign. Cuomo pressed Jane on Song s remarks, asking the Democratic candidate s wife: That was translated as being code for something about Hillary Clinton. Do you believe that, and what do you want to say about that choice of words? Basically, Jane didn t give Song s comments the time of day. She beautifully dismissed and condemned them at the same time, stating: I m sorry, I didn t hear it at all. Strange choice of words. And I can t imagine anybody was speaking about Secretary Clinton that way. I don t know who said that. She added, All the campaigns really need to take some responsibility for what surrogates say. You can watch Jane masterfully shut down Song s comment below:Bernie also joined his wife in her criticism of Song s remarks on Thursday. Bernie, who has throughout the length of his campaign insisted on keeping to the issues and not engaging in the sort of childish in-party fighting that the GOP candidates have participated in, tweeted, Dr. Song s comment was inappropriate and insensitive. There s no room for language like that in our political discourse. After receiving backlash to his comments, Song apologized for his remarks, taking responsibility for their insensitive nature:Later, Song stated that his comments had not been in reference to Hillary Clinton, but to Democrats in Congress. Featured image via Spencer Platt / Getty Images | 0 |
2,473 | Chaffetz Calls 9-Year-Old Girl Who OWNED Him At Town Hall A ‘Paid’ Protester, Vows NEVER To Investigate Trump (VIDEO) | The massive crowd of protesters who showed up with pitchforks and torches must have really done a number of professional Hillary Clinton witch hunter and chairman of the House Oversight Committee when they refused to allow him to lie to them on Friday.One particularly memorable moment was when a 9-year-old girl bravely stood up to the science-and-reality-denying Utah Congressman, asking him What are you doing to protect our air and our water for our generation and our kids generation? Do you believe in science? she asked. I do. Utah Congressman Chaffetz gets totally owned by 10 year old girl's sick burn about science, refuses to answer her question & crowd goes wild pic.twitter.com/FxKUM2TklY Aaron Stewart-Ahn (@somebadideas) February 10, 2017Chaffetz made a show of smiling and shaking the little girl s hand as the crowd roared in her favor before offering a patronizing answer that did not actually address her question.While he was nice to her face, behind her back Chaffetz is saying that little girl and all others who assembled to demand that he investigate Donald Trump with the same fervor with which he investigated Clinton, is a paid protester. You could see it online a couple days before, a concerted effort in part to just cause chaos, Chaffetz said Friday. Democrats are in disbelief that they have nothing but flailing and screaming to deal with this. The scary 9-year-old girl and the more than 1,000 others who showed up, he says, were doing nothing more than acting out a paid attempt to bully and intimidate. People are asking me to use the power of Congress to do a full-on fishing expedition to investigate him personally on things that are not required by law. I think my doing that would be an abuse of power, Chaffetz says, adding that he will never satisfy their desire to bring down Donald Trump. If protesters thought they would get through to Chaffetz or what he would even consider doing his job with regard to Trump, they now have their answer: he has no intention of ever lifting a finger to do the right thing.We need more paid protesters like that little girl. For some reason, she scares the living hell out of the big bad Congressman from Utah.Featured image via screengrab | 0 |
2,474 | Suicide bomb near cricket stadium in Afghan capital kills at least three | KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at a checkpoint near the main cricket stadium in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least three people as a tournament was under way, officials said. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said two police and one civilian were killed and five people wounded. Local Tolo News Television quoted the Afghan Cricket Board as saying all players were safe. The blast outside Kabul International Cricket Stadium took place during a match in Afghanistan s Shpageeza Cricket League, a T20 franchise tournament on the lines of the Indian Premier League and similar 20-over tournaments. A statement in Bosnian on Islamic State s Amaq news agency said a suicide attack had been carried out on members of the Afghan security forces in Kabul , although it was not immediately clear whether the statement referred to the same incident. The Shpageeza tournament, now in its fifth season, is one of a small number of Western-style sports competitions along with Afghan Premier League football that have grown up since a U.S.-led campaign toppled the Taliban in 2001. A small number of foreign players are also taking part in the competition. Cricket, which spread from refugee camps in Pakistan, has become one of Afghanistan s most popular sports and the national team has become increasingly successful, raising the profile of the game. | 1 |
2,475 | Baghdad relieved by Trump's exclusion of Iraq from travel ban | BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq expressed “deep relief” at U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to remove Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a U.S. travel ban, the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. “The decision is an important step in the right direction, it consolidates the strategic alliance between Baghdad and Washington in many fields, and at their forefront war on terrorism,” the statement said. Trump is expected to sign a new executive order on Monday banning travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts, a White House source said. | 1 |
2,476 | Former Attorney General: Congress Needs To Take Another Look At Cannabis | Marijuana legalization is on the cusp in America. There are proven medical benefits and evidence that it s more effective as a painkiller for people with chronic pain than opiates. It relieves nausea in cancer patients and stress related to PTSD. it s a nifty plant, whose commercial counterpart also offers an array of revolutionary products that are cheaper and stronger.Marijuana is here to stay. As more states move to legalize, cases will begin moving through the courts of citizens being denied their 14th Amendment right from a state where pot is a crime. In order for that to happen, however, pot has to really NOT be a crime. When you get to the federal level, it simply is. Marijuana is in the same class as cocaine and heroin, two drugs known to destroy peoples lives with serious psychological and physical addiction.Eric Holder, former attorney general, told PBS that he thinks that is wrong. Holder said in a recently released Frontline interview: You know, we treat marijuana in the same way that we treat heroin now, and that clearly is not appropriate. So at a minimum, I think Congress needs to do that. Then I think we need to look at what happens in Colorado and what happens in Washington. What is unfortunate is that at one time, Eric Holder actually did have the power to at least initiate unilateral marijuana legalization through studies done by Health and Human Services. In the case of marijuana, there are two options to legalize:Courtesy of Brookings Yes, that means that Eric Holder had the keys to the shiny new pot plant but he never used them. He passed them on, instead, to Loretta Lynch, who has stayed out of the marijuana issue completely.No that it really matters at this point. Marijuana has far too many benefits. You re talking medicinal, production, research, retail counter. All of those things equal jobs which equal revenue. It means people doing life for a half pound of schwag can be let go. It means our upside-down legal system is going to have find something other than a little bit of pot to keep their machine running.It also takes the dealer out. Nobody needs them, their cartels, their smuggling operations none of it. Now that pain pills have brought the war on drugs into wealthy white neighborhoods where the evolution from Oxycontin to shooting up heroin is a shocking revelation, Law enforcement and treatment professionals can focus their attention where it belongs.It seemed when the drugs were reserved for low-income and minority neighborhoods the answer was jail. Now all of a sudden it s treatment. As long as everyone benefits then so be it.Featured image from Wikipedia | 0 |
2,477 | Trump wins endorsement from controversial Arizona lawman Arpaio | (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump won the endorsement on Tuesday of Joe Arpaio, the provocative Arizona sheriff known for his tough stance on illegal immigration. Arpaio joined the real estate billionaire in Marshalltown, Iowa, to voice his support before the Iowa caucuses on Monday, the Trump campaign said in a statement. The caucuses are the first contest in the nomination race for the Nov. 8 presidential election. “I have great respect for Sheriff Arpaio. We must restore law and order on the border and respect the men and women of our police forces. I thank him for his support of my policies and candidacy for president,” Trump said, according to the statement. “Donald Trump is a leader. He produces results and is ready to get tough in order to protect American jobs and families,” Arpaio was quoted as saying. “I have fought on the front lines to prevent illegal immigration. I know Donald Trump will stand with me and countless Americans to secure our border. I am proud to support him as the best candidate for president of the United States of America,” Arpaio added. Arpaio, 83, the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, since 1993, has been found guilty of racial profiling in a federal court, and been accused of abuse of power, misuse of funds and unlawful enforcement of immigration laws. He bills himself as “America’s toughest sheriff.” (Reporting by Eric Walsh in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney) SAP is the sponsor of this coverage which is independently produced by the staff of Reuters News Agency. | 1 |
2,478 | The Trump presidency on Feb. 7 at 9:47 EST | (Reuters) - Highlights of the day for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday: Trump’s order temporarily banning U.S. entry to people from seven Muslim-majority countries comes under intense scrutiny from a federal appeals court that questions whether the ban unfairly targets people over their religion. Homeland Security chief John Kelly tells a congressional panel he should have delayed Trump’s travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries and on all refugees so he could brief Congress on the executive order. Two Republican senators plan to unveil legislation to curb legal immigration by halving the number of people allowed to live as legal permanent residents. Trump is planning to issue an executive order targeting a controversial Dodd-Frank rule that requires companies to disclose whether their products contain “conflict minerals” from a war-torn part of Africa, according to sources familiar with the administration’s thinking. The Senate confirms billionaire Betsy DeVos as education secretary, with Vice President Mike Pence casting an unprecedented tie-breaking vote, and another controversial nominee, Jeff Sessions for attorney general, wins committee approval. The Senate’s top Democrat accuses Trump’s Supreme Court pick of avoiding answering questions “like the plague” and dodging efforts to gauge his judicial independence during a meeting that deepened his concerns about the nominee. Andrew Puzder, Trump’s choice to lead the Labor Department, admits to employing an undocumented immigrant, a revelation of the type that has derailed Cabinet nominees in previous administrations. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismisses Trump’s warning to Iran to stop its missile tests, saying the president has shown the “real face” of American corruption. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump, seizing on an Iranian missile test, are nearing common ground on a tougher U.S. policy toward Tehran ahead of their first talks at the White House. Trump reiterates “U.S. support to Turkey as a strategic partner and NATO ally” during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the White House says. China’s foreign minister, seeking to diminish tension with the United States after Trump’s election, says there would be no winner in a conflict between the two nations. Trump says there is no reason to curb law enforcement agencies that seize cash, vehicles and other assets of people suspected of crimes, a practice that some lawmakers and activists have criticized for denying legal rights. | 1 |
2,479 | fast food combo meals tied to kids overconsumption of highcalorie drinks | food poverty million americans struggle to put food on the table as obamas economic schemes collapse
wednesday november by j d heyes tags food poverty hunger obama administration naturalnews a democratic presidential nominee hillary clinton who is by far the establishment candidate in this years presidential race wants to take over from another democratic president barack obama she is promising to carry on his successful economic policies by promising to essentially double down on them and yet by any true measure the economy has been a disaster under obama real growth has nearly flatlined real unemployment figures when a proper count is taken is far higher than what is being officially posted by the administration and million americans cannot get enough food without government assistancein fact on that last point and as reported by natural blaze in the obama economy in americans are going to bed hungry on most nights if not every nightand clinton wants to double down on obamas economic policies how can such a great economic recovery produce so many hungry americans for the past eight years americans have had to listen to lectures from obama and other democrats about how we as a firstworld nation should be able to afford things like healthcare and offer a free college education to our citizens and increasingly to noncitizens but shouldnt a nation that produces so much excess food each year that we export it to the tune of tens of billions of dollars be able to feed its people tooof course but malnutrition during the great economic recovery of the obama years is rising at an alarming rate in the us thats because in real terms workers wages are falling and it is becoming more difficult for families and individuals to earn enough to put decent food on their tablesfor many particularly the low paid sic this means two things fuel and food poverty natural blaze reportedlow salaries combined with stagnant wages jobs going to illegal immigrants and parttime work rising as obamacare forces fewer companies to retain fulltime employees mean that food is increasingly seen as a luxury and of those who can still afford food many have to settle for cheap nutritionpoor junk foods and foods high in starches carbohydrates and calories now winter approaches and with it the inevitable supply challenges of natural gas and heating oil which traditionally produce higher pricesbut the establishment media is part of the problem for example in february bloomberg reported that in americans were on food stamps despite an economic recovery no one should ever be hungry in america unless they choose to be what recovery obamas economy is growing at about percent a quarter far below what is needed to sustain economic growth to the extent that it would lower our debt and provide wellpaying jobs to the tens of millions needing themso the caveat is disingenuous a more accurate story would have reflected on the in figure as it pertained to a real lack of opportunity among americans to find better employment opportunities in fact the story makes no sense when you analyze it either the economy is really good and a in ratio is no big deal or the ratio is a big deal because the socalled economic recovery isnt reaching enough people which is itits the latter of course and while america will always have a portion of the population that is too sick too old or too lazy to produce and they will be a net drain on the treasury the goal of any administration ought to be to adopt sound financial policies or to rescind policies that serve as impediments to economic growth in todays america that generally means thinning out the massive bureaucracy that is not only robbing millions of a better life because of their negative impact on business and industry but is actually causing them to go hungryand that should never happen in america so why is it sources | 0 |
2,480 | Catalonia casts shadow on positive BBVA, Sabadell results | MADRID (Reuters) - Broadly positive results from BBVA and Sabadell were overshadowed on Friday by growing fears over the impact of Catalonia s bid for independence. The crisis has split Catalonia and caused deep resentment around Spain. It has also prompted a flight of business from the wealthy region and alarmed European leaders who fear the crisis could fan separatist sentiment around the continent. BBVA and Sabadell are among the Spanish banks with the highest exposure to the region, where Madrid was preparing to impose direct rule on Friday Shares in Sabadell were the among the worst performers on Spain s Ibex-35 falling 4.5 percent, while BBVA dropped 1.8 percent as investors focused on events in Catalonia. We did see some movements of deposits during a few days but really nothing material and things have really normalized but there were some days when clients were nervous about the uncertainty, BBVA s chief executive officer, Carlos Torres, told analysts Deposits in the northeastern region were safe, although if the situation persists it could cut Spanish growth to less than 2.5 percent in 2018, he later added. Although BBVA is based in the northern city of Bilbao it became one of the biggest lenders in Catalonia after buying two former savings banks in the region, Catalunya Banc and Unnim. In an attempt to calm clients, Sabadell decided in early October to move its legal headquarters out of Catalonia. While an economic recovery and a property rebound has allowed most of Spain s banks to tackle toxic balance sheets faster than peers in Italy, the results from BBVA and Sabadell underlined that pressure on revenue from lending remains. Spanish banks are struggling to lift earnings from loans, as interest rates hover at historic lows and increasing competition erodes margins. BBVA s net interest income (NII), or profit from loans minus funding cost, was down around 2 percent against the previous quarter, while Sabadell s NII fell 4 percent. To offset pressure at home, Spanish banks have been expanding abroad in search of higher revenues. BBVA s net profit was up 19 percent up for the period July to September to 1.14 billion euros, slightly above analysts forecast in a Reuters poll, boosted by Mexico, which accounts for more than 40 percent of its earnings. Net profit at Sabadell however fell 8 percent in the third quarter to 203 million euros, below analysts forecasts, after its bottom line was impacted by the sale of some its units. The lender however stuck to its profit target of 800 million euros for 2017. Friday s results showed BBVA, the country s second biggest bank by assets, reduced its non-performing loans by 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in the quarter, while Sabadell reduced its problematic assets by 500 million euros. Sabadell s chief executive, Jaime Guardiola, said it would also meet its target of reducing problematic assets by 2 billion euros by year-end despite the political uncertainty. The European Central Bank announced this month new guidelines for lenders to reduce bad loans, although the plans are meeting with a fierce backlash in Italy. Italian banks have more than 210 billion in non-performing exposure, while Spanish banks have combined non-performing loans of 106 billion euros.. | 1 |
2,481 | DANISH CITY OVERRUN WITH MUSLIM MIGRANTS Makes Pork Mandatory On All Municipal Menus | Assimilate or go hungry Human rights lawyers descend in 5 4 3 2 1 COPENHAGEN, Denmark A Danish city has ordered pork to be mandatory on municipal menus, including for schools and daycare centers, with politicians insisting the move is necessary for preserving the country s food traditions and is not an attack on Muslims.Frank Noergaard, a member of the council in Randers that narrowly approved the decision earlier this week, says it was made to ensure that pork remains a central part of Denmark s food culture. Denmark is a major pork producer and it is the most popular meat, but it is forbidden to Muslims and Jews. Most of the asylum-seekers who have arrived in the country in the past months are Muslim.Noergaard, a member of the anti-immigration, populist Danish People s Party that proposed the council motion, said Thursday that it wasn t meant as a harassment of Muslims, but added that he had received several complaints about too many concessions being made to Muslims in the small, predominantly Lutheran country. The signal we want to send here is that if you re a Muslim and you plan to come to Randers, don t expect you can impose eating habits on others. Pork here is on an equal footing with other food, Noergaard told The Associated Press. He said that halal meat, vegetarian dishes and diets for diabetics would still be available.In 2013, then-Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt lashed out at some nurseries after they started serving halal-butchered meat instead of pork because Muslim children had refused to eat it. Via: AP Newsh/t Weasel Zippers | 0 |
2,482 | [Video] MUSLIM MAN HITS GAY COUPLE OVER HEADS WITH CHAIR IN MANHATTAN: Why It Won’t Be Treated As A Hate Crime | Bayna-Lehkiem El-Amin, the muslim man who attacked the two gays in a Manhattan restaurant may want to stay away from tall buildings after the truth about this story gets out The man accused of bashing a gay couple with a chair in a Chelsea barbecue restaurant has surrendered to cops but hasn t been arrested on hate crime charges because he s gay too, police sources said.Bayna-Lehkiem El-Amin, 41, surrendered to NYPD Hate Crime detectives at the 7th Precinct and charged with assault and attempted assault.El-Amin slammed a chair over the heads of Jonathan Snipes, 32, and Ethan York-Adams, 25, during a dispute inside Dallas BBQ on Eighth Ave. near W. 23rd St. on May 5.He was also accused of using homophobic slurs, but his lawyer said the Bronx resident couldn t be hit with hate crime charges because his client was also gay, sources with knowledge of the investigation said.The charges could be upgraded at his arraignment Tuesday afternoon, a second police source said.El-Amin left the city after the attack, but professed his innocence online.Here s the video taken by a surveillance camera in the restaurant. You be the judge: Video: WABC News TV New YorkWriting on the blog The G-List, El-Amin said that he was attacked first. I was the victim I was sitting at my table, he wrote. With no provocation, he came up and hit me. There was no slur thrown at him. Via: NY Daily News | 0 |
2,483 | In new blow to campaign, Trump's foundation ordered to halt fundraising | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York’s attorney general ordered Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s charitable foundation to immediately stop fundraising in the state, warning that a failure to do so would be a “continuing fraud.” For Trump, the cease-and-desist order was the latest in a series of blows that has sent his campaign reeling. The New York businessman and his aides spent much of the weekend dealing with the fallout from a New York Times report that said Trump may have avoided paying federal income taxes for almost 20 years. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office said the Donald J. Trump Foundation was violating a state law requiring charitable organizations that solicit outside donations to register with the office’s Charities Bureau. The order followed a series of reports in The Washington Post that suggested improprieties by the foundation, including using its funds to settle legal disputes involving Trump businesses. “The failure immediately to discontinue solicitation and to file information and reports required under Article 7-A with the Charities Bureau shall be deemed to be a continuing fraud upon the people of the state of New York,” according to a letter dated on Friday that the office posted online on Monday. Trump’s campaign has suggested that the probe launched by Schneiderman, a Democrat, was politically motivated. While again putting Trump’s campaign on the defensive, the order could also undercut his efforts to make the Clinton Foundation, the family charity of Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, a primary target in his campaign against her for the Nov. 8 election. Trump has sought to paint the Clinton Foundation as a “pay-to-play” operation under which the former U.S. secretary of state and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, rewarded big donors to the foundation with access. The Clinton Foundation, which has $354 million in assets and almost 500 staffers, is a radically different charitable vehicle from the small-scale Trump nonprofit. It has worked to reduce the cost of drugs for people with HIV in developing countries, eradicate childhood obesity in the United States and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There has been no evidence that foreign donors to the foundation obtained favors from the State Department while Clinton headed the agency. While some donors were able to obtain meetings with her or senior State Department officials, Clinton has said the fact that they had donated to the foundation did not play a role in her decision to meet with them. The scrutiny of the Trump Foundation came as the Republican candidate was dealing with a torrent of bad news, including his shaky performance in his first debate with Clinton on Sept. 26 and the release by the New York Times of tax records that showed Trump taking an almost $1 billion loss in 1995 that may have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years. In its series on the Trump Foundation, The Washington Post reported that Trump may have violated U.S. Internal Revenue Service rules against “self-dealing” by using foundation money to purchase two portraits of himself, which were then hung at his private golf clubs in New York and Florida. The newspaper also said that Trump may have improperly used the foundation to settle legal disputes, including one at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, diverted income from his business to the charity to avoid paying income tax, and donated foundation money to support Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Republican, who was considering launching an investigation into Trump University, Trump’s for-profit education venture. The foundation ended up paying a $2,500 fine to the IRS for that donation. A Trump Organization representative told the Post the donation was meant to be from Trump’s personal account, and that it came from his foundation’s account by clerical error. In response to the Post’s reporting, Schneiderman’s office began a probe into the Trump Foundation. The Trump campaign said in a statement on Monday that the charity would cooperate with the investigation. “While we remain very concerned about the political motives behind AG Schneiderman’s investigation, the Trump Foundation nevertheless intends to cooperate fully with the investigation,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks. “Because this is an ongoing legal matter, the Trump Foundation will not comment further at this time,” she added. The New York Attorney General’s Office is the sole regulator of charities in the state. A spokesman for the office said it was not unusual for the regulator to send notices to charities whose filings were overdue or incomplete but that a cease-and-desist letter was more serious. While letters such as the one the Trump Foundation, which is based in Woodbury, New York, on Long Island, received are not judgments of wrongdoing, they are sent only after the office gets “a clear indication of wrongdoing,” the spokesman said. Trump established the charitable foundation in 1988, but it runs no programs of its own. Instead, it donates money to other nonprofit groups such as the Police Athletic League for youths. Once the foundation began soliciting money from other donors beyond the Trump family, it was required by New York law to register with the state and file regular reports. | 1 |
2,484 | Republican Ryan wants trade talks with Britain | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, called on Tuesday for Washington, in parallel with its negotiations with Europe, to pursue a separate free trade agreement with Britain, once it has formally separated from the European Union. Ryan, the highest-ranking elected Republican in the United States, echoed a call from many members of his party, who have dismissed President Barack Obama’s contention that Britain will be at the “back of the queue” for trade talks. Obama issued that warning in April when he intervened to try to persuade Britons to vote to remain in the June 23 referendum on staying or leaving the EU. Free trade agreements require the approval of both houses of the U.S. Congress. Ryan’s Republicans currently control a majority in both the House and Senate. EU and U.S. negotiations had sought to conclude the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks before Obama leaves office in January. Although many of his fellow Democrats oppose trade deals as a potential threat to U.S. jobs, Obama has worked with Republicans to pass trade measures. “That is something we should begin discussions with Great Britain to ease concerns so that we do have a smooth trade relationship with Great Britain because they are our indispensable ally,” Ryan said on WISN, a radio station in his home state Wisconsin. The remarks were distributed by Ryan’s office in Washington. Some trade experts have said that a deal on TTIP is unlikely for years now without Britain at the table, which could open an opportunity for a separate deal with Britain. | 1 |
2,485 | the african voters in the us who want donald trump as their president | home news watch video leaked from obamas campaign is every trump haters worst nightmare watch video leaked from obamas campaign is every trump haters worst nightmare fisher mins ago news usa world comments off on watch video leaked from obamas campaign is every trump haters worst nightmare watch video leaked from obama s campaign is every trump haters worst nightmare
these days it has most certainly become chic for the modern liberal to throw about accusations of racism although this type of racebaiting has been going on for a number of years now it became more noticeable during the us presidential election when these liberals accuse donald trump of being racist they had better be careful for one specific reason
a leaked video from shows that during president obama s first campaign he was also concerned about border security and he even suggested a wall now there is just one dominant question anti trump individuals need to digest
is obama a racist too because he was talking about some things you could easily accuse trump of lets play a quick game if you didnt know who said this would you think it was donald trump in or barack obama in
this mans core goal was to preserve the integrity of our borders to reduce illegal immigration does this sound like trump or obama
how about this one this man said additional fencing could help get our border under control definitely sounds more like a gop candidate than a democrat one thats for sure
finally this man also supported additional personnel infrastructure and technology on our border and at ports of entry liberals would love to claim these quotes came from donald j trump especially considering he is the villain du jour in their lives at the moment
i hate to steal their thunder but these quotes did indeed come from a young barack obama in even he understood the need for a controlled border before the special interests in this country got to him
so it is one thing when leaked videos show hillary clinton believed border security was important it was entirely another when they showed that her husband thought it was important but when liberal idol barack obama says it say it isnt so liberals just cant handle that
but anyway folks it is all about platforms im sure you have learned by now that donald trump doesnt get the free pass other politicians in this country enjoy first of all he is a conservative so he is already someone every liberal loves to hate
republicans have been so badly demonized in this country simply for desiring to get it under control luckily people saw through the propaganda and decided that obama s brand was simply not working any longer
people are fed up with politicians who say one thing and do another if you are looking for a reason why donald trump is the new president and not hillary clinton there you go | 0 |
2,486 | Kyrgyzstan accuses Kazakhstan of backing opposition presidential candidate | BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan accused Kazakhstan on Wednesday of interfering in its Oct. 15 election after Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met a Kyrgyz opposition presidential candidate, underlining tensions between the Central Asian neighbors. Nazarbayev s office said on Tuesday he had met the candidate, Omurbek Babanov, a leader of the Kyrgyz opposition Respublika-Ata Zhurt party, in Kazakhstan, and had expressed readiness to work with a new president in whom the Kyrgyz people will put their trust . The Kyrgyz foreign ministry said it viewed the meeting and Nazarbayev s comments as an expression of support for Babanov, 47, one of the main challengers to the ruling party s candidate. The Kyrgyz side regards those comments and the wide coverage of this meeting by the Kazakh side as an attempt to influence the choice of the people of Kyrgyzstan and interfere in the domestic affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, it said in a note handed to the Kazakh ambassador in Bishkek. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev is barred by the constitution from running for a second term. His Social Democratic party, which leads a majority coalition in parliament, is backing Sooronbai Jeenbekov, who stepped down as prime minister last month in order to run for the presidency. Kazakhstan s foreign ministry expressed surprise over Bishkek s reaction in a note of reply handed to the Kyrgyz charge d affaires in Astana. It said Nazarbayev had not expressed support for any particular candidate and had held a similar meeting with Jeenbekov in August. Kyrgyzstan, a mostly Muslim ex-Soviet nation, is a parliamentary republic where two previous presidents have been toppled by protests. Kyrgyzstan hosts a Russian military air base and its economy relies heavily on remittances from migrant laborers working in Russia, as well as on gold mining. Kazakhstan, a bigger and wealthier Central Asian nation, is also a Russian ally, but relations between Bishkek and Astana have been rocky due to tensions over cross-border trade and the sharing of water resources. | 1 |
2,487 | Trump White House Is About To Screw Up Easter For 1,000s Of Little Children | If you re keeping track, so far, Donald Trump has screwed up two military missions, his plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, his tax plan, and now, Easter.Just days before Christians most holy day, the Trump White House still is not preoared for the annual easter egg hunt on the White House lawn. While this is symbolic, it s a big symbol.The Sunday tradition is 138 years old, and as Melinda Bates, the Easter event organizer behind President Bill Clinton s eight times as host, told The New York Times, It s the single most high-profile event that takes place at the White House each year, and the White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on. From her perspective, the outcome of the event is an indication of the administration s inner workings.Source: SalonFor this we can blame the First Lady no, not the First Daughter First Lady Melania. First Ladies have a job in this country and the Easter Egg hunt is one of them. Her refusal to leave her comfy home in Manhattan means thousands of children, including children of military personnel, could go without a favorite Easter pasttime.Some even took to reaching out to the FLOTUS on the one place they know they can find her husband: Twitter:@FLOTUS @realDonaldTrump @POTUS @MELANIATRUMP @IvankaTrump FYI manufacturing deadlines for the Easter eggs are near. Please reach out! pic.twitter.com/D78YqWVPBi Wells Wood Turning (@WellsTurning) February 20, 2017This event is actually pretty huge. About 4,000 school children receive tickets every year and about 3,000 children of military familes. They may all be disappointed. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has not reached out about it, Ashley Broadway-Mack, the president of the American Military Partner Association told the Times. Congress members have also not been contacted about tickets for their constituents.Because of this, the event has been cut in half and they ll only have about 1/5th of the security, and it s all because the First Lady has been neglegent in even staffing her office. She named a chief of staff and social secretary in early February but has yet to announce a director for the Visitors Office, normally the crucial player in the daunting execution of the event, the Times reported.The vacant positions are cause for concern, according to Bates. I m really concerned for the Trump people. This thing is all hands on deck. In her defense, this is all par for the course for the Trump administration, whose motto just seems to be wing it and hope things don t get too screwed up. Featured image via Mark Wilson/Getty Images. | 0 |
2,488 | Right-Wing Extremist Tries To Repeat Oklahoma City Bombing As Nazis Terrorize Charlottesville | It s official. Right-wing extremists have declared war on America.Rather than attend the Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia with his fellow Three Percenters over the weekend, Jerry Drake Varnell decided to attempt a second Oklahoma City Bombing instead.Emulating right-wing terrorist Timothy McVeigh, Varnell wanted to detonate a car bomb near the memorial honoring the 168 people who were murdered in 1995 when McVeigh detonated a similar bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a blast that even killed many children.Luckily, Varnell was being monitored by the FBI at the time and even had an undercover agent with Varnell to guarantee that the bombing plot would fail. There was never a concern that our community s safety or security was at risk during this investigation, FBI Special Agent Kathryn Peterson said in a statement. I can assure the public, without hesitation, that we had Varnell s actions monitored every step of the way. Varnell was arrested while trying to detonate the unarmed bomb next to the BancFirst in Oklahoma City. He intended to post an anti-government manifesto on social media afterward if he had succeeded.And it appears that Varnell is connected to a group of right-wing extremists who are currently participating in the Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that resulted in acts of violence and the murder of a woman in an act of domestic terrorism.The Washington Post reports:According to the complaint, over the course of a months-long undercover investigation by the FBI, Varnell made repeated statements about the extent of his hatred of the federal government.In one conversation he said he believed in the Three Percenter ideology a form of anti-government activism that pledges resistance against the United States government on the belief it has infringed on the Constitution, according to court papers. Those who subscribe to the ideology incorrectly believe that only 3 percent of the colonial population participated in the American Revolution, and they see themselves as their heirs.Donald Trump s refusal to condemn Nazis and the rest of the right-wing extremists in Charlottesville has emboldened them. If the FBI had not already been monitoring Varnell, his bomb would have exploded and killed Americans. One wonders how many more domestic terrorism plots are underway because white nationalists think Trump is on their side.Featured image via Brittanica | 0 |
2,489 | Conservative ‘Christian’ Leader Kept A Sexual Assault Secret For A Republican Lawmaker | Conservatives should shun Tony Perkins for this.Earlier this week, Ohio GOP state Rep. Wes Goodman was busted for carrying on a same-sex affair in his taxpayer funded office, forcing him to tender his resignation.But there is an even worse transgression in Goodman s past, one that should drag the Family Research Council leader to hell with him.As it turns out, Goodman once fondled an 18-year-old without consent in his hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in Washington D.C.The teen s stepfather was quick to alert Perkins of the incident via email, warning him that continuing to endorse Goodman would be a mistake. If we endorse these types of individuals, then it would seem our whole weekend together was nothing more than a charade, the teen s stepfather wrote. Trust me, Perkins replied. This will not be ignored nor swept aside. It will be dealt with swiftly, but with prudence. Perkins withdrew his support and suspended Goodman from the Council for National Policy. Going forward so soon, without some distance from your past behavior and a track record of recovery, carries great risk for you and for those who are supporting you, Perkins wrote to Goodman.But Perkins failed to report the crime to law enforcement. Instead, he kept quiet and allowed a sexual predator to gain public office. In fact, even the board members of the Council for National Policy knew about the crime because Perkins informed them, and none of them did a damn thing about it.And this all happened just two years ago in 2015. Surely, Perkins and the board members he told can still be prosecuted for failing to report Goodman to the authorities.Because they definitely should be.Featured Image: Wikimedia | 0 |
2,490 | Carter blasts Trump's ban on transgender, says 'social policy' | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ash Carter, who was U.S. defense secretary until the end of the Obama administration in January, strongly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision on Wednesday to ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. “To choose service members on other grounds than military qualifications is social policy and has no place in our military,” Carter said in a statement, noting there were already transgender individuals serving “capably and honorably.” | 1 |
2,491 | Most Filipinos believe drug war kills poor people only, survey shows | MANILA (Reuters) - Most Filipinos believe only the poor are killed in their country s war on drugs, and want President Rodrigo Duterte to reveal the identity of alleged narcotics kingpins and charge them in court, a survey released on Monday showed. The survey of 1,200 Filipinos by Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted late in June also showed public opinion was split over the validity of police accounts of operations against illegal drugs that resulted in deaths. More than 3,800 people have been killed during Duterte s 15-month-old crackdown, all during police operations. Human rights group say the death toll is much higher and the official figures overlook murders attributed to shadowy vigilantes. Some activists say unknown gunmen have collaborated with police to kill drug dealers and users. Police and the government vehemently reject those allegations and accuse critics of exaggerating the death toll for political gain. The high death toll in Duterte s fight against crime and drugs, a key election plank, has stoked international alarm, although domestic polls have shown Filipinos are largely supportive of the tough measures. The crackdown has come under heavy scrutiny of late, prompted largely by the police killing of a 17-year-old student on August 16. Two witnesses on Monday told a senate inquiry they saw police officers kill another teenager arrested earlier in the same area for robbery. In both teen killings, however, police said the victims had violently resisted arrest. A third teenager arrested with the second victim was found dead with 30 stab wounds in a province about a three-hour drive away from the capital. Duterte has several times brandished what he called a file on 6,000 alleged druglords at the center of the country s trade. In the SWS survey, 74 percent of respondents said they wanted him to make that list public. The survey also showed 60 percent agreed with the statement that only poor drug pushers were killed. Duterte, who enjoys huge support among working class Filipinos, has been angered by critics who characterized his campaign as a war against the poor. The survey also showed nearly half of respondents were undecided whether police were telling the truth when saying that drugs war deaths happened only when suspects refused to go quietly. Twenty-eight percent said the police were lying but a quarter believed they were being honest. The Philippines, extremely sensitive about foreign criticism of its drugs war, last week accused the West of bias, hypocrisy and interference after 39 nations, most of them European, expressed concern about the drug-related killings. | 1 |
2,492 | Kerry says he accepts U.S. intelligence assessment on Russian hacking | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he accepted the U.S. intelligence assessment that the “highest level” of the Russian government was responsible for cyber attacks during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Asked during a news conference if he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, Kerry said: “I accept the judgment of the intelligence community that this went to the highest level” of the Russian government. | 1 |
2,493 | Clinton calls 'fake news' a threat to U.S. democracy | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called “fake news” a danger that must be addressed quickly, in a rare public appearance on Thursday, a month after she lost the presidential election in a campaign marked by a flood of such propaganda. “We must stand up for our democracy,” Clinton said during a tribute to retiring Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, referring to what she called “the epidemic of malicious fake news and false propaganda that flooded social media over the past year.” Clinton urged action from both the private and public sectors to combat the false reports. “It’s now clear that so-called ‘fake news’ can have real-world consequences. This isn’t about politics or partisanship. Lives are at risk. Lives of ordinary people just trying to go about their days, to do their jobs, contribute to their communities,” she said. Clinton herself has been a target of fake news, with internet postings claiming that a pizza restaurant in Washington was fronting a child sex ring run by Clinton. On Sunday, a North Carolina man wielding an assault rifle fired a gun inside the restaurant, located in northwest Washington just a few miles from Thursday’s ceremony, according to police, who said the suspect told them he had come to “investigate” a fake news report. Clinton’s appearance at the Thursday event, packed with mostly Democratic elected officials including Vice President Joe Biden, was greeted with a standing ovation and raucous applause. Clinton, also a former senator who served with Reid, made a wry reference to the relatively low profile she has kept since Republican Donald Trump won the Nov. 8 presidential election, referring to “a few weeks of taking selfies in the woods.” She indirectly acknowledged her defeat as she began her tribute to Reid: “This is not exactly the speech at the Capitol I hoped to be making after the election.” The new U.S. president delivers an inaugural address on Jan. 20, standing on a large platform erected every four years on the west front of the Capitol building. | 1 |
2,494 | POWERFUL! HE BECAME A POLICE OFFICER AFTER Watching The Twin Towers Fall On 9-11…Today, He “Humbly Begs” Seahawks Players To Not Sit For National Anthem | Dallas Police Officer Dan Cincinnatus wrote an amazing letter to Seattle Seahawks player, Russell Wilson imploring him to not sit while the fans honor our flag during the playing of the National Anthem. The Seattle Seahawks team has apparently organized a team sit-down during the playing of the National Anthem as a way to protest black oppression in America. Many Americans, including us, believe this is truly the most disrespectful act of anti-americanism we have ever seen in professional sports and has nothing whatsoever to do with multi-millionair black athletes being oppressed by America. Read Dan s letter and tell us what you think in the comments below or on our Facebook page.From Dan Cincinnati s Facebook page:In response to the rumors of a Seattle Seahawks team sit-down for the Star Spangled Banner on 09/11, I wrote this open letter to Russell Wilson and posted it on his Facebook page.Dear Mr. Wilson,My name is Dan Russell. I am a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan, a native Washingtonian, and I have the humble privilege of serving as a Police Officer in my community.I am the Officer in these photos two of which went viral taken in Dallas on 07/07 at the scene where 14 police officers were shot in an ambush; five of whom perished from their injuries.I decided to dedicate myself to a life of Service on a Tuesday morning sitting in my parents living room on 09/11/2001, as I watched live footage of a plane crash into the World Trade Center. I woke up my brother, a serving United States Marine at the time, to give him the news America was under attack.On that sunny and bright Tuesday, 2,996 Americans lost their lives. 343 of those lost were firefighters, and 71 were law enforcement officers. In response to the worst terrorist attack in our Nation s history, millions answered the call to Service to Serve their Nation in the military, to Serve their communities as Police Officers, firefighters, dispatchers, paramedics, or as the family of one of these intrepid selfless individuals.Every day, more choose to answer the call to Serve inspired by those events of fifteen years ago and the selfless sacrifice of so many that came before them.I chose to Serve on 09/11/2001. After Ferguson in 2014 I found myself questioning my choice of career and vocation. A visit to Ground Zero reminded me that I was Serving something bigger than myself something beautiful and everlasting.America.I humbly ask I beg that you do not sit down for The Star Spangled Banner on this coming Sunday, the 15th anniversary of 09/11/2001.To do so would be a slap in the face to millions of fans, millions of public Servants, millions of Americans, to 09/11 first responders, to the survivors, and to the families of all that were involved and impacted by that terrible day, most of all To those 2,996 who fell in an act of hatred towards our country and all we stand for.You have so many avenues of making a stand, of letting your voice be one of compassion, reconciliation, and building rather than tearing down. You have shown that you are an inspiring leader, man of community, faith, family, and charity. You have a voice that will be heard.Please, use your voice in one of those other avenues do not allow yourself to become one that succumbs to the sensationalism and misguided choices that are currently causing so much division in our country.Stand for The Star Spangled Banner.We who Serve will stand with you.Respectfully, Dan Russell Seahawks FanRussell Wilson has announced that he will NOT take part in the planned sit-down by players on the Seattle Seahawks team. Here is his response.HERE is the link to Dan s letter on Facebook.We d like to offer Officer Cincinnatus a standing O for his well-written and powerful letter! | 0 |
2,495 | Watch Darrel Issa Get Booed After Being A Total D*ck To A Constituent (VIDEO) | There may have been a time, many years ago, when the Republican party gave a crap about its constituents, but those days are long gone. If you haven t seen enough proof of that yet, all you have to do is watch this snippet from a Rep. Darrell Issa town hall in San Diego, California to see where he mocks a constituent who claimed to be assaulted by one of Issa s staff.The woman, who said she is a member of California s Bar (a lawyer) and that she was holding a sign at the town hall which was taken away from her by Issa s bodyguard, whom she said assaulted her. I had a very small sign that said, Investigate Russia now, she explained to the congressman standing on the stage. There are many other people with signs here. You bodyguard, security guard, came over and took my sign away from me forcibly. I asserted my 1st Amendment rights of free speech. I told him it was suppression of speech. Source: Raw StoryIssa tried blaming it on the size of her sign. Apparently, oversized signs were banned from the event, but the woman insisted it was small. He did apologize, but the woman persisted. Mine was small and it was forcibly taken from me and it constituted a battery, the woman asserted. It was your staff. They committed a criminal offense against me. At that point, Ryan had had enough with the woman and said, well, okay, while grabbing the mic and said, We ll go on to somebody who doesn t have a pending lawsuit. The crowd, thankfully, booed.Here s the video:Sadly, this seems to be common behavior among Republicans. Dissent is no longer welcome. They re even attempting to make protesting illegal, or at least very difficult, in many states. In Michigan, for example, lawmakers tried to pass a law that would make picketing illegal by charging a $1,000 fine for each day of picketing. Fortunately, the state Senate didn t pass it, but other bills are even more frightening.In North Dakota, for example, Republicans introduced a bill that would make it legal to run down protesters with cars.Of course, we have an Oval Office occupier who believes that all dissent is fake and needs to be shut down. Should it be any surprise that his party follows his example?Featured image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | 0 |
2,496 | UNHINGED Trump Supporters Visit DC For Inauguration, Celebrate By SPITTING On Migrant Kids (TWEET) | President-elect Donald Trump set the stage for a truly hateful social and political climate when he began his presidential campaign by calling immigrants rapists and drug dealers and continuing to make moves to exclude them from the country in the following months.Trump s rabid supporters have latched onto that message and now that we are just a day away from Trump s inauguration, their vile behavior is only amplified now. Rep. Filemon Vela has just become the fourth Texas Democrat to boycott Trump s inauguration, and for good reason.Vela had originally planned to attend Trump s inauguration to provide a moment of healing and outreach but Trump s supporters have caused him to change his mind. In a statement posted to social media, Vela told of a disgusting interaction he d witnessed between migrant students and Trump supporters in Washington, DC for Trump s inauguration. He said: While visiting Washington, DC, 40 migrant students from my district were subjected to comments of beaners, burritos, and wetbacks from Inauguration attendees. One student was even spit on. And that wasn t all that made Vela change his mind. He was also appalled at Trump s final cabinet selection, which conveniently left out any Hispanics. Vela continued: Then, Donald Trump made his final cabinet selection ensuring that there would be no Hispanic representation in the cabinet for the first time in 36 years. Trump and his supporters are certainly sending a message to Hispanics and Vela noticed it a long time ago. In June, Vela condemned Trump in an open letter, which said: Mr. Trump, you re a racist and you can take your border wall and shove it up your ass. Vela is now joining the dozens of Democrats that are boycotting the inauguration. In his statement, Vela slammed Trump for his repeated acts of disrespect for the 33 million Americans of Hispanic descent and widespread promotion of bigotry. In a statement that embodies how the majority of Americans are feeling right now, Vela said: The hope that his actions as President would not match his political rhetoric is becoming more and more of a distant dream. You can read Vela s full statement below:Filemon Vela statement: pic.twitter.com/gkaPt41sKA Abby Livingston (@TexasTribAbby) January 19, 2017Featured image via Ty Wright / Getty Images | 0 |
2,497 | COUNT THE CLINTON LIES 1,2,3…. [Video] | How many? I think we ve lost count! | 0 |
2,498 | Trump Wanted To Attack The LGBTQ Community; Jared And Ivanka Said Hell No (DETAILS) | Earlier in the week, there were leaked draft executive orders circulating that would strike President Obama s executive order protections for LGBTQ federal workers. There were also rumors that Donald Trump would sign a sweeping, broadly worded religious freedom bill into law that would effectively legalize discrimination nationwide. However, Trump and his famously homophobic vice president, Mike Pence, ran into a road block: Trump s kids. Specifically, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his daughter Ivanka Trump.Jared and Ivanka have long been seen to be the reasonable, moderating influences that are needed to calm Trump s impulsive, erratic temperament. It appears that this is what happened here. Ivanka and Jared see all of the fear and the protests in the streets against Trump, and they feared that there would be even more national and international backlash against Trump s bigotry via executive order. Therefore, there was a complete reversal on these orders.Of course, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer outright lied when asked about it. He insisted that these orders were just a couple out of hundreds that were being considered. Then, of course, a statement was hastily rushed out, saying that the Trump administration is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community. Considering all of the virulently anti-LGBTQ people Trump has around him namely Mike Pence I don t believe that for so much as a second. If Ivanka and Jared can keep Trump s hands away from the LGBTQ community for the time being, though, all the better. Hopefully it will hold until 2018, and we manage to take Congress back, thus crippling the amount of damage Trump and Pence can do until they are out of office.While their reasons were political rather than noble, at this point, it s better than nothing.Featured image via Aaron P. Bernstein / Stringer/Getty Images | 0 |
2,499 | Irish government set to fall weeks before Brexit summit | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland s minority government looked set to collapse within days on Friday after the party propping it up submitted a motion of no confidence in the deputy prime minister, weeks before a summit on Britain s plans to leave the European Union. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that if the motion was not withdrawn by Tuesday, he would be forced to hold an election before Christmas, a prospect EU officials say would complicate a key EU summit on Dec. 14-15 on Brexit. What that would mean is me throwing a good woman under the bus to save myself and my own government, and that would be the wrong thing to do, Varadkar told national broadcaster RTE, dismissing demands for his deputy Frances Fitzgerald to quit. Varadkar is due to play a major role in the Brexit talks, telling EU leaders whether Ireland believes sufficient progress has been made on the future border between EU-member Ireland and Britain s province of Northern Ireland. The border is one of three issues Brussels wants broadly resolved before it decides whether to move the talks on to a second phase about trade, as Britain wants. While Varadkar could go into the summit in a caretaker role, he said that any election would have to happen before Christmas so that he or his successor could attend the next meeting of EU leaders in February with a fresh mandate. The head of opposition party Fianna Fail, Micheal Martin, earlier said an election can be avoided if the government takes action by asking Fitzgerald to resign. Varadkar said he would not seek, nor did he expect to be offered, a resignation. Fianna Fail supports the minority Fine Gael government in a confidence and supply arrangement. Voting no confidence in a minister would break that agreement. Varadkar and Martin met on Friday and were due to speak again over the weekend ahead of the motion of no-confidence in Fitzgerald, to be debated on Tuesday. The trigger is her handling of a legal case involving a police whistleblower. At a time when issues and decisions will need to be made that will reverberate in our country for decades to come, the prospect of either an election taking place or a government not being in place afterwards is actually unconscionable, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told RTE. However a source familiar with Fine Gael s planning said it had begun to make preparations on Friday for a snap poll. As well as the border, the other issues Brussels wants resolved before Brexit talks move on to trade arrangements are Britain s financial settlement on leaving the bloc and the rights of EU citizens living in Britain. EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier assured Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Friday that the EU would defend Dublin s position in talks with Britain over the coming weeks. Coveney told parliament on Thursday the government was not yet ready to allow the talks to move on to trade issues, and needed more clarity from London. Fianna Fail s Martin said parliament would be united behind Varadkar at the December summit. University College Dublin politics professor David Farrell said Varadkar may be tempted to take an even harder line against the United Kingdom in the talks in a bid to shore up support among Irish voters, who are overwhelmingly against Brexit. I suppose the only card he can try and play to distract from the crazy shenanigans around the causes of this election is leadership in Europe, he said. An election would likely be dominated by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, two centre-right parties that differ little on policy but have been bitter foes for decades, something that has always left the minority government one serious row away from collapse. But it would also present an opportunity for left-wing opposition party Sinn Fein to see if its veteran leader Gerry Adams decision last week to step down will boost its support. The party said deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald would lead them into the election, if one is called. While Sinn Fein, the third largest party in the Republic, has said it wants to enter government, the two largest parties have ruled out doing a deal with the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Since Varadkar s appointment as Fine Gael leader six months ago, his party has narrowly led Fianna Fail in opinion polls, which suggest both parties would increase their support but struggle to form anything but another minority government. | 1 |
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