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6,500 | FLORIDA CROWD ATTACKS POLICE OFFICER ATTEMPTING TO MAKE ARREST | A citizenry with no respect for the law or our law enforcement officers is the result of a lawless President who encourages this kind of behavior by making the criminal out to be the victim Police in Melbourne said one of their officers was attacked by a crowd as he tried to make an arrest Saturday.The officer approached Phoenix Low, 22, about an ordinance violation on New Haven Avenue, and Low became combative, police said.The officer tried to arrest Low, at which point he resisted and attempted to run, according to police.Police said as the officer tried to place Low in handcuffs, a crowd surrounded the officer and began to interfere with attempts to arrest Low by yelling, striking and pulling at the officer and the prisoner. The officer used less-lethal force on the crowd.Low was able to break free and run away before being captured again, police said.Low was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, resisting without violence and open container of alcohol.According to police, this is the second time that a crowd has tried to interfere with an arrest in the past two weeks.Via: wesh.com | 0 |
6,501 | Former President Carter hospitalized over dehydration in Canada | WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was receiving hospital care on Thursday after becoming dehydrated at a charity house-building project in Canada, but he is doing “OK,” Habitat for Humanity said. Carter, 92, became unsteady at the construction site and slumped away from his work area to a chair, according to eyewitnesses, who said he was working for more than an hour on steps of the home, using a drill. Several workers helped him to sit, and he was later taken away by ambulance. His medical issue resulted from dehydration, the Carter Center said in a statement. He had been working on a building project with Habitat for Humanity, a charitable organization promoting affordable home ownership. Carter was taken to St. Boniface General Hospital for treatment, according to the Carter Center, which is based in Atlanta. “President Carter told us he is OK and is being taken offsite for observation,” Habitat said in a statement, noting he had been working in the hot sun. “He encourages everyone to stay hydrated and keep building.” Carter, a Democrat who served in the White House from January 1977 to January 1981, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work. Carter, whose family had a history of cancer, disclosed in August 2015 that he had been diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer, that had spread to his brain and elsewhere and had been spotted during liver surgery. But by December of that year Carter told his church that his latest brain scan showed no sign of the disease. The peanut farmer from Georgia has lived longer after his term in office than any other president in U.S. history. Through his work on global issues, he became widely regarded as a better former president than he was a president, having left office profoundly unpopular. In Canada, Carter had been volunteering with a project to build 150 homes with Habitat for Humanity in honor of the country’s 150th birthday. The organization noted that Carter had requested that others involved with the effort continue their work for the day. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, have traveled around the world working with Habitat since 1984, according to the organization. She was with him at the hospital, the Carter Foundation said. | 1 |
6,502 | Jihadists mock Trump travel ban, vow more attacks | CAIRO (Reuters) - Supporters of Islamic State mocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to deny entry to citizens of seven Muslim- majority countries, saying it would fail to stop attacks in the United States and help win new militant recruits instead. “Your decision will do nothing. Attacks will come at you from inside America, from Americans born in America with American parents and grandparents,” one Islamic State supporter posted on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app. In a move he said would help protect the United States from terrorists, Trump signed an order on Friday suspending the entry of people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for at least 90 days. Admission of all refugees was halted for four months, and for Syrians indefinitely. The sweeping travel curbs took effect immediately, wreaking havoc for would-be travellers with passports from the seven countries and prompting an international outcry. Islamic State, which has been fighting military assaults on several fronts in its heartlands of northern Syria and Iraq, has made no formal comment on Trump’s ban. But some sympathisers took to social media to pour scorn on immigration restrictions they said would serve Islamic State’s cause. “Trump bans Muslims from entering America and kills them in Yemen, Iraq and Syria, then threatens them ... the wretch does not know he presents an invaluable service to Islamic State,” a supporter calling himself Salem al-Mosuly wrote on Twitter. An Islamist channel on the messaging app Telegram called “Scholars of Haq”, monitored by U.S. monitoring service SITE, asked whether Trump’s policies meant he was currently the best “caller to Islam” - someone who attracts new believers. Of the first 48 users to respond, 34 answered that he was, according to SITE. SITE quoted one respondent, Abu Magrebi, as saying: “What Trump has done has clearly revealed the truth, and harsh reality behind the American government’s hatred towards Muslims.” “What is Trump doing to his country? He just become president and already people (are) protesting against his policy, and worldwide countries criticising him. Trump will bring American down God willing,” Abu Magrebi wrote in another post monitored by SITE. By Monday morning, the Scholars of Haq channel had been taken down, along with several other channels on which Islamist militants had posted responses on Sunday. Other Islamic State supporters mocked an order issued by Trump on Sunday requiring his joint chiefs of staff give him a plan, in the next 30 days, to defeat the militant group. “The Crusader Trump has made himself an unthinking Pharaoh. The despicable Crusader forgets the reckless utterances of Bush Junior and the mule Obama before him. They did not succeed and by the grace of God we will rub his nose in the mud as we did his predecessors,” wrote user Turjman Al Asawirti on Telegram. | 1 |
6,503 | North Korea calls terror relisting 'serious provocation' by Trump: state media | SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea denounced on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump s decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a serious provocation and violent infringement , North Korean state media reported. Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a designation that allows the United States to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tension over North Korea s nuclear weapons and missile programs. In North Korea s first reaction to the designation, a spokesman for the foreign ministry denied in an interview with the state media outlet KCNA, that his government engaged in any terrorism. He called the state sponsor of terrorism label just a tool for American style authoritarianism that can be attached or removed at any time in accordance with its interests . The U.S. designation only made North Korea more committed to retaining its nuclear arsenal, the official said. As long as the U.S. continues with its anti-DPRK hostile policy, our deterrence will be further strengthened, he said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People s Republic of Korea. The U.S. will be held entirely accountable for all the consequences to be entailed by its impudent provocation to the DPRK. The designation came a week after Trump returned from a 12-day, five-nation trip to Asia in which he made containing North Korea s nuclear ambitions a centerpiece of his discussions. Announcing the designation, Trump told reporters at the White House: In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil. | 1 |
6,504 | Problems pile up for unlucky village near epicenter of Mexican quake | HUAUTLA, Mexico (Reuters) - Yesenia Vergara grabbed her two daughters and abandoned her home in the isolated Mexican hamlet of Huautla late last month when rain-swollen river waters burst through her window, flooding her house with branches, boulders and mud. Just two weeks later, Mexico s deadliest earthquake in a generation delivered a second blow to her simple riverside home, financed with money sent back by her husband from the United States. This is the end of the world, I thought. Now is the time that God has called us to be judged, Vergara said, recalling the moment when the quake struck in the early afternoon last Tuesday. The village was just getting back on its feet and now another tragedy has come, she said. The epicenter of the 7.1 magnitude tremor, which has claimed nearly 300 lives so far, leveled dozens of buildings in Mexico City, sparking a desperate search for survivors. The quake struck 70 km (45 miles) from Huautla, a charming settlement nestled amid the lime-green mountains of Morelos state. While the Mexican capital has been over-run with eager volunteers amid an outpouring of support, the villages of Morelos and Puebla states that lie near the epicenter have received much less attention. A growing cadre of well-wishers sought to rectify that on Friday, fanning out across the states backroads, trudging through knee-high streams to deliver food, water and medicine to remote populations high up in the mountains. Far outpacing the government response, the volunteers patriotic reaction has cheered a traumatized country. It has also provided a sharp contrast to the increasingly politicized reaction to the tremor, which sparked a virtual arms race between political parties seeking to outdo each other with donations to relief efforts. We feel very grateful, Vergara said of the volunteers. But also very disappointed with the government. Although the quake didn t destroy any buildings in Huautla, Mayor Miguel Medina said 10 families out of roughly 1,000 people were evacuated because some 100 structures were damaged. By Friday afternoon, Vergara said nobody had yet come to inspect the thick cracks menacing her home, exiling her and her young family to her mother s house. Fortino Garcia, a 48-year-old taxi driver from the city of Cuernavaca, was among eight people who had driven from Mexico City to deliver aid to villages in the area. Although he approved of the government s reaction to the quake, he criticized politicians who he said were trying to capitalize on the tragedy by placing stickers with their name or party on supplies collected by volunteers. Lots of politicians are sadly jumping on this to campaign, he said in Huautla s main square, after delivering diapers, sanitary towels and water. A growing resentment over how the aid was being distributed by village officials was on display as residents accused officials of cherry-picking better quality donations of clothes and food and leaving less desirable ones for the villagers. In a warehouse in the center of the village where hundreds of women were lining up for food and water, Medina denied he or any of his employees had been profiting from the aid, which he said came from all over the world. People from other countries have come to give us their little grain of sand, he said. We re very surprised and thankful. Still, rumors of official malfeasance could be found on every corner. Like much of Mexico, crime and violence in Huautla had risen dramatically over the last few years, according to a shopkeeper who declined to give her name out of fear. She said some villagers took up arms last month and installed themselves at the entrance to the town to ward off outsiders. In July, she said, an elderly woman was killed when she interrupted a burglary in her home, something previously unheard of in this quiet farming settlement. Given the impact of the flood, the quake and rising violence, she said she was less optimistic for the future of her teenage daughter, who was listening by her side. We re scared, the shopkeeper said. Things aren t like they used to be. | 1 |
6,505 | Czech parliament picks speaker, opens way for new prime minister | PRAGUE (Reuters) - The newly-elected Czech lower house of parliament on Wednesday picked a speaker from the biggest party ANO, a source in the voting committee said, opening the way for the government to resign and ANO chief Andrej Babis to become prime minister. Babis, whose ANO party won the October election by a large margin on pledges to uproot corruption and streamline functioning of the state, has been asked by President Milos Zeman to form a government but has so far failed to find majority support. Electing the speaker is one of the constitutional conditions for the parliament to conclude its first session. After that, the outgoing government led by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka resigns, and a new prime minister and eventually a full cabinet can be appointed. | 1 |
6,506 | Satanists Brilliantly Troll Anti-Gay Baker By Requesting A Birthday Cake For Lucifer (VIDEO) | Christian cake baker Jack Phillips gained national infamy when he violated Colorado s non-discrimination law by refusing to bake a cake for a gay couple s wedding. He was subsequently sued, and now his case is headed to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, with the current makeup of the court and Donald Trump s administration in place, it is quite likely that discrimination will be codified into law. Nonetheless, The Satanic Temple has come up with a brilliant way to point out that religious freedom cuts both ways: By having these bigoted bakers make cakes for Satan.Jack Phillips has already had his first request via email from a Satanist seeking to celebrate Satan. It reads:Dear Mr PhillipsI would like to get a quote on a birthday cake, for a special event. It is a cake that is religious in theme, and since religion is a protected class, I am hoping that you will gladly bake this cake. As you see the birthday cake in question is to celebrate the birthday of Lucifer, or as they are also known Satan who was born as Satan when he was cast from heaven by God. The cake only needs to be a simple 9 13 single layer cake, with red and black icing. As well as to contain an upside down cross, under the head of Lucifer. And I thought I would seek you out, to bake this cake since you appear to be a very moral person since you refused to bake a cake for same sex couples. And since religion is a protected class, I hope you will be willing to bake this cake, so my small group of religious friends can celebrate the birthday of Lucifer this coming November, just a few days after Halloween.Sincerely,(Name redacted)Here is a sample cake posted to Twitter by The Satanic Temple s co-founder, Lucien Greaves:Did you know: bakers can't refuse service to The Satanic Temple because religion is a "protected class"? #SatanCakes pic.twitter.com/9VrVndkbSi Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) September 26, 2017The whole point here is not to torment bakers or anyone else. It is to point out that if you own a business that is open to the public, you may not discriminate, period. Now, at the federal level there are no non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. However, religion EVERY religion is a protected class. If Jack Phillips or anyone else refuses the Satanists their cakes, this will be an open and shut court case.Mr. Phillips, it would have been a hell of a lot easier if you had just baked the damn wedding cake.Here is video of the Temple s co-founder explaining his position:Featured image via video screen capture | 0 |
6,507 | Putin tells Maduro: we'll keep cooperating with you on economy | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who is visiting Moscow, that Russia would continue its economic cooperation with Venezuela, including on major projects. We see that Venezuela is going through difficult times, Putin told Maduro. We have the impression that you have, nevertheless, been able to establish some contact with those political forces that oppose you. For our part, work continues, including in the economic sphere. | 1 |
6,508 | Islamic State bombing kills dozens in east Syria: war monitor | BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least one Islamic State car bomb killed dozens of people at a refugee gathering on the east side of the Euphrates River in Syria on Saturday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It said the blast also caused many injuries and took place between the Conoco and Jafra energy fields, an area controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. | 1 |
6,509 | S.African prosecutors extend deadline for Zuma to file arguments over revived graft charges | JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Monday it had extended the deadline for President Jacob Zuma to submit arguments on why he should not be prosecuted for corruption. They must submit their representation on the 31st of January, said NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku. The 783 charges against Zuma relate to a 30 billion rand ($2.20 billion) government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s. They were filed but then dropped by the NPA shortly before he ran for the presidency. ($1 = 13.6572 rand) | 1 |
6,510 | Russian lawmaker Kerimov detained by French police in tax evasion case | NICE, France (Reuters) - Russian businessman and lawmaker Suleiman Kerimov was arrested by French police at Nice airport on Monday evening in connection with a tax evasion case, an official at the French prosecutor s office said on Tuesday. Kerimov is ranked by Forbes magazine as Russia s 21st wealthiest businessman, with a net worth of $6.3 billion. His family controls Russia s largest gold producer Polyus. He is being held for questioning in a case related to laundering of tax fraud proceeds, the official said. Representatives for Kerimov could not immediately be reached for comment. Polyus declined to comment. A source said the investigation centers on the purchase of several luxury residences on the French Riviera via shell companies, something that would have enabled Kerimov to reduce taxes owed to the French state. The source added Kerimov would be held in custody for at least another 24 hours. Russia s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by Interfax news agency that Kerimov held a diplomatic passport and had immunity. It said it had informed the French authorities. Kerimov does have a diplomatic passport, but that does not protect him from prosecution, the French official said. The French foreign ministry could not immediately confirm it had been in contact with Moscow. A French diplomatic source said immunity was given by governments to people on diplomatic lists or if they had been mandated with a specific mission in the country. | 1 |
6,511 | Exclusive: Kenyan Supreme Court judges denied extra security after shooting - source | NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya s government denied a request by Supreme Court judges for extra security after one of their bodyguards was shot, preventing them from holding a hearing that could have delayed last week s presidential election, a senior judicial source said on Tuesday. The court has been center stage since it annulled an Aug. 8 vote won by President Uhuru Kenyatta, citing procedural irregularities and ordering a repeat vote within 60 days. The decision was the first of its kind in Africa, where governments often hold sway over judges. It angered some of Kenyatta s supporters, who said the judges had thwarted the will of the people. Kenyatta won 98 percent of the vote in the Oct. 26 re-run after opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted it on the grounds it would not be fair because the election board had failed to implement reforms he sought after the court decision. The Supreme Court had been due to meet on Oct. 25 to deliberate on an eleventh-hour request to delay the re-run. But the day before, the bodyguard of its deputy chief justice was shot as he bought pot plants beside a highway. Only Chief Justice David Maraga turned up for the Oct. 25 hearing. Without a minimum quorum of five judges, Maraga said the court could not make a ruling on the petition, paving the way for the election re-run to go ahead. Asked about the request by the judges, Interior ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka said security for all judges was enhanced in the wake of the shooting. If anybody is telling you to the contrary, they are not telling the truth, he told Reuters. The government said the bodyguard s shooting was a robbery rather than an attempt to intimidate the judges, whom Kenyatta had branded as crooks after they voided the August election. Treating the shooting as a regular crime angered the judges, who demanded they get extra security, the judicial source said. In Kenya, ordinary criminals don t attack government vehicles driven by armed government agents who know how to shoot, the source said. The justices demanded that their security should be publicly guaranteed given the tensions over the election or else they would refuse to attend hearings, the source said. At least 55 people have died in political violence since the August vote. The European Union monitoring mission raised the issue of intimidation after the Supreme Court hearing failed to go ahead on Oct. 25, saying it was vital that judges be allowed to work in freedom and safety . The lack of a quorum is highly unusual for a Supreme Court hearing and has raised serious questions among Kenyan stakeholders, including about possible political interference, it said in a statement that day. | 1 |
6,512 | Trump’s Team Is So Incompetent They Couldn’t Even Book A Hotel Room For G20 Summit | Donald Trump promised to surround himself with the best people, but his team couldn t even manage to book him a hotel room for the G20 summit and they ended up having to beg the City of Hamburg to put him up for the night in government owned housing.Buzzfeed News reports:White House officials apparently waited too long to book accommodations for President Trump, leaving him without a hotel in Hamburg, Germany, as world leaders converge for the G20 summit. [ ]The Hamburger Abendblatt, a local news outlet, reported that the US government wanted to accommodate Trump in the Four Seasons, but it was already booked. In fact, it turns out that every luxury hotel in Hamburg was reportedly booked by the time the Americans called, leaving Trump, who is associated with an empire of hotel properties, scrambling for a place to stay.The summit was scheduled in February 2016, but his team apparently forgot to book a room. By the time they thought about it, they were screwed. At one point, having run out of options, there were even rumors Trump might have to sleep in Berlin and have to fly to Hamburg via helicopter. Luckily for Trump and his incompetent staff, the City of Hamburg came to his rescue and decided to put him up for the night in the Senate guest house. So far, no one has revealed if the city is expecting payment for Trump s last minute accommodations.The world leaders attending the G20 summit, along with their staff and security details, take up an estimated 9,000 hotel rooms. It s the kind of thing you have to plan in advance. Trump probably thought that hotels would be scrambling to accommodate him because he is just ever so important, but he got a rude awakening and found out that he isn t nearly as important as he thinks he is. If these people can t even manage to book a hotel room, how the hell can we expect them to lead the country?Featured image via Jens Schluter Pool/Getty Images | 0 |
6,513 | China grants economic aid to Djibouti, site of overseas military base | BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Thursday offered loans to Djibouti, the site of its first overseas military base, as the Horn of Africa state s leader told President Xi Jinping he considered himself a great friend of the Asian giant. With a population of less than one million, Djibouti has long punched above its weight, thanks to a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world s busiest shipping routes linking Europe to Asia and the Middle East. China formally opened the base, which it calls a logistics facility, on Aug. 1, the 90th birthday of the People s Liberation Army. Djibouti also hosts large U.S. and French bases. Djibouti was politically stable, Xi told its president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, at a meeting in Beijing s Great Hall of the People. China sets great store by its relations with Djibouti, he added. Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, said he considered himself a great friend of China s and could not count the number of times he had visited. Djibouti is known for being a country of peace, exchanges and meetings, Guelleh said. I would like to recall the geostrategic position of Djibouti and its importance in this part of the world as an island of stability for Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The two, who did not mention the military base in comments to reporters, later oversaw the signing of a framework pact for preferential loans. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong declined to reveal the amount of loans offered, saying he could not remember. In this area both countries have always had good cooperation, Chen told reporters. Xi and Guelleh did discuss the military base, Chen added. What I want to stress is that China building a logistics base in Djibouti benefits China to even better fulfill its naval protection, peace-keeping, disaster relief and other international work, he said. The base will be used to resupply navy ships participating in peacekeeping, humanitarian and anti-piracy missions off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, in particular. China also has deep economic interests in Djibouti. Last week, China s POLY-GCL Petroleum Group Holdings Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding to invest $4 billion in a natural gas project in Djibouti. In January, the government launched construction of a project billed as Africa s largest free trade zone, as part of China s massive Belt and Road infrastructure initiative stretching to Asia, Europe and beyond. | 1 |
6,514 | Australia, East Timor reach agreement on maritime border | MELBOURNE/THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Australia and East Timor have reached a breakthrough agreement on a maritime border, ending a decade-old row between the two nations that has stalled a $40 billion offshore gas project. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague announced on Saturday that the neighboring countries had reached an agreement on the central elements of a maritime boundary delimitation between them in the Timor Sea but that details would remain confidential until the deal was finalised. Arbitration began last year and the talks, hosted by Denmark, resulted in a deal on Aug. 30. The countries agreed to establish a special regime for the Greater Sunrise field, paving the way for its development and the sharing of the resulting revenue, the court said in a statement. Until all issues are resolved, the details of the Parties agreement will remain confidential, the statement said. Nevertheless, the Parties agree that the agreement reached on 30 August 2017 marks a significant milestone in relations between them and in the historic friendship between the peoples of Timor-Leste and Australia. The leader of East Timor s delegation, chief negotiator and former President Xanana Gusm o, hailed the agreement as a historic moment which would mark the beginning of a new era in Timor-Leste s friendship with Australia . I thank the Commission for its resolve and skill in bringing the Parties together, through a long and at times difficult process, to help us achieve our dream of full sovereignty and to finally settle our maritime boundaries with Australia, Gusm o said. Timor, a former Portuguese colony, has struggled to develop as an independent nation since a violent break from occupying forces from Indonesia in 1999. Gas reserves, once claimed by Australia, is a key to its economic future. The long-running political dispute has led the owners of the Greater Sunrise fields - Woodside Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell and Japan s Osaka Gas - to shelve the project. The fields are estimated to hold 5.1 trillion cubic feet (144 billion cubic meters) of gas and 226 million barrels of condensate, which analysts have estimated could be worth $40 billion. The existing maritime boundary is aligned with Australia s continental shelf, but East Timor has long argued the border should lie half way between it and Australia - placing much of the Greater Sunrise fields under its control. Australia had previously resisted renegotiating a permanent border but under pressure from the United Nations has agreed to enter talks with East Timor. Australia Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the agreement was a landmark day in the relationship between Timor-Leste and Australia. This agreement, which supports the national interest of both our nations, further strengthens the long-standing and deep ties between our governments and our people, Bishop said. Australia earlier this year agreed to allow East Timor to terminate an oil revenue sharing treaty between the two countries, while earlier treaties that govern production remain in place. East Timor withdrew legal proceedings it launched over the past few years against Australia challenging the validity of the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea, to advance the conciliation process, a joint statement said in January. Having reached an agreement, the two countries will continue to meet with the commission in order to finalize talks in October. The commission said the countries will now begin to engage with other stakeholders in the Timor Sea regarding the implications of their agreement, in particular with respect to the Greater Sunrise resource . | 1 |
6,515 | Trump to announce vice presidential pick Friday: tweet | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday night that he would announce his vice presidential pick on Friday at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. | 1 |
6,516 | Argentine protester Maldonado died of drowning, hypothermia: judge | BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - An activist whose disappearance in southern Argentina in August captured the country s attention in the months before mid-term elections died of drowning and hypothermia, the judge investigating the case said on Friday. Santiago Maldonado had been missing from Aug. 1. He had attended an indigenous land rights protest in Patagonia that day. His body was found on October 17 in a nearby river. Federal Judge Guillermo Gustavo Lleral told reporters outside a morgue that an autopsy showed the cause of Maldonado s death was drowning and hypothermia, and that his body was in the Chubut river for at least 55 days. Some government opposition and rights groups have said that state security forces took Maldonado, a 28-year-old craftsman, after police reportedly clashed with Mapuche Indians who claim territory throughout southern Argentina and Chile. The groups allegations that President Mauricio Macri s government covered up Maldonado s whereabouts overshadowed a mid-term congressional election on Oct. 22. Macri s government has said there was no evidence that showed security forces had detained Maldonado. On Friday, Maldonado s brother said he would keep insisting on an investigation. This was the cause of death, but we still do not know what happened, Sergio Maldonado said after a meeting with Lleral. | 1 |
6,517 | Catalonia refuses to renounce independence, separatist protesters rally | BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalonia refused on Tuesday to bow to the Spanish government s demand that it renounce a symbolic declaration of independence, setting it on a political collision course with Madrid later this week. Madrid has threatened to put Catalonia, which accounts for a fifth of Spain s economy, under direct central rule if its regional government does not abandon independence by Thursday. But Catalonia s government rejected Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy s deadline. Giving in forms no part of this government s scenarios, Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull said. On Thursday, we won t give anything different than what we gave on Monday. Spain s biggest political crisis in decades worsened on Monday night when Madrid s High Court jailed the heads of Catalonia s two main separatist groups pending an investigation for alleged sedition. The Catalan government accused Madrid of taking political prisoners and tens of thousands of protesters gathered along Barcelona s Diagonal Avenue to call for their release. People held up lighted candles, whistled and shouted freedom and out with the occupying forces . There should not be political prisoners in a democratic country in the 21st century. This country is not democratic. I m here to support democracy, said Alicia Cabreriza, a 26-year-old computer programmer from Barcelona. The protests ended peacefully at around 2000 GMT. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, in a tweet following the detentions, said: Sadly, we have political prisoners again. The phrase was an allusion to the military dictatorship under Francisco Franco, when Catalan culture and language were systematically suppressed. It carries an emotional resonance given fascism is still a living memory for many Spaniards. Justice Minister Rafael Catala hit back, saying the jailing of the leaders of the separatist groups, the Catalan National Assembly and Omnium, was a judicial, not a political, decision. We can talk of politicians in prison but not political prisoners, he said. These are not political prisoners because yesterday s prison ruling was due to a (suspected) crime. The crisis has deepened divisions at the heart of Spain s young democracy, underlining the complex sense of nationhood in the euro zone s fourth largest economy. In Madrid, unionists drape their homes in the national flag, while Barcelona apartment buildings are festooned with Catalan flags. Street protests of hundreds of thousands of people have been held on both sides of the divide, including in Catalonia. They ve crossed a line, said Eulalia L pez, a 54-year-old office worker in Barcelona. She said she and her colleagues would come out onto the streets if Madrid went ahead and took control of the region. European capitals and financial markets have looked on with mounting alarm since Oct. 1, when Catalan authorities held a referendum on independence in defiance of a Spanish court ban. ANC leader Jordi Sanchez and Omnium chief Jordi Cuixart are accused by prosecutors of helping to orchestrate pro-independence protests that last month trapped national police inside a Barcelona building and destroyed their vehicles. That same incident also led to Catalonia s police chief, Josep Lluis Trapero, being investigated for sedition. He is accused of failing to order his force to rescue them from the building. He has not been detained but the High Court banned him from leaving Spain and seized his passport. A string of companies, including two major lenders, have decided to move their headquarters outside Catalonia since the referendum. Spanish police launched a violent crackdown in an effort to thwart the referendum, using rubber bullets and batons on voters in scenes that shocked Spain s European neighbors. Catalan officials say 43 percent of voters still managed to cast ballots with 90 percent in favor of breaking away. Many unionists, however, obeyed Madrid and did not vote. Spain s constitutional court, which had suspended the referendum, said on Tuesday the law passed by the Catalan parliament to hold the vote was void because it broke dispositions of Spain s 1978 constitution. One of Catalonia s major foreign investors, Volkswagen, said on Tuesday that its Spanish division, Seat, had decided to delay announcing the name of its forthcoming model. Seat, based in Martorell in Catalonia, had planned to announce the name of its 2018 sport-utility vehicle this month, about a year ahead of the 7-seat model s launch. With the entire Spanish media focused on politics at the moment, we have decided to find a better time, a Seat spokesman said, adding the division had also delayed the announcement of an innovation and digitisation agreement. He did not elaborate. | 1 |
6,518 | Trump Campaign Org Co-Chair Taken Into Custody By FBI For Conspiracy Against The United States | Donald Trump s Co-Chair of the Veterans For Trump Coalition in New Hampshire, Jerry Delemus, was just arrested by the FBI on nine charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.Jerry Delemus, a significant component of Trump s campaign effort to attract veterans, is a Tea Party activist who made trips to take part in the Bundy Ranch stand-off. According to the indictment being brought against him, Delemus was a mid-level leader and organizer of the conspiracy who, among other things: recruited, organized, trained and provided logistical support to gunmen and other followers and organized and led armed patrols and security checkpoints. Delemus s connection to Trump is certainly a factor, but it s also damaging to the Republican party as a whole. Jerry s wife, Susan Delemus, is a GOP lawmaker in the state of New Hampshire s House of Representatives. News of the incident first broke when Susan called Jack Kimball, the former chairman of the New Hampshire GOP to let him know that the FBI was raiding their house. Here s what Kimball wrote on Facebook: She said that the FBI just rolled up with lots of vehicles and Agents who were in tactical gear. They forced their way into Jerry Delemus and Sue s condo with weapons drawn and arrested Jerry and took him away. Currently, the FBI is not taking questions on the matter and is asking that anyone needing more information to get in contact with the Department of Justice. As of right now, the U.S. DOJ has not gotten back in touch with local newspaper Portsmouth Patch, who reported on it first.Here is a list of the charges Delemus is currently being faced with:In addition to taking part in the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Preserve in Oregon, Delemus was a security team member on the Bundy Ranch in Nevada.Even though these charges are quite serious (and factual) it s likely the right is going to chalk this up as retaliation for being either 1) a Trump supporter or 2) because of their anti-government beliefs.Delemus s wife had already been an outspoken proponent of big government and lying politicians, even before the FBI ransacked her home. That is, everyone but Trump. You may remember her face from a recent CNN survey she did, in which she professed her ardent support for the man: We ve got people in positions of power who I know for a fact are liars. Liars! I watch the TV My president comes on the TV and he lies to me! I know he s lying. He lies all the time. Trump supporter: I believe Donald. I m telling you he says what I m thinking. https://t.co/K0KNfPh6Gp @CNNPolitics Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) December 10, 2015No, Delemus was not arrested because of his Trump beliefs. If that was the case the FBI would have hauled her crazy ass off with him and thrown her in a jail cell, too.Featured image via screen capture. | 0 |
6,519 | FLASHBACK: ‘The Syrian War: What You’re Not Being Told’ (About Chemical Weapons) | 21st Century Wire says Back in August 2013, United Nations investigators led by Carla Del Ponte found evidence that alleged chemical weapons attacks by the Syrian military were actually staged by US, Saudi and Qatari-backed jihadist rebels. By definition, this was a false flag attack. Regardless of the facts, western media and political leaders still decided to blame Damascus for the incident. The object of this game was simple: to engineer a virtual violation of Obama s famous Red Line, providing the legal pretext, however spurious, for the use of Western military force against the nation state of Syria under the guise of the great 21st century western military intervention tactic known as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). This video was uploaded by Storm Clouds Gathering on Sept 3, 2013, and it demonstrated how when the entire mainstream media is going one way pushing a fraudulent event for the purposes of generating a new war alternative media outlets were reporting the truth. History is on the side of alternative media, not for the likes of CNN, ABC, NBC, BBC and Al Jazeera. That was the week when everyone in the west thought that the US-led military action against Syria was a fait accompli. Thanks to a brief wave of sanity which swept through the British Parliament, the US could not proceed forward without appearing Hilteresque themselves. Despite all the hype and all the mainstream media fake news, Washington and London s official conspiracy theory was that Assad crossed a red line by using sarin gas against his own people. Here is a timely analysis, one with a wider geopolitical scope, delivered by Aaron Hawkins founder of Storm Clouds Gathering. Watch: SUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE & BECOME A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV | 0 |
6,520 | TV audience sharply down for second Trump-Clinton debate, despite tape furor | NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The television audience for the second debate between White House contenders Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton fell sharply from their first, record-breaking encounter, despite the drama caused by a 2005 video of Trump boasting about groping women. Nielsen data for 11 broadcast, cable and public television channels on Monday showed that some 66.5 million Americans tuned into the bitter 90-minute debate on Sunday, well below the record 84 million that watched the first face-off two weeks ago. The figures do not include millions more who watched the debate online, through social media or in bars and restaurants. Second presidential debates tend to attract smaller TV audiences, but attention was high going into Sunday’s matchup after the emergence of the Trump video prompted several Republican politicians to abandon him. However, the second debate took place in the same time slot as NBC’s popular “Sunday Night Football,” which was watched by about 15 million Americans, Nielsen data showed. NBC did not carry the debate. While the National Football League game, along with Major League Baseball play-offs, likely pulled viewers away from the debate, many Americans already may have made up their minds on candidates, said Tom Hollihan, communication professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School. “When we get to mid-October, history tells us people have already made their decisions,” he said. “They lock themselves into their viewpoints and are less open to new information.” The furor over the Trump tape and his attacks on Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, for alleged sexual misconduct also may have turned off some viewers. Sunday’s debate, the second of three before the Nov. 8 election, was remarkable for the brutal nature of the exchanges between Trump and Clinton, his Democratic rival. “While in the past families might have made a commitment to watch a presidential debate, I think many in this case were saying, ‘Why should I do that? Why should I have to answer my kids’ questions about these topics?’” Hollihan said. The TV audience ranked below the nation’s top 10 most-watched presidential encounters, and below that for President Barack Obama’s first and second 2012 debates with Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Last week’s vice presidential debate between Republican Mike Pence and Democrat Tim Kaine drew 37 million Americans - the lowest audience for a VP debate since 2000. | 1 |
6,521 | WATCH: Rob Reiner Destroys Team Trump Claims that Obama Should Be Blamed for Flynn | All week, Team Trump has been trying to push all the blame for Michael Flynn s actions onto the Obama administration. Despite the fact that Flynn did not start working for foreign governments until after he was fired, they still think they can say it is all Barack Obama s fault. Rob Reiner is having none of it.This morning on AM Joy, Reiner said: This man who is the head of our country is a pathological liar and everybody around him is lying. There s no way to other way to look at this thing. Not only did we know about Michael Flynn, there were a number of articles, there was a letter written by the House Oversight Committee. It was well-known what Michael Flynn was doing, he was fired by Barack Obama, so that is clear. The one thing that they have been successful at so far is obfuscating the biggest single story that is permeating this country right now, and that is the invasion of a foreign power, a hostile foreign power into our democracy. And the Michael Flynn story, aside from the fact that he was taking money from Turkey, from Russia, from places and clearly that s a criminal behavior, the main part of the story, and something that we haven t even talked about is: why? Why with the White House knowing full well that this is who he was, they still appointed him National Security Adviser? At first the gang that can t shoot straight looked like it was incompetent because they may not have bothered to do any vetting of Flynn before letting him take over as the National Security Advisor. Now it looks like they either did not understand the law or the Constitution and the rules the military needs to adhere to or they knew the rules and didn t care that Flynn broke them. Either way, putting Flynn in such a sensitive post, with access to the most classified data, was never a good idea. While Flynn was getting the same briefing as the President-Elect, he penned an op-ed for The Hill urging more support for Turkey. When that piece was written, Flynn was receiving money from the Turkish government.Featured image via Amanda Edwards/Getty Images. | 0 |
6,522 | Zimbabwe's Mugabe speech was meant to sanitize army intervention: sources | HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe agreed to resign on Sunday but his ruling ZANU-PF party did not want him to quit in front of the military, an act that would have made its intervention look like a coup, two senior political sources said on Monday. It would have looked extremely bad if he had resigned in front of those generals. It would have created a huge amount of mess, one senior source within ZANU-PF said. Another political source said the speech was meant to sanitize the military s action. | 1 |
6,523 | South Sudan rebels accuse army of attack as peace talks restart | ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - South Sudanese rebels accused the government army of attacking one of their bases overnight as a new round of peace talks between the warring sides opened in the Ethiopian capital on Monday. Rebel spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said government troops attacked a rebel base in the town of Lasu in the south of the country late on Sunday. They are in the IO base, he said, referring to the name of the rebel group. Army spokesmen were not immediately available to comment when called by Reuters on Monday afternoon. The talks in Addis Ababa have been convened by the East African bloc IGAD and are aimed at bringing the warring sides back to the negotiating table after a 2015 peace deal collapsed last year during heavy fighting in the capital, Juba. The war began in 2013 between soldiers of President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former vice president, Riek Machar, a Nuer. Tens of thousands of people have died and a third of South Sudan s 12 million population have fled their homes. Highlighting the widespread nature of the violence, army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang earlier said four aid workers from the French organization Solidarites International had been kidnapped a day earlier by the rebels near the western city of Raja. The state government, based in Raja, said in a statement eight civilians had been killed and the four aid workers kidnapped in what it described as an ambush by the rebels. The French organization said it had lost contact with three members of its team on Saturday. It gave no indication of their fate and it was not immediately clear why it gave a different number of those involved. An IO rebel statement said: The SPLA IO forces also rescued four humanitarian staff ... they are currently safe and sound with our forces around Raja and will be handed over ... as soon as possible. It was not immediately clear what the rebels said they had rescued the aid workers from. The war has mutated from a two-way fight into a fragmented conflict, making peace more elusive, the top United Nations peacekeeper in the country told Reuters earlier this year. Diplomats and analysts question whether the will to end the fighting exists, as Kiir s government holds the military upper hand and rebel leader Machar is under house arrest in South Africa. [L3N1NG5D4] Machar sent representatives to the Ethiopian capital for the talks. Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn voiced strong criticism of the warring sides at the forum in Addis Ababa. ... More than half of the people of South Sudan are either refugees in neighboring countries, internally displaced within South Sudan or suffering from food insecurity in their own village, he said. It is equally clear that all this suffering is taking place because you the leaders of South Sudan have repeatedly failed to talk to each other, to negotiate, to be tolerant, to make compromises, he added. Today, I appeal to you to stop this intransigence. | 1 |
6,524 | “Kill Him…Kill Him”…GOOD SAMARITAN TRYING TO SAVE TEEN GIRL GETS BRUTALLY BEATEN [Video] | Another disturbing teen melee broke out inside a Brooklyn McDonald s Friday, and this time, the brawlers turned their violence on an innocent man trying to break the fracas up and on employees of the fast food joint.The brutality began at the McDonald s on Flatbush Avenue Extension in Downtown Brooklyn at about 3 p.m., just as schools were letting out. In the video, a teen girl can be seen standing on a table taking off her top, apparently preparing herself for the fight.Two young girls begin trading blows, and people try to tear them apart. An older gentleman in a hat tries to diffuse the situation, but is turned on by the teen boys crowding around, who seemed to have been enjoying the fight. The narrator, Don Balmain, can be heard gleefully yelling, Kill him! interspersed with laughs.Total chaos breaks out in the restaurant, with teens fighting with cashiers over the counter.The teens eventually chase the older man outside, with the goon behind the camera screaming, Kill him right now! A woman stands in front of him to shield him from the mob. The cameraman shouts, They can t help you! Balmain later posted the video on his Facebook page and sardonically commented, They put that old man in the hospital I feel bad for telling them to kill him. 911 was called, and a woman was taken to Brooklyn Hospital, officials told PIX11. Another man was aided at the scene, but refused medical attention.Via: Pix11.com | 0 |
6,525 | Federal judge blocks Florida law to end abortion clinic funding | TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - A federal judge has blocked parts of a new Florida law aiming to cut off state funding for preventive health services at clinics that also provide abortions, acting shortly before the restrictions took effect on Friday. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued a preliminary injunction late on Thursday after state Planned Parenthood affiliates challenged certain provisions as unconstitutional. Hinkle found the clinics were unacceptably targeted by state efforts to eliminate funding for other healthcare services they also provide, such as birth control and screening for cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. “The state’s only beef is that the plaintiffs provide abortions,” he wrote, noting that Florida already prohibits funding for abortions, as courts have held permissible. Florida is among many states adopting new abortion laws as conservatives seek to chip away at the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. Supporters argued that the wide-ranging law adopted this spring in Florida would protect women’s health. It included restrictions similar to those in a Texas law that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down earlier this week. Planned Parenthood, however, did not challenge in its lawsuit a related provision requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, a type of formal affiliation that can be difficult to obtain. The organization’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for Northern District of Florida, focused on the funding cuts, which it said jeopardized about $500,000 annually. Planned Parenthood also challenged a new requirement that state inspectors review 50 percent of patient medical records at abortion clinics. Hinkle’s 25-page injunction also blocked the additional inspections, noting that the volume requirements for abortion clinics far exceeded the standards for other medical facilities. “The inspection provision is a solution in search of a problem,” Hinkle wrote. In the lawsuit, Planned Parenthood also raised concerns about changes in how the state defines gestational stages. The terminology was clarified during a court hearing, said Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, who applauded the judge’s ruling. “This means this vital programs will continue to go forward,” she said in a phone interview. “Because anti-women’s health politicians want to end abortion, they went to the lengths of trying to stop these preventive services.” The Florida Department of Health, named in the lawsuit, did not immediately provide comment. Neither did the office of Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican. | 1 |
6,526 | Police examine three envelopes at Scottish parliament, one thought to contain white powder: source | EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Three similar envelopes, one believed to contain a suspicious white powder, were being investigated by police on Tuesday at the Scottish parliament, a source at the building said. The letters were addressed to Conservative lawmakers, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Liz Smith and Edward Mountain, the source said. One of the letters was only intercepted when opened by a researcher on the first floor of building while the other two letters had similar writing. | 1 |
6,527 | Kentucky lawmaker a 'probable suicide' amid sexual misconduct accusations | (Reuters) - Kentucky state Representative Dan Johnson, who was facing sexual assault accusations, died in a probable suicide on Wednesday, Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings said. Johnson, 57, also the leader of the Louisville-area Heart of Fire Church, held a news conference on Tuesday at which he denied accusations contained in a report by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. The report, published earlier in the week, included accusations from a woman that Johnson molested her in 2013 when she was a teenager. Johnson, whose press conference was widely reported by local media, also defied calls by some legislators to step down. On Wednesday evening, Johnson was found dead in a probable suicide from a single gunshot wound near Louisville, the coroner said, adding that an autopsy would be performed on Thursday. Billings said law enforcement officials had been searching for Johnson after someone read a post on his Facebook page, became concerned and contacted police. The post has since been taken down, but the Courier-Journal reported that it appeared to be a farewell and read in part, “the accusations from NPR are false, GOD and only GOD knows the truth. Nothing is the way they make it out to be.” The death comes amid a national reckoning over sexual harassment and abuse that has included allegations of misconduct in a number of state legislatures, including in Kentucky. Kentucky Republican Jeff Hoover recently resigned his post as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives under a cloud of sexual harassment allegations. “Saddened to hear of tonight’s death of KY Representative Dan Johnson,” Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin wrote on Twitter. “My heart breaks for his family tonight...these are heavy days in Frankfort and in America...may God indeed shed His grace on us all...we sure need it.” Michael Skoler, President of Louisville Public Media, which operates the investigative reporting center, said in a statement on social media that the organization reached out to Johnson numerous times during its seven-month investigation but that he declined to discuss the group’s findings. Johnson was elected in 2016 despite becoming known for a 2016 Facebook post comparing President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to monkeys, WDRB-TV has reported. | 1 |
6,528 | #FreeChrisChristie: Twitter Reacts To The ‘Hostage Situation’ At Trump’s Speech (TWEETS) | Last Friday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie decided that endorsing GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump was a good idea. Since then political pundits have all been asking, What was he thinking? Well, on Tuesday night when Trump was giving his Super Tuesday victory speech, Christie seemed to come to the realization that he made a BIG mistake and that sudden awareness came as he stood behind the billionaire on stage. The governor s facial expressions as he listened to his candidate spew his usual nonsense created a Twitter storm, talks of a hostage situation and an epic hashtag: #FreeChrisChristie.Christie introduced Trump after the votes were tallied and he was declared victorious in six states. The NJ governor welcomed the next President of the United States onto the stage, stood behind him and promptly upstaged the GOP front-runner:Pop quiz: New York billionaire takes New Jersey governor hostage. What do you do. WHAT DO YOU DO? #freechrischristie pic.twitter.com/ucXKPfk7jh Anthony Zurcher (@awzurcher) March 2, 2016 Anyone who hasn t seen the stare of Chris Christie, described so brilliantly in the piece I just RT d, it s this. https://t.co/DktHWj2ZXO Rhodri Marsden (@rhodri) March 2, 2016On the next Arrested Development #ChrisChristie #FreeChrisChristie pic.twitter.com/YXO4rwCXTt Melanism (@Melanism) March 2, 2016 I ve made a huge mistake. #FreeChrisChristie https://t.co/VOfFLeAAuS Carissa Klarich (@theactivelife) March 2, 2016I believe we have a hostage situation on our hands @CNNPolitics https://t.co/dWcdYjcXg1 #FreeChrisChristie Vasco Sousa Cotovio (@VascoSCotovio) March 2, 2016 Send snacks. @ChrisChristie, probably #FreeChrisChristie pic.twitter.com/T6kSll1NK5 Holly Fussell (@redhairbluevote) March 2, 2016Chris Christie seems to be realizing just what he s signed on for up there. #FreeChrisChristie #SuperTuesday Burnt Orange Report (@BOR) March 2, 2016Even Trevor Noah joined the fun: There s just one question on Chris Christie s mind. #SuperTuesdaypic.twitter.com/sSDnCXgxBE The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 2, 2016Christie did look like he was Donald Trump s hostage and we don t feel bad for him at all. The governor knew what he was getting himself into, he has said what a liar and horrible president Trump would be on multiple occasions. The only reason he even endorsed him is because he loves the media attention just as much as the billionaire loudmouth does. Now, he gets to live with the consequences of endorsing a racist, egotistical fool.On a side note, Trump is going to be soooo pissed that Christie stole the show. I wouldn t be surprised if we didn t see the two of them on stage together again.Watch a mash-up of his faces below:https://www.facebook.com/Vox/videos/488810047973269/ Featured image via Twitter | 0 |
6,529 | Key U.S. senators reach deal on funding children's health program | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee said on Tuesday they reached an agreement to finance a federal insurance program for millions of lower-income children and pregnant women that was due to expire at the end of the month. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, chairman of the finance committee, and the panel’s top Democrat, Senator Ron Wyden, said in a statement the agreement would provide money for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for five years. CHIP reauthorization is not typically contentious as the program receives bipartisan support. But lobbyists and industry officials have said any healthcare-related legislation has become more complicated following the failure of Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare. “I am hopeful we can move forward swiftly to ensure no lapse in care for our nation’s most vulnerable children,” Hatch said in a statement, calling the agreement “a good first start.” Wyden said in a statement he hoped to get the extension of CHIP into law “as soon as possible.” | 1 |
6,530 | SICKENING: ANGRY BLACK STUDENT Spray Paints RACIST Graffiti All Over UW Madison Campus…RADICAL Professors, 700 Students Cry “RACISM” When Police Arrest Him[VIDEO] | It s hard to see the police officers in this video being more concerned about committing a misstep than addressing the crimes this angry black student has committed. Will police officers be forced to treat all black criminals like toddlers in a nursery school setting in order to keep their jobs? Almost 700 professors and students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have signed a letter complaining about racism after campus police located a black student during a class on Thursday and arrested him because he allegedly spray-painted politically-charged graffiti on a bunch of buildings all over campus for half a year.The student is Denzel McDonald, reports The Badger Herald, Wisconsin s campus newspaper.McDonald, 21, stands accused of spray-painting at least 11 messages across campus.One two-tone message read, in red, RACIZM [sic] IN THE AIR, DON T BREATHE. Then, in black, a signature line GOD. The first of the four police videos is a 14-minute police video which includes the in-class portion of McDonald s arrest and ends with McDonald getting handcuffed. It shows a calm, staggeringly cordial encounter.Other two-tone, graffitied statements police attribute to McDonald include THE DEVIL IZ [sic] A WHITE MAN GOD, DEATH TO THE PIGZ [sic] GOD and WHITE SUPREMACY IZ [sic] A DISEASE GOD. A FUCK THE POLICE message also defaced a taxpayer-funded building, according to Inside Higher Ed.The angry professors and students are enraged in part because police interrupted an Afro-American studies class to arrest McDonald. The class, taught by Johanna Almiron, appears to be titled Towards the Black Fantastic: Afro-futurism and Black Visual Culture. University of Wisconsin-Madison police have released video of the classroom interaction between police and McDonald along with three other videos further chronicling the arrest.The arrest of McDonald while he was in class on Thursday caused much furor among campus radicals. Almiron and other professors duly penned and published a letter of protest on Friday.The spray-painting vandalism caused over $4,000 in damages to university property, police said, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.On Friday, Wisconsin-Madison s chief of police, Susan Riseling, posted a statement addressing the uproar and profusely apologizing for arresting McDonald in class. Because of the officer s error in believing the class had not yet started, I extend my sincerest apologies to the students and the professor who were in this class and witnessed this interruption, Riseling wrote. We are initiating a review of our officer s action entering the classroom. Riseling did note that campus cops had been attempting to contact McDonald for two weeks before finally resorting to finding him in class. The officers believed they were entering class before it started, she noted.Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank also released a supplicating statement which promised a review of police practices. Via: Daily CallerHere is the video where Denzel McDonald was placed in the police vehicle:Here is Denzel s professor, aka his instructor LYING to the police, telling them she doesn t have his phone. | 0 |
6,531 | HILLARY’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER STAMMERS When Asked Why Using Trump’s Stolen Tax Returns Are Okay, But Wikileaks Emails Aren’t [VIDEO] | Hillary s shady campaign manager, Robby Mook tells Fox News Chris Wallace that Wikileaks emails showing CRIMINAL behavior by Hillary and her campaign is not okay, but there s nothing wrong with using Trump s stolen tax returns | 0 |
6,532 | Republican White House hopefuls Rubio, Bush battle it out in South Carolina | CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush are locked in a bare-knuckled fight for third place in a South Carolina primary vote on Saturday, afraid that anything less could blunt their White House hopes. With front-runner Donald Trump fighting to hold off U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and win his second straight early nominating contest, Rubio and Bush are battling to become the main anti-Trump alternative from among establishment Republicans seeking the party’s nomination for the Nov. 8 election. An NBC News-Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released on Friday showed Trump in the lead with support from 28 percent of likely Republican primary voters, followed by Cruz at 23 percent. Rubio led Bush narrowly, 15 percent to 13 percent. The Bush-Rubio competition is layered with home-state drama: Bush, 63, is the elder statesman of Florida politics having served as governor. Rubio, 44, is the upstart understudy, a first-term U.S. senator who served in Florida’s legislature. Rubio supporters were offended by the millions of dollars in attack ads spent by Bush’s Super PAC, Right to Rise, believing that the money would have been better spent attacking Trump rather than trying to undermine a like-minded Republican. “People are going to do whatever they think they need to do to win. But it’s notable they spent far more money attacking Marco than they have the front-runner Donald Trump,” said Rubio spokesman Alex Conant. The Bush team dismissed the complaints. “I don’t think there’s anything personal about it from Jeb’s side,” said Jim Dyke, Bush’s campaign chief in South Carolina. “Jeb for good reason feels like he’s much more qualified to be president of the United States. That’s what this is all about.” Bush has a key backer in South Carolina’s Republican U.S. senator, Lindsey Graham, but Rubio upped the ante by winning the support of popular Governor Nikki Haley. Her endorsement gave Rubio momentum at just the right time and the two have campaigned together around the state. Rubio is treading carefully around whether Bush should exit the race if he performs poorly in South Carolina, saying Bush has worked hard and “has a right to be in this race as long as he wants to be.” “I mean, he’s spent $50 million attacking me. If there are differences in policy we’ll talk about it. What I’ve said about Governor Bush is he doesn’t have any foreign policy experience, which is true. But I don’t view that as an attack. I view that as a fact,” Rubio told reporters on Wednesday. Bush has bristled at the charge, telling supporters he has visited 89 countries and seen his brother and father develop foreign policy as U.S. presidents. His team has made much of Rubio’s having missed many hearings and votes as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It’s hard for me to be lectured to by a gifted young guy who thinks going to committee hearings means you know something about the world,” Bush said. Rubio forces had wanted to knock Bush out of the race in New Hampshire, the last nominating contest held on Feb. 9, but a bad Rubio debate performance and a strong campaign trail performance by Bush thwarted those hopes with Bush edging his rival for a fourth-place finish. | 1 |
6,533 | WATCH: Trump Brags About Himself And Trump Tower During Remarks At United Nations Headquarters | It took all of a few seconds for Donald Trump to start bragging about himself during his remarks at the United Nations.Trump World Tower is a residential skyscraper catering primarily to the wealthy.It also happens to be across the street from the United Nations Headquarters where the General Assembly is meeting this week and where Trump spoke on Monday morning.Predictably, Trump began his remarks by bragging about the building and himself. Thank you very much. Thank you. I actually saw great potential right across the street to be honest with you, Trump began. And it was only for the reason that the United Nations was here that that turned out to be such a successful project. So, I want to thank you, Ambassador Haley for your introduction and your steadfast advocacy for American interests on the world stage. Here s the video via Twitter.Pres. Trump on luxury residential property by UN: United Nations being there was reason that turned out to be such a successful project. pic.twitter.com/kid9STah3W ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 18, 2017So, Trump can t even stop being a narcissist for one day to address the distinguished diplomats and representatives of the United Nations.It should be noted that New Yorkers strongly opposed the construction of Trump World Tower in the late 1990s, including legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.Basically, Trump robbed the neighborhood of their view of the East River and Long Island by placing a big ugly tower in front of it so that only wealthy people staying in his building could enjoy it. Residents were also concerned that the big ugly building would dwarf the more aesthetically pleasing United Nations Headquarters, which it did.Trump is nothing more than a cheap salesman who is more interested in touting his real estate ventures than he is in promoting international peace and cooperation. That s incredibly sad.Once again, Trump embarrassed himself and America on the world stage. And those were just his opening remarks. Just imagine how much more he will embarrass our country before he is done speaking. The United States is going to be an even bigger joke on the international stage than we have ever been.Featured Image: Screenshot | 0 |
6,534 | ALL KIDDING ASIDE…DID HILLARY JUST HAVE A SEIZURE In Middle Of Q & A With Journalists? You Be The Judge… [VIDEO] | Whoa! We asked the question yesterday in more of a tongue-and-cheek manner. That was before we saw the serious question that had just been asked of Hillary by reporters. Like everyone else who saw the video, we assumed someone had said something humorous that caused her to behave like she was having seizure. But after watching the actual question that was asked, just prior to what truly does appear to be some sort of seizure, we re having second thoughts about Hillary acting out.Watch the only Presidential candidate who travels with a full-time physician having what appears to be some sort of seizure You be the judge | 0 |
6,535 | Bernie Sanders Sums Up The Disastrous GOP Presidential Race In One Brutal Sentence (VIDEO) | Democratic Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders appeared on MSNBC s The Rachel Maddow Show this week and summed up the entire disastrous GOP race for President in one glorious sentence: the Republican Party today now is a joke, maintained by a media which really does not force them to discuss their issues. In a show that aired on Wednesday night, Maddow invited Sanders to comment on Trump s comments to fellow MSNBC host Chris Matthews that there should be some kind of punishment for women who have abortions. Sanders recoiled at the comments, stating unequivocally: Shameful is understating that position. First of all, to me, and most Americans, women have the right to control their own bodies. But to punish a woman, for having an abortion, is beyond comprehension. One would have to say: what is on Donald Trump s mind? I don t know what world this person lives in. The interview continues with Sanders crushing each pillar of the Republican race, one after another. Until finally, Maddow asks Sanders how he feels about the GOP seeming to split, with the potential for the convention to refuse to endorse the winner of the Primaries. It s worth seeing Sander s full reply, which absolutely nails the crisis at the heart of the GOP and conservative media today: Well, uh, first of all, I don t necessarily take at value face value what they say. I think at the end of the day, they probably will come together.But the other point, I think the more the deeper point, Rachel, is the Republican Party today has moved very, very far to the right. Uh, they are way out of touch with where the American people are.And I think if we had a media in this country that was really prepared to look at what the Republicans actually stood for rather than quoting every absurd remark of Donald Trump, talking about Republican Party, talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks for the top two tenths of 1 percent, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, Medicaid, a party which with few exceptions, doesn t even acknowledge the reality of climate change, let alone do anything about it, a party which is not prepared to stand with women in the fight for pay equity, a party that is not prepared to do anything about a broken criminal justice system or a corrupt campaign finance system, I think, to be honest with you and I just don t, you know, say this rhetorically, this is a fringe party. It is a fringe party. Maybe they get 5, 10 percent of the vote.What you really need in this country is a progressive party standing with the working class and the middle class of this country. And yes, a conservative party that, you know, has, you know, is more fiscally conservative. That is where we should be as a country.But the Republican Party today now is a joke, maintained by a media which really does not force them to discuss their issues.So that that s my two cents on that. The Republican Party is in crisis. It s candidates have pulled so far to the right that even Ann Coulter is having a wobble, and it s hard to see how they could possibly gain the support of the wider American public in time for Election 2016.While the candidates daily horrifying comments might be making lots of front page news, they would be foolish to expect this press attention to turn into votes at least, not for them. There is such a thing as bad press. The revulsion by the majority of common sense Americans at the GOP parade of bigotry, sexism and theocratic zealotry could well crush the party come voting day and the party will be left in tatters. It s grassroots to the right of Ghengis Khan, while the nation is moving far enough in a progressive direction that a democratic socialist like Bernie Sanders is able to maintain a solid campaign. Something has to give, and as yet the GOP has no answer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vQP7Hy42z8Featured image via screencapture | 0 |
6,536 | INVITED POP STAR SAYS SHE’LL PERFORM At Trump Inauguration ONLY If She Can Sing Song About Lynching Blacks | British pop singer Rebecca Ferguson, daughter of a white British woman and Jamaican father, says she has been invited to perform at Donald Trump s inauguration, but her response may not be the RSVP the President-elect s team were expecting.The former UK X-Factor runner-up said she would only accept the invitation on the condition that she could perform Strange Fruit a song protesting racism in 1930s America, made famous by Billie Holiday.The lyrics, written in the 1930s by Jewish communist Abel Meeropol, were composed as a protest poem to highlight endemic racism in America s southern states.The song s opening lyrics deal with lynching, which was still happening in parts of the country at the time: Southern trees bear strange fruit // Blood on the leaves and blood at the root // Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze // Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.According to Billie Holiday s Estate, Holiday regularly performed the song at live performances in 1939. Her record label, Columbia, refused to let her record the song under their name, so they granted her a one-session contractual release that gave Holiday clearance to independently record the track.Later that year, the album featuring Strange Fruit sold a million copies, becoming Holiday s biggest-selling record at the time. In 1978, the single was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Last month, The Beach Boys told CNN that the group has been contacted about performing, but that no decision has been made at this point as to how or whether they will participate. The so-called "A" list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016-CNN | 0 |
6,537 | U.S. Presidential Candidates React To Orlando Shooting (TWEETS) | The nation is in mourning for the lives of 50 people that were taken during a mass shooting that took place Saturday night at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The shooter has been identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida. The current number of people who are hospitalized with injuries from the shooting is 53. This makes Saturday night s massacre the largest mass shooting in United States history.The massacre is already being heavily politicized, with Fox hosts actually blaming Obama for the shooting. How they figure they can make that connection is anyone s guess.Here is how the presumptive presidential nominees reacted to news of the shooting on Twitter:Really bad shooting in Orlando. Police investigating possible terrorism. Many people dead and wounded. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016Woke up to hear the devastating news from FL. As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act. -H Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 12, 2016Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders appeared on MSNBC s Meet The Press early Sunday morning where he called the shooting horrific and unthinkable while calling for people to come together to create solutions to help end these types of tragedies. He also called for the creation of a national instant background system that will help to keep dangerous individuals from getting these weapons."It's horrific, it's unthinkable," says @BernieSanders on #OrlandoShooting this morning on @MeetThePress. #MTP #Orlando NBC News PR (@NBCNewsPR) June 12, 2016Mateen s motivations for the shooting are still currently unknown. His father has spoken out publicly issuing an apology for his son s actions claiming that this had nothing to do with religion. Mateen s father says that he saw his son become very angry previously when he would see two men kissing.Investigators are trying to determine whether this shooting is a matter of domestic terrorism or international terrorism. Reports indicate that every person killed at the nightclub was shot with an assault rifle. It has been reported that Mateen was also carrying a handgun and some type of explosive device.Featured image from Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images | 0 |
6,538 | REPORT: PRESIDENT TRUMP To Replace Sean Spicer With FOX News Personality | It s no secret that President Trump is very much a hands-on type of manager. Should anyone really be surprised by the firing and hiring of people in his inner-circle, as he assesses their job performances, to ensure the most qualified people are in place for key positions of his administration? The next couple of weeks should be interesting as Trump figures out which direction he ll go with press briefings, and who, if anyone, will represent him as a trusted and competent spokesperson. The inside scoop from Infowars, is that he s already made that decision White House sources have told Infowars that Sean Spicer could be fired within the next week as President Trump begins a purge of establishment advisers who he feels have failed to properly investigate leaks coming from within the administration.Speculation is already swirling as to whether or not Spicer will return after he was benched and temporarily replaced with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.Spicer has behaved like a deer in the headlights in recent weeks and is not able to handle the pressure of the job, according to one source.They add that Spicer will be gone by next week and that former prosecutor and current Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was previously considered for the role, is currently the favorite to replace him. InfowarsBack in October, she was seen entering Trump Tower and rumors began swirling she was up for a position on the communications team. By December, the speculation hit its fever pitch and political observers were sure Guilfoyle would be involved with the operation somehow, whether as press secretary or in an ancillary role. Even some of her Fox News colleagues spoke out in favor of her heading to the White House.Still, a New York Times report yesterday said, while Mr. Trump has raised the Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle to allies as a possible press secretary, he has spent several hours with Mr. Spicer this week, praising his television ratings during the briefings. Though Trump has been claiming he wants to stop the briefings, his actions indicate otherwise. Who knows, but maybe we ll see Guilfoyle at that podium sooner than we think. The only question left then would be who will play her on Saturday Night Live?A report from the AP out today also notes that Trump is mulling expanding the communications team and has eyed hiring producers from Fox News. -Mediaite | 0 |
6,539 | Czechs pin hopes on billionaire Babis to fix their country | PRAGUE (Reuters) - The traffic jams and roadworks that snarl the 200 km main highway from the capital Prague to the southeast are a symbol of how many Czechs feel their government is broken - and how they are looking for a new champion to fix it. A ring road around Prague is nowhere near completion after decades of zoning setbacks, a rail link to Prague s airport has been debated for 20 years without a shovel going in the ground. The World Bank ranks the country 130th in the world when it comes to efficiency in issuing building permits, the worst in the European Union. In the Oct 20-21 election, voters look set to hand power to a man who says he can sort it all out: billionaire businessman Andrej Babis, whose anti-establishment rhetoric is reminiscent of U.S. President Donald Trump. I see results, the others are only talkers, said Erwin Heinl after meeting Babis at a pensioners club in Varnsdorf, 125 km (75 miles) north of Prague. It is the only possible choice. The central European country joined the EU in 2004 and has made great strides in economic development. But people feel wages and public services have been slow to catch up with the richer West while business sharks made billions in often murky privatizations and public contracts. Babis, whose ANO party is far ahead of rivals in the polls, has been able to sell himself as a man fighting obstacles from coalition partners, while taking credit for popular decisions such as pension hikes during his time as finance minister. The bet on Babis is not straightforward. As the second richest Czech, he grew his chemicals, food and media empire in the same environment he and voters criticize. He is also not a new face, having governed as junior partner to the center-left Social Democrats since 2014. Social Democrats still stand for the old rule and ANO is a symbol of the new rule, hence its credit for the economic success, government stability and so on, said Daniel Prokop from the Median polling agency. Many people respect Babis for his business approach to management which he says politicians lack. He is skillful as a businessman, he could show that also running the state, Karina Brtinska, 63, said after meeting Babis at a campaign stop at the main square in Varnsdorf. His successes include a budget surplus last year. Babis, as finance minister until May this year before he was removed by the prime minister, raised revenue by introducing value-added tax cross-checks and real-time reporting of shop sales. But the budget was chiefly helped by economic growth, low interest rates, and a drop in public investments resulting from issues such as slow preparation of road building that meant less spending. His ANO has held the Transport Ministry for the past four years. Czechs built close to 160 km of highways in the past 10 years, compared with 2,300 km in Poland 250 km in Slovakia. The Czechs also pledged to raise defense spending, but under ANO running the Defence Ministry it dropped below 1 percent of GDP before a small pick up this year, still far away from the NATO goal of 2 percent. Babis has also shaken off the impact of investigation for alleged fraud in tapping a 2 million euro subsidy - a charge that could carry a jail sentence. He denies any wrongdoing and portrays it as an attempt by adversaries to block him from sweeping out graft. He is not afraid of anyone. He is honest, said Anna Havelkova, an ANO supporter in Varnsdorf. Babis put his Agrofert group of more than 250 companies into a trust fund this year but remains the fund s beneficiary. Agrofert has been receiving farming and investment subsidies and also has numerous deals with the public sector, raising criticism from rivals and media of conflicts of interests. Babis had acknowledged having conflicts of interest prior to moving Agrofert to the trust funds but said he never abused it. Forbes puts Babis s net worth at 88 billion crowns ($4.01 bln), up from 40 billion in 2013 just before he joined the government. ANO voters are also unfazed by Babis membership of the Communist party before a democratic revolution in 1989, or his contacts with secret police at the time. Success is always accompanied by envy. Everyone has a past, but I am interested in the present. He has a vision and I believe he can fulfill it, said businessman Slavomir Svitana attending Babis rally in downtown Prague. | 1 |
6,540 | TERROR FEARS Keeping Tourists Away From OPEN BORDERS Paris…Costs Economy €1.3 Billion [SHOCKING VIDEOS] | Borderless travel through Europe is dying, a political victim of mass-murder in Paris. That is the conclusion of many sensible people, including Alex Carlile, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. Lord Carlile, incidentally, is a Liberal Democrat. Seeing the flaws in the Schengen rules, which allow free movement across much of the European Union, is no longer confined to the political Right.That conclusion is based on reports that at least one of the Paris killers arrived in Greece and claimed to be a refugee from Syria, then travelled on from Greece across the EU unchecked before reaching France.Even before Paris, Schengen was crumbling under the pressure of what some have called the great migration from the Middle East and Africa into the EU. Borderless travel meant a lopsided distribution of new arrivals, often unwanted. The fences that went up over the summer will now become higher and more numerous, as many will no doubt conclude that not only do the foreigners arriving on this continent threaten their culture and livelihood, some of them pose a physical threat too. Telegraph UKBUT IS IT TOO LATE FOR THE CITY OF ROMANCE? Paris and the surrounding region lost 1.5 million tourists on 2016 as visitors, especially from the Far East, stay away due to ongoing terror fears.According to the Comit Regional du Tourisme, the Paris Ile-de-France region also lost 1.3 billion euros in tourist income, while the number of nights spent by foreign visitors in the region s hotels also fell by 10.8 per cent.Tourists are probably not too excited about visiting Paris after shocking videos have been circulating that capture the filth and trash left behind by migrants that have overwhelmed the once thriving tourist spot.This is definitely not the Paris you dreamed about: Some sights in particular have suffered deeply from the lack of tourists and cancellations by school groups , the committee says, including the Arc de triomphe which saw a 24 per cent drop in visitors.The Louvre museum, which earlier this month was subject to an attack from a machete wielding man shouting Allahu Akbar , also saw a 13.3 per cent drop last year.The fears have even hit Disneyland Paris, which saw a 9.5 per cent drop in foreign visitors.This month has seen a series of disturbances in Paris s suburbs, with one coachload of Korean tourists robbed when men climbed aboard their coach, shouting threats.One witness described the incident as ten minutes of horror , revealing that one of the men threatened the tourists with an object resembling a glass bottle .Watch shocking video showing migrants attacking police officers and rioting in Paris. Listen to chants of Allahu Akbar! as they attack police officers:The disturbances began after a black youth was allegedly raped with a police truncheon while being arrested. Evenings of rioting spread through the suburbs, with cars torched, windows smashed and shops looted. At times, police appeared to have completely lost control of the situation.The South Korean government has now warned nationals from visiting Paris as tourists, in a move which will cause further damage to France s ailing tourism industry.The city also announced this month it was building an eight-foot tall bullet-proof glass wall around the Eiffel Tower, with visitors forced to enter through new security check points. Breitbart News | 0 |
6,541 | BREAKING: CLINTON AIDE HUMA ABEDIN Dumps Sexting Husband Anthony Weiner After Disgusting Photos Exposed | Huma Abedin announced she is dumping her sexting hubby Anthony Weiner, hours after The Post revealed his latest online dalliances. After long painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband, Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, said in statement.ANTHONY WEINER DELETED HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT AFTER THE PHOTOS AND TWEETS WERE PUBLISHED IN AN EXCLUSIVE BY THE NEW YORK POST:Is this guy Bill Clinton s twin separated at birth or what? Both of these men are just total pervs! Weiner resigned from Congress over his last escapade with sexting women. This time Weiner is even more disgusting in his messages to a beautiful brunette. He brags about his manhood and even says: I d put someone s eye out with this thing. This is baby-sitting Anthony Weiner-style.While his wife, Huma Abedin, travels the country campaigning for Hillary Clinton, the disgraced ex-congressman has been sexting with a busty brunette out West and even sent her a lurid crotch shot with his toddler son in the picture.The stay-at-home cad shot the revealing photo while discussing massage parlors near my old apartment shortly after 3 a.m. on July 31, 2015, a screenshot of the exchange shows.Weiner was clearly aroused by his conversation with the 40-something divorcee when he abruptly changed the subject. Someone just climbed into my bed, Weiner wrote. Really? she responded.Weiner then hit Send on the cringe-inducing image, which shows a bulge in his white, Jockey-brand boxer briefs and his son cuddled up to his left, wrapped in a light-green blanket. You do realize you can see you[r] Weiner in that pic?? the woman wrote.Moments after forwarding the photo, Weiner freaked out over the possibility he had accidentally posted it publicly just as he did during the infamous episode that forced him to resign from Congress in 2011. Ooooooh . . . I was scared. For half a second I thought I posted something. Stop looking at my crotch, Weiner wrote back. Whatever. You did it on purpose, she replied.Read more: NYP | 0 |
6,542 | Tokyo governor quits as head of conservative opposition 'Party of Hope' | TOKYO (Reuters) - The governor of the Japanese capital, Tokyo, whose opposition Party of Hope came a distant third to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe s ruling party in a general election last month, said on Tuesday she would quit as party co-leader. Governor Yuriko Koike, a former ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker sometimes mentioned as a possible first female Japanese premier, launched the party to great fanfare ahead of the Oct. 22 lower house election and absorbed a big chunk of the failed opposition Democratic Party. But despite her bid to create what she called a reformist, conservative rival to Abe s LDP, Koike s party won only 51 seats in the 465-member lower house. That tally was not only dwarfed by the LDP s 283 seats but also lagged the 54 seats taken by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), a group hastily formed by liberal-leaning former Democratic Party members. Koike announced her decision at a televised meeting of her party legislators, also attended by Yuichiro Tamaki, who was recently elected as Party of Hope co-president. I want to step down as party leader and support you all, she told the meeting. I want to leave things to President Tamaki. A media-savvy former TV announcer and veteran lawmaker who served as environment and defense minister, Koike defied the LDP to run for Tokyo governor last year and trounced her ruling-party rival. She then led her party to a historic victory over the LDP in a July Tokyo assembly poll. But support for the Party of Hope faltered after Koike said she would exclude liberal members of the Democratic Party and decided not to seek a seat in parliament herself. She also confused many voters by seeming to leave open the possibility of a tie-up with the LDP after the general election. Support for the Party of Hope was a mere 3.2 percent against 9.3 percent for the CDPJ and 37.1 percent for the LDP, in an NHK survey released on Monday. Abe has had a bounce in his ratings, a series of public opinion polls published this week indicated, but his support remains below 50 percent. The NHK survey put support for his cabinet at 46 percent, a seven point rise from a September survey, with the most frequently given reason being it s better than other cabinets . | 1 |
6,543 | U.S. State Department says 'very concerned' about reports of Kirkuk confrontation | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Sunday it was watching developments in the disputed region of Kirkuk and was very concerned about reports of a confrontation, after Iraqi government forces clashed with Kurdish Peshmerga. We are monitoring the situation in Kirkuk closely and are very concerned by reports of a confrontation, a State Department official said. We are engaged with all parties in Iraq to de-escalate tension. The Iraqi government earlier said its forces took control of vast areas in the Kirkuk region, including oilfields west of the city, in the early hours of Monday, Iraqi state TV said. However the Kurdistan Regional Government disputed the assertions. | 1 |
6,544 | Hezbollah leader says Israeli war with Lebanon unlikely | BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday an Israeli war with Lebanon was unlikely and warned Israel against exploiting the current political crisis in Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned in a speech from Saudi Arabia on Saturday and has yet to return to Lebanon. In a televised address Nasrallah said he believes Hariri is being detained in Riyadh. | 1 |
6,545 | Florida Is About To Make Murder Legal – Yes, Really | Soon, if you live in Florida, it will become very difficult to prosecute for murder.Florida s loose murder laws became national headlines with the death of Trayvon Martin, in which a 17-year-old African-American boy was caught in the act of walking at night. George Zimmerman, who was nothing more than a self-appointed neighborhood watch officer, killed Zimmerman in 2012. After more than a year of right-wing media thoroughly trashing the victim, Zimmerman was found not guilty of murder. A Zimmerman of today would find it even easier, assuming the bill passes.If the measure becomes law, the state would again be at the forefront of expanding self-defense laws. Florida would become the first state to apply a tougher standard to the law during the pretrial hearing. Under the measure, the burden of proof would be shifted to prosecutors and defendants would no longer have to present evidence, typically by taking the stand, to prove their claim of self-defense.Instead, prosecutors would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the highest legal standard that the use of force was not justified. Prosecutors have fiercely opposed the measure, saying it runs counter to the traditional workings of the criminal justice system. Typically, when defendants seek the dismissal of charges at a hearing arguing entrapment, for example it is up to them to present evidence and persuade the court, not the other way around.The new standard would require prosecutors to essentially put on a nonjury mini-trial, requiring victims and witnesses to testify twice and delaying the actual trial, prosecutors said. And with defendants no longer required to offer evidence which usually means taking the stand there will be little, if any downside, for them to claim a Stand Your Ground defense.Source: New York TimesCurrent Stand Your Ground laws make already make it easy to get away with murder, if you re white. In states with Stand Your Ground laws, there has been an eight percent increase in murder and in non-negligent manslaughter. In other words, more people are dying and more people are getting away with it.Getting away with murder isn t for everyone, though. According to studies, whites who kill blacks in Stand Your Ground states are far more likely to be found justified in their killings. In non-Stand Your Ground states, whites are 250 percent more likely to be found justified in killing a black person than a white person who kills another white person; in Stand Your Ground states, that number jumps to 354 percent. This proposed Florida law would only make things worse. When the burden of proof lies entirely with the dead guy in murder cases, it s difficult enough to prove, but when you add to the fact that the victim is black, well, you know how things will turn out. As they say, dead men tell no tales. To far too many, though, a dead black man has the presumption of guilt.Featured image via Pool/Getty Images | 0 |
6,546 | Australia defends hardline immigration policy as keeping out 'undesirables' | (Reuters) - Australia said on Sunday it is stopping undesirables such as terrorists, pedophiles, organized criminals and drug smugglers from boarding flights to the country, defending its hardline immigration policy that has drawn criticism from rights groups. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said that Australian Border Force Airline Liaison Officers were operating in major transit airports to push those threats beyond our borders . Where other countries allow people to arrive and then assess the threat then , the Australian model was to bar those considered a threat. (Liaison officers) try to identify the threats particularly given that we ve got foreign fighters coming back through Southeast Asia and all over the idea is to stop them getting on planes, the minister told the Nine Network. According to media, immigration officials prevented 1,043 passengers from boarding flights to Australia since 2013. Australia has seen the rise of nationalist, anti-immigration politics with far-right wing parties such as One Nation garnering strong public support, while the popularity of the ruling center-right government has been languishing. Under its policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat, Australia turns back unauthorized vessels at sea to their port of origin when it can and sends those it cannot to controversial camps in the South Pacific for long-term detention. Earlier this year, the government announced it would raise the bar for handing out citizenships by lengthening the waiting period, adding a new Australian values test and raising the standard for English language as part of a shake up of its immigration program. | 1 |
6,547 | Jack Lew urges Senate to act on Puerto Rico debt | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Monday called on the Senate to take immediate action this week to address Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt crisis before the critical July 1 deadline for the island territory’s next debt payments. “The Senate should take up the matter immediately,” Lew said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “Delay will only jeopardize the ability of Congress to conclude its work before July 1, a critical deadline Puerto Rico’s leadership has publicly highlighted for months.” If no action is taken, the crisis there will only ratchet higher, he said in the letter. Puerto Rico faces a deadline on Friday to pay off $2 billion of its debts. Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said later in a floor speech that the vote would take place on Wednesday. “I really do think that we can go ahead and support the bill,” he said. A senior Republican aide could not confirm that a vote would take place on Wednesday. The financially ailing island is staring down $70 billion worth of debt that it says it cannot repay in full, adding to its 45 percent poverty rate and rising emigration to the U.S. mainland that is also cutting into its economic growth. The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives already passed legislation to address Puerto Rico’s debt before leaving Washington for the July 4 holiday break. The Senate is expected to recess at the end of this week. The House bill, a rare piece of bipartisan legislation, would establish a federal oversight board to negotiate various debt restructurings while seeking to institute balanced budgets on the island, a U.S. territory with 3.5 million residents. Lew called on senators to also pass the House measure - the “Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act,” or PROMESA - this week to get it to President Barack Obama to sign into law before Friday’s payment deadline. The Senate, also controlled by Republicans, is expected to debate the measure this week, but Democrats have said they want changes - a move that could complicate its passage. A vote is expected this week. | 1 |
6,548 | Secret Service investigating incident at Trump rally: White House | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Secret Service is investigating a confrontation between a Time magazine photographer and a Secret Service agent at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Virginia, the White House said on Tuesday. “The Secret Service is working with local law enforcement to try to get to the bottom of what exactly happened,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters during a briefing. “The leadership of the Secret Service has indicated that they’ll take appropriate steps based on the conclusion of that investigation.” The rally on Monday was interrupted by protesters, including some from the Black Lives Matter movement. A photographer who was trying to document their removal from the rally was grabbed by the neck and shoved to the ground by a U.S. Secret Service agent. (Reporting by Clarece Polke; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production. | 1 |
6,549 | Abortion providers, opponents brace for U.S. high court decision | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As she waits for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on a challenge to a restrictive Texas abortion law, Amy Hagstrom-Miller said she hopes she will not have to close up to three of the clinics she operates in the state, but is planning for it just in case. Hagstrom-Miller founded Whole Woman’s Health, which runs four facilities in Texas that provide abortions and led the legal challenge to the law. She said she has spreadsheets listing staffers who would be laid off if the court allows the law to survive, and is thinking about selling buildings and medical equipment as well as shutting her clinics in Fort Worth, San Antonio and McAllen. “I would be irresponsible if I didn’t plan,” Hagstrom-Miller said in an interview. The Supreme Court is due to rule by the end of June on whether the Texas law, which imposes strict regulations on abortion doctors and clinic facilities, violates a woman’s constitutional right to end her pregnancy as set out in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The court has not issued a major abortion-related ruling since 2007. The law requires abortion doctors to have “admitting privileges,” a type of formal affiliation, at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the clinic. That provision has been implemented. A second provision, not yet in effect, requires clinics to have costly hospital-grade facilities including extensive standards for such attributes as corridor width, room size, floor tiles and the swinging motion of doors. Supporters of the law, passed by a Republican-led legislature and signed by a Republican governor in 2013, say it was enacted to protect women’s health. Abortion rights advocates say it imposes medically unnecessary regulations intended to shut clinics and has dramatically reduced access to abortion in Texas, the second-most-populous U.S. state with about 27 million people. Getting a clear-cut ruling is complicated by the fact that the court is down to eight justices, split evenly with four conservatives and four liberals, following the February death of conservative Antonin Scalia. One possibility is a 4-4 split that would affirm a lower court’s decision upholding the law but would not set a national legal precedent that could guide other states eager to pass similar statutes. Because it is unlikely one of the court’s liberals would join the four conservatives, there is almost no chance of a broad ruling upholding the law and giving other states a green light to enact similar measures. Numerous Republican-governed states have considered measures that would restrict abortion availability. For abortion opponents, who no longer have Scalia to cast a fifth vote to tip the balance in their favor, a 4-4 split leaving the Texas law in place may be the best result possible. John Eastman, a professor at Chapman University School of Law in California, an abortion opponent who filed a brief with the high court backing the Texas law, said if the justices cannot deliver a decisive ruling, “It’s not a catastrophe.” “I’d rather have women’s health and safety in some parts of the country than no parts of the country,” Eastman said. Legal fights over similar laws are ongoing in several states, including Mississippi, Louisiana and Wisconsin. If the court leaves in place the lower-court ruling upholding the Texas law, the number of abortion clinics in the state would drop from the current 19 to nine, abortion providers said. Texas had 41 abortion clinics when the law was passed. “A 4-4 decision would leave us in the untenable situation where a woman’s ability to get an abortion will depend on where she lives,” said Jennifer Dalven, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes restrictive abortion laws. Another possibility is that the justices strike down the law, or invalidate one of the two provisions at issue while keeping the other. It may be more likely that the admitting-privileges provision, already in effect, would survive, while the hospital-grade facilities requirements, which the justices themselves temporarily blocked, would not. Justice Anthony Kennedy could be the key player in any such scenarios, which would require at least one conservative to join the four liberals. Kennedy is a conservative who in past rulings has endorsed Roe v. Wade, but has voted to uphold some abortion restrictions. “It comes down to Justice Kennedy, and during the argument he didn’t show his hand too much,” said John Seago, the anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life’s legislative director, adding that the ruling could give abortion opponents “ideas about what laws we could pass.” Another possibility is that the court returns the case to a lower court for further proceedings, as Kennedy suggested during March 2 oral arguments. “It’s overwhelming for me when I think what could happen if it’s not a favorable decision,” said Dr. Bhavik Kumar, who performs abortions at two Texas Whole Woman’s Health clinics. “I try not to think about it every minute of every day.” | 1 |
6,550 | Czech election front-runner likely to put stamp on state-owned CEZ | PRAGUE (Reuters) - Andrej Babis say he wants to run the Czech Republic like a business, which may mean upheaval is ahead for the country s biggest state-controlled business, the utility CEZ. The billionaire Babis has a history of confrontation with CEZ management, and with his ANO party leading in polls ahead of parliamentary elections on Friday and Saturday, he may soon have the power to take on the management he feels has steered the company adrift. The fact that CEZ is out of his control and he doesn t have a decision in it has bothered him quite a bit, Jiri Pehe, a long-time political analyst and director of New York University in Prague. As one of the top businessmen in the country, he simply wants to have CEZ under his control. CEZ is 70 percent state-owned, and with market capitalization of $11.3 billion, is the Czech Republic s largest listed company. As such, it has long played a central role in Czech politics. It is the government s cash cow, paying the largest dividends among state-controlled companies to the state coffers. Its investment projects provide big-ticket orders for numerous Czech suppliers. Its chief executive, Daniel Benes, has led the company since 2011, after joining the board six years earlier. His contract has another four years to run. He has enjoyed the backing of previous prime ministers, including the outgoing Social Democrat Bohuslav Sobotka. That will probably end if Babis takes power following Saturday s elections. A billionaire whose own businesses include food, chemical and media holdings, Babis has long maintained that CEZ has too much influence on political parties, a charge he repeated most recently in an interview published this week. In my view, one state firm cannot run all political parties and cannot be a piggy bank for politicians, Babis told the magazine Tyden. A CEZ spokesman declined to comment on his remarks. As finance minister from January 2014 to May of this year, Babis clashed with CEZ management but did not have enough power to make big changes. As prime minister, he would have more of a say, and he could reshape the supervisory board that appoints management. Over the past year, Babis has criticized a dividend cut, a potential sale of a coal plant and a proposal now under consideration to spin off regulated distribution and renewables assets. The proposed spin-off would separate and potentially sell CEZ s distribution and renewables businesses while the government would take full control of its nuclear and coal plants. That in turn would allow the government to take over the construction of new nuclear plants. Instead, Babis says CEZ should finance the construction of nuclear plants itself. CEZ management has refused to do so without explicit state guarantees to help fund the project. The proposed spin-off is the first thing the government will have to solve, said Miroslav Frayer, who covers the utility for Komercni Banka. Michal Snobr, a long-time CEZ investor who represents a group that holds close to 1 percent in the company, said he expects things to change after the election. Given how Babis is presenting it, there are likely to be changes in the CEZ leadership, Snobr said. This management has made so many mistakes that in a normal business environment, changes would have happened long ago, he said. He cited long outages at CEZ s nuclear plant Dukovany, lack of company strategy and current initiatives, such as buying high-priced German wind plants. Snobr said a spin-off of CEZ, along the lines of the split of Innogy from RWE in Germany, should go ahead given the high valuations of regulated businesses. Babis may change his view after the election, he added. And CEZ could not finance new nuclear plants without state backing, Snobr said, because such a costly project would not be commercially justifiable and would spark lawsuits from other shareholders. | 1 |
6,551 | HOW THE CLINTON’S GOT RICH Off Donations From People Who Thought They Were Helping Poverty-Stricken Haiti Earthquake Victims [VIDE0] | In January 2015 a group of Haitians surrounded the New York offices of the Clinton Foundation. They chanted slogans, accusing Bill and Hillary Clinton of having robbed them of billions of dollars. Two months later, the Haitians were at it again, accusing the Clintons of duplicity, malfeasance, and theft. And in May 2015, they were back, this time outside New York s Cipriani, where Bill Clinton received an award and collected a $500,000 check for his foundation. Clinton, where s the money? the Haitian signs read. In whose pockets? Said Dhoud Andre of the Commission Against Dictatorship, We are telling the world of the crimes that Bill and Hillary Clinton are responsible for in Haiti. Haitians like Andre may sound a bit strident, but he and the protesters had good reason to be disgruntled. They had suffered a heavy blow from Mother Nature, and now it appeared that they were being battered again this time by the Clintons. Their story goes back to 2010, when a massive 7.0 earthquake devastated the island, killing more than 200,000 people, leveling 100,000 homes, and leaving 1.5 million people destitute.The devastating effect of the earthquake on a very poor nation provoked worldwide concern and inspired an outpouring of aid money intended to rebuild Haiti. Countries around the world, as well as private and philanthropic groups such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, provided some $10.5 billion in aid, with $3.9 billion of it coming from the United States.Haitians such as Andre, however, noticed that very little of this aid money actually got to poor people in Haiti. Some projects championed by the Clintons, such as the building of industrial parks and posh hotels, cost a great deal of money and offered scarce benefits to the truly needy. Port-au-Prince was supposed to be rebuilt; it was never rebuilt. Projects aimed at creating jobs proved to be bitter disappointments. Haitian unemployment remained high, largely undented by the funds that were supposed to pour into the country. Famine and illness continued to devastate the island nation.The Haitians were initially sympathetic to the Clintons. One may say they believed in the message of hope and change. With his customary overstatement, Bill told the media, Wouldn t it be great if they become the first wireless nation in the world? They could, I m telling you, they really could. I don t blame the Haitians for falling for it; Bill is one of the world s greatest story-tellers. He has fooled people far more sophisticated than the poor Haitians. Over time, however, the Haitians wised up. Whatever their initial expectations, many saw that much of the aid money seems never to have reached its destination; rather, it disappeared along the way.Where did it go? It did not escape the attention of the Haitians that Bill Clinton was the designated UN representative for aid to Haiti. Following the earthquake, Bill Clinton had with media fanfare established the Haiti Reconstruction Fund. Meanwhile, his wife Hillary was the United States secretary of state. She was in charge of U.S. aid allocated to Haiti. Together the Clintons were the two most powerful people who controlled the flow of funds to Haiti from around the world.Bill and Hillary weren t the only ones profiting off the devastation of poor Haitians. This video shows how Hillary s brother cashed in on a lucrative gold-mining permit in Haiti:An unusual nexus of mining interests, relief work in Haiti, and a former U.S. first family is raising new ethics questions that could affect Hillary Clinton s presidential ambitions.Clinton s brother, Tony Rodham, was a board member of a North Carolina mining company that enjoyed prime access to Haitian gold deposits in the wake of post-earthquake relief work organized in part by former president Bill Clinton through the Clinton Foundation.Another board member of the firm, VCS Mining, was former Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, who co-chaired the charitable Interim Haiti Recovery Commission with Mr. Clinton.https://youtu.be/nlS4SimQfv8The Haitian protesters noticed an interesting pattern involving the Clintons and the designation of how aid funds were used. They observed that a number of companies that received contracts in Haiti happened to be entities that made large donations to the Clinton Foundation. The Haitian contracts appeared less tailored to the needs of Haiti than to the needs of the companies that were performing the services. In sum, Haitian deals appeared to be a quid pro quo for filling the coffers of the Clintons. For example, the Clinton Foundation selected Clayton Homes, a construction company owned by Warren Buffett s Berkshire Hathaway, to build temporary shelters in Haiti. Buffett is an active member of the Clinton Global Initiative who has donated generously to the Clintons as well as the Clinton Foundation. The contract was supposed to be given through the normal United Nations bidding process, with the deal going to the lowest bidder who met the project s standards. UN officials said, however, that the contract was never competitively bid for.Clayton offered to build hurricane-proof trailers but what they actually delivered turned out to be a disaster. The trailers were structurally unsafe, with high levels of formaldehyde and insulation coming out of the walls. There were problems with mold and fumes. The stifling heat inside made Haitians sick and many of them abandoned the trailers because they were ill-constructed and unusable.The Clintons also funneled $10 million in federal loans to a firm called InnoVida, headed by Clinton donor Claudio Osorio. Osorio had loaded its board with Clinton cronies, including longtime Clinton ally General Wesley Clark; Hillary s 2008 finance director Jonathan Mantz; and Democratic fundraiser Chris Korge who has helped raise millions for the Clintons. Normally the loan approval process takes months or even years. But in this case, a government official wrote, Former President Bill Clinton is personally in contact with the company to organize its logistical and support needs. And as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has made available State Department resources to assist with logistical arrangements. InnoVida had not even provided an independently audited financial report that is normally a requirement for such applications. This requirement, however, was waived. On the basis of the Clinton connection, InnoVida s application was fast-tracked and approved in two weeks. The company, however, defaulted on the loan and never built any houses.An investigation revealed that Osorio had diverted company funds to pay for his Miami Beach mansion, his Maserati, and his Colorado ski chalet. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in 2013, and is currently serving a twelve-year prison term on fraud charges related to the loan. Several Clinton cronies showed up with Bill to a 2011 Housing Expo that cost more than $2 million to stage. Bill Clinton said it would be a model for the construction of thousands of homes in Haiti. In reality, no homes have been built. A few dozen model units were constructed but even they have not been sold. Rather, they are now abandoned and have been taken over by squatters.THE SCHOOLS THEY NEVER BUILT USAID contracts to remove debris in Port-au-Prince went to a Washington-based company named CHF International. The company s CEO David Weiss, a campaign contributor to Hillary in 2008, was deputy U.S. trade representative for North American Affairs during the Clinton administration. The corporate secretary of the board, Lauri Fitz-Pegado, served in a number of posts in the Clinton administration, including assistant secretary of commerce.The Clintons claim to have built schools in Haiti. But the New York Times discovered that when it comes to the Clintons, built is a term with a very loose interpretation. For example, the newspaper located a school featured in the Clinton Founation annual report as built through a Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action. In reality, The Clinton Foundation s sole direct contribution to the school was a grant for an Earth Day celebration and tree-building activity. Via: National Review | 0 |
6,552 | Supreme Court firmly backs abortion rights, tosses Texas law | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas abortion law imposing strict regulations on doctors and facilities in the strongest endorsement of abortion rights in America in more than two decades. The 5-3 ruling held that the Republican-backed 2013 Texas law placed an undue burden on women exercising their right under the U.S. Constitution to end a pregnancy, established in the court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The abortion providers who challenged the law said it was medically unnecessary and specifically intended to shut clinics. Texas officials said it was intended to protect women’s health. The ruling means similar laws in other states are probably unconstitutional and could put in jeopardy other types of abortion restrictions enacted in various conservative states. “The decision should send a loud signal to politicians that they can no longer hide behind sham rationales to shut down clinics and prevent a woman who has decided to end a pregnancy from getting the care she needs,” said Jennifer Dalven, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. President Barack Obama, whose administration backed the abortion providers in the court challenge, said in a statement he was “pleased to see the Supreme Court protect women’s rights and health” and that restrictions like those in Texas “harm women’s health and place an unconstitutional obstacle in the path of a woman’s reproductive freedom.” Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the court’s four liberal members in the ruling, with the remaining three conservatives dissenting. The court declared that both key provisions of the law - requiring abortion doctors to have difficult-to-obtain “admitting privileges” at a local hospital and requiring clinics to have costly hospital-grade facilities - violated a woman’s right to an abortion. Writing for the court, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer said, “We conclude that neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes.” “Each places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a pre-viability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access, and each violates the federal Constitution,” Breyer added. Deferring to state legislatures over “questions of medical uncertainty is also inconsistent with this court’s case law,” Breyer added. The ruling in the case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, represented the most vigorous affirmation of abortion rights in the United States since a 1992 ruling affirmed a woman’s right to have the procedure. On a warm sunny summer day, hundreds of people on both sides of the issue converged on the Supreme Court building, with abortion rights advocates dancing and celebrating after the ruling. “We’re ecstatic. The reality is today women won,” abortion rights activist Marcela Howell said. The law was passed by a Republican-led legislature and signed by a Republican governor in 2013. Ten states currently have admitting privileges requirements on the books while six have laws requiring hospital-grade facilities. Lower courts have blocked admitting privileges provisions in five states and halted facilities regulations in two states. “The decision erodes states’ lawmaking authority to safeguard the health and safety of women and subjects more innocent life to being lost. Texas’ goal is to protect innocent life, while ensuring the highest health and safety standards for women,” Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott said. Since the law was passed, the number of abortion clinics in Texas, the second-most-populous U.S. state with about 27 million people, had dropped from 41 to 19. The Supreme Court has appeals pending in two cases involving admitting privilege laws in Mississippi and Wisconsin on which it could act as soon as Tuesday. The Texas law required abortion doctors to have “admitting privileges,” a type of formal affiliation, at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the clinic so they can treat patients needing surgery or other critical care. The law also required clinic buildings to possess costly, hospital-grade facilities. These regulations covered numerous building features such as corridor width, the swinging motion of doors, floor tiles, parking spaces, elevator size, ventilation, electrical wiring, plumbing, floor tiling and even the angle that water flows from drinking fountains. Americans remain closely divided over whether abortion should be legal. In a Reuters/Ipsos online poll involving 6,769 U.S. adults conducted from June 3 to June 22, 47 percent of respondents said abortion generally should be legal and 42 percent said it generally should be illegal. Views on abortion in the United States have changed very little over the decades, according to historical polling data. The last time the justices decided a major abortion case was nine years ago when they ruled 5-4 to uphold a federal law banning a late-term abortion procedure. Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, which led the challenge to the Texas law, said, “Every day Whole Woman’s Health treats our patients with compassion, respect and dignity - and today the Supreme Court did the same. We’re thrilled that today justice was served and our clinics stay open.” Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Twitter called the ruling “a victory for women in Texas and across America.” “This fight isn’t over: The next president has to protect women’s health. Women won’t be ‘punished’ for exercising their basic rights,” she said, a dig at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who once suggested women who get illegal abortions should face “some sort of punishment.” The presidential election is Nov. 8. Some U.S. states have pursued a variety of restrictions on abortion, including banning certain types of procedures, prohibiting it after a certain number of weeks of gestation, requiring parental permission for girls until a certain age, imposing waiting periods or mandatory counseling, and others. “It’s exceedingly unfortunate that the court has taken the ability to protect women’s health out of the hands of Texas citizens and their duly-elected representatives,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito dissented. The normally nine-justice court was one member short after the Feb. 13 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who consistently opposed abortion in past rulings. | 1 |
6,553 | HACKERS REVEAL THOUSANDS OF EMAILS REGISTERED TO WHITE HOUSE USED WEBSITE FOR CHEATING SPOUSES [Video] | This could be bad news for a number of politicians who seem to have ditched their moral compass as they entered the Washington DC cesspool Thousands of clients using the affair-oriented Ashley Madison website listed email addresses registered to the White House, top federal agencies and military branches, a data dump by hackers revealed.The detailed data, released Tuesday, will likely put Washington, D.C., on edge. The nation s capital reportedly has the highest rate of membership for the site of any city.Indeed, more than 15,000 of the email addresses used to register accounts were hosted on government and military servers.Buried in the list are emails that could be tied to multiple administration agencies, including the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, as well as several tied to both the House and Senate.For a month, hackers using the name Impact Team have been holding hostage the dating profiles of those who registered on the site. The group threatened to publicly out the potential adulterers if the site s owner, Avid Life Media, didn t take down Ashley Madison, which uses the tagline, Life is short. Have an affair. Security researchers said on Wednesday that they believe the data released following the hack at Ashley Madison is authentic. This dump appears to be legit, said David Kennedy, CEO of information security company TrustedSec, which monitors cyber attacks, in a blog post. Very, very legit. Security journalist Brian Krebs reported several of the site s users told him their real information is in the data dump.The leaked database is staggering, according to researchers, and larger than expected at 37 million records, or nearly 10 gigabytes compressed. For folks that may not know, that is massive, Kennedy said. Huge. It s full account information, said Robert Graham, CEO of Errata Security, in a blog post. That includes full names, emails, phone numbers, addresses and passwords. It also includes dating information, like height, weight, and so forth, Graham added. It appears to contain addresses, as well as GPS coordinates. I suspect that many people created fake accounts, but with an app that reported their real GPS coordinates. Other tech news outlets, such as CSO, have discovered British government officials, United Nations employees and Vatican staff among the millions of people in the leaked database.However, the site reportedly did not check the validity of email addresses, and it s likely that many of the government email accounts were faked. For instance, several emails were registered at whitehouse.gov, whereas White House officials use eop.gov for email communications.The hackers have indicated their mission is to publicly shame the company, while also teaching its users a lesson. Find yourself in here? they said in a statement posted with the data dump. It was [Avid Life Media] that failed you and lied to you. Prosecute them and claim damages. Then move on with your life. Learn your lesson and make amends. Embarrassing now, but you ll get over it. Via: The Hill | 0 |
6,554 | CNN’s Don Lemon Tries to Downplay Horrific ‘Anti-Trump’ Torture of Mentally Disabled Man | In case you missed it, CNN anchor Don Lemon went on a drunk, alcohol-fuelled tear this past New Years Eve, drinking tequila shots during CNN s nationally televised show. It was a shocking scene, even by CNN standards. After making a show of himself, the 50 year-old Lemon then got a free pass from CNN executives, and the next day he was back to work on set as if nothing had happened. Things only got worse from there On Wednesday, shocking reports surfaced of what appears to be both a politically and racially motivated attack, where four black youths from Chicago kidnapped and tortured a mentally disabled white man (pictured above), in an ordeal which lasted over 24 hours. The perpetrators live-streamed the abuse on Facebook s Live.Later that evening, host Don Lemon assembled a panel of CNN regulars, most of whom appeared to downplay the political and racial nature of the attack despite having the video evidence right there, clearly showing the captors ill intentions.The kidnappers could be heard shouting at their victim, F*** Trump! and F*** white people! as they proceeded to humiliate and torture the mentally disabled man, including taking a knife and scalping a lock of his hair and drawing blood in the process.Aside from the political and racist overtones, the fact that the victim was a helpless disabled man added another dimension to the cruelty. The fact that this was a vulnerable person who was probably duped into going along with them. It appears it is someone who is mentally disabled, I think makes it even more sickening, said CNN guest Matt Lewis. But at the end of the day, you just try to wrap your head around evil. That s what this is, it s evil. It s brutality. That s when CNN s Don Lemon stepped in, trying to steer the conversation towards being sympathetic towards the four black assailants, with Lemon stating, I don t think it s evil. I think these are young people and I think they have bad home training.Lemon s obvious cognitive dissonance is clearly on display here, as the troubled anchor claims he cannot image such criminal behavior, even as four people conspire and broadcast the torture right in front of Lemon s eyes. I say, who is raising these young people? I have no idea who s raising these young people. Because no one I know on Earth who is 17 years old or 70 years old would ever think of treating another person like that. Watch Lemon s shameful gatekeeping episode here: Lemon s racial and political bias was trumped only by CNN s flippant black activist and Democratic Party surrogate, Symone Sanders, who tried selling the idea that this incident wasn t a hate crime even though all aspects of an anti-white racist hate were on full display. The Democratic Party worker then infers that Donald Trump is to blame for creating the conditions for the attack, as she callously tries to downplay the event as merely stupid on the part of the black kidnappers.One could easily argue based on their commentaries, both Don Lemon and Symone Sanders have a clear bias because of the racial identities of the assailants, and are thus incapable of covering this story with any level of normal objectivity.SEE ALSO: Don Lemon Hits Back at Fake Information That He s Making Excuses for Torture Gang Democratic Party operative and Black Lives Matter supporter Symone Sanders (Image: CNN)In a separate segment, #BlackLives Matter supporter and CNN panelist Angela Rye, attempted to divert the conversation away from the racist aspects of the crime by attacking The Blaze radio host Glenn Beck who tweeted earlier and blamed the militant activist George Soros-funded militant group Black Lives Matter for the incident.You are right. Stand up with me and demand justice in Chicago for the beating of a disabled trump supporter by BLM https://t.co/aP79pKnHA1 Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) January 5, 2017It is not yet clear whether any of the four black assailants were members or supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement.Mainstream Media: Institutional Double Standards It goes without saying that had the racial identities been reversed in this case, then it would have sparked national outrage and certainly organized rioting in dozens of cities across America as well as any white-on-black crime being blamed on President-Elect Donald Trump.READ MORE CNN NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire CNN FilesSUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE & BECOME A MEMBER@ 21WIRE.TV | 0 |
6,555 | Trump Started A War With McConnell And The Oldest GOP Senator Is Coming For Him Guns Blazing | Donald Trump just LOVES attacking members of his own party. Seemingly not understanding that the 535 people in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate are a co-equal branch of government and can totally kneecap him and even remove him from office if they so choose, Trump has been steadily attacking a GOP stalwart: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.First, Trump decided that McConnell needed to get back to work on his failed healthcare legislation. Then, he suggested that McConnell should resign if he cannot get Trump s legislative agenda through the Senate. Well, it seems that other GOP Senators are sick and tired of Trump s bullying of their Senate leader, and are coming after him.First, Orrin Hatch, who is easily the oldest member of the Senate at age 83, had his office release the following cryptic message regarding Trump s attacks on McConnell:"@SenateMajLdr has been the best leader we ve had in my time in the Senate, through very tough challenges. I fully support him." -Hatch pic.twitter.com/3vD5nFgE36 Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) August 10, 2017Of course, Trump is not one of them. He ran an insurgent campaign and took over their entire party, as they watched helplessly. Now, slowly but surely, the establishment elected Republicans are realizing that this deal with the devil was a colossal mistake. Now that Senator Hatch has come out and stood with McConnell, surely more Senators especially those who have criticized Trump in the past are sure to follow. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John McCain (R-AZ), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) come to mind, for starters.Trump has no idea what he has done by declaring war on McConnell. These people have the power to end his presidency and perhaps even his freedom if he isn t careful. So, let the GOP infighting and the Trump bullying continue.Pop your popcorn, folks. This is about to get REAL good.Featured image via Olivier Douliery Pool/Getty Images | 0 |
6,556 | Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan call for commitment to nuclear deal | TEHRAN (Reuters) - All parties to the Iran nuclear deal should adhere to their commitments, Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement signed on Wednesday. The three countries also agreed to increase cooperation in the oil and gas industry, including in production as well as oil and oil products swaps, the statement said. | 1 |
6,557 | Clinton bests de Blasio in hypothetical NYC mayor race: poll | NEW YORK (Reuters) - If Hillary Clinton decided to run as an independent for New York City mayor this year, she would open with a sizable lead over incumbent Democrat Bill de Blasio, according to Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday. Clinton led de Blasio 49 percent to 30 percent in the survey of 1,138 city voters. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points, meaning results could vary that much either way. Since Democrat Clinton’s loss to Republican President-elect Donald Trump in November, there has been speculation that the former U.S. secretary of state and U.S. senator from New York state might set her sights on the New York City mayoralty this year. Political analysts have dismissed the rumors, saying there is little chance Clinton, 69, would seek de Blasio’s office after coming so close to winning the White House. Clinton’s camp has not denied the possibility outright, though advisers have said they do not expect her to seek public office again. A spokesman for de Blasio’s re-election campaign and a Clinton spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The poll may also be a reflection of de Blasio’s public standing, which has had its ups and downs during his four-year term. Forty-five percent of those surveyed approved of de Blasio, while a nearly identical 46 percent did not. Nevertheless, the poll showed de Blasio ahead of other possible challengers, including former city council speaker Christine Quinn, who lost to de Blasio in the 2013 Democratic primary, and City Comptroller Scott Stringer. “New Yorkers aren’t in love with Mayor Bill de Blasio, but they seem to like him better than other possible choices – except Hillary Clinton, who probably is an impossible choice,” Tim Malloy, the poll’s assistant director, said in a statement. The poll was apparently the first major survey to include Clinton as a potential mayoral candidate. New York City has never had a female mayor. In the Nov. 8 presidential election, Clinton captured more than 80 percent of New York City votes, even though Trump was born and raised in the heavily Democratic city. She moved in 1999 to Chappaqua, New York, about 30 miles north of the city, in order to run for the U.S. Senate. | 1 |
6,558 | WATCH: Giuliani Says A Woman Can’t Be President Because Trump Is A ‘Genius’ For Not Paying Taxes | Rudy Giuliani not only insulted the intelligence of Americans who pay their taxes every year like good citizens are supposed to do, he insulted women, too.During an appearance on ABC s This Week, the former NYC mayor responded to the bombshell New York Times report that Trump avoided paying federal income taxes for nearly two decades by calling him a genius, while suggesting that Hillary Clinton is a stupid woman because she paid her fair share. Absolute genius, Giuliani told George Stephanopoulos before going on to excuse Trump s failure to contribute to the general welfare of this country. The man, in The Art of the Deal this is described, first of all we are talking about 26 years ago, perfectly legal. We should get that straight immediately. It s a perfectly legal application of the tax code and he would have been a fool not to take advantage of it. Not only that, but he would have probably breached his fiduciary duty to his investors, to his business. You have an obligation when you run a business to maximize the profits and if there is a tax law that says I can deduct this, you deduct it. If you fail to deduct it, people can sue you. Your investors can sue you. Giuliani seemed to think that Trump only wrote off a $1.8 million loss on his taxes in 1995, but Stephanopoulos had to inform him that he actually wrote off $915 million.Nevertheless, Giuliani had no problem with that either and claimed that Trump not paying his taxes is a good thing that makes him the most qualified for the presidency. But he began by bragging about how much money Trump makes now, and it turns out Trump could have paid off his losses in under a couple years but chose to let taxpayers foot the bill instead. $916 million. Well, Last year for example he made $625 million. So if he had one year in which he made $1 billion, he would have wiped it out the last [inaudible] one year. So it s unlikely that it carried forward with 18 years. That is the amount of income he was making. Second, every great man has had failures and The Art of the Deal, he explains it. Churchill was thrown out of office twice. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple and had nothing. The reality is, this man, 26 years ago, had some failures and then he built an empire. I would like that working for me for the United States. Oh, but Giuliani didn t shut up after that. He had to insult Hillary Clinton and women everywhere.According to Giuliani, Trump should be president because Hillary Clinton is a stupid woman for actually doing her civic duty by paying taxes. This a genius that had to take advantage of legal remedies that can help your company survive and grow. I want a man who is genius for figuring out how to take this country, moving in the wrong direction, where we have had a basically jobless recovery, where we ve had a growth of less than 2 percent for two years, that is pathetic. Don t you think a man who has this kind of economic genius is a lot better for the United States than a woman and the only thing she has ever produced is a lot of work for the FBI checking out her emails? Stephanopoulos would go on to hit Giuliani with Trump s past hypocrisy because the Republican nominee has whined about the conservative talking point that 50 percent of Americans don t pay income taxes and has complained about hedge fund guys getting away with murder by not paying taxes.Here s the video via Media Matters.Donald Trump is a complete fraud who lies to the American people. He is coward for not releasing his tax returns and now we know why he doesn t want to release them. Because they would destroy his campaign and Republicans know it.The fact is that while Hillary Clinton released her tax returns to the public and revealed that she actually pays her taxes, Donald Trump is enjoying all of the benefits of our society without contributing to the revenues that pay for them. That s unfair and un-American and he should not be rewarded for it.Featured image via screenshot | 0 |
6,559 | Anonymous Posts Video Of Donald Trump That Shows How CRAZY It Would Be To Elect Him President | Donald Trump has shown his true colors time and time again while running for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Thus far we ve discovered that he advocates for violence at his rallies, he has racist tendencies, and he says many creepy things about women, including his own daughter. While all of these factors have put a dent in his possible nomination, he still has a comfortable delegate lead and he polls well in upcoming contests. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Trump is a certified douche bag, there are voters out there who find his insanity appealing. Now comes another video that the hacker collective Anonymous posted that proves just how absurd it would be to elect this man as the representative of our country and the symbol of our nation.Watch video here:The clip was taken in 2007 at Wrestlemania, and it shows Donald Trump tackling professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon and then beating him to the ground. Trump then triumphantly pumps his fists in the air. A disgruntled McMahon is then tied to a chair and Trump is shown shaving his head as the crowd cheers him on.While this video is quite entertaining, it s very hard to imagine that the guy we just watched clotheline and shave Vince McMahon s head could be the leader of our military, the planner of our economy, and the guy who represents America to the world.Let s hope that Donald Trump running for president is just a short and funny clip in America s history and nothing more. Featured image via video screenshot. | 0 |
6,560 | U.S. visas to six Muslim nations drop after Supreme Court backs travel ban | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the first two months after a June Supreme Court ruling allowed partial implementation of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, visas issued on average each month to citizens of six countries targeted by the order were 18 percent lower compared to the month prior to the ban, a Reuters analysis of government data shows. The 3,268 visas issued in July and 3,884 visas issued in August to citizens of the six majority-Muslim countries were down from 4,351 issued in June. The July figure was lower than the monthly average at any point since 2007, when an average of 3,080 visas per month were issued to those countries. The lower July and August numbers were especially noteworthy, immigration attorneys say, because a larger number of visas are typically issued in the summer months, as foreign students prepare to arrive in the United States for the fall semester. “We are processing visa applications for nationals of the six affected countries as directed by the Executive Order and to the extent permitted by court decisions,” a State Department official said on condition of anonymity when asked about the lower numbers. The decline comes on top of already plummeting figures for U.S. visas issued to citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen after Trump issued an executive order in late January halting entry of travelers from those countries for 90 days. That order, and a more limited form of the ban issued in March, were hamstrung by months of legal challenges until the Supreme Court approved a limited version in June. But in the interim, the State Department issued far fewer visas to travelers from those six countries compared to the number issued in 2016 under the administration of President Barack Obama. On Sunday, Trump issued a third version of the ban, which indefinitely restricts travelers from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea. Certain government officials from Venezuela will also be barred. From March through June, a period when Trump’s order was mostly blocked by the courts, citizens of the six countries were issued an average of 3,929 visas monthly, 42 percent fewer than the 2016 monthly average of 6,799, according to State Department data. After the Supreme Court ruling, that monthly average was 47 percent lower than in 2016. (For a graphic of visas issued to six countries affected by the travel ban, see tmsnrt.rs/2yd6BAA) Trump’s initial travel ban, which barred citizens of the six countries as well as Iraq, sparked chaos and protests at airports around the United States. Issued with little forewarning, the order’s scope was unclear and sowed confusion among travelers as well as authorities responsible for implementing it. Courts quickly enjoined the main parts of the order. Trump eventually issued a new order that excluded Iraq and delayed its enactment to allow the administration and travelers time to prepare. But that order, too, was soon blocked by courts. The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, which allowed a limited version of the ban affecting only those citizens of the six countries lacking “bona fide” ties to the United States. After Trump issued the revised ban on Sunday, the Supreme Court canceled oral arguments scheduled for Oct. 10 to decide whether or not the earlier version of the ban was discriminatory. Even as sharply fewer visas were being issued, the president often complained on social media and in speeches about limits imposed by U.S. courts on the two executive orders establishing the travel ban. “The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!” Trump tweeted on Sept. 15. (Follow Trump’s impact on energy, environment, healthcare, immigration and the economy at The Trump Effect www.reuters.com/trump-effect) Because the State Department only releases data on how many visas are issued and not total application numbers, it is unclear if the drop is due to fewer people applying, or because the administration is denying more applications. In addition, a month-by-month comparison with prior years is not possible because the State Department released only annual numbers – not monthly data - until March of this year. Stephen Pattison, a former U.S. consular official and now an immigration attorney, said he suspects that the huge drop in visas issued is due to fewer people applying rather than higher rejection rates. “Quantifying the chilling effect of the Trump administration’s policies on the international public is hard to do, but I think that’s the biggest impact of what this administration has done,” Pattison said. “This atmosphere is causing bona fide, legitimate travelers to think twice about coming to the United States.” Michael Boos, general counsel for the conservative nonprofit Citizens United, which filed a brief to the Supreme Court in support of the Trump administration in the travel ban case, said the figures show the ban is having its intended effect. “Clearly the purpose of the temporary ban was to reduce the number of visas that would be issued to persons from the affected countries, so it’s not surprising that...when the court reinstated the ban, the number of visas would have dramatically diminished,” Boos said. “If people are deterred from seeking admission to the United States because they’re going to go through a vetting process that’s real and substantial, then maybe they shouldn’t be coming here in the first place.” (This version of the story corrects penultimate paragraph spelling to Michael instead of Michel) | 1 |
6,561 | death of millions of yemenis in the forgotten war | email
an informed source in yemens ansarallah stated last night missile strikes by yemen houthis aimed to annihilate the saudis invading air force base in jeddah
saudis have repeatedly targeted the cities and yemeni defenseless people by their air strikes through this airport
he said we have admonished saudis several times so far and urged them to put an end to their attacks otherwise we would prevent them from committing tortures and crimes through our attacks a ballistic missile berkane was fired at king abdulaziz airport which is the saudis royal air force position this attack caused wide damages to the airport leading to its closure
jeddah is located kilometers from mecca and alarabiya news network announced that a ballistic missile belonging to yemen houthis was fired from yemeni sadah to the holy city mecca however this missile was traced and intercepted at a distance of kilometres from mecca | 0 |
6,562 | Even Trump’s Best Friend Joe Scarborough Can’t Handle His ‘Disqualifying’ KKK Support (VIDEO) | Recently, Joe Scarborough has found himself the subject of, shall we say, criticism because of his insanely pro-Trump bias something that bothers pretty much everyone at MSNBC. In fact, their relationship has traditionally been so strong that Scarborough bragged about giving The Donald debate tips. Recently Scarborough was busted revealing his pro-Trump bias in hot mic comments captured during a commercial break. The Morning Joe host can be heard steering Mika Brzezinski away from tougher topics like immigration in his effort to provide the billionaire with a softball interview.Following Trump s repeated refusals to disavow the Ku Klux Klan something that would be easy for anyone who did not depend so heavily on them for support Scarborough expressed what can only be referred to as disgust during a segment of the show on Monday: It s breathtaking. That is disqualifying right there. To say you don t know about the Ku Klux Klan? Scarborough said. You don t know about David Duke? On Sunday, Trump acknowledged his heavy support from white supremacists, including former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, but said it would be unfair to renounce the White Power Rangers supporting him until he has more information. Just so you understand, I don t know anything about David Duke, OK? Trump told CNN s Jake Tapper. I don t know anything about what you re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. I have to look at the group. I mean, I don t know what group you re talking about, he added despite Tapper s repeated clarifications that he was talking about the Ku Klux Klan. You wouldn t want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I d have to look. Scarborough called this course of action stunning in that it isn t buying him a single vote : I mean is he really so stupid that he thinks Southerners aren t offended by the Ku Klux Klan and David Duke? Is he really so ignorant of Southern voters that he thinks this is the way to their heart to go neutral, to play Switzerland when you re talking about the Klan? And to say he doesn t know enough information about the Klan to condemn them exactly what does Donald Trump expect to learn in the next 24 hours about the Klan. Watch the segment below:Featured image via screengrab | 0 |
6,563 | WATCH: Trump Supporter Calls For Right-Wing Gun Nuts To Come Shoot Black People At GOP Convention | A racist Trump supporter who couldn t hack it as a police officer is calling for right-wing militia members, former police officers, and military veterans to grab their guns and come to Cleveland to shoot any black people they find protesting at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next month. I am encouraging patriots and Trump supporters and those that support liberty and freedom to come lawfully armed with lethal and non-lethal weaponry, Jim Stachowiak declared in a video directed at lone wolf patriots. Stachowiak was booted out of the police force for misconduct after only three years on the job, yet he thinks he is capable of patrolling the outside of the GOP convention as a pretend law enforcement official.After slandering the Black Lives Matter movement by claiming that the group has issued death threats aimed at Donald Trump, Stachowiak called for armed volunteers to join him at the convention to intimidate and even kill black protesters They have threatened to cause riots in Cleveland and nationwide, he said. It is our sworn duty and obligation for all those like me and many of you who have taken the oath to defend this country against all enemies foreign and domestic. Then he repeated Donald Trump s suggestion that President Obama is a terrorist sympathizer and urged patriots to use their Second Amendment against Black Lives Matter members, whom he also referred to as domestic terrorists. We should answer the call with our Second Amendment. Yes, I m encouraging patriots to come prepared to defend this nation against a domestic terrorist organization supported by the terrorist in the White House, Obama Come prepared, because this may spark another revolution. It won t be decided if that spark turns into a bonfire by we who love liberty, for we will defend, not attack. We won t act, but we will react. Here s the video via YouTube.Stachowiak is nothing more than a right-wing terrorist trying to organize another Bundy-style standoff that he hopes will turn into some kind of bloody revolution. Gun nuts like him are the reason why we need serious gun restrictions in this country. If anybody shouldn t be allowed to have a gun it s this guy. He is literally calling for gun violence against back protesters who show up to the GOP convention. Hopefully, the FBI has seen this video and are planning to take Stachowiak into custody before we end up with another mass shooting.Featured image via screenshot | 0 |
6,564 | Trump FRANTICALLY Spins Illuminati-Like Global Conspiracy Theory To Explain His Death Spiral | Since disgusting revelations came to light that show the Republicans horse crap-covered, diseased nutsack of a nominee is actually a sexual predator, Trump has been frantically trying to cover his ass in every way imaginable. There is no line he will not cross, no level to which he will not sink, in order to turn the whole thing around in a pathetic attempt to come out smelling like roses. That includes pushing ever-wilder conspiracy theories about how the nefarious Hillary Clinton is behind all of this.Yes, Trump wants people to believe that this is all a worldwide smear campaign specifically intended to derail his candidacy. His asinine cease-and-desist letter to The New York Times revealed that (along with the true intent of the lawsuit threat), and so do the growing, nutty conspiracy theories he was touting in West Palm Beach today: The most powerful weapon deployed by the Clintons is the corporate media: the press. Let s be clear on one thing, the corporate media in our country is no longer involved in journalism. They re a political special interest, no different than any lobbyist or any other financial entity with a total political agenda and the agenda is not for you, it s for themselves.Their agenda is to elect crooked Hillary Clinton at any costs, at any price, no matter how many lives they destroy. For them, it s a war. And for them, nothing at all is out of bounds. This is a struggle for the survival of our nation. Believe me. And this will be our last chance to save it. Oh, it s a war all right, but it s a war against the evil that pervades Trump and his loyal, minion-y followers. Nobody s destroyed Trump s life but Trump himself. When it comes to the women he s assaulted he s out to destroy their lives, and the lives of members of the press, for daring to report the truth about him. He is so not a victim.Trump s followers are dead certain that this election will be stolen from them, and Trump is playing that like a master violinist. For Trump, it s simple: The election is stolen if he loses. The election is fair if he wins. End of story.His minionish cult of followers see it the exact same way.But wait! It gets better. He also drew connections between his assault victims coming forward, Wikileaks, and Hillary: These claims are all fabricated, they are pure fiction, and they are outright lies It s not coincidence that these attacks come at the exact same moment and all together at the same time as Wikileaks releases documents exposing the massive international corruption of the Clinton machine. Coincidence or not, nothing changes the fact that he s a sexual predator who has no business being anywhere near a position of such power and responsibility as the presidency.As he continued to speak, his descent into madness became clearer: We ve seen this [corruption] first hand in the Wikileaks documents in which Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends, and her donors. The funny thing is that those emails reveal nothing of the sort. Time pointed out that a lot of things he said there are invented. As The Atlantic put it, they show a political candidate being political. Is that good? Not necessarily. However, they don t reveal anything nearly as horrific as what s come out about Trump recently.It s time for the cowardly GOP to actually come forward as a unified party and do something about this man. He s beyond help at this point.Featured image by Joe Raedle via Getty Images | 0 |
6,565 | Democrats Across The Country Are Figuring Out Ways To FORCE Trump To Release His Tax Returns | Every major party presidential candidate in the last 40 years has released his or her tax returns, except for two. One was Gerald Ford and the other was Donald Trump. Trump, who s completely embroiled in a scandal surrounding ties to Russia, may soon be forced, at court or congressional order, to release his returns, but if that doesn t happen, Democrats at the state level might be forcing Trump s hand.State legislatures are now proposing measures that would ban any candidates from their ballots who don t release tax returns. Tax return information would provide some transparency there to give voters the assurance that they need that the president is acting on behalf of us, said Kathleen Clyde, an Ohio state representative who recently introduced a version of the bill. It is problematic that he is the only candidate in 30 or 40 years not to provide that information. Clyde s bill, the Tax Returns Uniformly Made Public Act the TRUMP Act would require candidates for president and vice president to disclose five years of tax documents to Ohio s Secretary of State, who would then post the documents online. Only after a candidate disclosed the tax information would he or she qualify for the ballot in one of the nation s most hotly contested battlegrounds.Similar measures requiring candidates to file with Secretary of State offices have been introduced in California, Oregon and Tennessee. Candidates would be required to file tax documents with state boards of election under bills filed in Illinois, Maryland, New York and Rhode Island.Source: The HillSo far, 19 states are considering similar bills and not all of them are blue, but it s probably that only blue states will pass the bills, if at all.Elections, even national elections, are run by the states. Nationally, there are only two qualifications to run for President: The candidate must be at least 35-years-old and must be a natural born citizen. None of the rest matters in the eyes of the law. That s why Trump didn t have to release his tax returns to begin with.However, states have more latitude. For example, in many states, candidates must receive a minimum number of signatures on a petition before being allowed on a ballot, although that typically applies to non-major party candidates. Still, states can impose rules like filing fees and deadlines, although it s still not clear that forcing candidates to release tax returns will pass constitutional muster.Even if this passes in a few states, Trump could still, if he doesn t implode, win reelection if he wins enough red states. In theory, he could win without a single vote in our most populous state (California), as long as he won the Electoral College. Let s hope these bills do pass to prevent a future Trump, but first, let s pressure Congress to force Trump s hand right now.Featured image via Pool/Getty Images | 0 |
6,566 | Nigerian court drops most asset declaration charges against Senate president | (This version of the December 12th story corrects headline and paragraph one to remove references to corruption) By Camillus Eboh ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria s court of appeal on Tuesday dismissed 15 charges against the Senate president related to alleged false declarations of assets, but it upheld three other charges against him. Bukola Saraki s three-year tenure as president of the upper house has been marred by numerous accusations of misconduct and investigations, though none have led to convictions. The original charges are related to allegations that Saraki falsely declared his assets when he was a state governor from 2003 to 2011, to which he pleaded not guilty. A Code of Conduct Tribunal cleared the Senate president of the charges in June, saying the case against him lacked substance. The government mounted a legal challenge which led to Tuesday s ruling by the court of appeal that Saraki should be retried by the tribunal on three of the 18 charges against him. The three counts relate to Saraki s acquisition of two houses in Ikoyi, an upmarket district in the southern commercial metropolis of Lagos. The appeal is dismissed in part in respects of the other 15 counts , said the judge, Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson, at the appeal court in the capital Abuja. The Senate president s camp has previously denied any wrongdoing and on Tuesday issued a statement in which it said Saraki had been victorious due to the 15 charges being dropped. The full details of the judgement on the final three charges against Saraki have not been released and will be addressed by his lawyers once they have been, the Senate president said in a statement. Saraki ran unopposed for the post of Senate president, mainly with the backing of the opposition. He was not the ruling party s preferred candidate, which led to strains in his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari. The Senate president has been dogged by legal cases since taking office. In October 2016 Saraki was cleared of altering Senate rules to get himself elected, and in March this year lawmakers cleared him of any wrongdoing over allegations that he attempted to evade payment of customs duties on a car. | 1 |
6,567 | BOILER ROOM – EP #45 – Horror Hotel, Trump Gatecrash & Cynical Ploys | Tune in to the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR) for another LIVE broadcast of The Boiler Room starting at 6 PM PST | 9 PM EST every Wednesday. Join us for uncensored, uninterruptible talk radio, custom-made for barfly philosophers, misguided moralists, masochists, street corner evangelists, media-maniacs, savants, political animals and otherwise lovable rascals.Join ACR hosts Hesher, & Spore along with Andy Nowicki from Alt Right Blogspot, Jay Dyer of Jays Analysis & ACR contributor Randy J and Boiler Room Presidential Candidate select: Stewart Howe. In this broadcast listeners will be hearing us go around the BOILER ROOM on a veritable feast of topics including Donald Trump steamrolling the GOP and gatecrashing Glenn Beck s Cruz Caucus event, some esoteric analysis with Jay Dyer in the realms of serial killers, Dune and more, the Clinton Epstein connections and the usual conversational holes the Boiler crew somehow seems to dig themselves in and out of. If you want to participate, bring something interesting to throw into the boiler Join us in the ALTERNATE CURRENT RADIO chat room.BOILER ROOM IS NOT A POLICTALLY CORRECT ZONE! | 0 |
6,568 | FATHER OF ARMED THUG Killed By Milwaukee Cop Speaks Out: Blames Whites, “They got us killing each other”…Blames Himself For Being Bad Role Model, “Your Hero Is Your Dad” [VIDEO] | Thugs burned down several buildings Saturday night in Milwaukee over the shooting death of a 23-year-old black man armed with a stolen gun by Milwaukee police during a foot pursuit. The deceased man s father is now speaking out. Who he s blaming should have every logical American scratching their heads Note to Dad: You can t blame the white man or the 2nd Amendment because your son stole a gun from a home in the suburbs and refused to obey when the police officer who was pursuing him told him to drop it .The father of a man shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer Saturday afternoon, August 13th has identified him as 23-year-old Sylville Smith.Court records show in February of 2015, Smith was charged with one felony count of first degree recklessly endangering safety and one misdemeanor count of possession of THC. The charges were dismissed by prosecutors in November.August of 2015, Smith was charged with felony intimidation of a witness/person charged/felony. That charge was dismissed by prosecutors in September.In July of 2014, Smith was charged with carrying a concealed weapon a misdemeanor charge. He pleaded guilty in November, and was sentenced to serve one day in the House of Correction.In July of 2013, Smith was charged with felony retail theft intentionally taking $500 to $5,000 as party to a crime. Prosecutors dismissed the charge in October.FOX6 s A.J. Bayatpour spoke with Smith s father, Patrick on Sunday. He had this to say in the wake of the shooting of his son by Milwaukee police and the violence that followed:Angry crowds took to the streets in Milwaukee on Saturday night/Sunday morning to protest the shooting death of Smith by a police officer hours earlier.Protesters burned several stores and threw rocks at police in the city s north side, leaving one officer injured. Smoke and orange flames filled the night sky.The incident started Saturday afternoon when two officers stopped two people who were in a car in the north side, according to the Milwaukee Police Department.Shortly after, both car occupants fled on foot as officers pursued them, police said.During the chase, an officer shot one of the two 23-year-old Sylville Smith, who was armed with a handgun, according to authorities. He (officer) ordered that individual to drop his gun, the individual did not drop his gun, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. He had the gun with him and the officer fired several times. Smith at the scene. It s unclear whether the second occupant of the car is in police custody.Smith was shot twice in the arm and chest, the mayor said. His handgun was stolen during a burglary in Waukesha in March, according to police. The victim of that burglary reported 500 rounds of ammunition were also stolen with the handgun, police said in a statement.The officer, 24, was assigned to District 7 and has six years of service with the Milwaukee Police Department three of those as an officer.He was not injured and will be placed on administrative duty during the investigation and subsequent review by the district attorney s office. Via: FOX6Now | 0 |
6,569 | Congress sends White House repeal of broadband privacy rules | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House voted on Tuesday 215-205 to repeal regulations requiring internet service providers to do more to protect customers’ privacy than websites like Alphabet Inc’s Google or Facebook Inc. The White House said earlier Tuesday that President Donald Trump strongly supports the repeal of the rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission in October under then-President Barack Obama. Under the rules, internet providers would need to obtain consumer consent before using precise geolocation, financial information, health information, children’s information and web browsing history for advertising and marketing. Last week, the Senate voted 50-48 to reverse the rules in a win for AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc. The White House in its statement said internet providers would need to obtain affirmative “opt-in” consent from consumers to use and share certain information, but noted that websites are not required to get the same consent. “This results in rules that apply very different regulatory regimes based on the identity of the online actor,” the White House said. Websites are governed by a less restrictive set of privacy rules overseen by the Federal Trade Commission. FCC chairman Ajit Pai in a statement praised the decision of Congress to overturn “privacy regulations designed to benefit one group of favored companies over another group of disfavored companies.” Last week, Pai said consumers would have privacy protections even without the Obama internet provider rules, but critics say they will weaker. The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes the measure, said companies “should not be able to use and sell the sensitive data they collect from you without your permission.” An Internet & Television Association statement called the repeal “an important step toward restoring consumer privacy protections that apply consistently.” One critic of the repeal, Craig Aaron, president of Free Press advocacy group, said major Silicon Valley companies shied away from the fight over the rules because they profit from consumer data. “There are a lot of companies that are very concerned about drawing attention to themselves and being regulated on privacy issues, and are sitting this out in a way that they haven’t sat out previous privacy issues,” Aaron said. Representative Michael Capuano, a Massachusetts Democrat, said Tuesday that Comcast could know his personal information because he looked up his mother’s medical condition and his purchase history. “Just last week I bought underwear on the internet. Why should you know what size I take? Or the color?” Capuano asked. “They are going to sell it to the underwear companies.” Comcast declined to comment. Representative Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican, said the rules “unfairly skews the market in favor” of websites that are free to collect data without consent. Republican commissioners, including Pai, said in October that the rules would unfairly give websites like Facebook, Twitter Inc or Google the ability to harvest more data than internet service providers and thus further dominate digital advertising. The FCC earlier this month delayed the data rules from taking effect. | 1 |
6,570 | Trump And Carson Dancing While Being Serenaded Is Easily The Most Awkward Thing EVER (VIDEO) | There have been a lot of strange things to happen over the course of this election cycle, but what you re about to witness may be in the top ten, maybe even the top three.As much as it s nice to see one time foes Donald Trump and Ben Carson getting along so splendidly, albeit likely for illegal reasons, this new bromance took a turn for the awkward while at a fundraising event in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, when the two were seen dancing together while being serenaded.While the singer sang what could easily be the whitest version of Ben E. King s Stand By Me ever sung, Trump and Carson casually swayed back and forth to the easy listening tune in front of a crowd of eager donors who can t wait for Trump to turn all of America into a casino and/or golf resort.Of course, the singer would swap in words like Donald Trump, stand by me and while I know this may make most sane people vomit, or likely laugh at the idea of Trump actually caring about anyone other than himself, Trump did seem to like it.There s really no other way to describe what happened, so please check it out for yourselves.Watch the video here via Washington Post: Featured image via video screen capture | 0 |
6,571 | The Senate Intelligence Committee Has Bad News For Flynn After He Requested Immunity | Disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has asked for immunity in exchange for testifying in the FBI s continuing investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia and he has an answer from the Senate Intelligence Committee. Two Congressional sources told NBC News that the committee declined Flynn s lawyer s request.According to a senior congressional official with direct knowledge of the case, Flynn s lawyer was told it was wildly preliminary and that immunity was not on the table at the moment. Another source weighed in to say that the committee communicated that it is not receptive to Flynn s request at this time. The senior congressional official added that Flynn s lawyer had conveyed the offer of testimony in exchange for immunity from prosecution to the Justice Department.Alleged president Donald Trump tweeted this morning:Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 31, 2017The thought is that either the authorities have nothing on Flynn or they have bigger fish to fry and there s only one person above the former National Security Adviser in this scenario: Donald J. Trump. Or, the evidence already collected on Flynn is damning and they don t need to make a deal the latter of which is possible.Flynn was fired after lying about speaking with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about Obama-era sanctions. From there, things got worse for Flynn. He also met with Kislyak for about 20 minutes at Trump Tower in December. Just one week later, Flynn registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for $530,000 worth of lobbying work he did before the 2016 election that could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey. In a statement Thursday, Flynn s lawyer Robert Kelner said no reasonable person would get questioned in such a highly politicized, witch hunt environment without assurance against unfair prosecution. However, in 2016, Flynn was seen at a Trump rally leading Lock her up! chants then saying that if he did one tenth what Hillary Clinton did, he would be in jail. In addition, on Meet the Press last year, Flynn said, When you are given immunity, that means that you ve probably committed a crime. Ouchies! Life sure comes at you fast AF, huh?Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images. | 0 |
6,572 | Thailand's main party urges junta to end ban on political activity | BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand s Puea Thai Party on Wednesday urged the ruling junta to end a ban on political activity since the 2014 coup, saying it feared a delay could signal that a general election promised for next year might be pushed back yet again. The rare statement from the party whose government was ousted in 2014 comes amid growing calls from groups of all political stripes to scrap the ban ahead of the November 2018 election the junta has promised. The junta s continued ban on political activity could provide a channel or excuse to delay elections again, as has happened before many times, it said after an announcement by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha that the ban would stay. The junta had said it would consider lifting the ban, which had drawn condemnation from Western governments and the United Nations, following the Oct. 29 end of a funeral ceremony for King Bhumibol Adulyadej. But after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prayuth, who led the 2014 coup, said the ban would be retained because Thailand was not ready for political conflicts. Tension has festered since 2006, when a coup removed then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Subsequent bouts of unrest included deadly street protests. Thailand is divided broadly between those backing Thaksin and his sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was removed in the 2014 coup, and the elite in the capital, Bangkok. Thaksin is credited by some as being the first Thai prime minister to tap into the potential of the rural electorate. But his enemies accuse him of corruption, which he denies. Thaksin and Yingluck live abroad. Yingluck fled Thailand in August, ahead of a verdict in a negligence trial that eventually found her guilty and handed down a five-year jail term. Thaksin fled to avoid a 2008 jail term for corruption. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), did not want to hold on to power. The NCPO has no such thought to not return power to the people, but we have to wait until country is more peaceful first, he told Reuters. Other political parties echoed Puea Thai s call. Parties should at least be allowed to hold meetings to select new board members, said Nipit Intharasombat, a deputy leader of the Puea Thai s rival Democrat Party. The continued ban lets the military gain popularity before the election, academic Titipol Phakdeewanich told Reuters. With the political ban in place, people only receive one-sided information, allowing the NCPO to build its credibility and discredit other parties, said Titipol, the dean of political science at northeastern Ubon Ratchathani University. Although Prayuth cannot stand for election, a new military-backed constitution offers a route for him to be chosen as outside prime minister . | 1 |
6,573 | Trump on accepting election results: 'see how things play out' | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would have to “see how things play out” before accepting the election results, pointing to possible irregularities as he again warned of a rigged political system. Local media reported that voters in several counties in Pennsylvania had reported that touch-screen voting machines had not been recording their ballots correctly. “We’re going to see how things play out today. Hopefully they’ll play out well and hopefully we won’t have to worry about it, meaning hopefully we’ll win,” Trump said in a telephone interview on Fox News. “I want to see everything honest.” Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that rely on electronic voting machines without a paper backup that allows officials to double-check the outcome, if challenged. The machines can record votes incorrectly if they are not calibrated properly, a problem that is magnified as the screens degrade with age. The Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Trump’s campaign also sued election officials in Nevada, arguing they violated state law by allowing voters during early voting on Friday to line up to cast ballots at a Las Vegas polling location after the time when polls were supposed to close. A Nevada judge on Tuesday rejected Trump’s request for records from the polling site. Nevada state law says voters who are in line when the polls close must be allowed to cast their ballots. At a court hearing in Las Vegas on Tuesday, a county attorney argued that election officials already preserve records. | 1 |
6,574 | Lesbian Couple’s Valentine’s Day Ruined By A**hole Chef Who Thinks They Need A Man (IMAGE) | It s infuriating that there are still men who act like total pigs.Ellie Parker only wanted to have a wonderful first Valentine s Day with her girlfriend. So she took her to Asahi Japanese Steakhouse in Lafayette, Indiana. They had expected good service and good food to make their evening special and memorable. But it only became memorable for all the wrong reasons.She explained on Facebook that she and her girlfriend attended dinner with a group and the chef came out to their table to to cook the food right there in front of them, which is pretty cool. Not cool is what the chef did next. He proceeded to ask the women at the table if they were with their boyfriend or husband, and then acted completely rude when Parker said she was with her girlfriend.That s when the chef crossed the line from professional to creepy asshole. He not only told both women that they needed a man, he inquired as to whether he could be that man as if he could turn the lesbian couple straight.But Parker describes the incident much better. I m not normally one to complain on social media, but the service I had at dinner tonight warrants a little complaining. I took my girlfriend out to Asahi for our first Valentine s Day together. Our chef came to grill our food for us and was asking everyone if the person with them was their boyfriend or husband. He got to my girlfriend and I and asked where our valentines were. We told him we were each other s valentines. We were holding hands mind you. Clearly a couple. He proceeds to say well it is legal, but it s such a waste to not have a man. Later he continues to insult our relationship by saying he could come home with us to heat things up. I am appalled that I would receive this kind of treatment. I cannot believe I paid over $50 to have my relationship insulted and sexualized. At the end of dinner, Parker wrote on the receipt Don t tell lesbians they need a man on Valentine s Day. Apparently, the restaurant was so embarrassed that they gave them their money back.Here s an image of the receipt via Parker s Facebook page.// < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); // ]]>I m not normally one to complain on social media, but the service I had at dinner tonight warrants a little complaining .Posted by Ellie Parker on Sunday, February 14, 2016Frankly, Asahi should either fire the chef or at the very least force him to take sensitivity classes because this is about as unprofessional as it gets. Featured image from Facebook | 0 |
6,575 | U.S. civil rights groups to fan out on Nov. 8 to fight voter intimidation | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump supporters who plan to stake out polling sites on Election Day may find their own activities tracked closely by thousands of civil-rights activists who are mounting a nationwide effort to prevent problems at the polls. The Republican presidential candidate, who has repeatedly said that the election is rigged, has urged his backers to monitor voting sites for evidence of fraud, raising concerns that overzealous supporters could intimidate voters in the Nov. 8 election. They will not be the only ones out in force on Election Day. Civil rights groups say they plan to deploy thousands of volunteers on the ground in 27 states to ensure that voters will not be turned away by harassment, long lines or confusing rules. Teams of lawyers will file legal challenges if necessary. While previous elections have been marred by irregularities, Trump’s rhetoric might lead to greater problems at the polls this year, activists say. “When Trump says, ‘Go and watch certain areas of Philadelphia,’ that’s either intentionally reckless or it’s a thinly veiled call to engage in racial profiling,” said Dale Ho, the head of the American Civil Liberties Union’s voting rights project. “Whether people will heed it, I don’t know.” Non-partisan groups have mounted “election protection” programs since the disputed Bush-Gore presidential election of 2000, but they faced a more daunting landscape this year even before Trump began warning of a “rigged election.” The Supreme Court in 2013 weakened the U.S. government’s ability to monitor voting activity in states with a history of racial discrimination, and dozens of Republican-led states have also passed laws that require voters to present photo identification or that restrict voting in other ways. As early voting gets underway in many states, voting-rights groups are publicizing a national hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE, and establishing lines of communication with the election officials who are tasked with resolving problems. “We haven’t encountered a situation yet where we feel there’s a need to call the police,” said Marcia Johnson-Blanco, a co-director of the voting rights project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. This year, civil-rights groups are broadening their efforts beyond perpetual battlegrounds like Ohio and Florida to conservative states like Texas, where they plan to field 200 volunteers to monitor polling sites in Houston’s Harris County. “We’ve seen an uptick of folks saying they’re going to be out patrolling in a way that we think is trying to be intimidating,” said Zenen Jaimes Perez, communications director for the Texas Civil Rights Project. In New York, volunteers with Common Cause are expanding their monitoring programs to Muslim neighborhoods in New York City and some areas of the rural Hudson Valley. “What Trump’s efforts have caused us here in New York to think about are places where there are concentrations of voters who, I hate to say, are easy targets - a magnet for people who are extreme,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. Democratic officials have stepped up their efforts as well. In Arizona, a traditionally Republican state that is competitive this year, Democrats plans to deploy a record 200 lawyers to make sure that everybody who is in line when polls close at 7 p.m. will get a chance to cast a ballot, said Spencer Scharff, the state party’s voter protection director. But at the end of the day, poll monitors do not have the power to fix problems - they can only point them out to election officials. “States have the most important role. They’re the ones who write these laws and they have to enforce these laws,” said Danielle Davis, a staff attorney at the Advancement Project, a national civil-rights group. | 1 |
6,576 | NSA Contractor Arrested For Leaking Classified Documents On Russian Hacking To The Media | Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a federal contractor at the NSA, was arrested for leaking a classified report containing what has been described as Top Secret Level information on Russia s attempt to interfere with the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Winner appeared in federal court on June 5, facing one charge of removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet.Winner was employed by Pluribus International Corporation and had been assigned to a U.S. government facility in Georgia since February, working in a position that granted her a top-level security clearance. She had also previously held a similar clearance with the U.S. Air Force. Her arrest was announced about an hour after The Intercept published a story based on an NSA document detailing Russian attempts to hack American voting systems in 2016. Although the Justice Department hasn t stated whether Winner was arrested in connection with The Intercept s story, the site noted that the National Security Agency (NSA) report cited in its story was dated May 5, a date shared by an affidavit supporting her arrest.According to The Intercept s report, Russian military intelligence, specifically the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU, conducted the cyber attacks described in the document: Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate actors executed cyber espionage operations against a named U.S. company in August 2016, evidently to obtain information on elections-related software and hardware solutions. The actors likely used data obtained from that operation to launch a voter registration-themed spear-phishing campaign targeting U.S. local government organizations. An affidavit sworn by FBI Agent Justin Garrick claimed that the government was notified of the leaked report by the news outlet that received it and the agency that housed the report determined only six employees had made physical copies, one of whom was Winner. The affidavit also stated that Garrick interviewed Winner at her home and she admitted intentionally identifying and printing the classified intelligence reporting at issue and mailing it to the news outlet. The U.S. Government Agency examined the document shared by the News Outlet and determined the pages of the intelligence reporting appeared to be folded and/or creased, suggesting they had been printed and hand-carried out of a secured space, the affidavit continued.Titus Thomas Nichols, Winner s attorney, declined to confirm whether his client had been accused of leaking the document. My client has no [criminal] history, so it s not as if she has a pattern of having done anything like this before, Nichols said in a phone interview on Monday to the Associated Press. She is a very good person. All this craziness has happened all of a sudden, adding that she hadn t stated or shown any form of confession.Winner remains in federal custody pending a hearing scheduled for June 8.Featured image via Facebook | 0 |
6,577 | Group ends effort to draft House Speaker Ryan into election | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group that wanted to draft House Speaker Paul Ryan as a Republican presidential candidate is shutting down, a day after Ryan’s political operation sent the organization a cease-and-desist letter demanding it halt its campaign. In a statement on Friday the Committee to Draft Speaker Ryan said it had become “increasingly clear that the Committee’s efforts, however well intended, could become an unwanted distraction to the Speaker’s current responsibilities.” Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman who was Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential running mate on the Republicans’ 2012 ticket, has said he does not want to run for president this year and disavowed the Draft Ryan group. With establishment Republicans desperately searching for a way to stop real estate businessman and former reality TV personality Donald Trump’s march toward the party’s nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election, Ryan’s name has been mentioned often as an alternative. But Ryan’s political operation, in a letter sent Thursday, told the Draft Ryan group it should not be “misleading people into supporting your organization” and warned of legal risk, saying it believed the group’s actions “may constitute fraudulent solicitation of funds.” In its statement Friday, the committee acknowledged that neither Ryan nor his allies had sanctioned the group. “Nor was this, as it was incorrectly described in some media reports, an ‘establishment’ effort to oppose any candidate currently running for President,” the statement said. The effort had been funded by Earle Mack, a former U.S. ambassador to Finland. Mack had told The New York Times that he would spend up to $1 million on the Draft Ryan committee. The organization had wanted to advance the idea that if the Republican convention to formally nominate the party’s candidate was contested, “the best person to lead our country would be Speaker Paul Ryan,” the statement said. It said the group had received a “resounding response from around the country” and was confident that if it had stayed in operation, it would have surpassed its goal of collecting 1 million signatures on an online petition to draft Ryan. A spokesman for Ryan said in response to Friday’s announcement that Ryan was grateful for Mack’s “passion.” “He (Mack) cares deeply about the future of our country. Speaker Ryan does too, and that’s why he is focused on advancing a bold policy agenda with his House colleagues to unify our party and turn around our country,” the spokesman said. The Draft Ryan group was only registered with the U.S. Federal Election Commission last week as a Super PAC, an independent political action committee that may raise unlimited sums of money. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Grant McCool) This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production. | 1 |
6,578 | HUFFING TON POST WON’T COVER REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER DONALD TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN | Just confirming what anyone paying attention already knew. The Huffington Post isn t interested in reporting the news they re strictly serving as a propaganda arm of the progressive left Earlier this month, while political news organizations were wrestling with the rise of Donald Trump, Washington Post senior politics editor Steven Ginsberg offered a philosophy: In my view, making decisions solely according to who may win the nomination is the worst way to cover a presidential election, he said. A whole lot happens on the way to the nomination and you can t explain what s happening with the candidates or the country without being on top of all of it. Since then, Trump s influence in the Republican primary has only grown. He has surged to the front of the pack, leading his rivals by 3 points in the most recent Fox News and USA Today/Suffolk polls, respectively. He has raised issues that have resonated with conservative voters and forced other GOP candidates to come forward on where they stand. It is very likely that he will appear near center-stage at the inaugural Republican debate, on Aug. 6, and lead the pile-on against Jeb Bush.In other words, Trump is a major character in this chapter of the 2016 presidential election story. And as Ginsberg said, you can t explain what s happening with the candidates or the country without being on top of all of it. On Friday, however, the Huffington Post s politics team announced that they would no longer cover the candidate as a political story. After watching and listening to Donald Trump since he announced his candidacy for president, we have decided we won t report on Trump s campaign as part of The Huffington Post s political coverage. Instead, we will cover his campaign as part of our Entertainment section, they wrote. Our reason is simple: Trump s campaign is a sideshow. We won t take the bait. If you are interested in what The Donald has to say, you ll find it next to our stories on the Kardashians and The Bachelorette. A quick fact-check: 1. Huffington Post is taking the bait, because they re continuing to cover Trump and will continue to benefit from the clicks. 2. Trump s campaign isn t a sideshow. He s leading the field, and is therefore a daily preoccupation for other candidates. (Hours after posting its note, Huffington Post sent an email clarifying that the impact [Trump is] having on the Republican Party and the immigration debate is itself a real thing, which it will cover as substance, but anything that tumbles out of his mouth will land on the Entertainment page. )One might conclude that Huffington Post s announcement amounts to the same Trump-style grandstanding they claim to condemn. On a larger level, they seem to miss the point that all politics is theater. Countless statements have tumbled forth from the mouth of candidates top-tier and third-tier that were made precisely to rile up the base, bait an opponent, get free play in the media, etc. The Huffington Post politics team has covered these stories, and will almost surely continue to do so even when they come from candidates who have a less of a shot at their party s nomination than Trump.Via: Politico | 0 |
6,579 | Trump's dilemma: slower job growth or rising rates and inflation? | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drop in the U.S. unemployment rate last month to a 9-year low signals the risk of a collision between President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to goose the economy and the Federal Reserve’s efforts to tap the brakes with higher interest rates. Since Trump’s election, officials at the U.S. central bank have cautiously introduced the possibility that his spending and tax cut plans could prompt a faster pace of rate increases than the two hikes currently foreseen in 2017. An increase is already expected when the Fed meets in two weeks. Fresh economic projections, the first since the election, will also be issued and Fed Chair Janet Yellen will hold a news conference when the meeting concludes on Dec. 14. With November’s decline, the jobless rate is now already below the most optimistic projections from Fed policymakers for where it would stand at year end. If it keeps moving lower, Trump’s spending and tax cut plans may be adding fuel to a tank that’s already brimming. Possible new trade or immigration restrictions could make markets even tighter, and switch the Fed from worrying about the risk of deflation to fighting price rises before they get out of hand. “There is much more than the Trump election driving the ... rally that started the day after the election,” Bank of the West chief economist Scott Anderson wrote. “We are seeing signs of a synchronized rebound in the global economy.” When Fed policymakers issued their last projections in September, the lowest level predicted for the unemployment rate at the end of the year was 4.7 percent. In November, it fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 4.6 percent. The decline was partly due to a drop in the labor force participation rate, which officials have expected to begin falling again because of an aging population with more retirees. In general, the lower the unemployment rate, the slower the pace of job growth the economy can sustain without pushing up wages and prices too quickly. Policymakers insist they still have time to move rates higher to keep price increases under control. Several officials feel it may even help fix some of the damage from the 2007-2009 recession if inflation moved above the Fed’s 2 percent target for a while. That might, for example, allow steady wage increases to restore some of the ground lost by workers. However, in recent months even ostensibly dovish officials, like Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren, have cautioned that steady rate hikes might be needed to avoid the need for even faster increases that could trigger a recession. “I view a small step up in interest rates as appropriate, not because I want to curtail the expansion, but because I believe it will help prolong the expansion,” Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester said on Wednesday.. Trump’s victory gives that debate more urgency. His plans for a big infrastructure spending package, tax cuts and tighter controls on immigration could test the limits of what the economy can absorb before overheating. For a year now, Fed officials have said they expect job growth to slow as the economy nears full employment. It hasn’t happened, meaning Trump will take office at what may be a tough point of inflection: either job creation slows or inflation jumps. Jed Kolko, chief economist at the Indeed job site, said the current pace of job growth and low unemployment rate “sets a baseline for the Trump administration.” “Recent wage gains and unemployment declines make this a tough economy to improve on,” he said. | 1 |
6,580 | Senator Collins says undecided on final tax bill vote | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins, whose support was crucial in passing the Senate tax reform bill earlier this month, said on Sunday she has not yet decided whether she will back the final measure negotiated by House and Senate leaders. The moderate Republican from Maine has laid out conditions for her support of a final “conference committee” version of the tax proposal. They include assurances that federal Medicare payments will not be cut and that Republicans will support two separate health care bills aimed at reducing premium costs. Republican Senate leaders worked hard to get Collins’ support for the legislation, the largest change to U.S. tax laws since the 1980s that would slash the corporate tax rate. The bill would lower the rate to as low as 20 percent, which Republican leaders say would encourage U.S. companies to invest more and boost economic growth. Democrats say the proposed cuts are a giveaway to businesses and the rich, financed with billions of dollars in taxpayer debt. Collins’ vote was important since the Senate approved the bill by 51-49 vote after an 11th-hour scramble. With Republican Senator Bob Corker voting against the bill, there is little margin for losing support. “I’m going to look at what comes out of the conference committee meeting to reconcile the differences between the Senate and House bill. So I won’t make a final decision until I see what that package is,” she said on the CBS “Face the Nation” program on Sunday. If Collins and Corker vote against the final tax bill, leading to a 50-50 tie, Republican Vice President Mike Pence would cast the winning vote. But if more than two Republican senators vote no, it would fail. The House–Senate conference will hold an open meeting on Wednesday afternoon as it starts to reconcile differences. Collins voted for the Senate’s tax reform legislation after Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, promised to support legislation to prop up U.S. health insurance markets. But last week The Hill newspaper reported that House Speaker Paul Ryan told his staff that he wasn’t part of the deal that Collins brokered with Senate leaders. Collins said she is “absolutely confident” of the leaders’ support and both McConnell and Ryan have put in writing that they will not allow a 4 percent cut in Medicare payments to take effect. “I have read in correspondence that memorializes the agreement that the 4 percent cut in Medicare that could go into effect will not go into effect,” she said. She added that she has the support of President Donald Trump, with whom she has discussed the issue three times. “I have no reason to believe that that commitment will not be kept,” she said. | 1 |
6,581 | U.S. has 'frank' exchange on South China Sea during Trump visit | BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States and China had a frank exchange of views on the disputed South China Sea during a visit to Beijing by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. China claims almost the entire strategic waterway through which about $3-trillion worth of goods pass every year, building and militarizing artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have conflicting claims. The issue is likely to feature prominently at two regional summits starting this week, one in Vietnam and the other in the Philippines, which Trump and several leaders will attend. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Vietnam meeting. “We had a frank exchange here in China on maritime security issues and the South China Sea. The U.S. position remains unchanged,” Tillerson told reporters. “We insist on upholding freedom of navigation, that claimants be consistent with international law and that claimants should stop construction and militarization of outposts in order to maximize prospects for successful diplomacy,” he added. Both Xi and Trump expressed support for the protection of peace and stability in the South China Sea, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the leaders’ talks. Both leaders also support the peaceful resolution and management of the dispute via talks and in accordance with “accepted international law”, it added. “Both sides support the protection of freedom of navigation and overflight for all countries, in accordance with international law,” it said.The United States has angered China with freedom of navigation patrols close to Chinese-controlled islands in the South China Sea, which have been continued by the Trump administration. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in an apparent policy shift, said on Wednesday he planned to ask China to make clear its intentions in the South China Sea, during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Vietnam. Since coming to office 16 months ago, the firebrand leader has been conciliatory to Beijing, despite a ruling by an international arbitration court favoring the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China. In the past, Duterte has repeatedly said he will raise the sea dispute at the proper time and avoided the issue when Manila hosted two regional meetings this year. | 1 |
6,582 | Goldman's Blankfein is only major financial firm CEO to join Trump on China trip | (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein will visit China as part of a business delegation in November at the same time as U.S. President Donald Trump, a Goldman spokesman confirmed. Blankfein will be the only executive of a major financial company traveling as part of the trade mission which is being led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, according to a preliminary list. Executives from major industrial companies including General Electric Co (GE.N), Honeywell International Inc (HON.N) and Boeing Co (BA.N) are on the list, as well as a large number of leaders from energy and commodities firms. Blankfein has publicly used Twitter to speak out against Trump. In January, he became the first major Wall Street leader to speak out against Trump’s order to halt arrivals from several Muslim-majority countries. He also criticized the White House’s decision in September to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that protects young, undocumented immigrants from deportation. China is an important region for Goldman, which ranked as the top M&A dealmaker in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan in the first nine months of the year, according to Thomson Reuters data. While Wall Street firms like Goldman have to partner with a Chinese joint venture firm to run their investment banking businesses on the mainland, U.S. banks have for years been trying to operate these businesses on their own. Following a trip to Beijing earlier this year, Blankfein said there was a “a lot of confidence in China” and it was “almost an island of stability.” | 1 |
6,583 | WATCH: Joy Reid SKEWERS Trump For Whining About Jay-Z’s Language At Hillary Rally | Hillary Clinton enjoyed a performance by Jay-Z and Beyonce at a rally in Ohio on Friday night and Donald Trump complained like a hypocrite.During the rally, Jay-Z performed uncensored versions of songs, which included the N-word and other expletives. Of course, that means the Republican nominee had to make remarks about it during a rally on Saturday. I actually like Jay Z, Trump said in Florida. But, you know, the language last night. He used every word in the book. I won t even use the initials, because I ll get in trouble. They ll get me in trouble. The they Trump is referring to is the media.But the problem is that Hillary Clinton did not use any of those words herself, while Donald Trump has used words such as c*nt and p*ssy and has used curse words on the campaign trail.And Joy Reid reminded Trump of his own language during her show on Saturday.Now, Donald Trump has a problem with Jay Z s language, okay? a flabbergasted Reid began. Because Jay Z is a hip hop guy. I want to remind America, the guy who has a problem with Jay Z s language? This is his language. What followed was Trump s infamous grab them by the p*ssy remark that has plagued him since the audio was released early last month.Reid then went for the jugular. Jay Z has said a lot of things in his songs, but he s never said that, Donald Trump. We should perhaps talk to Melania, who wants to have this campaign against cyber-bullying which she can begin at home at the dinner table. Here s the video via VidMe.Once again, a hypocritical Donald Trump shoots himself in the foot by failing to keep his big mouth shut.The bottom line is that Hillary Clinton did not say those words during her rally, Jay-Z did. Trump, on the other hand, has no one to blame for his own words but himself.Featured Image: Screenshot | 0 |
6,584 | Five Women Donald Trump Allegedly Slept With And How They Utterly Humiliated Him | Donald Trump obviously has a knack for purchasing beautiful women. His first wife, Ivana, was a model from the Czech Republic who was famous for gaudy accessories and over-spending. Trump cheated on her and eventually married Marla Maples, who may have actually loved him for some reason but grew tired of him and moved on with a good chunk of his money. His current wife, Melania, is yet another Eastern European model who loves the lavish lifestyle he provides for her.In between the women who have allowed him to buy them, after the millions of dollars in divorce costs, Trump has always declared himself something of a ladies man. He and his ahem giant hands have been telling stories of his conquests for decades. The problem is, just like everything else about Trump, the stories are mostly exaggerations, outright lies or rumors that he enjoyed a little bit too much to dispel in good conscience like a decent human being. Go figure. Here s a list of five of the famous women Donald Trump has lied about dating and how they humiliated him when they had made his list:The former Olympic champion ice-skater was 41-years-old and happily married when her supposed affair with The Donald happened. After The New York Daily News reported her as a possible Trump fling, she felt she needed to respond since Trump decided not to dispel the rumor: The reason I m going public with my outrage over this allegation is that I had hoped that Donald Trump would issue his own statement of the rumor being completely unfounded, and that has not happened quickly enough, she said. I ve been around Donald Trump four times in my life. I wouldn t even call him a good friend. Ouch. Even though that happened in 1990, you just know it still stings the orange man s ego.The Dynasty Star who played Princess Diana in two TV movies told People that there was no truth at all to the rumors she and Trump were an item. Again Trump remained silent, allowing himself to be associated with yet another beautiful woman far out of his league: [He s] a complete joke as far as I m concerned. I hardly know the man, Oxenburg told People in 1990.And another one down. No wonder he allowed his actual affair with Maples to go public. His reputation was taking a severe beating.The cosmetics mogul refused to give any credence to the rumor she and Trump were a thing, dispelling it with a simple I don t know what you re talking about, when asked by People. Trump never attempted to call her out, because the rumors he allowed to continue were obviously not true.The prominent swimsuit model and wife of NHL star Ron Greschner never bothered to answer the allegations she was into Trump. She allowed her manager, Steve Gutstein, to do it for her instead: Donald Trump is a fortunate man, but he s not that fortunate. That s another one that had to just hurt. Trump could very well have avoided all of the humiliation by telling the truth about these rumors when they happened or by not starting them if he was the source but he instead rode the wave of ignorance that has carried him towards the Republican nomination 26 years later.The socialite and designer who was married to Trump s billionaire acquaintance Henry Kravitz (it s a well-established fact that Trump doesn t have friends), said the rumors were ridiculous. She added, I m married to the greatest man in the world. Those are words Trump has probably heard quite often himself after he buys something extravagant.To his credit, there was one rumor Trump decided to debunk on his own. In the prime of Mike Tyson s career, Trump was accused of a fling with Robin Givens. It s not too difficult to figure out why. Featured image From Getty Images, modified | 0 |
6,585 | Virginia Republican Says Conservatives Own Christianity In Attack On Obama For Citing Bible (AUDIO) | A House Tea Party Republican declared that conservatives own Christianity during an attack against President Obama.In his moral defense of granting asylum to thousands of Syrian refugees, President Obama cited the Bible in November to counter anti-refugee conservatives. Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger - we were strangers once, too, Obama said. My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. Indeed, the Bible commands Christians to love foreigners and treat them with respect and compassion. Deuteronomy 10:19 states:And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.And Leviticus 19:34 states:The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.The verse President Obama referenced is Exodus 23:9, which states,You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.As we all know, Republicans are constantly claiming that America is a Christian nation and that we must adhere to Christian values. So if that is the case, you would think Republicans would jump to support President Obama and his effort to help refugees who are fleeing war and death in their homeland.But they aren t. In fact, they not only oppose President Obama, they are attacking him for using the Bible against them.During an interview with American Family Radio host Sandy Rios on Monday, Virginia Rep. David Brat argued that President Obama can t use the Bible to hit back at conservatives because he says the right-wing owns Christianity, and must indoctrinate people to make sure they are brainwashed to believe that conservatives have a monopoly on Christian values. Our side, the conservative side, needs to reeducate its people that we own the entire tradition. If you lose the moral argument, you lose the policy argument every time, so we need to reclaim the moral argument, where we re so strong. He also claimed that President Obama is using the Bible to build federal power. He s using the Christian tradition and trying to bring about compassion by bonking Republicans over the head with the Bible. It s almost a comedy routine on what compassion and love is. He s mocking his enemies in order to compel a larger federal state using the tradition of love. Here s the audio via Right Wing Watch.So David Brat believes that Republicans alone own Christianity and have the only right to use the Bible to push their political agenda. Of course, he is assuming that only Republicans are Christians, which is complete bullshit.Brat and his fellow conservatives are just pissed that President Obama used the Bible to reveal them as complete hypocrites. If Republicans really gave a damn about what the Bible said, they d be pushing for universal healthcare, a stronger food stamp program and would welcome refugees with open arms. But they don t, thereby proving that they are nothing more than opportunistic cherry-pickers who abuse religion for their own gain.Featured Image: Wikimedia | 0 |
6,586 | wikileaks hillary revelations the media wont cover | after vets fight war feds demand money back us government continues to treat troops like second class citizens infowars nightly news october comments
thanks you for your service
no after promising bonuses education benefits to military in order to get them to reenlist for the afghanistan iraq wars the pentagon is now demanding the money back from vets who cant afford to pay
this is how obama treats veterans just like hillary treats those who protect her in the secret service
can anyone trust their promises newsletter sign up get the latest breaking news specials from alex jones and the infowars crew related articles | 0 |
6,587 | U.S. Republican senator introduces Obamacare repeal resolution | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Mike Enzi introduced on Tuesday a resolution allowing for the repeal of President Barack Obama’s signature health insurance program, which provides coverage to millions of Americans, Enzi’s office said in a statement. The move by the Senate’s budget committee chairman on the first day of the new Congress set in motion the Republican majority’s promise to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, as its first major legislative item. Republicans have said the repeal process could take months and that developing replacement health insurance plans could take years. More than 20 million previously uninsured Americans gained health coverage through Obamacare. Coverage was extended by expanding the Medicaid program for the poor and through online exchanges where consumers can receive income-based subsidies. Republicans have launched repeated courtroom and legislative efforts to dismantle the law, criticizing it as government overreach. Democrats have scoffed at Republicans’ plans, accusing them of never having united around a replacement strategy. The Republicans are using a budget resolution to provide for Obamacare’s repeal, allowing them to act without any Democratic votes. Budget resolutions require a simple majority to pass in the Senate, instead of the 60 votes normally required to clear procedural hurdles. There are 52 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber. The budget resolution contains so-called reconciliation instructions, directing committees to dismantle Obamacare as part of reconciling taxes and spending with the budget blueprint - and to report back to the budget committee by Jan. 27. A Senate vote on the resolution could come next week, with action in the House of Representatives expected to follow. But the repeal process won’t be complete until the committees finish the reconciliation procedure and votes are taken on their work. “These instructions to committees are provided to facilitate immediate action on repeal, with the intent of sending legislation to the new president’s desk as soon as possible,” the statement from Enzi’s office said. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly vowed during last year’s presidential campaign to repeal Obamacare. | 1 |
6,588 | Twitter Relentlessly Mocks RNC Chair For Pretending All Is Fine With Trump | It is no secret that the GOP brass is less than thrilled to have Donald Trump as their presumptive nominee for the 2016 presidential race. However, at this point, there is nothing they can really do about it. So, instead of disavowing the most unqualified and reckless candidate to ever seek the White House, they are simply condemning his more outrageously indefensible comments, yet still standing behind him and telling the nation and world that everything is A-OK between the Republican establishment and the annointed orange one. In order to prove that everyone is wrong and they are just peachy, Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus tweeted out that a Politico report that there were tense relations between Trump and the RNC was pure fiction, and also told the entire internet that he was on a plane with Trump at that very moment.Flying to Dallas now with @realDonaldTrump Reports of discord are pure fiction. Great events lined up all over Texas. Rs will win in Nov! Reince Priebus (@Reince) June 16, 2016Well, the people of Twitter are not morons. They gave Priebus the savage mockery he deserved, as only Twitter can. Here are a few of the more delicious tweets that flooded the RNC chair s @replies:@Reince @realDonaldTrump Did Trump tweet this for you? TWK (@Hot_take_king) June 16, 2016.@Reince pic.twitter.com/ADZfuvKBXm Max Steele (@maxasteele) June 16, 2016@Reince @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/IIgH7qVNAc pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) June 16, 2016@Reince blink twice to signal the authorities Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 16, 2016@Reince @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/ZTyjDYmszH John (@johninUT) June 16, 2016@Reince @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/AltQW8brtC Chris Hagel (@MullingHagel) June 16, 2016Perhaps most damning and mocking of all is the fact that the general election polls are not looking good for Trump at all, and the GOP leadership must be panicking over that:.@Reince lol pic.twitter.com/BJBdqayrFN SoapView (@SoapView) June 16, 2016They can try to pretend they re all just fine with Trump, but it s clear they aren t. House Speaker Paul Ryan said, in response to Trump s directive that the GOPers who are condemning his nutty remarks to be quiet, that You can t make this up sometimes. Mitch McConnell, along with others just a few days ago simply refused to speak about Trump after he made outrageously inappropriate remarks following the shooting in Orlando.So, no, Reince, nobody is buying the line of bullshit that you and other Republican leaders are fine with your current standard-bearer. You re literally terrified, as you should be.Featured image via Mark Wilson/Getty Images | 0 |
6,589 | Teens Post Video On What They Would Do To Black People As President (VIDEO) | In a video uploaded to Facebook earlier this week, a group of students from Grosse Pointe, Michigan can be heard talking about what they would do to Black people if they were president.As reported by New York Daily News the students recorded the video over Memorial Day weekend.In the video a male student can be heard talking about his hatred for Black people, calling them f g stupid and worthless. The student goes on to say, they need to leave our country, send em back to Africa, or the slaves, one of the two options. Another student asks, So what are you going to do in 2040, referring to the year he ll become president of the United States.The first student replies, Oh, segregate. They get Maine, North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming Another student asks, How are they going to be treated? Awful, he responds, saying, they re going to be owned by white people, and white people are going to be the dominants of the country. Another student says We re gonna burn them on stakes. No, no, no, no, the first student replies. We re gonna put like a pole with those little burning things at the end and stab em so you can know who the owner is and you can sell those bitches. You can trade em for like cock points and shit, bro. And you can get alcohol for that shit. After another student asks if there s anything else they re going to do, the first student adds, We re not gonna put em in coffins, we re gonna put em in a river and let em swim to the Atlantic Ocean. WXYZ in Detroit reports that the students attend Grosse Pointe s South High School. School officials sent a notice out to parents regarding the video. The notice mentions possible suspensions. It appears that the video has since been removed from social media. New York Daily News published a partial transcript here.In March South High School officials suspended a different group of students over racist posts on social media.It s not hard to trace the inspiration for the hateful ideas expressed by these students.When Donald Trump is the republican party s current frontrunner in the presidential primary, it shouldn t come as a surprise to anyone to hear young people talking about the vile things they would do if they became president.Grosse Pointe, a suburb of Detroit, has never been lacking in racist role models for students to emulate, either. In 2013, more than a dozen videos were released showing Grosse Pointe police officers telling Black men to sing, dance and walk like a chimp, for the camera.These students have been influenced by republican politicians like L Brooks Patterson.In 2014, Patterson proposed building a fence around the city of Detroit to keep Black people in, saying: I made a prediction a long time ago and it s come to pass. I said what we re gonna do is turn Detroit into an Indian reservation, where we herd all the Indians into the city, build a fence around it and then throw in the blankets and the corn. When students look around and see politicians, police officers and even presidential candidates spewing this kind of vile hate speech, we should not be surprised when they do the same. These are the people impressionable young people are supposed to be able to look up to and emulate.We should gravely consider what the US will become tomorrow if we fail to hold the people in power accountable for their hateful words and actions today.Here s more on the story from Fox 2 in Detroit.Image credit: Video screen capture Fox 2 | 0 |
6,590 | OBAMA DOUBLES DOWN On The Threat Of Climate Change vs. Terrorism [Video] | The political ideology is shocking! A Very stubborn Obama just keeps spewing the same talking points and refuses to back down on his outrageous claims on climate change: *Quick Note: Notice how the ladies totally editorialize at the end of the video like good little Alinskyites. | 0 |
6,591 | Trump on nuclear weapons tweet: 'Let it be an arms race' - MSNBC | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, asked for clarification his Thursday Twitter post about nuclear weapons, said: “Let it be an arms race,” MSNBC said on Friday. “We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,” Trump said in an interview with MSNBC, the network reported, one day after the president-elect called for an expansion of U.S. nuclear capabilities in a tweet that alarmed nonproliferation experts. | 1 |
6,592 | POLITICO DOWNGRADES AMERICA: Declares Germany’s “Open-Borders” Angela Merkel “Leader Of The Free World” In Anti-American Headline | Here s what Politico s headline today looked like:Here s what the leftist anti-American rag Politico had to say about Angela Merkel s visit to the US to meet with our new President Donald Trump: This time the media hype surrounding a White House meeting is no wild exaggeration. When President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel finally get together on Friday, the leaders of the West s two most powerful countries are sure to come off more like an odd couple than two close allies chewing over plans for some joint enterprise. And for good reason. Merkel and Trump are not only polar opposites as people, but they share little in terms of international outlook.Their styles reflect their vastly different backgrounds. Merkel, Germany s first and only female chancellor, was raised by a pastor in communist East Germany, where she earned a doctorate in physical chemistry. Although she is the longest-serving and most powerful leader in Europe, she is unfailingly modest, competent and consensus-oriented. Trump s all-about-me mentality, Queens upbringing and brash, tabloid-and-reality-TV personality couldn t be more different. Could one even imagine the outrage if a piece like this was published about Barack Obama within his first 60 days in office? The mentality of the unhinged left is on display for every American to see and if they keep this up, even for a few more months, they will never win another election. Here s how Nigel Farage, the British rock star who was behind Brexit feels about Merkel s visit to the White House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqnCkSYLDgQ | 0 |
6,593 | Russia: Lebanon should solve problems without outside interference - Ifax | MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Friday that Lebanon should resolve problems without outside interference and Moscow backs sovereignty of the country, Interfax news agency reported. Lavrov s statements came during a crisis over the resignation of Lebanon s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. Lavrov was meeting with the Lebanese foreign minister in Moscow. | 1 |
6,594 | WOW! WATCH GEN MCINERNEY Drop Shocking “Songbird” Nickname On Senator John McCain [Video] | GENERAL MCINERNEY IS ON FIRE IN THIS INTERVIEW! General McInerney is calling for President Trump to prepare for war with North Korea and calls this Trump s Cuban Missile Crisis . Mid-interview (the 1:50 point) is when General McInerney drops the Songbird nickname Wow!You can tell their is no love lost between the General and McCain. Why did he call McCain songbird? Many believe that John Songbird McCain spilled his guts to get out of being tortured. There is evidence that McCain received special medical treatment from a Soviet physician and other considerations to avoid being tortured just so he could come home.No one disputes that McCain was a Vietnam POW, he spent 5 years in captivity in North Vietnam when he was shot down in his Skyhawk dive bomber on Oct. 26, 1967, and was taken prisoner with fractures in his right leg and both arms.Despite the notoriety he received upon his return he has been the subject of damning articles, and criticism by other veterans, and for good reason. McCain has a lot to hide, and has gone to great length to keep what happened in Vietnam a secret.He voted against a bill that was otherwise unanimously passed that would have released sealed records that would have revealed what happened in Vietnam, presumably because those records would have confirmed his dishonorable actions. Read more: TU | 0 |
6,595 | WATCH: Fox Host Calls For Revolt If Grand Jury Indicts Trump | If a grand jury indicts Donald Trump, one Fox News host wants conservatives to revolt in retaliation.When Robert Mueller impaneled a grand jury to hear evidence in Trump s Russia scandal, it was a huge deal.Should Trump get indicted, he would be the first president to get indicted.Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were nearly indicted but special prosecutors waited for impeachment proceedings instead. Nixon resigned before he could be impeached and was subsequently pardoned by Geral Ford. Clinton s impeachment trial ended in his favor, so Ken Starr abandoned the indictment effort.Trump, however, is not being impeached at the moment because Republicans still refuse to do their constitutional duty. So the next best thing is a criminal indictment, which could be slapped against Trump or any member of his family if the grand jury sees fit to do so.That s going to depend on the evidence, of which there is plenty thanks to Donald Trump Jr., who released emails confirming that Trump s campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 Election.Fox News host Jeanine Pirro all but directly threatened bloody violence if the grandy jury indicts Trump or any member of his family, even if the evidence proves one or all of them broke the law. I m sure this is on Donald s mind, he never stops thinking, Pirro began. But at the same time, this is an agenda. Pirro then warned that an uprising will occur upon indictment. Here is my concern. If they end up with an indictment against a family member, just to get at Donald Trump because they couldn t get at him, there is going to be a real uproar, a real uprising in this country. Pirro then accused Mueller of rigging the grand jury against Trump. I was a prosecutor for 32 years, you can indict a ham sandwich. The only person in that grand jury is the district attorney who is interacting with all of those grand jurors on what the law is and the body language is clear! Here s the video via Twitter..@JudgeJeanine: There will be an uproar in this country if they end up with an indictment against a Trump family member just to get at POTUS pic.twitter.com/tm10kRA2Ws FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) August 4, 2017If indicting somebody is that easy, one wonders why so many police officers have been let off the hook by grand juries in recent years. Indeed, grand juries have failed to indict in clear cases where police officers murdered unarmed black men. Just look at the Eric Garner case for example. Garner was strangled to death just for allegedly selling cigarettes. The grand jury in that case decided not to indict the officer who killed him even though Garner s death was ruled a homicide.The evidence was clear. Garner s death was even caught on film. It should have been enough to send the police officer to prison. Instead, the grand jury chose to indict the man who filmed Garner s murder.Clearly, Pirro is wrong about grand juries.Pirro is also wrong to incite an uprising just because the walls of justice are closing in on Trump and his crime family. This amounts to a threat against the grand jury, which could be seen as interference. Pirro is literally telling the grand jury to absolve Trump or face possible violent retribution. That s unacceptable and Robert Mueller should question Pirro for it.She may be a former judge and prosecutor, but tampering with a grand jury in this way is still a crime she could be punished for.Featured Image: Screenshot | 0 |
6,596 | trump warns of world war iii if clinton is elected | email
donald trump is again riling up his voting base with claims that the november election will be rigged against him
of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day trump tweeted monday morning why do republican leaders deny what is going on so naive
its a charge that even other republicans have been quick to refute critics have called such talk potentially dangerous and detrimental to trust in the us democratic process
states backed by tens of thousands of gop and dem volunteers ensure integrity of electoral process sen jeff flake of arizona who is often sharply critical of trump tweeted sunday elections are not rigged
jon husted the secretary of state of ohio and the top election official in the key battleground state also said monday that he could assure trump the election would not be rigged
trumps most recent claims coincided with a plunge by him in the polls before now trump most recently made similar claims when his polls numbers were taking a dive in early august
and im telling you november wed better be careful because that election is going to be rigged the new york billionaire told fox news host sean hannity in august and i hope the republicans are watching closely or its going to be taken away from us
multiple republicans told business insider at the time that trumps assertion was both ludicrous and dangerous as trump would be the first us presidential candidate in modern times possibly ever to blame an election loss on voter fraud or a rigged election
allen raymond a former gop operative who was involved in the new hampshire senate election phonejamming scandal called trumps continued insistence that the election would be rigged detrimental to the republic
the idea that its rigged i dont know what hes talking about he said in august i know someone that rigged elections i mean you know the fact of the matter is hillary clinton doesnt need to rig this election trumps going to win alabama and thats it she doesnt have to do anything its painful to watch
raymond wrote how to rig an election confessions of a republican operative as a tellall about the attempt to rig the new hampshire senate election between thengov jeanne shaheen a democrat and republican us rep john e sununu raymond said that attempted rigging was centered on jamming the phone lines at the new hampshire democrats office in manchester a task his phone bank was hired to carry out sununu went on to win the election by roughly votes shaheen defeated sununu in a rematch in
the operative served a brief prison sentence for his involvementhe said any attempts to rig an election would look similar to that not what trumps talking about
the manhattan billionaire told the washington post in august that a lack of voteridentification laws would let people just keep voting and voting and voting and suggested fraud occurred in against republican nominee mitt romney because there were precincts where there were practically nobody voting for the republican
i dont even know what hes talking about raymond said but this idea that its or and the party bosses are going to roll into pittsburgh and philadelphia and are going to rig the ballot box and rig the machines thats nonsense an election rigging these days means something totally different than what hes talking about now its stupid stuff like what i did in new hampshire
he said the lack of voterid laws trump was trying to use as proof of fraud this fall was also bogus
these voterid laws whats the intention of that the clear intention is disenfranchisement he said echoing a common complaint in liberal circles that voterid laws are put in place to prevent minority voting blocks from being able to cast ballots you know theres a reason we dont have a poll tax anymore because its unconstitutional
people dont vote times he continued there might be one bad actor every once in a while who tries to vote a couple of times but hes talking about an institutional effort its a total myth
he said trumps statements were an attempt to basically sideline hillary clintons first four years in office
the idea of a rigged election came to the forefront after the democratic national committee had its emails hacked and leaked though both trump and sen bernie sanders of vermont clintons main opponent in the democratic primary had claimed the electoral system was rigged earlier in the primary season the emails showed that the organization which was supposed to remain neutral throughout the primary favored clinton
trump said the email leak proved that the primary election was rigged against sanders in his earlyaugust interview with hannity in addition to such claims he perpetuated along the campaign trail he used the leak as further evidence that the fall election would be rigged against him as well | 0 |
6,597 | U.S. wants Pakistan to act quickly to show support in countering militants | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States wants Pakistan to move quickly to show good faith in supporting efforts to counter militants operating in Afghanistan and in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, the senior U.S. diplomat for South Asia said on Friday. Speaking after accompanying U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a visit to the region, including Pakistan, Alice Wells said Washington looked forward to seeing practical steps from Pakistan over the next few weeks and months. The secretary stressed the importance of Pakistan moving quickly to demonstrate good faith and efforts to use its influence to create the conditions that will get the Taliban to the negotiating table, Wells, the acting assistant secretary of state for South Asia, told reporters. Wells said Pakistan s long-standing relationships with militant organizations was a threat to its own stability and said the Taliban leadership and the allied Haqqani network still retained the ability to plan and recuperate and reside with their families in Pakistan. She said Washington wanted Pakistan to show the same commitment it had made to defeat militant groups domestically to those threatening Afghanistan or India. It s up to them whether or not they want to work with us, Wells said. And if they don t ... then we ll adjust accordingly. Wells declined to elaborate on what action the United States might take or what specific actions it wanted Pakistan to take. Relations between uneasy allies United States and Pakistan have frayed in recent years, with Washington repeatedly accusing Islamabad of helping Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants who stage attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies doing so. U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to get tough with Pakistan unless it changed its behavior, with U.S. officials threatening further reductions in aid and mooting targeted sanctions against Pakistani officials. On Monday, during a visit to Kabul, Tillerson urged Pakistan to act against safe havens on its soil. Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan, he said. Pakistani officials bristle at the idea that the country is not doing enough against militants and say Pakistan has suffered more than 60,000 casualties in the war on terror since the Sept. 11 attacks in United States in 2001. | 1 |
6,598 | This Trump-Loving NRA Sponsor REALLY Loves Trashing Slain Black Children And Their Families | On Friday, Donald Trump and several of his GOP colleagues will speak at the National Rifle Association s annual Institute for Legislative Action leadership forum. Without a doubt, the event is going to be overrun with racist, right-wing gun nuts especially because Bearing Arms editor Bob Owens is co-sponsoring the event.Owens is probably tickled pink that he s going to see Trump at the event, as the two men have tons in common. One of the main similarities between them is that they re both wildly racist. When Owens isn t spewing nonsense about radical Democrats needing to be hanged for starting a civil war against conservatives and gun owners, he s dabbling in his other hobby smearing the families of slain black children.Owens has repeatedly targeted and gone out of his way to torture the grieving families of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Jordon Davis with his vile hate speech. Not too long after Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, Owens called the teen a violent, drug-abusing thug who appeared to get off on hurting people and a semi-literate violent criminal. He also trashed the musical about Martin s life, saying that it was an attempt to whitewash a thug s death. In 2013, Owens said that Martin s mother had raised a monster and that her activism against the Stand Your Ground laws that helped her son s murderer George Zimmerman get acquitted were merely for personal enrichment. Owens said: As for why Fulton and her attorneys and Democratic lawmakers in general want Stand Your Ground laws repealed, that s blisteringly obvious as well. Money.A provision of Stand Your Ground law in many states is that if a person is found not guilty during a criminal trial, then that defendant win (sic) civil immunity, and that keeps the families of deceased street thugs from suing the survivors for millions of dollars in civil court. Owens remarked, Good people will arm themselves against violent young predators like Trayvon Martin because any society that hopes to survive simply has no choice. Owens attitude toward younger victims of senseless, racially motivated attacks didn t improve over time. When 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot by police officers who claimed they thought his toy gun was real, Owens placed the blame on Rice s family once again. Owens said: The Rice family doesn t care anymore about being responsible after Tamir s death than they did about teaching him to be responsible with realistic toy guns while he was alive. Owens also condemned Lucy McBath for becoming an activist against Stand Your Ground laws after her son Jordon Davis was shot and killed. Owens said, she has become radicalized, and now travels the nation attempting to strip law-abiding citizens of their most basic natural right as a human being, the right [to] bear arms for self-defense. Owens complete lack of human decency has been seen throughout Trump s campaign, not only within the candidate himself but also in his supporters. One thing has become clear: Trump really appeals to America s worst, and has gained a massive following amongst racists. Just this week, White Nationalists at The American Freedom Party said that Trump had several KKK delegates that the media isn t aware of. He s gotten the support of white nationalists like David Duke and William Johnson, who admitted that he wants Trump s divisive rhetoric to make racism more mainstream.As Owens has chosen to ignore the fact that racism exists and that racially motivated attacks have become a major issue in the United States, it s clear that Trump s ignorant, hateful rhetoric is the perfect messaging for the NRA sponsor. And just as Trump never backs off from a one-sided feud, Owens isn t going to stop torturing these suffering families with his disgusting comments.Featured image via Twitter | 0 |
6,599 | PLANE FORCED TO TURN AROUND, Police Remove NAACP President From Flight Over Argument With Passenger | NAACP President becomes victim in 5 4 3 2 1 North Carolina NAACP President William Barber was removed from a flight in Washington, D.C., Friday night after he was deemed a disruptive passenger by an American Airlines pilot.Barber wrote in a statement that he had boarded the plane and was sitting in the two seats he had purchased when he overheard a man sitting behind him talking loudly. Barber says after he asked a flight attended to ask the man to lower his voice, that s when the altercation started. But as she left, I heard him saying distasteful and disparaging things about me, Barber said in the statement. He had problems with those people and he spoke harshly about my need for two seats, among other subjects. Barber says he purchased two seat because of a physical disability, the same ailment that caused him to stand up instead of simply turning his head to confront the passenger behind him. I asked him why he was saying such things, and I said he did not know me, my condition, and I added I would pray for him, Barber said.The police were called and Barber was escorted off the plane.Via: Breitbart News | 0 |
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