The FBI has discovered a batch of new emails that “appear to be pertinent” to the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, according to a letter FBI Director James Comey sent to the chairs of pertinent Congressional and Senate committees Friday. The FBI’s investigative team briefed Comey Thursday about the new emails and is now assessing, Comey wrote, “whether or not this material may be significant.” In his letter, the FBI director also warned the committee chairs, “I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work.” Law enforcement sources told CBS News’ Jeff Pegues that the sheer volume of emails and the process of examining them will take days. Investigators are looking into whether they contain classified information. In a hastily arranged press conference Friday night, Clinton said it was “imperative” for the FBI to “explain this issue ... without delay.” Clinton said she is “confident” the conclusion reached in July about her emails will not change and downplayed its potential effect on the election. “I think people a long time ago made up their minds about the emails,” she said. The new emails -- which potentially number in the thousands -- came from a laptop that had been shared by top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her now-estranged husband, Anthony Weiner, CBS News’ Jeff Pegues reported. Asked if Abedin had shared with her what might have been discovered, Clinton said she had no information and “we don’t know what to believe.” “We’ve heard these rumors, we don’t know what to believe, and I’m sure there are going to be even more rumors, which is why it is incumbent on the FBI to tell us what is going on,” Clinton said. “Right now, you’re guess is as good as mine, and that’s not good enough.” Clinton’s campaign said it had no advance knowledge of Comey’s letter, and the campaign staff found out about it only after the news had broken Friday afternoon, while Clinton was on a two-hour,15-minute flight traveling with staff and with reporters to Cedar Rapids, all of whom had little or no Wi-Fi access for most of the duration of the flight Reporters shouted questions to Clinton as she walked from the plane in Cedar Rapids to the car that took her to her rally. She just smiled and waved, ignoring the questions. House Oversight Committee chair Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, announced the FBI’s discovery of the emails. FBI Dir just informed me, "The FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation." Case reopened Pegues confirmed Friday that the new batch of emails was discovered during the investigation into the August sexting scandal of Anthony Weiner, the husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, after the agency seized electronic devices belonging to the couple. Weiner was alleged to be exchanging sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl. Comey’s letter to Congress informed lawmakers that he was supplementing his previous testimony on the matter of the investigation, which was completed in July. At the time, Comey recommended no charges against Hillary Clinton, which was accepted by the Justice Department. Following the release of the FBI letter, House Speaker Paul Ryan reiterated his call for the Director of National Intelligence to stop giving classified briefings to Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee. “This decision, long overdue, is the result of her reckless use of a private email server, and her refusal to be forthcoming with federal investigators,” Ryan said in a statement. “I renew my call for the Director of National Intelligence to suspend all classified briefings for Secretary Clinton until this matter is fully resolved.” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday that the Department is trying to figure out what these emails pertain to and whether they’re relevant to Clinton’s time as secretary of state. Toner said they can’t make any assumptions that they are, “but they may be.” If so, Toner said the State Department is ready to cooperate with the FBI, but as of Friday afternoon, the department had not been contacted by the agency. Donald Trump weighed in on the news at a Friday rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, saying that “perhaps justice will be done” after the FBI takes further investigative steps on the emails. The audience roared, “Lock her up! Lock her up,” as Trump declared, “Hillary Clinton’s corruption is on a scale we have never seen before...We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office.” Trump also commended the FBI for now being “willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made” in announcing its investigation was complete. “This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understood and it is everybody’s hope that it is about to be corrected,” he said. Later, Trump said of the “system” he has claimed to be “rigged” for several weeks: “It might be not be as rigged as I thought. I think they’re going to right the ship, folks. I think they’re going to right this yet.” John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chair, called on Comey in a statement to “immediately provide the American public more information than is contained in the letter” sent to Senate and House committee chairmen. “Director Comey’s letter refers to emails that have come to light in an unrelated case, but we have no idea what those emails are and the Director himself notes they may not even be significant,” Podesta wrote Friday afternoon. “The Director owes it to the American people to immediately provide the full details of what he is now examining. We are confident this will not produce any conclusions different from the one the FBI reached in July.” He added that, in the months since the email investigation was completed, partisan efforts have continued to undermine the agency. “Donald Trump and his Republican allies have been baselessly second-guessing the FBI and, in both public and private, browbeating the career officials there to revisit their conclusion in a desperate attempt to harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign,” Podesta said. The timing of the revelation has angered some former Department of Justice employees. Former spokesman Matthew Miller called the disclosure “inappropriate” on Twitter and suggested that Comey had broken a cardinal rule: But today's disclosure might be worst abuse yet. DOJ goes out of its way to avoid publicly discussing investigations close to election. 5/ CBS News’ Jeff Pegues, Catherine Reynolds, Nancy Cordes, Andres Triay, Steven Portnoy and Hannah Fraser-Chanpong contributed to this report.


August 2016 was the warmest August on record for global land/ocean surface combined, according to NOAA. Records go back to 1880. This is the 16th consecutive month that a new, record high global temperature average has been set. Fourteen of the fifteen highest monthly global temperature anomalies have occurred since February 2015. August 2016 averaged 0.92 deg. C above the 20th century average, breaking the old August record of +0.87 just set in August of 2015. In terms of land surface only, August 2016 averaged 1.29 deg. C. above the 20th century average, breaking the old record of +1.10 deg. C. set in August 2015. For ocean surface, August 2016 was the 2nd warmest August on record averaging 0.77 deg. C. above the 20th century average. The warmest August on record occurred last year (+0.79). For the record, the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was neutral for the month of August. Weak La Nina or neutral conditions are predicted for the remainder of this year. ---------- Warmest June-August period on record The June-August 2016 period was the warmest such period on record, according to NOAA. June-August 2016 averaged 0.89 deg. C. above the 20th century average, beating out the record of +0.85 set in 2015. The 10 highest three-month global temperature departures in the record have all occurred since August-October 2015. ------------- Warmest January-August period on record globally The January-August 2016 period was the warmest such period on record, according to NOAA. So far this year, the average temperature anomaly was +1.01 deg. C., which easily beat out the previous record of +0.85 set last year. Based on these numbers I conclude that 2016 will easily end up as the warmest year on record globally. ------ All images courtesy of NOAA.


BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) - Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones has written a letter to President Trump, asking him to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Ohio, specifically to his county. In the letter, Sheriff Jones also calls for ICE to shut down businesses that hire illegal immigrants. He asks President Trump to come to Butler County, sit down with him and work on a plan to start "Work Place Enforcement". Sheriff Jones says he's also tired of illegal immigrants committing crimes here, bringing in drugs and risking the health and safety of citizens "every day that this country allows them to be here". Sheriff Jones spoke at a Trump rally in Sharonville last July.


Rio Arriba County Fire Marshal Carlos Esquibel (center) watches an ambulance, Dec. 22, after a man in a red Ford Edge was reported to be overdosing off Riverside Drive. The man was transported to the Española Hospital and his car was towed. The police blotter is published to give readers an abridged look at criminal activity in their community and neighborhoods. It is simply an illustration of what local law enforcement, funded by taxpayers, must deal with daily throughout the Española Valley. Española Police officers, Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police, Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputies or State Police responded to the following calls: Daughter is in no danger Dec. 19 7:35 a.m. A State Road 76 caller said someone shattered a store window. 8:55 a.m. A Fairview Lane caller said her nephew broke into her house. 2:38 p.m. A Saiz Lane caller said a man wearing a beanie was next door, taking copper from a house. 4:14 p.m. A Chama Middle School caller said her mother’s car window was broken. 4:24 p.m. A Private Drive in Hernandez caller said her boyfriend was threatening to hurt her and her daughter and he also damaged her car, as well as her mother’s car. 6:10 p.m. A County Road 48 caller said her daughter was in danger because the daughter’s boyfriend kidnapped her, had a wire, may choke her and threatened to kill her if she called the police. She said he is also armed with a knife. She refused to give dispatchers her name. The daughter then called dispatchers and said she had an argument with her mother and the mother falsely claimed she had been kidnapped. Mail theft is a federal crime Dec. 20 11:17 a.m. A County Road 40 caller said she lent her car to her brother, but he has not returned it and she wanted to report it as stolen. She said he borrowed it at 9:40 a.m. and said he would be back within five minutes. 11:37 a.m. A West Jonathan Drive caller said she works in the soup kitchen and two women were fighting outside. She said they left once they heard someone was going to call the police. 1:22 p.m. A County Road 41 caller said he was driving in Alcalde when someone shot at his white Cadillac. 2:08 p.m. A Ghost Ranch caller said he had a box in the mail, and it was stolen from the mailbox. He said this is the second or third time it’s happened. 4:14 p.m. A Spruce Street caller said she is receiving text messages from her ex-boyfriend, who wrote that he is going to damage her and her aunt’s cars. 7:52 p.m. A North Riverside Drive caller said two girls and three guys were beating up a man on the ground. 10:08 p.m. A Subway on Riverside Drive caller said an older man was sitting at a table, refusing to leave and he was intoxicated. The employees told the man they needed to close the restaurant, but he still refused to leave and told them to go ahead and call the police. He was taken to the Española Hospital, per his request. 10:44 p.m. A Giant gas station caller said two women were hitting each other at one of the gas pumps. Do him a favor and leave Dec. 21 12:45 p.m. A Rio Chama Chevron gas station caller said there was a couple by one of the pumps and the male was refusing to hand a baby to the female The woman then yelled for him to give the baby back to her or else the police would come and take the baby. 4:15 p.m. A man walked into the Española Police Department to report a case of identity theft. 4:45 p.m. A Calle de Pajarito caller said a man came by in the morning, accused her of stealing from him, and said he would kill her and her family for it. 5:05 p.m. A Wal-Mart caller said a woman was inside one of the bathrooms, refusing to come out, and there was a lot of drug paraphernalia in there. It was an employee. 5:54 p.m. A State Road 215 caller said her son was riding his dirt bike home from his grandpa’s house when a truck tried to run over him. 6:25 p.m. A Paseo de Paulina caller said a woman came by to do him a favor, but now she won’t leave. An Española police officer told her to leave. Too much vodka Dec. 22 6:35 a.m. A County Road 158 caller said she tried to start her car and found that it would not start and her radio and other things were missing. 9:45 a.m. A Valley Drive caller said someone took their manger scene from their front porch during the night. She said they took everything, but left the baby Jesus. Noon An Española Elementary School caller said a fifth grade student broke a window. 1:23 p.m. A Cañada Court caller said someone broke into a house and stole all the appliances. She then found them next door after she learned the former tenant had given them to the neighbor. 1:30 p.m. A Private Drive caller said it appeared a man was overdosing on alcohol and there were empty vodka bottles around him. 8:43 p.m. A Private Drive caller said an 18-year-old man appeared to be overdosing, he was unconscious and snoring. Sheriff’s deputies administered the overdose-reversing drug Narcan. 11:08 p.m. A Camino Cielo Grande caller said her neighbors were yelling and breaking things and they had a 15-year-old child in the house. Officers found no evidence of a fight. Laying it down Dec. 23 12:11 a.m. A Rio Chama Chevron gas station caller said someone broke the windows and doors to his business but nothing was missing. He said it appeared rocks had been thrown through the windows. 1:01 a.m. A Private Drive in Chimayó caller said someone broke into her truck and stole a drill. The truck was left unlocked. 1:58 a.m. A Calle Ramon Espinosa caller said she could hear someone knocking and ringing her door bell. She said she did not know who it was and did not want to check and see. 12:14 p.m. A Wal-Mart caller said a customer punched him in the back. He did not want to file a police report. 12:16 p.m. A Private Drive caller said a man who lives down the road got into her garage and tried stealing a chainsaw, but he was caught in the act by her father-in-law. 4:06 p.m. A Private Drive in Alcalde caller said his neighbor came to his house and broke his kitchen window. 6:38 p.m. A North Riverside Drive caller said a man was passed out on the cement in front of a business. He was breathing, but unresponsive. The man was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. 8:48 p.m. A South Riverside Drive caller said a drunk man walked into the business and he told him to leave. Instead of leaving, the man laid down on the ground and complained he could not walk due to severe leg pain. He was transported to the Española Hospital. 9:08 p.m. A Calle Cristobal caller said his ex-wife came to his house and smashed things that they both own. Holiday cheer overcomes fight Dec. 24 3:29 a.m. A U.S. Highway 285 caller said some people were at her house, trying to steal a truck, driving all over her property and hitting trees with the truck. 3:38 p.m. A North Riverside Drive caller said a bald man was beating a woman. 6:35 p.m. A Silver Lane in Ohkay Owingeh caller said her drunk 43-year-old daughter was causing a disturbance. 8:08 p.m. An Allsup’s caller said a blonde, dark-complected woman appeared to be prostituting herself, along with a couple other women, outside of the gas station. 9:04 p.m. A U.S. Highway 84 caller said her 46-year-old father was not conscious, but breathing, after he took all of his medications at once. She said she just got home and found him like this, but she had received a text message from him at 8:40 p.m., saying goodbye. The man was transported to the Española Hospital, alive. He left a suicide note. 11:14 p.m. A Calle del Sol caller said she was talking to her cousin, when she got into it with a woman driving an Escalade, and the woman pulled a knife on her. An Española police officer was down the street when the incident occurred and he told dispatchers neither side wanted to press charges and instead, continue with the holiday. The Escalade was towed. Watch your step Dec. 25 5:13 a.m. A South Monterey Lane caller said a man in a gray hoodie was yelling things and he wanted him checked out. 4:06 p.m. A North McCurdy Road caller said an intoxicated man was walking around in the area and he wanted him checked out. 4:25 p.m. A Santa Claran Hotel Casino caller said a drunk man wanted an ambulance because he thought his ribs were broken. 6:37 p.m. A State Road 399 caller said he needed an ambulance because he fell in a hole while playing with his dog. 7:07 p.m. A Camino Santa Cruz caller said three boys were throwing rocks at cars as they drove by. 8:08 p.m. A Fairview Lane caller said a woman threw him out of the house and stole his money, as well as his shoes and hat. He did not want to press charges against her.


In June 2008, when she conceded the Democratic presidential race to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton famously noted that "we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time." More than eight years later, she will literally be standing underneath one as the final votes are counted on Nov. 8. On Wednesday, the Clinton campaign announced her election night party would be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. The building has a literal glass ceiling. Let’s hope the campaign has insurance for it if she wins. Reminder: The Javits Center, where Hillary Clinton is holding her election night party, has a literal glass ceiling pic.twitter.com/RvGLDx9cAc The Javits Center, which opened in 1986, is the busiest convention center in the country and contains a massive 840,000 square feet of exhibition space. The center just finished a $460 million renovation. The election event will be for supporters and volunteers.


A racial slur was found on a boys bathroom stall at a Kansas City, Kan., school, according to reports. “Kill all n------,” someone wrote on a stall at Piper High School, Fox4 reported. The message was discovered Wednesday, and a special assembly was held Thursday to address the issue, according to KSHB. In response to the incident, Fox4 reported some students planned to protest for the first 20 minutes of class on Friday. The local news you need to start your day Recaptcha requires verification. protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms Privacy - Terms Piper High administrators could not immediately be reached Friday morning. “We should all just be getting along. It doesn’t matter what color our skin is,” Delaney Degroot, a freshman, told KSHB. Piper High Principal John Nguyen sent an email home to parents addressing the incident, Fox4 reported. “PHS maintains a zero-tolerance stance regarding racist, discriminatory, and threatening comments,” he wrote. “School administration is working diligently with our School Resource Officer in conducting an aggressive investigation to determine the origin of the comment. At this time, the investigation has revealed no credible safety threat whatsoever to PHS students or staff.” About a year ago, a similar incident upset students, according to Fox4. Then a student wrote, “Kill all Blacks.” The student was later disciplined. Max Londberg: 816-234-4378, @MaxLondberg


Permission Details DMCA Donald Trump continued his campaign of incendiary statements over the weekend, threatening to launch a war with North Korea that could unleash a nuclear catastrophe. On Saturday afternoon, the US president tweeted that past administrations "have been talking to North Korea for 25 years." This "hasn't worked," he wrote, adding: "Sorry, but only one thing will work!" Asked later to elaborate on what he meant, Trump replied, "You'll figure that out pretty soon." These threats came three weeks after Trump's tirade at the United Nations General Assembly September 19, when he declared that the US was "ready, willing, and able" to "totally destroy" North Korea, a country of 25 million people. Four days later, Trump threatened to assassinate the North Korean leader. If the North Korean foreign minister's speech at the UN "echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man [Kim Jong-Un]," Trump wrote, "they won't be around much longer!" On Thursday, Trump organized a White House dinner with US military leaders, which had all the hallmarks of a meeting of a war cabinet. During a photo op before the dinner, Trump, surrounded by generals in military uniform, likened the moment to "the calm before the storm." Asked what storm he was talking about, Trump would only say, "You'll find out soon." To the extent that Trump's words are interpreted as a genuine expression of the policy and plans of the United States government, the inescapable conclusion is that the world stands on the brink of the most devastating military conflict since the outbreak of World War II. Were language and reality in correct political alignment, the present situation would be described officially as an "Imminent danger of war." Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, embroiled in a political conflict with Trump, warned that the president's reckless threats were leading the United States "on the path to World War III." But despite Corker's statement on Sunday, there is, within the ruling elite and its media, a staggering disconnect between consciousness and reality. The public declarations emanating from the White House are being reported by the media as if they will have no consequences. The thinking seems to be that Trump doesn't mean what he says. The consequences of a war would prove to be so catastrophic that Trump is simply bluffing. But what if he isn't? What if the North Korean government takes the threats of the American president, as it must, seriously? With Trump having publicly declared that he will destroy North Korea and that the doomsday hour is fast approaching, how will the Pyongyang government interpret American military actions near the borders of its country? With only minutes to make a decision, will the regime view the approach of a US bomber toward North Korean airspace as the beginning of a full-scale attack? Will it conclude that it has no choice but to assume the worst and initiate a military strike against South Korea? Will it fire missiles, as it has threatened, in the direction of Japan, Guam, Australia, or even the United States? From a purely legal standpoint, North Korea can claim, in light of Trump's threats, that such action on its part would be an act of self-defense, a legitimate response to an imminent military threat. Aside from the calculations of Pyongyang, one must assume that the regimes in Beijing and Moscow are also looking at the unfolding developments with increasing alarm. While the American media, as is its wont, responds complacently and thoughtlessly to Trump's threats, the Chinese regime cannot avoid viewing them with deadly seriousness. Trump is, after all, the commander in chief of the American military. He has the power -- which Congress has shown no interest in challenging -- to order military actions. A US attack on North Korea would pose an overwhelming threat to China. As in 1950, a war against North Korea would -- even if it did not rapidly escalate into a nuclear exchange -- lead inexorably to an American incursion across the 38th Parallel. The last time the US military crossed the border into North Korea, the Chinese responded with a massive military counterattack. There is no reason to believe that the present-day regime in Beijing would remain passive in the face of a new US invasion of North Korea. It would view an American invasion as an unacceptable violation of a geopolitical arrangement on the Korean peninsula that has been in existence for nearly 65 years. Beijing's reaction would be influenced by the already tense conditions that exist in the Asia-Pacific region. For years, the US has been systematically building up its military forces in the South China Sea under the "Pivot to Asia" initiated by the Obama administration. The purpose has been to militarily encircle China, which dominant sections of the ruling class consider the major competitor to US interests. Over the weekend, China's main regional competitor, Japan, declared that it fully backed Trump's threats against North Korea. Thus, the outbreak of war between North Korea and the United States would inevitably involve China, which, in turn, would draw all of Asia, as well as Australia, into the bloody maelstrom. Nor would it be possible for Europe and Latin America, which have their own interests in Asia, to stand aside. Little has appeared in the American media about the consequences of war with North Korea. An article in Newsweek in April concluded that a war would leave one million people dead, assuming that it did not involve the use of nuclear weapons or any other outside powers. In a comment in the Los Angeles Times last month, retired Air Force Brigadier General Rob Givens calculated that 20,000 South Koreans would die every day in a war on the peninsula, even without the use of nuclear weapons. If the war were to develop into a nuclear exchange -- as the Trump administration has threatened -- the consequences would be catastrophic. In addition to the millions or tens of millions killed outright, climate experts warned in August that even a regional nuclear war would cool the planet by up to 10 degrees Celsius, potentially sparking a global nuclear winter that would wipe out agricultural production. Despite all the evidence that war could break out at any time, the American media persists in its refusal to take the events seriously. The New York Times epitomized this media effort at chloroforming the population in its October 6 article on Trump's remarks before the generals, which stated that Trump has a "penchant for provocative statements" and takes "an obvious delight in keeping people guessing." Writing as if what was involved was merely a matter of White House gossip and intrigue, the Times stated that the "timing" of the "calm before the storm" statement was "particularly tantalizing." "But it is equally plausible," the article concluded, "that Mr. Trump was merely being theatrical, using the backdrop of military officers to stir up some drama." The efforts of the media to downplay the danger are contradicted by signs of serious divisions within the Trump administration. There are rumors that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be forced out or could resign, following statements from Trump last month directly undermining Tillerson's moves to resume negotiations with the North Korean government. Thursday's meeting of top advisers in the White House, decked out in their uniforms, may have been an effort by Trump to ensure that he has the military on his side in advance of war. These divisions, however, are tactical in character. In the final analysis, Trump speaks not simply for himself, but for the US ruling class. The dominant factions of the ruling oligarchy are united on the basic strategy of using its military force to maintain its hegemonic position abroad. Trump uses exceptionally crude and brutal language to justify American foreign policy. But he is not the author of Washington's hegemonic strategy. The United States has been at war almost continuously for more than 25 years. This weekend marked the sixteenth anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. The Pentagon is conducting military actions all over the world, usually without the American people being informed of the deployment of military personnel. The death in combat this past week of four American soldiers in the African country of Niger came as a total surprise to the public. A war with Korea could break out at any time. This is the reality of the situation. Rather than speculating idly over whether Trump is merely bluffing, the critical task is the building of a powerful movement, based on the working class, against the drive to war. The very fact that the American president smirks and laughs as he threatens millions with annihilation is itself sufficient proof that the US political system is terminally sick and capable of any crime. Permission Details DMCA Donald Trump continued his campaign of incendiary statements over the weekend, threatening to launch a war with North Korea that could unleash a nuclear catastrophe. On Saturday afternoon, the US president tweeted that past administrations "have been talking to North Korea for 25 years." This "hasn't worked," he wrote, adding: "Sorry, but only one thing will work!" Asked later to elaborate on what he meant, Trump replied, "You'll figure that out pretty soon." These threats came three weeks after Trump's tirade at the United Nations General Assembly September 19, when he declared that the US was "ready, willing, and able" to "totally destroy" North Korea, a country of 25 million people. Four days later, Trump threatened to assassinate the North Korean leader. If the North Korean foreign minister's speech at the UN "echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man [Kim Jong-Un]," Trump wrote, "they won't be around much longer!" On Thursday, Trump organized a White House dinner with US military leaders, which had all the hallmarks of a meeting of a war cabinet. During a photo op before the dinner, Trump, surrounded by generals in military uniform, likened the moment to "the calm before the storm." Asked what storm he was talking about, Trump would only say, "You'll find out soon." To the extent that Trump's words are interpreted as a genuine expression of the policy and plans of the United States government, the inescapable conclusion is that the world stands on the brink of the most devastating military conflict since the outbreak of World War II. Were language and reality in correct political alignment, the present situation would be described officially as an "Imminent danger of war." Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, embroiled in a political conflict with Trump, warned that the president's reckless threats were leading the United States "on the path to World War III." But despite Corker's statement on Sunday, there is, within the ruling elite and its media, a staggering disconnect between consciousness and reality. The public declarations emanating from the White House are being reported by the media as if they will have no consequences. The thinking seems to be that Trump doesn't mean what he says. The consequences of a war would prove to be so catastrophic that Trump is simply bluffing. But what if he isn't? What if the North Korean government takes the threats of the American president, as it must, seriously? With Trump having publicly declared that he will destroy North Korea and that the doomsday hour is fast approaching, how will the Pyongyang government interpret American military actions near the borders of its country? With only minutes to make a decision, will the regime view the approach of a US bomber toward North Korean airspace as the beginning of a full-scale attack? Will it conclude that it has no choice but to assume the worst and initiate a military strike against South Korea? Will it fire missiles, as it has threatened, in the direction of Japan, Guam, Australia, or even the United States? From a purely legal standpoint, North Korea can claim, in light of Trump's threats, that such action on its part would be an act of self-defense, a legitimate response to an imminent military threat. Aside from the calculations of Pyongyang, one must assume that the regimes in Beijing and Moscow are also looking at the unfolding developments with increasing alarm. While the American media, as is its wont, responds complacently and thoughtlessly to Trump's threats, the Chinese regime cannot avoid viewing them with deadly seriousness. Trump is, after all, the commander in chief of the American military. He has the power -- which Congress has shown no interest in challenging -- to order military actions. A US attack on North Korea would pose an overwhelming threat to China. As in 1950, a war against North Korea would -- even if it did not rapidly escalate into a nuclear exchange -- lead inexorably to an American incursion across the 38th Parallel. The last time the US military crossed the border into North Korea, the Chinese responded with a massive military counterattack. There is no reason to believe that the present-day regime in Beijing would remain passive in the face of a new US invasion of North Korea. It would view an American invasion as an unacceptable violation of a geopolitical arrangement on the Korean peninsula that has been in existence for nearly 65 years. Beijing's reaction would be influenced by the already tense conditions that exist in the Asia-Pacific region. For years, the US has been systematically building up its military forces in the South China Sea under the "Pivot to Asia" initiated by the Obama administration. The purpose has been to militarily encircle China, which dominant sections of the ruling class consider the major competitor to US interests. Over the weekend, China's main regional competitor, Japan, declared that it fully backed Trump's threats against North Korea. Thus, the outbreak of war between North Korea and the United States would inevitably involve China, which, in turn, would draw all of Asia, as well as Australia, into the bloody maelstrom. Nor would it be possible for Europe and Latin America, which have their own interests in Asia, to stand aside. Little has appeared in the American media about the consequences of war with North Korea. An article in Newsweek in April concluded that a war would leave one million people dead, assuming that it did not involve the use of nuclear weapons or any other outside powers. In a comment in the Los Angeles Times last month, retired Air Force Brigadier General Rob Givens calculated that 20,000 South Koreans would die every day in a war on the peninsula, even without the use of nuclear weapons. If the war were to develop into a nuclear exchange -- as the Trump administration has threatened -- the consequences would be catastrophic. In addition to the millions or tens of millions killed outright, climate experts warned in August that even a regional nuclear war would cool the planet by up to 10 degrees Celsius, potentially sparking a global nuclear winter that would wipe out agricultural production.


Members of a Houston mosque barricaded themselves inside and refused to help people evacuating Hurricane Harvey. On 31 August 2017, repeat offender TheLastLineOfDefense.com published a “ report” on the “Ramashan Mosque” in Houston, which according to them, refused to help people seeking relief from the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey: The building can easily hold over 500 people, much more than the 27 currently inside. But the imam of the mosque, Aswat Turads, says that they absolutely cannot accept any non-Muslim people because it’s against their religion. “The Quran is very clear,” Turads told local news radio station WXTX, “we are forbidden from helping infidels, no matter how much we want to. If we allow Christians and Jews inside, we are violating a fundamental tenant of Islam and will be punished by Allah. The original version of the story (and an equally fake follow-up post) also included a picture of Canadian imam Ibrahim Hindy, who publicly refuted the story, saying that not only was he in Saudi Arabia completing the hajj Islamic pilgrimage at the time the massive storm hit Texas, he has never been to that state in his life at all: The site quickly swapped out its photographs in response. The current version of the story now includes an Associated Press picture of a Lebanese cleric, Ahmad al-Assir, who was arrested by authorities in his country in August 2015. This story is a complete fabrication, and neither the “Ramashan Mosque” or “Aswat Turads” exist. The radio station named in the article, WXTX-FM, is actually based out of Columbus, Georgia and not Texas. TheLastLineOfDefense.com is a known purveyor of fake news stories. Its disclaimer reads: America’s Last Line of Defense is a satirical publication that may sometimes appear to be telling the truth. We assure you that’s not the case. We present fiction as fact and our sources don’t actually exist. Names that represent actual people and places are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and do not in any way depict reality. In other words, if you believe this crap you’re a real dumbass. Despite its complete lack of any factual content, the hoax story was shared thousands of times; it was also picked up and run verbatim as true by other web sites. In reality, several Houston mosques have taken people in and performed volunteer food and donation drives to help victims of the storm. Snopes.com has long been engaged in the battle against misinformation, an effort we could not sustain without the support of our readers. If you'd like to learn more about how you can support us, click here.


It used to be pretty easy to tell the difference between advertising and editorial content on Facebook. If a post had a little "sponsored" label on it, that was a red flag telling you, "Hey, a brand paid for this, you should treat it as an advertisement." But that line has gotten blurrier for Facebook users, especially over the last few months as Facebook has limited how far posts from media companies can spread on their own (so-called "organic reach"). In January, Facebook announced that it would de-emphasize publisher content in favor of " friends and family" posts. One of the main complaints I heard from folks on the publisher side was that Mark Zuckerberg didn't actually want less publisher content on Facebook: He wanted publishers to pay him to help their articles spread. "Facebook is now pay to play," was a lament I heard many times. And that is what many publishers - from The New Yorker, to The Wall Street Journal, to Marie Claire (and Business Insider) - have been doing for certain articles, with more frequency since the algorithm change. They have paid Facebook to help their editorial, journalistic articles spread. The Facebook posts that link to these articles are labeled "sponsored," because they are technically ads, but they link to normal news articles. When you follow the link to the publisher's website, the article isn't a piece of "sponsored content," even though the Facebook post is labeled "sponsored." Confusing, right? But that's only the start of the rabbit hole when it comes to the blurring of the lines between advertising and editorial content on Facebook. Traditionally, media companies have worked to separate advertisements from journalistic writing (and to properly label "advertorial" content). But in the world of Facebook, these outlets don't always even have control over how posts appear to readers. Positive articles about companies like Uber (for instance) are being turned into promotional ads, sometimes without the media organizations being made aware. It can be hard for readers to wade through, so we decided to break it down for you in a way that is easy to digest. We'll walk you through the various types of "sponsored" posts on Facebook and what they mean. Let's start with the one I just mentioned: Purely editorial articles that are being promoted with "sponsored" posts on Facebook. This basically happens when a publisher wants to boost an article it thinks has viral potential, and can bring the publisher in much more advertising (or subscriber) revenue than it is paying Facebook to push it into your feed, or get new readers. Here is what that looks like from The New Yorker on an editorial article titled " The Great Sadness of Ben Affleck": And here's one from The Wall Street Journal on an editorial article titled " Silicon Valley to Washington: Why Don't You Get Us": Just scrolling through my Facebook feed casually, I noticed many such articles from outlets ranging from those above to Marie Claire (as mentioned), Ranker, Screen Rant, Elite Daily, U.S. News and World Report, and so on. They really run the gamut editorially. Okay, so this type of post is easy enough to understand. Here is where it starts to get more confusing. Sometimes, the subject of an article pays Facebook to promote an editorial article written about them - presumably one that paints them in a positive light. These are also technically "ads" on Facebook, but the journalism they are promoting was not paid for by the subject. The article itself is not "sponsored content," even though the Facebook post is "sponsored." Here's an example with Uber and CNET: CNET wrote this article about Uber's new CEO, titled " Uber's U-turn: How the new CEO is cleaning house after scandals and lawsuits." To be clear, this was written by a reporter at CNET and was not paid for by Uber. It's just a regular news article. But Uber clearly liked the piece and is now paying Facebook to spread it far and wide. Here is an example from the video world. This editorial video (not an ad) by NowThis Money is being promoted by the subject of the video, Adam Khafif. Adam Khafif's Facebook page is sharing a NowThis Money post from its Facebook page, and that share is being "sponsored" (i.e. boosted by paying money to Facebook). See, it gets very convoluted. But the main point is that the underlying video, and in this case even the underlying original Facebook post, isn't an ad - but the subject of the video is paying for a "sponsored" Facebook post to promote it. Sometimes these "sponsored" posts are even geo-targeted, like the one on this article from The New Yoker titled " Divinity on the Dance Floor," which is being "promoted" not even by its subject (DJ Robert Hood), but by the nightclub where he performs regularly ( Schimanski): Now let's get to influencers and celebrities. Sometimes publishers pay influencers (people with big Facebook followings) to promote their articles. This used to be done a lot through organic Facebook reach ( here's an article on this about George Takei.) But now I've only seen it recently in the form of "sponsored" posts. Here's an example from Snoop Dogg and FashionBeans: Snoop Dogg in this instance is technically paying Facebook to promote an article from FashionBeans, titled "Here Are The Most Obnoxiously Rich Suburbs Of America's Biggest Cities," that really has nothing to do with him. But most likely what is happening is that FashionBeans is paying him to promote it, then he is paying Facebook. So the idea is that while FashionBeans could directly pay Facebook to promote the post, the promotion is more effective (dollar for dollar) if Snoop Dogg's name is attached. Now we get to the last category: actual "sponsored content" from a media company. This is an instance of "advertorial," where the advertiser is directly paying the media company to sponsor the actual article itself. Here's an example from BuzzFeed and NBC Sports: In these cases, the word "with" is usually employed in the Facebook post to denote which company is paying for the underlying content. It's marked again if you follow the link to BuzzFeed's site: Notice that the "Brand Publisher" is NBC Sports. So this is actually an ad - not only on Facebook but on BuzzFeed's site as well. And there you have it, we've come to the end of our guide to understanding who is paying to get journalism or advertising in front of you on Facebook. One last thing to remember is that no matter who is paying for a "sponsored" Facebook post - outlet, subject, or influencer - if you check the actual article after following the link, it should clearly mark whether the article is an advertisement or a journalistic piece.


A Michigan woman who sacrificed the chance to prolong her own life so she could give birth has died. Nick DeKlyen told the Associated Press that his wife, Carrie DeKlyen, died Saturday morning surrounded by family. "I'll see you in Heaven," was among the last things Nick DeKlyen said to his wife. Doctors removed Carrie DeKlyen's feeding and breathing tubes on Thursday after she gave birth to the couple's sixth child, Life Lynn DeKlyen. The little girl was born prematurely and weighs 1 pound, four ounces, but is doing well. Carrie DeKlyen chose to forgo chemotherapy to treat her brain cancer so she could give birth to her daughter. "Me and my wife, we are people of faith," Nick DeKlyen told the Detroit Free Press. "We love the Lord with everything in us. We talked about it, prayed about it." The couple from the western Michigan city of Wyoming was married for 17 years. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


“Saturday Night Live” takes swings at all political candidates, regardless of party. And with Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon portraying Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, they keep hitting the mark. The show has a long history of making fun of everyone with their impersonations. Both Baldwin and McKinnon have been praised for their spot-on impressions of celebrities, musicians and politicians. Trump has even joined in on the fun in the past while acting as a host. On Saturday’s broadcast of the show, the actors took on the second debate between Trump and Clinton, and the GOP nominee was the focus of some pointed satire from Baldwin. “Tonight, I’m going to do three things. I’m going to huff. I’m going to puff. I’m going to blow this whole thing,” Baldwin, as Trump, said in the sketch. After the show, Trump took to Twitter to let people know that once it gets personal, he’s no longer laughing. While Trump and his supporters seem convinced that “Saturday Night Live” is trying to bring down his campaign, a lot of people took to Twitter to remind everyone that the show is all in the name of satire. Regardless of where you stand, one thing is for sure -- whether Trump likes it or not, these sketches will continue at least through November 8th.


Earlier this year, two hunters suffered gun-related injuries while camped out at the Circle Dug Ranch, a Texas ranch near the U.S.-Mexico border. According to Texas Monthly, a 26-year-old hunting guide named Walker Daugherty was shot in the abdomen. One of his clients, 59-year-old Edwin Roberts, was shot in the arm. When Daugherty reported the incident to law enforcement officials, he and his fiancée claimed that the gunfire came from illegal Mexican immigrants who were attempting to steal the Daugherty’s RV and kidnap their clients. After the incident, a GoFundMe page was launched to help Daugherty pay for his medical expenses. According to KOSA CBS 7, the now-inactive campaign page stated that Daugherty was shot by illegal immigrants who were trying to steal his RV. More than $25,000 was raised to cover Daugherty’s medical expenses. Upon hearing the story, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller posted a message to Facebook calling Daugherty a hero and pledging his support for a border wall. “This is why we need the wall and to secure our borders,” wrote Miller. According to the Dallas News, the post was shared 6,500 times before Miller deleted it. Weeks later, law enforcement officials determined Daugherty’s story was false. According to KOSA CBS 7 in Texas, an investigation by the Presidio County Sheriff’s Department found that the gunfire did not come from immigrants crossing the border — it came from the hunters themselves. That’s right: friendly fire. Investigators determined that Daugherty shot Roberts and that another hunting guide, Michael Bryant, shot Daugherty. The Daugherty family reportedly released a statement about the Presidio County Sheriff’s investigation that was published on the blog The Westerner. “We do not deny that our hunter client was hit by a bullet that resulted from a horribly fearful and confusing situation. However, the bullet that shot our son was not. That shot came later and from an entirely different direction. We are unable to reveal all the details of the event at this time but we do not agree with the Sherriff’s stated conclusion to the incident.” Read their full statement here. Daugherty and Bryant have since been indicted on charges of deadly conduct by discharging firearms in the direction of others, reports the Austin American-Statesman.


During Drew Brees' media whirlwind in New York on Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints quarterback levied yet another serious criticism of the NFL. He said that the suspended Saints coaches are afraid of speaking out about their situation. "I've been informed a lot of those coaches feel there are further sanctions being held over their head if they don't cooperate with the investigation," Brees said on The Dan Patrick Show, via ProFootballTalk. "If they were to speak out on behalf of the players, maybe that's the fear they have." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello has told a variety of outlets that there is simply no truth to Brees' claims. "Of course people are free to speak, as Joe Vitt has done," Aiello told Around the League on Wednesday. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported that Sean Payton and Gregg Williams fear further retribution if they say anything. As Aiello points out, Saints interim coach Joe Vitt has spoken out against the league. Vitt wondered aloud if NFL evidence has been tampered with. After Williams' indefinite suspension was announced, the league indicated that Williams' cooperation with future proceedings would be a factor in his possible reinstatement. "Commissioner Goodell said he will give close attention to the extent to which Coach Williams cooperates with the NFL in any further proceedings," the league explained in a March 21 statement detailing Williams' punishment. Cooperating with proceedings doesn't mean Williams has to take a vow of silence. But that's essentially what he's done to this point. The back-and-forth between the players and the league over the bounty evidence is seemingly never-ending. We would be surprised if the coaches got involved publicly. Payton and Williams have openly apologized, admitted their mistakes, and seem to want to move past the controversy as much as possible.


Ex-FBI Director James Comey went rogue, according to testimony Wednesday from Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Sessions said in a Senate hearing that by clearing Hillary Clinton from prosecution for leaking and transmitting classified and top secret emails, Comey acted as investigator, judge and jury. And that is why he was fired. Sessions was addressing questions from Sen. Diane Feinstein about why Comey was fired as FBI chief. AG Sessions “I don’t think the significance of the ERROR that Comey made on the Clinton matter is fully understood”! pic.twitter.com/5LrYvbBYNO — ‘GITMO’ BAMA ▪ (@President1Trump) October 18, 2017


Three House Democrats on Wednesday introduced a resolution to censure and condemn President Trump over his response to recent violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The measure was introduced by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Jerry Nadler (NY) and Pramila Jayapal (WA). The trio’s resolution calls for Trump’s censure over his “inadequate response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.” The proposal also cites Trump for “his failure to immediately and specifically name and condemn the groups responsible for actions of domestic terrorism” in Charlottesville. The group’s resolution additionally demands that Trump “fire any and all advisors who have urged him to cater to the alt-Right movement in the United State.” The document criticizes Trump “for employing people with ties to white supremacist movements in the White House.” White House officials with ties to white supremacy include chief strategist Steve Bannon and national security aide Sebastian Gorka, according to the resolution. Bannon previously served as the executive chairman of Breitbart, which he characterized as “the platform for the alt-right” last year. Gorka formerly worked as a national security editor at Breitbart, an outlet which has faced accusations of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and misogyny. Trump insisted Tuesday that there is “blame on both sides” for bloodshed in Charlottesville last weekend. “What about the alt-left that came charging at the – as you say, the alt-right?” he asked a reporter. “Do they have any semblance of guilt?” “What about the fact they came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs?” Trump continued at Trump Tower in New York City. “Do they have any problem? I think they do.” “I have condemned neo-Nazis. I have condemned many different groups, but not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me.” White nationalists descended upon Charlottesville last weekend to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. One person died last Saturday when a car drove into people protesting the white nationalists in the city. Two other Virginia State Police Department officers were killed the same day in a helicopter crash authorities linked to the unrest.


Tucker Carlson said that Hillary Clinton spun a yarn of conspiracy theories about her election loss during a speech on Wednesday. Mike Huckabee joined "Fox & Friends" to discuss Hillary Clinton's return to the public eye with a speech over the weekend in the Poconos. A retired NYPD detective and private investigator running against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio posted a video to Facebook challenging the Democrat to a push-up contest. A professor at a southern California college went on a diatribe against President-elect Donald Trump, and the unnamed student who recorded her may be facing punishment.


Once this Harvey Weinstein debacle is completely finished, Hollywood will be a haven of racial, gender and financial equality. Ha, ha — right. The ongoing saga of Harvey Weinstein’s downfall continues with news about the former mogul possibly being stripped of his Oscar. As police in New York and London investigate the many complaints against him of sexual assault, rumours persist that Weinstein will be booted from the Producers Guild of America. Meanwhile, the name of The Weinstein Company will be changed and Weinstein’s name will be taken off future projects. Even the man’s political contributions are being returned or handed over to women’s charities. Other industry bigwigs and political leaders are being pilloried for not condemning Weinstein fast enough. His wife has left, his adult daughter feared he was suicidal, and people are lining up to savage the guy. Soon, he’ll be drawn and quartered in a public place, no doubt. On the business side, it’s been reported that The Weinstein Company is a shambles, with agents and talent trying to get themselves and their projects away from the bad smell, and upcoming films such as The Current War and The Upside in release limbo. The Financial Times says that Goldman Sachs is “exploring options” for its small stake in The Weinstein Company — and really, people, if the Goldman Sachs is taking the moral high ground, consider yourself toast. So why — just out of interest — is a 30-year problem coming to light now? Did we reach a tipping point? Was Mr. Weinstein’s career in decline? Is there a power struggle nobody knows about in the offices of the company? Have we reached some sort of landmark in the ongoing saga of sexual impropriety and the war between men and women? Doubtful. Still, it’s interesting that several formerly untouchable guys have been taken down recently, including Bill Cosby, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes and Donald Trump, that last dude being just a bit tougher to get rid of than the others. Why is the Weinstein case different? It’s not as if Harvey Weinstein varies much from all the other handsy creeps in his business — oohhh, the names we’d insert here — and casting couch stories have plagued the industry since Florence Lawrence first fluttered her eyelashes circa 1906. Some of the more interesting fallout from the Weinstein case involves the support weasels — every Weinstein staffer who knew things were rotten is under a cloud, and so is every agent, manager, casting agent, publicist or assistant who knowingly sent some poor girl to talk to Weinstein in a hotel room. And how about the lawyers who handled the hush money all those years? Be interesting to see who gets tackled next. Since Weinstein is no doubt just a difference in degree, not in kind, it’s tough to say if this uproar will change anything on a permanent basis in his industry. Still, it would be interesting to know why Hollywood is such a sleazy place. The movie industry really is a cesspool of sexual harassment and bullying; hard to know how so many people go to work every day in such an atmosphere of fear and loathing. Many an analyst has decreed that vast amounts of money and power will do it every time, and maybe that’s true — look at Dominique Strauss-Kahn, or Silvio Berlusconi, or even l’il old home-grown Jian Ghomeshi. People will risk a lot to get anywhere near rich and famous, and an industry that allows ordinary people — capable of memorizing dialogue and playing make-believe — to be treated like gods is an industry in which every sort of predatory behaviour will no doubt thrive. How to explain the sexually predatory behaviour of men in every other industry is a bit more of a mystery. Play Video Play Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% Remaining Time -0:00 This is a modal window. Foreground --- White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan --- Opaque Semi-Opaque Background --- White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan --- Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window --- White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan --- Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Default Monospace Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Sans-Serif Casual Script Small Caps Defaults Done Riley Fleming and Wes Heffernan have been going back and forth all year, so why wouldn’t you expect them to do the same thing in the PGA of Alberta Championship? “We’ve been so close, it’s…


On 'Hannity,' Republican lawmaker from South Carolina says he wants to give John McCain the send-off he deserves.


— George and Amal Clooney have donated $1 million to Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit that strives to put an end to domestic hate groups and extremists, in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month. “What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate,” the actor and humanitarian lawyer said in a joint statement. >> Related: More than 900 active hate groups in the U.S., report says On Aug. 12, a rally in Charlottesville turned violent when a group of white nationalists clashed with counterprotesters. One woman was killed when a car plowed into the crowd at the rally. According to Reuters, the donation comes from the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which the couple created in 2016 to promote justice worldwide in courtrooms and classrooms. Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen released a statement thanking the Clooneys for “standing with (the organization) at this critical moment in our country’s fight against hate.”


As the GOP divides at the rate of human cells, and a self-destructive President Trump causes his own supporters to question how he can succeed, Democrats have refused to fill the leadership void with a better vision of governance. Instead, they are partnering with the flailing Republicans and their president in failure. Democrats are leaning indulgently on the politics of race and gratuitous opposition to Trump, and they appear content to be the party of sanctuary cities, safe spaces and single-payer health care. Weeks ago they released an “agenda” designed to offer voters “A Better Deal,” but who would know what’s in it since all they talk about is Trump? Meanwhile, if Trump’s trajectory doesn’t improve, the party may face the weakest, most unpopular president in modern times in 2020 -- but with who? Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are running, or think they are. Why are they being encouraged? Sounding like a garden-variety conservative, liberal New York Times columnist Charles Blow asked last week on Twitter: “Serious question: What is the Dem party now in addition to anti-Trump? What does it stand for now? Also, who’s leading? #GhostParty.” The last two weeks have been Trump’s worst in office, yet it seems the lower he sinks, Democratic leaders do likewise. The president’s pathetic and irresponsible response to a white supremacist demonstration in Charlottesville -- where a protester was mowed down by a driver and killed -- has prompted not only fellow Republicans to criticize Trump but now his own National Economic Council director, Gary Cohn, as well. Still, Democrats went overboard. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is calling on Congress to censure the president for the “repulsiveness of his words and actions,” adding that “every day, the president gives us further evidence of why such a censure is necessary.” Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and any potential ties the president and his campaign had to those activities, responded Friday, saying in a Twitter post that he will co-sponsor a censure resolution because Trump “expresses views inimical to our values.” Rep. Jackie Speier, another member of the committee, has called for Trump’s removal under the 25th Amendment. Speier tweeted that “POTUS is showing signs of erratic behavior and mental instability that place the country in grave danger.” Rep. Keith Ellison, deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said on CNN Monday that POTUS has “sympathy” for white supremacists. He’s not just a congressman anymore but a party official -- no wonder the DNC’s fundraising is at a record low. Rep. Maxine Waters, whose late-in-life internet fame recently landed her on “The View,” tweeted the day after Charlottesville that “Trump has made it clear - w/Bannon & Gorka in the WH, & the Klan in the streets, it is now the White Supremacists House. #Charlottesville.” Should Democrats win back the House next year, Waters would be chairman of the Financial Services Committee, an influential voice at the leadership table. Former Vermont Gov. and DNC Chairman Howard “The Scream” Dean said last week, “If you want to vote for a racist in the White House, then you better vote for Republicans.” The party elder recently declared he would stop contributing to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee because it will consider recruiting pro-life candidates. After all these years, eight of them during President Obama’s two terms, Pelosi is now calling on the House Speaker Paul Ryan to remove Confederate statues -- which “have always been reprehensible” -- immediately from the halls of Congress “if Republicans are serious about rejecting white supremacy.” Polling after the events in Charlottesville show that while a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s response, 62 percent said monuments to Confederate leaders should remain. Yet these monuments are suddenly a pressing federal issue to national Democrats. Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who enjoys great respect across aisle, has gone a step further than his party’s left, saying the statue removal is “not a matter of political correctness,” but “of public safety and homeland security.” This from the man who never made the issue a priority as head of DHS. While countering Trump is essential -- after all, Republicans are doing the same -- the focus should remain on even more fundamental matters: guarding the Constitution and the separation of powers; stressing facts over falsehoods; preventing a government shutdown that Trump’s lobbying for; defending the right to a free press to hold him accountable; urging him to pay cost-sharing reduction payments under the Affordable Care Act to provide more certainty to the fragile exchanges; and pushing for any bipartisan cooperation possible on health care, tax reform and infrastructure projects. Democrats must leave the fight to stop him and his family from running a kleptocracy, an issue the GOP remains silent on, to outsiders who have filed lawsuits. Leave the statue debate to the states. Leave the questions of his stability to Republicans like Sen. Bob Corker. Leave the Russia investigation to special counsel Robert Mueller. Let the media report on West Wing dysfunction or how much Trump television watches. Democrats should leave all that alone. Democrats must also decide whether they want President Obama back in the spotlight. Rudderless and leaderless, some party operators long for him swoop in and right the ship, yet they still blame him for sinking it with epic election losses from 2009 to 2016. As they attempt to plot a path forward and regain seats in state legislatures, governorships, the U.S. House and Senate -- and someday the White House -- Democrats need new faces and leaders and can’t lean too heavily on the 44th president. Yet some are calling for him to be a loud voice: “None of the potential Democratic presidential candidates have the visibility or credibility to be effective,” party strategist Brad Bannon told The Hill. Finally, as Democrats like Reps. Brad Sherman, Al Green and Gwen Moore continue to push for impeachment, party leaders must avoid what Obama’s onetime senior adviser David Axelrod warned would likely be a costly mistake. “Remember: A third of the country supports this president," he said on CNN. "That's a very dangerous road to go down. And if you ever did go down that road, you’re opening a Pandora’s box that will never end." What’s already in that box is widespread voter disgust. People are turning away from both parties and the pool of gettable voters is shrinking, which means base politics will be less and less effective in the years to come. Democrats must convince voters they take governing more seriously than partisan politics and will focus on economic growth instead of statues, tweets and Russia. Or they can stay in the minority a lot longer. A.B. Stoddard is associate editor of RealClearPolitics and a columnist. She is also host of "No Labels Radio" on Sirius XM's POTUS Channel.


Major League Baseball, the sport of Jackie Robinson and long ago a touchstone of civil rights, saw its first athlete join the movement started by Colin Kaepernick and inflamed this weekend by President Trump. Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell, who hinted at such an action earlier in the day, knelt during the national anthem before Saturday night's game against the Texas Rangers. From the @sfchronicle’s Santiago Mejia, here is A’s rookie Bruce Maxwell becoming the first MLB player to take a knee for the anthem: pic.twitter.com/q8QVY9hW15 Maxwell, a 26-year-old catcher from Alabama, composed several tweets Saturday in the wake of President Trump's comments Friday night to "fire the sons of (expletives)" in the NFL who kneeled for the anthem. Kaepernick's protest was conceived in the wake of social injustices and the shooting of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement. Maxwell's tweets Saturday made it clear that Trump's verbiage took the movement to another level: "This now has gone from just a BlackLives Matter topic to just complete inequality of any man or woman that wants to stand for Their rights!" This now has gone from just a BlackLives Matter topic to just complete inequality of any man or woman that wants to stand for Their rights! In a profane Instagram post, he implored "every single NFL player" to kneel on Sunday, and then he followed up his words with actions before Saturday night's game in Oakland, kneeling in the dirt in front of the A's dugout at the Coliseum. There was immediate support from his organization. Teammate Mark Canha kept a hand on Maxwell's shoulder as he engaged in his protest as the anthem played, and wrapped him in a hug once it concluded. And the A's sent out a message of support moments after the protest. Maxwell has played in 104 career games and has a lifetime .256 batting average. He entered the season as the A's 10th-best prospect, according to Baseball America. Maxwell, like Kaepernick an African American of mixed race, was born in Germany while his father was stationed there in the Army. He was raised in Alabama, site of Trump's Friday night speech during which the president blasted NFL players for kneeling during the anthem and also bemoaned what he seemed to consider an overriding concern within the league for brain injuries. Saturday morning, Trump took umbrage at Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry's reluctance to visit the White House and rescinded any invitation. Trump's speech and morning-after tweets aroused a sports world that had largely let Kaepernick - currently without an NFL job - kneel alone since his protest began in August 2016. As NFL players geared up for what may be a significant day of protest before Sunday's games, and NBA players blasted the president on social media as well, Maxwell's Twitter and Instagram feeds went beyond his usual penchant for Alabama Crimson Tide football. A post shared by bruce_maxwell (@bruce_maxwell) on But until he took a knee before Saturday's game, baseball did not yet have a player join in anthem protests that started with Kaepernick and continued through various NFL players and even to U.S. women's national soccer team star Megan Rapinoe. The NFL and NBA are both majority African American leagues. Major League Baseball's decline in African American participation has been well-documented and this year, just 7.1% of players on opening-day rosters were black, according to a USA TODAY Sports analysis. That's the lowest percentage since 1958. In September 2016, shortly after Kaepernick's protests began, Baltimore Orioles All-Star outfielder Adam Jones told USA TODAY Sportsthat a similar protest in MLB was unlikely because African-American players "already have two strikes against us, so you might as well not kick yourself out of the game. In football, you can’t kick them out. You need those players. In baseball, they don’t need us. “Baseball is a white man’s sport.’’ Saturday night, Maxwell took that risk, inspired to act by what he saw around him and unafraid of any consequences.


Hillary Clinton is beginning to increase her odds of winning Florida in many election forecasts, while other models say that Donald Trump is now likely to capture the state. On November 6th, FiveThirtyEight was forecasting a Donald Trump victory in Florida, giving him a 52.5 percent chance of winning. The state has flipped from red to blue in the past 24 hours; as of November 7th, the FiveThirtyEight model now gives Donald Trump a 48.5 percent chance of winning Florida, with Hillary Clinton having the better odds of 51.6 percent. On their forecast, we can see a clear dip that occurs in the immediate aftermath of the news that the FBI would be looking into new emails relevant to the Hillary Clinton investigation, but now her lead is beginning to rise again. FiveThirtyEight is also forecasting that Hillary Clinton will win 48.2 percent of the popular vote in Florida, while Donald Trump will receive 48.0 percent of it. But in The New York Times’ The Upshot, Florida is actually beginning to move in Donald Trump’s direction. On November 6th, the Times’ model gave Hillary Clinton a 70 percent chance of winning the state, but now, this number has gone down to 66 percent. And two weeks ago, before the FBI news was released, Hillary Clinton had an 80 percent chance of winning Florida on The Upshot. The model currently gives Clinton an 84 percent chance of becoming the next president. Clearly, Clinton does not absolutely need Florida to win, while Donald Trump almost certainly can’t reach 270 Electoral College votes without it. On PredictWise, Hillary Clinton now has better odds of winning Florida than she did yesterday. On November 6th, Clinton was given a 73 percent chance of winning Florida by PredictWise, but now that has gone up two points to 75 percent. Surprisingly, PredictWise is actually giving Clinton better odds of winning Florida today than she had prior to the FBI announcement on October 28th. Hours before that news dropped, Clinton’s odds of winning Florida were at 72 percent. In the aftermath of that bombshell, her odds fell all the way down to 58 percent, but she has now more than recovered from it. Nationally, PredictWise gives Clinton an 89 percent chance of winning the election, up two points since yesterday. Meanwhile, a dramatic shift has taken place on The Huffington Post’s forecast. On Sunday, this model gave Clinton a 93 percent chance of winning Florida, and the state was placed in the “probable Clinton” column. Twenty-four hours later, Florida has been moved into the “battleground” column, and her odds of winning the state have dropped down to 89 percent. The Huffington Post has also moved North Carolina from “probable Clinton” into “battleground.” One day ago, Clinton’s projected minimum number of Electoral College votes was 317, but now that has dropped down to 273. Clinton has seen a very slight bump in DailyKos‘ election forecast, though. On November 6th, they gave her a 74 percent chance of winning Florida, but that has now gone up one point to 75 percent. This bump also came as DailyKos released its final election prediction. They expect Hillary Clinton to win 323 Electoral College votes – including that of North Carolina and Florida – and Donald Trump to win 215 votes. It’s easy to see why all these shifts have taken place, as several key Florida polls were released on Monday that show the race to be much tighter than it was just one day ago. Yesterday, Hillary Clinton was ahead in Real Clear Politics’ Florida polling average by 0.9 percentage points, but today, Trump leads by 0.3 percent. No polls have yet been released that reflect the FBI’s recent announcement that they would still not be recommending charges against Hillary Clinton after reviewing the new set of e-mails, so it remains to be seen if Clinton will be able to recover even more of her lead in the aftermath of that news. 6 Comments


Geopolitical tensions are mounting after state-run North Korean news media released footage of what appears to be the successful test of a devastating missile dropkick. In newly released footage, North Korean President Kim Jong-Un is seen celebrating as missile dropkick collides feet-first with an ocean target, causing a huge “bump.” The missile dropkick was reportedly launched from the country’s Technical Operations Pad for Thermonuclear and Underwater Reconnaissance Networks of Ballistics Used for Catastrophic Kinetic Launching Exercises, or T.O.P. T.U.R.N.B.U.C.K.L.E. International weaponry experts have long known that North Korea is capable of launching a Powerbomb — perhaps even an Exploder Suplex — but the possibility that the country now has a missile dropkick in its arsenal has caused alarm worldwide and throughout the WWE Universe. U.S. President and WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump has insisted he has “zero tolerance” for North Korea’s missile dropkick tests and will, if necessary, send Bobby Lashley over to “take care of them” before Trump himself shaves Kim Jong-Un’s head.


The killer left a cryptic note on a table in his room the night of the attack. There are now reports that the cryptic note was full of random numbers. The Metro reported: A cryptic note full of random numbers has been found in the Las Vegas shooter’s hotel room, police say. Authorities are still trying to find out what drove Stephen Paddock to launching the worst mass shooting in US history. The mystery piece of paper was found near his dead body and Sheriff Lombardo said it’s been sent off for analysis. It is not believed to be a suicide note. The 64-year-old to killed 58 and injured 489 when he opened fire on people at the Route 91 Harvest Festival off the Las Vegas strip on Sunday night. Investigators are looking into whether Paddock also planned a car bombing. Investigative journalist Laura Loomer noticed something interesting. The killer targeted the Harvest 91 festival on October 1 or 10-1. I was thinking about the numerology surrounding the #LasVegasShooting at Harvest 91 on October 1. 91 10-1 That would be 9/11/01. Eerie. pic.twitter.com/NExJJHQi8S — Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 7, 2017 Sponsored Sponsored


It’s not often that a suspect’s attorney calls the police officer who arrested him a “true hero;” but in John Picerno’s eyes, that exactly what Overland Park Police Sergeant Scott Ferguson is. Back in April, Ferguson was on night patrol when he spotted a vehicle driving along the wrong side of road with no headlights on. He pulled the car over, but the driver quickly took off again…only to crash into a fire hydrant. Dash cam footage from Ferguson’s patrol car then shows the drunk driver exiting his vehicle. He stood there hunched over with his hands behind his back, until Ferguson began approaching. That’s when the driver pulled out a pistol. Rather than brandishing his own weapon, Ferguson wrestled the gun out of the driver’s hands – and the driver to the ground where he was finally handcuffed. At his hearing in August, the suspect pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, as well as driving under the influence. After serving 170 days of his sentence, he was placed on probation. But according to Picerno, his lawyer, he should just be thankful he’s alive. “He is very lucky and both he and his family are very grateful for the officer, Sgt. Scott Ferguson, who exercised extreme discretion during the incident,” Picerno said according to the Kansas City Star. He added that Ferguson likely would’ve been justified in firing his weapon in that situation. “No one is tougher on law enforcement than me,” he continued. “I have to say Sgt. Ferguson is a true hero in my book. He is an example of what good policing looks like.” We couldn’t agree more. You can watch the dash cam video here.


A roundup of some of the most popular, but completely untrue, headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts: NOT REAL: Charlottesville Killer Was Hillary Supporter, Funded By Soros THE FACTS: James Fields, who's charged with murder after police say he drove his car into a Charlottesville, Virginia, crowd last weekend, supported President Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, his former teacher told the AP. GoFundMe confirmed that it removed "multiple campaigns" to raise money for Fields; none were started by billionaire George Soros, who has been a frequent target of hoax sites. The stories shared by YourNewsWire and other sites claim Fields' arrest is part of a "false flag" aimed at sparking a civil war. ___ NOT REAL: President Trump Fires All 14 Muslim Federal Judges THE FACTS: There aren't any Muslims on the federal bench and the president has no authority to fire federal judges. Abid Qureshi, a Washington, D.C., attorney, was nominated last year by former President Barack Obama to be the first Muslim federal judge, but he wasn't confirmed by the Senate. The hoax story by a site named As American As Apple Pie and shared by others also claimed Trump used the "evacuation clause" to remove the judges. There is no such clause that is part of federal law. ___ NOT REAL: MYSTERIOUS NAZI SUBMARINE FROM WWII DISCOVERED IN GREAT LAKES THE FACTS: Divers didn't find a German U-boat at the bottom of the Lake Ontario despite a story posted last year by admitted hoax outlet World Daily News Report, shared recently by other sites. The story suggests the ship may have sunk during the non-existent Battle of Niagara Falls. The photos included with the article show in reality a rusted Soviet submarine and two divers from a 2010 expedition to the North Pole by a French team. ___ NOT REAL: British PM Theresa May: Pedophiles Should be Allowed to Adopt Children Too THE FACTS: The story by Neon Nettle is based on a 2010 article by a British law professor that called for May, who was the U.K.'s home secretary at the time, to relax rules banning sex offenders from caring from children. May had previously ordered a review of vetting procedures for adults coming into regular contact with children other than their own, but May's spokesman said at the time that her office wouldn't consider allowing pedophiles to adopt. ___ NOT REAL: What Adam Sandler is Saying About Mormons THE FACTS: The comedian didn't come to the defense of Mormons on a recent podcast, despite a slew of identical articles on websites designed to look like local news outlets. The story claims Sandler stepped into say Mormons were "decent people" when an unnamed interviewer began to disparage them. All of the sites include a disclaimer saying the stories on them aren't real. ___ This weekly fixture is part of The Associated Press' ongoing efforts to fact-check claims in suspected false news stories. ___


We’re talking the real deal here, not that namby-pamby chemical castration. An Alabama lawmaker introduced a bill Monday that would require certain sex offenders to be permanently and physically castrated prior to being released from prison. The offenders that the bill targets are the worst of the worst — predators of young children. Republican Rep. Steve Hurst introduced the measure requiring anyone older than 21 who is convicted of “certain sex offenses” against children age 12 or younger to pay for the surgical procedure before they serve the end of their prison sentence. This isn’t a first for Hurst — he’s introduced similar legislation seven times since 2006, but most of his efforts never made it out of committee, according to CBS News. He was prompted to begin this crusade as the result of a visit from a foster parent advocacy group that relayed a “horrible” story of abuse. “I’ve often wondered what that child went through, physically and mentally, and what kind of shape he’s in now,” Hurst said Monday. “They (sex offenders) have marked these children for life. They will never get over it. And if they’ve marked children for life, they need to be marked for life.” CBS News reported: Hurst in 2005 agreed to remove castration requirements from legislation setting tougher sentences for sex offenders. Several House members at the time told The Associated Press they feared the castration language would have made the bill unconstitutional. In 2011, Hurst co-sponsored a bill that classified the sexual abuse of a child 6 years or younger as a capital offense, allowing courts to sentence offenders to life without parole. Alabama residents have mixed feelings about the measure. “Somebody that wants to mess with a little girl or little boy that age should be castrated, and they should not be able to mess with any other kids,” Keith Dison told CBS affiliate WIAT. “I understand prison and going to prison for a long time for some kind of crime like that, but to physical mutilate someone…that’s a little out there…it’s crazy,” Jessica George told the station. Watch the report via CBS News.


A convoy used by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has become a death trap for fighters with the radical Islamic terrorist group. American planes have carried out a number of air strikes on ISIS forces while largely avoiding civilian casualties. According to multiple reports and Pentagon spokesmen, the convoy consisted of 17 buses that were departing an ISIS-held enclave after striking a deal with the radical Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah and the Syrian army. However, the United States scrambled assets to attack the convoy, and cratered the road ahead of the busses. While six of the vehicles turned back towards the city of Palmyra, the other 11 have been stranded for at least 10 days. Since then, they have become almost irresistible bait for the terrorist group. Over 85 terrorists have been hit by coalition air strikes since the convoy was stranded. This has saved the United States and the rest of the anti-ISIS coalition the time and effort of hunting them down. The U.S.-lead anti-ISIS coalition has allowed deliveries of food and water to the convoy, to which ISIS fighters have been drawn to "[l]ike moths to the flame," according to comments by DOD spokesman Ryan Dillon, an Army colonel. "We were able to exploit it and take advantage," he said, noting that over 40 vehicles, from technicals to a tank, have been hit trying to aid the convoy. "We were able to continue to just observe and pick them off one at a time," Col. Dillon added. The experienced ISIS troops have also apparently grown frustrated during the siege. During one of the deliveries, an internal squabble broke out. "You could clearly tell they were going to fisticuffs," Dillon said. There was no word on whether the internal fighting among the ISIS terrorists saved the coalition additional trouble.


So there is a new meme going around on Twitter, that is becoming so popular even Kenny G is getting in on the action. It’s basic set up is a multiple choice dating profile questionnaire asking you who you are and what you’re looking for. It’s been around for almost a week, but really took off in the last few days, and I’m not even sure what to call it since it doesn’t seem to have an official name. There are a million great spins on this, but here are some of our faves! I'm: ⚪a man⚪a woman?coming out of my cage And I've: ⚪never felt this way before⚪had the time of my life?been doing just fine — bumblegoat (@NECROMANClNG) August 19, 2017 Some:⚪Man⚪Woman?Body Once told me, the⚪Man⚪Woman?World was gonna roll me I ain't the:⚪Man⚪Woman?Sharpest tool in the shed — Noah Oxendale (@noahoxendale) August 20, 2017 And they were: ⚪ Very nice⚪ Walking? Roommates Oh my god, they were: ⚪ Dead⚪ Nearby? Roommates — Kristian (@celestialmiller) August 20, 2017 I am a: ? Man⚪ Woman Looking for: ⚪ Men⚪ Women? Beyonces 2016 LEMONADE album to receive the album of the year Grammy it deserved!! — Jack (@Shnapped) August 15, 2017 I am a: ?Man⚪Woman Looking for: ⚪Men⚪Women?That damn fourth Chaos Emerald pic.twitter.com/izBw8Y1FPo — Lonely Goomba (@LonelyGoomba) August 20, 2017 steve: big man in a suit of armor, take that away what are you? tony: ? genius? billionaire? playboy? philanthropist — m (@tjhmmnd) August 20, 2017 I'm a ⚪ Man⚪ Woman? G Looking for: ⚪ A Relationship⚪ Casual Sax? Serious Sax — Kenny G (@kennyg) August 20, 2017 I am a: ?Gundam Fighter ⚪Woman Looking for: ⚪Men ⚪Women ?This man. Have you seen him around town? pic.twitter.com/UzJAYWwa2p — Kraker (@kraker2k) August 20, 2017 I am a ⚪man ?bro ⚪woman looking for ⚪woman ?another bro to chill five feet away from in a hot tub because i'm not gay⚪man — em (@parkerisadork) August 19, 2017 I am a:⚪ Male⚪ Female? Clown Fish Looking for:⚪ A boyfriend⚪ A girlfriend? My son Nemo — Trevor Jones (@jonestm97) August 19, 2017 two: ⚪men⚪women?bros sitting in a: ⚪pool⚪jacuzzi?hot tub five feet apart cause they're not: ⚪straight⚪ace?gay — ari (@aurorahowlter) August 20, 2017 I am a: ⚪Man⚪Woman?Father Looking for: ⚪Men⚪Women?MY SON HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON pic.twitter.com/Ituz9wenYt — Scampi (@lmScampi) August 20, 2017 I am a: ⚪Man⚪Woman?Gordon Ramsey Looking for: ⚪Men⚪Women?THE LAMB SAUCE — lis (@abratasas) August 20, 2017 Where did you: ?come from?⚪go? Where did you: ⚪ come from??go? Where did you: ?come from?⚪go? Cotton-Eyed Joe — ? (@oscarewilde) August 19, 2017 I am a⚪ man⚪ woman? evil sorcerer Shang Tsung Seeking⚪ men⚪ women? to challenge Earthrealm's greatest champions in MORTAL KOMBAT — Jared Rosen (@notquitefrodo) August 20, 2017 what team?⚪cobras?wildcats⚪ravens what team?⚪bulldogs?wildcats⚪panthers WILDCATS?GET'CHA HEAD IN THE GAME — beth (@midtownhoIIand) August 20, 2017 i am a: ⚪ man? woman looking for: ⚪ men⚪ women? thor: ragnarok getting the hype it deserves — pinned (@gaytonys) August 17, 2017 I am a: ? Man⚪ Woman Looking for: ⚪ Men⚪ Women? Mariah Carey's Grammys that were wrongfully snubbed from 1995 masterpiece Daydream — . (@illcurable) August 15, 2017 I am a: ⚪Man⚪Woman?Pac-Man Looking for: ⚪Men⚪Women? The ability to press Z without immediately falling into a dark depression pic.twitter.com/iuvzfohak4 — its_me_klc (@its_me_klc) August 20, 2017 AHHH: ⚪OOO⚪AHHH?ᵃʰʰʰʰʰʰ stop i could've dropped my: ⚪donut ⚪bagel ?croissant — juliah (@spideystights) August 20, 2017 I am a:⚪ Man⚪ Woman? Genji Looking for:⚪ Man⚪ Woman? Healing — Tina ? (@TinaDayton) August 20, 2017 I am a:⚪ Man⚪ Woman? Young Boy Looking for:⚪ Man⚪ Woman? My father to take me into the city to see a marching band — Spiciest Emo Meme (@ThyArtIsMemes) August 20, 2017 I'm:⚪ a man⚪ a woman? guy fieri and I'm:⚪ running⚪ walking? rolling out looking for americas greatest diners drive-ins and dives — Chance Harbour (@ChanceHarbour) August 20, 2017


Via Daily Caller: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced he would sign a proposed rule to repeal the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama’s plan to fight global warming. Pruitt announced his intention to withdraw the Clean Power Plan (CPP) to applause from a crowd gathered at a mining event on Monday. EPA has been working to repeal the CPP for months. The Obama administration finalized the CPP in 2015, which aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Obama used the CPP as part of his plant to meet the goals of the Paris climate accord.


Before taking her life, August Ames left a suicide note behind in her car. Within the note that was addressed to her family and friends, August allegedly apologized for killing herself in a public park, The Blast reports. However, according to the Medical Examiner, August failed to mention the bullying and online harassment she suffered in the days leading up to her suicide at any point in her message, which was discovered by authorities. We reported earlier how the Ventura County Medical Examiner spokesperson said that the official cause of death was asphyxiation from hanging herself, an act which she committed in a park 20 minutes away from her home. Immediately after her death, many of her friends initially believed that she had taken her life as a result of cyberbullying after August tweeted about refusing to do a scene with a male adult performer who had done gay porn. While the suicide note did not indicate that bullying was an impetus for August taking her own life, we reported earlier how Dr. Jenn Mann informed us that bully victims are 229 times more likely to commit suicide than non-victims, according to a study by Yale University. It’s now also come to light that August reportedly had mental health issues that stemmed from when she was allegedly sexually assaulted as a kid. One of August’s friends and fellow porn star Alison Tyler said that the porn industry could have been a lot more supportive of August, and that August had never been “homophobic” despite claims that a controversial tweet she posted was potentially gay-bashing. Click here to see the saddest celebrity deaths of 2017. HollywoodLifers, do you think more light will be shed on August’s death? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.


Regarding Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, Oct. 7: The Washington Post has the audacity to call out Fox News and the GOP while writing its liberal garbage defending Hillary Clinton and Democrats, who have led this country down a dangerous path of socialist leaning. I know this paper is being led by an ex-Post employee, but please give your readers a break. The Statesman must have an editorial department; why not use them instead of importing this junk. Karl Betar, Meridian Be the first to know when big news breaks Recaptcha requires verification. protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms Privacy - Terms


It was one year ago today. During the second presidential debate in St. Louis, Missouri, candidate Trump told Hillary Clinton, “You’d be in jail!” when he enters the White House. IT WAS THE BEST DEBATE LINE EVER!!!! TRUMP to Hillary: BOOM! It’s now been one year and Trump supporters are still waiting to see Crooked Hillary behind bars. Trump supporters weren’t kidding when they chanted, “Lock her up!” at Trump rally after Trump rally. In 2015 former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani famously said Hillary Clinton should be investigated for breaking 15 federal laws. Rudy Giuliani: General Petraeus was got prosecuted for doing approximately one-tenth of what she’s alleged to have done… There are specific federal crimes, I could give you a list of fifteen of them if you’d like, that she should be investigated for, for which there needs to be an answer. According to the public record, the answer to many of those is there is probable cause to believe she committed a crime. I qualify that by saying the public record. It’s been a year since President Trump told Hillary Clinton to her face that he would lock her up. Americans are tired of a two-tiered judicial system — one for the elites and one for the common man. Sponsored Sponsored


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Tuesday January 17, 2017: Eric hopes for a breakthrough, Thomas and Steffy chat about their lives, and Bill counsels Liam to have patience. In San Francisco, Ridge pours a drink and Quinn accepts another as well. She asks him to leave, but he’s not going anywhere. Quinn warns Ridge that if he thinks she’d betray Eric, he doesn’t know a damn thing about her. Ridge invites her to make him understand. Quinn opens up about feeling disrespected and used repeatedly. She recalls how Bill tossed her aside, and all the men who came after him were the same. Ridge notes he’s nothing like Bill Spencer. Incredulous, Quinn points out what Ridge was planning to do to her – he’s exactly like him! She says Eric is the first man to respect her and she’s not giving that up…ever. Ridge explains it’s his job to protect his dad from people like her. Quinn counters if she was a golddigger she would have gone after Bill’s millions. She becomes emotional describing what it was like to raise Wyatt while poor and trying to start a business. Ridge sees why she built a wall around herself, but says she went too far, with Liam for example. Quinn screams that she hates who she was then, but finally she has a life worth living because of love. “I am not letting you take that away from me!” Ridge reiterates that he wants to protect his father since Quinn goes through the world pushing people away. Quinn protests that she had to, to survive, but Eric saw through that and took a chance on her. She sobs that after years of being alone anymore, she’s not now, and she doesn’t ever want to be alone again. Ridge softens, and assures her she’s not alone. He can see why his father fell for her – he sees the beautiful woman she hides from the world. “It’s going to be fine.” Ridge warns she has to stop spinning webs and building walls. “You’re amazing. Trust that.” They embrace…and then kiss. Both look stunned. At the Forrester mansion, Katie is concerned about being alone with Eric while Quinn’s out of town. He reassures his neighbor that Quinn trusts him as much as he trusts her. They joke about Ridge and Quinn being in San Francisco. Eric is hoping for some sort of breakthrough. In Malibu, Bill and Liam discuss Spencer Publications business, but Liam is distracted. He wants Steffy to come home. Bill opens up about his frustrations with Brooke. He counsels that sometimes you just have to know that things will work out even if it takes time. Bill predicts Steffy will move back in with Liam and Brooke’s marriage to Ridge won’t happen. Bill is certain Ridge will mess up; he always does. Just in: B&B’s Linsey Godfrey reveals photos of herself as a zombie for Living With the Dead role At the loft, Thomas tells Steffy he doesn’t know when Caroline is coming back. He hints that when she and Douglas do arrive, it would be nice not to have a roommate. Steffy explains that she’s waiting to move back into Liam’s out of fairness to Wyatt. Talk turns to Quinn. Steffy will never trust her. Thomas wonders why she hasn’t had a meltdown yet. Steffy just hopes Eric’s not too badly hurt when she does. Next on The Bold and the Beautiful: Ridge and Quinn are surprised by their changing feelings toward one another. Photo credit: Howard Wise/JPI - Candace Young