As seen on The Five Police Group Boycotts Ben & Jerry's After Black Lives Matter Endorsement As more women come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump, the Republican nominee is lashing out at the mainstream media, which he claims is running with this "total fiction" to distract from Hillary Clinton's scandals. At a rally in Greensboro, N.C., Trump said these accusations are part of a conspiracy involving the Clinton campaign and what he called “the corrupt media.” Greg Gutfeld agreed with much of Trump's assessment on "The Five" today, saying, "The media wants Hillary to win. There's no doubt about that." Judge Jeanine on Trump Accusers: 'All on One Day? It's a Little Too Convenient' Gutfeld explained that Trump has actually been "set up," as he was given countless hours of coverage and "billions of dollars of free media," only to have the rug pulled out from under him. "The media ... [and] Hillary and Obama, they knew elevating Donald Trump - giving him an air of respectability in the press, as well - turned him into the Republican nominee. Then, out came the knives." Watch the co-hosts of "The Five" discuss above, and let us know what you think in the comments. New WikiLeaks Bombshell: Clinton Aides Discussed 'Emails to and from POTUS'


Donald Trump is a pathological liar. All those who support him are being lied to daily. Once again, Trump has told his gullible supporters that we are letting people in by the thousands who are not vetted and that we don’t know who they are. Refugees must first apply to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which collects documents and performs interviews. Less than 1 percent of refugees get approved for relocation. If they are approved, they are referred to the State Department to begin the vetting process. More information is collected and they are put through security screenings from the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Be the first to know when big news breaks Recaptcha requires verification. protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms Privacy - Terms If the refugee is Syrian, they must go through another layer of security, which includes further checks by a special part of Homeland Security, the USCIS fraud detection and National Security directors. There, interviews with USCIS officers would take place and fingerprints run through biometric databases of the FBI, Homeland Security and Department of Defense. If all these are passed, health screenings take place. Then refugees are enrolled in cultural orientation classes while information continues to be checked. This process typically takes 18 to 24 months after applying to the UN. This is the most vigorous vetting anyone has ever faced to enter the U.S. Donald Trump is trying to instill fear in the gullible supporters that he has. He has lied about his health records, his tax returns, President Obama’s birth certificate, election fraud (31 cases of voter impersonation in over 1 billion votes) and hundreds of other things, and those who choose to believe him either don’t care about his lies or aren’t smart enough to find out the truth for themselves. Danny Duncan Palmetto


Former FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrom weighs in on significance behind the FBI reopening the case against Hillary Clinton. The FBI announced Friday afternoon it will reopen its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server during her tenure as Secretary of State. The decision comes as the FBI said it is reviewing new information related to the original case. James Kallstrom, former FBI assistant director, discussed the news on the FOX Business Network. “These guys that run the FBI now came to the conclusion that they look like absolute fools and that they’ve done a horrible job, they’ve thrown the agents under the bus, they discredited the FBI’s reputation,” he told Neil Cavuto. “And I can tell the people listening to you, it’s not the FBI agents, believe me. It’s two or three people at the top of the FBI.” Kallstrom believes the government agency shouldn’t have started an investigation in the first place if it didn’t meet certain guidelines. “If they were not ever going to impanel a grand jury, that means you really don’t conduct a criminal investigation. You don’t have subpoena power, you don’t have warrants. That was apparently apparent early on in this investigation. I would’ve liked to have seen somebody with the integrity not to just conduct an investigation that doesn’t meet any of the criteria of how the FBI operates,” he stated. He added: “I suspect that they never had a really bonafide investigation because the Justice Department wouldn’t let them do it.


Britain has to tell the EU that it wants to go by invoking Article 50 of the EU rulebook for the first time in history. Article 50, which is set out in the Lisbon Treaty, is the legal mechanism for the withdrawal of a member state from the EU. The use of Article 50 will start the timer on a two-year process of exit talks over Britain’s political divorce from the 28-member bloc. At the end of the two-year period, Britain will be expelled from the EU unless member states unanimously decide to extend the deadline. The new Prime Minister Theresa May has said that she will trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017. But the process could be delayed because the Government is being forced to get approval from Parliament in order to do so. The Supreme Court has held up a High Court decision that the use Article 50 needs to be agreed by Parliament to the delight of EU voters. Pro-EU will be given a fresh opportunity to try and block Brexit by voicing their concerns in the House of Commons and Lords. There are fears that Brexit could be delayed until after the German election in autumn 2017 or even postponed indefinitely. There is no timescale for how soon after a referendum Article 50 must be invoked. But the British Government is under pressure to start the process as soon as possible in order to put an end to the uncertainty that has engulfed Europe. The European Council has said: “We now expect the United Kingdom Government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be. “Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty. “We have rules to deal with this in an orderly way. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union sets out the procedure to be followed if a member state decides to leave.” Fri, June 24, 2016 The EU referendum result is not legally binding so in theory Parliament could ignore the will of the people by deciding to stay in the EU. This is because Parliament is sovereign and the EU vote was an “advisory referendum”, as opposed to a “binary” referendum which has a fixed outcome. Therefore the EU referendum legislation does not force the Government to automatically take Britain out of the EU. But the political reality is that Theresa May's Government has no choice but to follow through on the electorate’s wishes. Politicians have repeatedly stressed that there was “no going back” if the British people voted to back Brexit in the referendum.


A photo of empty bus seats caused a heated debate on Facebook because people thought they saw six women in burqas. The image was shared to a Norwegian anti-immigration group with the question: “What do people think about this?” Members sounded off, saying things like: “It looks really scary, should be banned. You can never know who is under there. Could be terrorists with weapons.” “Get them out of our country, those who look like collapsed umbrellas. Frightening times we are living in.” “I thought it would be like this in the year 2050, but it is happening NOW!!!!” The user who posted the photo wanted to show people the dangers of jumping to conclusions and spreading fake news. Norway's right-wing government recently proposed a law that would ban Muslim women from wearing full face veils in schools.


What if Idaho sends a message to the rest of the country that we value and respect everyone, especially women, minorities, veterans and the disabled — those denigrated and disrespected by the Republican candidate for president. Idahoans stand for fairness, civility, kindness and compassion. Let go of your ties to the Republican Party for this election and vote for Hillary Clinton and for all the other Democratic nominees. It’s time to stand for fairness. Voting along party lines just to vote for the party does not make sense in this election. Vote Democratic. Barbara A. Elliott, Boise Be the first to know when big news breaks Recaptcha requires verification. protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms Privacy - Terms


Las Vegas police confirmed the man they believe to be responsible for killing more than 58 people is Stephen Paddock. Here's what we know about him. - Stephen Paddock is a 64-year-old white male. - Paddock was not known to the federal authorities, but was known to local law enforcement. - He lived in Mesquite, Nevada with Marilou Danley on Babbling Brook Ct. Police are searching his house. NBC reporting #LasVegas shooter as Stephen C Paddock who looks to be living at this address with Marilou Danley who Police are searching for pic.twitter.com/Ib1FQMhDBC - Police said that Ms Danley was seen sitting with the suspected shooter in a car before the incident and they are searching for her. She is described as an Asian female who is 4'11". - He was found on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Casino. Police said he had numerous weapons with him. - Police believe he killed himself in a hotel room before they found him. Marilou Danley who #LasVegas police are searching for in connection to the #mandalaybay shooting has previously been to events at hotel: pic.twitter.com/djBDEmHKU0 - Police believe this was a "lone wolf" attack and he was the only shooter. Over 58 people died and more than 500 were injured after a gunman opened fire at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival which was taking place across the road from Mandalay Bay on the famous Las Vegas Strip. This makes it the biggest mass shooting in US history.


North Korea must denuclearise the peninsula amid World War 3 scares, Counsellor to the President, Kellyanne Conway has warned. Speaking to Fox News, Donald Trump’s top aide said: “Well the President’s position, our position on North Korea has never changed. “He continues to apply maximum pressure.” Ms Conway added that the United States is “very happy” to see a more unified effort against Kim Jong-un’s regime. She said: “North Korea must denuclearise the peninsula region and we’re very happy that there seems to be a more unified international effort in this regard, in that pursuit. “You see the United Nations resolution on December 22, very recently, you see the previous resolutions unanimously in support of the United States position with respect to North Korea." Mr Trump’s aide added that North Korea is a threat to the entire world, not just the US. She said: “This is key because this President has made clear from the beginning and constantly throughout the first year of his presidency that a nuclearised North Korea is not just a danger and a threat to America, and to any freedom and democracy loving people, but to the entire world and the world is responding.” It comes after President Trump threatened North Korea with his "much bigger and more powerful" nuclear button following menacing undertones in Kim Jong-un's speech on New Year's Day. Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' "Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" North Korea has been fanning fears of World War 3 by refusing to heed calls for denuclearisation – with leader Kim engaging President Trump in an escalating war of words. But Kim appeared to offer an olive branch to neighbouring South Korea – a close US ally – by suggesting North Korea could use the 2018 Winter Olympics to organise diplomatic talks with Seoul to defuse tensions with the international community.


The FBI just blew the Hillary Clinton case wide open she could literally be going to jail. FBI just dropped could put her in the category of bonafide traitor. FBI uncovered Russian bribery plot before Obama administration approved controversial n-u-c-l-e-a-r deal with Moscow. Senate Judiciary opens probe into Obama-era Russian uranium bribery… PAPER: Stunning cover-up


Jemele Hill in September 2016. Jemele Hill, the outspoken host of ESPN’s 6:00 p.m. SportsCenter, called President Donald Trump a “white supremacist” on Twitter. ESPN later posted a statement, saying her comments “do not represent the position of ESPN” and she knows her comment was “inappropriate.” The White House called Hill’s comments a “fireable offense.” The 41-year-old Hill has been hosting the 6:00 edition of SportsCenter, dubbed SC6 with Michael Smith since February. Hill and Smith previously co-hosted Numbers Never Lie and His & Hers before they were promoted to the flagship show. You can follow Hill on Twitter. Here’s what you need to know about Hill’s politics and her latest brush with controversy. Hill’s tweet about Trump was posted late on September 11 after she retweeted a The Hill article about musician Kid Rock, who has been teasing a run for Michigan Senator after launching KidRockforSenate.com in July. The article is about Rock’s long Facebook post about the “extreme left.” ““Pretty funny how scared I have them all and their only agenda is to try and label people / me racist who do not agree or cower to them,” Rock wrote. “He loves black people so much that he pandered to racists by using a flag that unquestionably stands for dehumanizing black people,” Hill wrote, referring to the singer’s use of the Confederate Battle flag. After a back-and-forth with other Twitter users, Hill wrote, “Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.” Hill also tweeted other messages about Trump. “He is unqualified and unfit to be president. He is not a leader. And if he were not white, he never would have been elected. He has surrounded himself with white supremacists — no they are not “alt right” — and you want me to believe he isn’t a white supremacist?” She went on, “Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime. His rise is a direct result of white supremacy. Period. The height of white privilege is being able to ignore his white supremacy, because it’s of no threat to you. Well, it’s a threat to me.” “Donald Trump is a bigot. Glad you could live with voting for him. I couldn’t, because I cared about more than just myself,” she wrote. After the tweet gained attention in the conservative media, ESPN issued a statement. “The comments on Twitter from Jemele Hill regarding the President do not represent the position of ESPN,” the statement reads. “We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate.” Hill has continued to Tweet, but on other subjects. Hill has made her politics clear on her Twitter page. She has a tweet with photos of her 2015 and 2016 visits to the White House to meet President Barack Obama pinned to her page. Twitter users frequently complain to her, and she typically responds. In January 2016, ESPN issued a memo to employees to avoid making political comments. Since then, Sage Steele lost a hosting position after writing that she was sad to see the “joy” in the faces of anti-Trump protesters. Curt Schilling was famously fired in April 2016 for an offensive post about transgender people. After the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando in June 2016, when a man killed 49 people inside a gay nightclub, Hill wrote, “So in a country where we have done everything possible to undermine the LGBTQ community, we are suddenly lecturing Islam on homophobia. Oh.” Forbes asked ESPN PR why Hill wasn’t fired after that message. A spokesperson told the magazine that Hill’s statement wasn’t a violation of the 2016 memo. ESPN has been dealing with subscriber losses for some time, and its apparent liberal slant on politics has taken the blame in the media. Conservatives point to Schilling’s firing and Caitlyn Jenner receiving the Arthur Ashe courage award in 2015 as examples. Not firing Hill for her comments will certainly not help. SportCenter‘s Linda Cohn also admitted that politics are hurting ESPN. During a conference in June, Hill defended the coverage of political topics, noting that the athletes they cover have made it difficult to avoid politics. “I just hadn’t noticed the correlation between us being called more liberal as you see more women in a position on our network… as you see more ethnic diversity, then all of a sudden ESPN is too liberal. So I wonder, when people say that, what they’re really saying,” Hill said, reports Yahoo News. “The other part of it is that we’re journalists, and people have to understand, these uncomfortable political conversations… the athletes are dragging us here.” Hill continued, noting that they never asked Colin Kaepernick to kneel during the national anthem and they didn’t expect Gregg Popovich to go off on Donald Trump during press conferences. “You have athletes saying they’re going to the White House, not going to the White House, that’s all sports news,” Hill continued. “It didn’t just start with this generation of athletes, it’s always been that way. Sometimes when I hear a viewer say they don’t want their politics mixed with sports, I say, ‘What did you think about Muhammad Ali?’ And then all of a sudden it’s glowing praise.” Hill made similar comments in an interview with Newsday. “Whether we want to discuss it or not, athletes are dragging us into these conversations,” Hill said in January. “It’s not that Mike and I wake up one day and say, ‘Hey, today we’re going to be MSNBC.’ It’s usually based off a news story that is relevant to sports.” Hill has been at ESPN since 2006, when she joined EPSN.com as a columnist. Over time, she began appearing on ESPN TV shows, including First Take, Outside the Lines and others. A short time after she was hired, she spoke with the Columbia Journalism Review about being a young, black female journalist and the reaction you get when you write about race. “Any time you write about race, people get incensed,” Hill said in 2006. “I recently wrote a column saying that there is just as much evidence against Lance Armstrong as there is [against] Barry Bonds, and part of the reason there is this extraordinary benefit of the doubt extended to Lance is because he’s white. That’s not the overwhelming reason, mind you. Just a factor in the whole equation. I got a ton of mail about that one, even though I posed the racial element in the next-to-last graf of the column.” In 2011, she started the His & Hers podcast with Michael Smith, which soon replaced Smith’s Numbers Never Lie in 2013. They continued hosting the show until they moved to SportsCenter. Their part of the show is known as SC6 With Michael And Jemele. The Los Angeles Times reported in March that Smith and Hill signed new contracts, even as ESPN had its massive lay-off earlier this year. Hill told Dan Patrick that their contracts weren’t up for another year when they were approached to host SC6. “The fact that they asked us to do this, that’s a key part of it. This was not our plan. We were about a year out from our contract being up,” Hill said in January. “We knew that they liked us and wanted us to keep doing our thing. We were of the mentality that we were just going to be His and Hers. And what were things that were needed to improve that? And the way it just kind of happened caught us by surprise.” In 2008, Hill had her first brush with controversy at ESPN. The Detroit native compared rooting for the Boston Celtics instead of the Pistons to “saying Hitler was a victim.” “Rooting for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim. It’s like hoping Gorbachev would get to the blinking red button before Reagan. Deserving or not, I still hate the Celtics,” Hill wrote. Hill was suspended for a week and the statement was taken out of her column. She also wrote an apology. However, this was actually just the start of another controversy, as ESPN’s Lou Holtz made a similar remark later that year. He apologized too, but wasn’t suspended. In an interview with Deadspin, Hill shrugged it off. “Many have said that ESPN treated me unfairly. The 64,000 question: How do I really feel? My initial answer is a story, or rather, a moment,” she told Deadspin in 2008. “A couple years ago, I was visiting the Poynter Institute, one of the foremost journalism think tanks in the country, and I sat in on a session taught by one of my favorite columnist and people, the Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins. A student asked her if she ever got upset when other writers rewarded — particularly if she knew they weren’t as good. And Sally said — and I’m paraphrasing here — that she always prided herself on keeping her eyes on her own career. That’s my answer. That’s how I feel.”


Linda Gibbs died on 31 August aged 70. She was told her cancer diagnosis was terminal on 14 July. Hours after receiving the news, she was called by someone claiming to be from her telephone provider who told her a direct debit payment had failed. She gave them her bank details and PIN number and was told someone would come and collect her card to sort the payment out. A woman arrived at her home in Nuneaton and collected the card, which was then used to buy thousands of pounds worth of jewellery. Warwickshire Police have released photographs of a woman they want to interview in connection with the investigation, who, they say, may have been wearing a wig at the time the pictures were taken. Mrs Gibbs' daughter, Anita Foxley, said: "My mum was very vulnerable after being told she had terminal cancer and to be targeted by these people is unforgivable. The extra stress this put on her life in her last days was unbearable. "When they targeted her... she must have been at the lowest point that she's ever been at... I imagine that they preyed on that. Obviously they must have been very convincing, and mum must have trusted them," she added. "I would really like to see justice served on the woman who came to my mum's door that day." Kevin Knight, of Warwickshire Police, said: "These types of heartless criminals regularly prey on the most vulnerable members of the community and in this case they have targeted someone who had just received the most awful news. "You can only imagine the impact this had on the final weeks of Mrs Gibbs' life and the anger it continues to cause her family. We believe the woman in these photos has information that will be vital to our enquiries. Please bear in mind that she might be wearing a wig," he added.


Susan Rice has a unique gift to make the news every time she speaks. Instead of looking in the mirror and considering her ill-advised statements about the cause of terrorism and a deserter’s supposedly meritorious record, this time she blames the backlash on the intersection of race and gender. In short, she claims she is being attacked because she is a black woman. In reality, she is being attacked because she is a ridiculous partisan hack, whose disconnect from basic facts and ability to repeat the most ridiculous spin and talking points from the Obama administration is as ridiculous as it is stunning. If we measured political ability by a person’s capacity to say laughable talking points with a straight face, Susan Rice has to be the politician of the century. She first made the news when she commented on the 2012 attacks in Libya that killed the US ambassador and 3 other Americans. Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails (the ones that weren’t illegally deleted of course), revealed that she told multiple people almost immediately that the events in Libya were terrorist attacks. But in public, Susan Rice went on five Sunday talk shows to claim they attacked in response to a video even though it was plainly obvious to anybody watching that there was more to the attack than a video. The next time she resurfaced she tried to defend Bowe Bergdahl, an army soldier captured by the Taliban. When the Obama administration secured his release Susan Rice again went on morning talk shows. This time she said he served with “ honor and distinction.” But this was completely outrageous because most of his comrades said he defected to the enemy and the army court martialed him for desertion. The trade also sparked a significant debate over the wisdom in trading one (subpar) soldier for five terrorists. Now she has resurfaced again. Her name has entered the conversation in regards to the so-called Russian hacking of the election. Among all of the arguing, Susan Rice admitted to being one of the individuals that unmasked figures in the Trump campaign. Unlike the hysteria over little more than innuendo linking the Trump campaign with Russia, unmasking can be a serious crime. As a result she has been the subject of intense disagreement and scrutiny. Despite regularly sticking her foot in her mouth and repeating talking points that have tenuous connections to reality, she now blames much of the backlash on racism and sexism. An independent prosecutor will investigate the matter and all related issues. Until then, I’m marveling at the utter ineptness of Susan Rice. She supplies so many howling and guffaw inducing talking points but does it with such sincerity and a straight face that I almost wish she would be in the news every day. To have a partisan hack that is willing to spy on their political enemies and fall on their sword must be important for Obama and Clinton. But she also supplies her own daggers every time she speaks.


Original report: Web hosting company GoDaddy is booting the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, over an inflammatory post about the woman killed in the deadly car attack on people protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to CBS News, GoDaddy announced the move after receiving complaints about an article on the site that made derogatory comments about Charlottesville victim Heather Heyer's appearance and views. "We informed The Daily Stormer that they have 24 hours to move the domain to another provider, as they have violated our terms of service," GoDaddy tweeted from its verified account. We informed The Daily Stormer that they have 24 hours to move the domain to another provider, as they have violated our terms of service. Hours later, a post appeared on the Daily Stormer claiming that hacking group Anonymous had taken control of the site and would shut it down within 24 hours. "THIS SITE IS NOW UNDER THE CONTROL OF ANONYMOUS," the post read. "WE HAVE TAKEN THIS SITE IN THE NAME OF HEATHER HEYER A VICTIM OF WHITE SUPREMACIST TERRORISM." Anonymous tweeted that it had "no confirmation" that its hackers were involved and suggested that the Daily Stormer was behind the stunt. We have no confirmation that "Anonymous" is involved yet. Looks more like a DS stunt. Wonder if they are having issues finding a new host. https://t.co/ikXXRBfC5p Anonymous later added, "To be clear, we're saying they weren't hacked. This is DS lying in an attempt to play victim to their audience later." To be clear, we're saying they weren't hacked. This is DS lying in an attempt to play victim to their audience later. © 2018 Cox Media Group.


A Muslim man was shocked to have his request for a judge to acknowledge Sharia law denied in court. Nadir Ibrahim Ombabi, a Minnesota taxi driver, was killed in a car accident. Following his passing, legal proceedings began to determine a settlement for his spouse or surviving family. A wrongful death suit was filed, in which Ombabi's estate was rewarded $183,000 to go to his wife. Ombabi's brother, Hasameldin Ibrahim Imbabi, subsequently disputed the ruling on the grounds that the money should be distributed to his family in accordance with Sharia law. One of the specifics of that argument was that the men should receive "twice the share of the female." "[The brother] further asserts that “the principles of the private international law should have been applied from the beginning since the law of all parties (the decedent, his widow and decedent[‘s] next of kin) is the Islamic Law and they are all Muslims and follow the specifics of the religion.” … [The brother’s] main assertion of error appears to be that the district court should have applied Sudanese Islamic law instead of Minnesota law when distributing the wrongful-death settlement proceeds…. [He] also asserts that the district court erred by refusing to honor a legal declaration issued by the Sudanese Family Court in Khartoum regarding distribution of the wrongful-death settlement proceeds under Sudanese Islamic law," court documents stated, the Washington Post reported. The judge, however, denied the man's argument due to lack of legal representation and specious arguments. Many reader applauded the judge's decision to reject Sharia law. "Muslim man has no grounds to stand on with that, Sharia Law has NO place in this country ... these people need to get it through their thick skull that the US Constitution which is law of our land and Sharia Law does not and cannot co-exist in our land!" one Newsiosity reader commented on the site's Facebook page. "Welcome to America. If you want to immigrate here and live here then follow our laws and rules. "When in Rome Do as the Romans Do " You are in our country .. respect the laws here or go back to your original country. This an example of what is totally wrong with this country now Everyone who comes here wants America to accommodate them and expect us to change . Not happening," another added.


SANTA MARIA, Calif. - California is now officially a "sanctuary state" after Governor Brown signed controversial State Senate Bill 54 which limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. SB 54, called the California Values Act, was hard fought in the state legislature on its way to the Governor's desk over the issue of public safety versus protecting people living in California illegally. SB 54 protects jail inmates from being held in custody until immigration agents can come and pick them up regardless of their immigration status. The California State Sheriff's Association strongly opposed SB 54 saying, among other things, it protects so-called non-violent offenders including gang members, drug dealers and sex offenders from deportation. SB 54 also protects illegal immigrants from deportation while at public schools, hospitals and courts. "Today I am very pleased to announce the governor of the great State of California, Governor Jerry Brown, signed Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act", said Democrat Senator Kevin De Leon of Los Angeles who introduced SB 54 earlier this year in response to the Trump Administration's immigration policies, "our President is pursuing biased law enforcement policies based on the principles of white supremacy." In a written statement after signing SB 54 into law Thursday, Governor Brown said the California Values Act "does not prevent or prohibit ICE or the Department of Homeland Security from doing their own work in any way. This protects public safety and ensures that hard working people who contribute to the state are respected." The Trump Administration has been threatening to withhold federal funds from states that declare themselves as sanctuaries. The California Values Act takes effect January 1, 2018.


* [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-wisconsin-voters-pro-trump-america-20170207-story.html Rural Wisconsin voters await economic revival in a part of now pro-Trump America]. This article is from the ''Chicago Tribune''. Published on February 7, 2017 and written by '''Claire Galofaro''' of the ''Associated Press'', it is based on interviews with former Obama voters who then voted for Trump in [[Crawford County, Wisconsin]].([[Crawford County, Wisconsin|Crawford County]] is one of twenty-three [[Pivot Counties in Wisconsin]].) * [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-wisconsin-voters-pro-trump-america-20170207-story.html Rural Wisconsin voters await economic revival in a part of now pro-Trump America]. This article is from the ''Chicago Tribune''. Published on February 7, 2017 and written by '''Claire Galofaro''' of the ''Associated Press'', it is based on interviews with former Obama voters who then voted for Trump in [[Crawford County, Wisconsin]].([[Crawford County, Wisconsin|Crawford County]] is one of twenty-three [[Pivot Counties in Wisconsin]].) +::*Ms. Garafola also wrote ''[https://apnews.com/7f2b534b80674596875980b9b6e701c9 How a community changed by refugees came to embrace Trump]'' for the Associated Press on April 19, 2017 about [[Androscoggin County, Maine]] and ''[https://apnews.com/21cc9528cabd4578996c3f118d8d656f Trump won places drowning in despair. Can he save them?]'' on August 19, 2017 about voters in [[Grays Harbor County, Washington]]. * [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/donald-trump-support-popularity-vigo-county-214774 I'm Still All Trumped Up]. Politico Magazine; February 13, 2017; author '''Adam Wren'''. This article is about [[Vigo County, Indiana|Vigo County]], which is one of five [[Pivot Counties in Indiana]]. * [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/donald-trump-support-popularity-vigo-county-214774 I'm Still All Trumped Up]. Politico Magazine; February 13, 2017; author '''Adam Wren'''. This article is about [[Vigo County, Indiana|Vigo County]], which is one of five [[Pivot Counties in Indiana]].


Mr. Trump says Mrs. Clinton wants “amnesty for everybody, come on in, come on over.” Mrs. Clinton said that she had helped eight million children obtain health coverage, Sept. 11 responders receive medical care and children get safer medicines. Mr. Trump said Mrs. Clinton ignored 600 requests for increased security from J. Christopher Stevens, the ambassador to Libya, and communicated only with Sidney Blumenthal. Mr. Trump accused Mrs. Clinton of being there for President Obama’s “line in the sand” in Syria. She said she wasn’t. Mr. Trump, referring to the effect of Nafta and other free-trade agreements, said, “We lost our jobs.” Mr. Trump said that the United States signed a “peace treaty” to bring an end to the civil war in Syria. Mr. Trump admitted that he used a $916 million loss declared on his 1995 tax returns to avoid paying federal income taxes. But he refused to say how many years he paid no income tax and simultaneously claimed to have paid a “tremendous” amount of taxes. Mr. Trump said we have hundreds of thousands of people pouring into the United States from places like Syria, and we have no idea who they are. Mr. Trump said that growth is “down to 1 percent” and that taxes in the United States are the “highest in the world.” “Since the Great Recession the gains have all gone to the top.” Mr. Trump said “maybe there is no hacking,” in response to Mrs. Clinton’s claim that Russians are engaged in an unprecedented effort to influence the election — on Mr. Trump’s behalf. Mr. Trump said that Mrs. Clinton “wants to go to a single-payer plan” like the health care system in Canada. Mr. Trump said “many people saw” bombs all over the apartment of a couple who committed the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. Mrs. Clinton deleted 33,000 emails from her private server even after she got a subpoena from Congress. Mr. Trump said that a Clinton associate pushed the “birther” notion against Obama in 2008. Mrs. Clinton said there was no evidence her email has been hacked by a foreign power. Former President Bill Clinton was impeached, lost his law license and paid an $850,000 fine to Paula Jones. Mr. Trump accused Mrs. Clinton of laughing about getting a man acquitted of raping a 12-year-old girl. When Mr. Trump was asked whether he has kissed women or groped women without consent, as he claimed on a recently released video, Mr. Trump said no, he had not. Mr. Trump said that Obamacare is leading to insurance rate increases that are “astronomical.” Mr. Trump said that last year, the United States had a trade deficit of $800 billion.


SEATTLE - Three brothers in their 70s and 80s have been arrested in Seattle for allegedly possessing images of child-sex abuse with police still investigating them, according to Seattle Police Department. >> Read about the latest in the investigation here On Aug. 19, Seattle child sex crime detectives say they acted on a tip from a relative who arrived to clean out the garage of the brothers. The relative called 911. At the home, detectives collected a staggering amount of child porn. They also found evidence of the sexual exploitation of young girls as well as children's worn clothing and underwear, children’s shoes, toys and movies. Homeland Security's Internet Child Exploitation team assisted in the search, which involved digging for potential buried evidence under locked sheds and garages. Neighbors in the quiet Green Lake neighborhood along Northeast 59th St.Street say they always wondered about the dilapidated house and the three guarded, mysterious Emery brothers who lived there since 1962. "I've never seen a girlfriend, a wife, a woman of any type visit that house," said Don Smith, who lives next door. Seattle police say the brothers, ranging in age from 78 to 82, began molesting their own sister and eventually molested other young relatives for decades. None of them had ever married, none had their own children or many relationships outside their own siblings. Police arrested 82-year-old Charles Lee Emery in a Queen Anne nursing home. Eighty-year-old Thomas Edwin Emery and 78-year-old Edwin Harold Emery were arrested at their home. Scroll down to read about the manifesto. Detectives say Charles, Thomas and Edwin sexually molested young relatives for years, and collected pictures and even children's shoes. But detectives say it was Charles' "manifestos" about Satanic rituals, kidnapping, raping and killing girls that led them to dig under sheds, searching for evidence of potential murder. Detectives say one of Charles' writings was found buried and partially burned -- along with a child's hat. "Their writings express desires to kill children," said Capt. Mike Edwards, who leads SPD's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force. The search extended from the home in the Green Lake neighborhood to another home the brothers owned 90 miles away in Shelton. "It's very clear that these three individuals have an obsession with young female children, they've had this obsession for most if not all of their lives, and they acted on it," said Edwards. Charging documents indicate SPD detectives questioned Edwin Emery and his relatives about child porn found on his computer in 2013, but no charges were ever filed. Now detectives are hoping to identify the children in the photos and they hope to find victims who may have been molested decades ago and never came forward. Neighbors have been wondering exactly what happened in this home since investigators swarmed the home over the weekend. The new details Seattle police and court documents revealed leave them stunned. For decades, neighbors didn't think much about the three brothers who've lived there for 55 years. “I just thought they were harmless weird old guys,” said Julie Vandenberg, who lives directly across the street. Neighbors saw the investigators in hazardous materials suits and police bring out box after box of evidence on Friday and Saturday. Watch coverage from our report over the weekend below, scroll down to keep reading. “It was shocking. I didn’t know what to think,” said Smith, who watched investigators work late into the night Friday from his home next door. “It’s way worse than I thought. It is sickening, it's really sickening,” Vandenberg said. “Something happened to little children here - it sounds like little girls, and that's horrific.” Neighbors say many young children live on the block. The neighbors say they wish they would've noticed some sign earlier, about what was going on in the house but they're just glad the three brothers aren't there to victimize kids any longer. Neighbor Don Smith said he was surprised the allegations were kept quiet for so long. "I mean, to be next door to these guys for all these years, if. If they're going out every day and doing something like that, I was like, wow. This is too much" © 2018 Cox Media Group.


A couple of weeks ago, after the row over Trump "fat-shaming" Alicia Machado, I suggested the Republican candidate lay off our weight. Now, and I can hardly believe I'm having to write this, I suggest he lay off our vaginas. The day after a video tape emerged in which he suggested he could have any woman he wants because he's a star and so could just "grab them by the pussy", Mr Trump is in a whole ocean of hot political water. Enough, quite possibly, to sink any chance he had of winning the White House. Why this tape - and not the myriad other controversies that have dogged him in recent weeks? First, analyse what he actually says. There is something particularly sexist, I'd say abusive, about this recording. Read this excerpt: "When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything." "Whatever you want," the interviewer says. "Grab 'em by the pussy, you can do anything," Trump replies." It's the way Mr Trump reveals that he sees women as a piece of sexual meat, something he wants, grabs, discards that is so damning. Surveys (US government and UN) suggest one in five American women are the victim of rape or attempted rape and a staggering 83% of girls suffer sexual harassment at school. Mr Trump is not guilty of either of those but his language is exactly the kind of language that encourages men and boys to feel it's okay to abuse women. There is a violence in the phrases "grab 'em by the pussy" and "you can do anything" that any victim of abuse would recognise and that most women would find sickening. To dismiss the tape as mere "locker room banter" and imply that the people who are offended are making an unnecessary fuss, or to say, as he did in his bizarre overnight apology tape, that this is just a distraction, compounds his problem. But this tape doesn't just offend women, judging from the reaction in the Republican party - it has offended a lot of men too. Whether those men will now withdraw their endorsements of him is yet to be seen. Mr Trump has denigrated people before. His comments about Muslims and Mexicans have arguably been equally grotesque and many, including some Republicans, have suggested they disqualified him for the presidency too. Not everyone in America, however, knows a Muslim or a Mexican. Most people, and most voters, do have wives, mothers, sisters or daughters and that's why this tape touches a nerve, with both sexes, in a way his previous remarks haven't. Powerful men using their position to get sex is nothing new, even in the White House. JFK and Bill Clinton paved that path. Today some of Trump's supporters are making the case that anyone who voted for Bill Clinton has no right to be offended by Donald Trump. I've been critical of Mr Clinton's treatment of women, and of Mrs Clinton's role in shielding him, but those supporters are missing the point. In 2016, don't we all want more from our leaders than another man who feels getting sex from whoever they want, whenever they want is simply one of the perks of power? For my two daughters, I know I do. How Mr Trump manages the fallout from this isn't clear. He doesn't like apologising. Indeed, he has bragged about never doing so. Yet overnight he did release a video statement in which he said: "I said it, I was wrong, and I apologise." In the tape he then goes on to attack both Clintons' records. So on Sunday night, when he debates with Hillary Clinton for the second time, will he raise the issue of Bill Clinton's affairs and Hillary's role in discrediting the women involved, or will he keep quiet about sex altogether? In the past Mr Trump has not been able to resist lashing out when he's under attack. So, whatever his advisers may caution, I suspect we will see more of that in St Louis on Sunday night.


HUNTINGTON BEACH (FOX 11 / CNS) - New video has emerged showing what happened before the shooting took place that left a man dead in Huntington Beach on Friday. A Huntington Beach police officer fatally shot a suspect outside a 7-Eleven store Friday in a confrontation that was caught on video and posted online. WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES AND CONTENT The shooting occurred about 9:30 a.m. outside the store at 6012 Edinger Ave., where the suspect got into a scuffle with the officer just before the shooting, according to a Huntington Beach Police Department spokeswoman. The suspect later died at a hospital, police said. It happened fast, and like most everything these days, was captured on cell phone video by a bystander. A Huntington Beach Police Officer, in a violent struggle with a man outside a 7-11. The man appears to be a transient, and what spurred their initial interaction is still not clear. After a few seconds of fighting...the two pull away, the man appears to have something in his hand. What it is is not clear. The officer, a few feet away, takes aim with his handgun and fires, once...twice...7 times. The suspect at first takes the shots standing up, then crumbles to the ground. It's quite graphic, quite real, and quite dramatic. In fact, we don't even want to show it on TV it's that violent. The suspect would later die at a hospital and per protocol, the Orange County Sheriff is taking over the investigation. What made this all the more scary was that diagonally across the street is Marina High School. Police ordered it ''locked down'' and immediately cell phones lit up with texts and emails between parents, students, and administrators. There was confusion and near panic among some over reports that there was an active shooter on campus, which there was not. Why? Well, it appears that the shooting happened adjacent to a shopping center called 'Marina Village'. On campus there's an area referred to as ''The Village", so reports of a shooting in ''The Village" or at "The Village'' led to understandable confusion. Yet one of the benefits of social media and that fact that every student has a cell phone, is that the accurate story got out there quickly and students and parents worst fears were calmed within minutes. Cell phone video of the shooting was posted on Twitter, showing the officer firing five shots at the suspect, who stumbles, collapses against a wall of the convenience store, then crumples to the ground.


As previously reported, embattled Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is the subject of a devastating expose detailing decades of sexual harassment. Donald Trump Jr. trolled Hillary Clinton on Saturday in a viral tweet. “Weird, Hillary has been really quiet about Harvey Weinstein. You would think she would be all Over this. #WhatHappened?” Weird, Hillary has been really quiet about Harvey Weinstein. You would think she would be all Over this. #WhatHappened? — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 7, 2017 But Don Jr. wasn’t finished yet. Donald Trump Jr. challenged sometime comedian Jimmy Kimmel to share his thoughts on liberal icon and sexual predator Harvey Weinstein. Sponsored Sponsored


You know it's an election year when the President of the United States is tweeting about the NFL's referee apocalypse. NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs' lockout is settled soon. -bo Obama's Twitter feed then pointed to a recent telephone interview with WTAM-AM in Cleveland, in which the POTUS pined for the return of locked-out officals. "But one thing I got to say, though, is it just me or do we have to get our regular refs back?" Obama asked WTAM's Bill Willis ( via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). "I can't get involved with it, but I'm just expressing my point of view as a sports fan." In a potentially related story, Mitt Romney has dropped Paul Ryan as his running mate in favor of Ed Hochuli. Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.


Mr. Trump said that health insurance premiums were “going up 60, 70, 80 percent,” and “next year, they’re going to go up over 100 percent.” Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees “who are definitely ISIS-aligned — we now have them in our country.” Mr. Trump said a cease-fire agreement between the United States and Russia allowed Russia to control more territory in Syria, because the Russians outplayed the United States. On projections that Mr. Trump’s proposals would raise the national debt, he said that “they’re wrong because I’m going to create tremendous jobs.” Mr. Trump criticized the Obama administration’s support of publicizing in advance the Iraqi-led attack on Mosul, which just began. Mr. Trump said the nuclear deal with Iran will “absolutely” let it obtain nuclear weapons. Mrs. Clinton said Mr. Trump tweeted that the Emmy’s were “rigged” when he did not win for “The Apprentice.” Regarding Mrs. Clinton’s private email server, Mr. Trump said that “she’s guilty of a very, very serious crime.” Mr. Trump asserted that $6 billion went missing from the State Department while Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state. Mrs. Clinton said that when her husband, Bill Clinton, was president, the fiscal position of the federal government improved: A $300 billion budget deficit turned into a $200 billion surplus, she said. And, she added, “we were actually on the path to eliminating the national debt.” Mrs. Clinton said Mr. Trump didn’t even raise the issue of the border wall with the Mexican president, since he choked. Mr. Trump said Mrs. Clinton deleted 33,000 of her private emails after she got a subpoena. When asked about the many women who have come forward to allege they were kissed or groped by Mr. Trump without their consent, Mr. Trump said the stories were largely debunked. “We’ve lost our jobs. We’ve lost our businesses. We’re not making things anymore.” Mr. Trump suggested that South Korea and Japan do not pay any of the costs of maintaining American military bases on their territory. Mrs. Clinton said her fiscal plan “doesn’t add a penny to the debt.” Mrs. Clinton said that Mr. Trump’s economic plan “might lose 3.5 million jobs” while giving tax cuts to people at the very top. “People are going to pour in from Syria — she wants 550 percent more than Barack Obama.” Mrs. Clinton said that Mr. Trump is willing to “spout the Putin line” and “get help from him” in the election. Mr. Trump said “our country has no idea” if the Russians are responsible for the emails published by WikiLeaks. Mr. Trump said that Mrs. Clinton’s support for abortion rights would allow a fetus to be ripped from a woman’s womb in the ninth month of pregnancy, in some cases just a few days before a baby is born. Mr. Trump said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was forced to apologize for negative comments about him. Mrs. Clinton said the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court allowed “dark money” to stream into politics.


NEW YORK (KGUN9-TV) - Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva has been released from police custody following his arrest in New York Tuesday. The Tucson area legislator was part of a group sitting in the street in front of Trump Tower. He was involved in a demonstration protesting President Donald Trump's plans to end DACA; the order from then-President Obama protecting from deportation undocumented people who were brought to the U.S. when they were too young to have decided on their own to come to this country. Grijalva was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct---one for disrupting traffic, one for refusing to disperse. A public information officer for New York Police says the Congressman was fingerprinted and given paperwork instructing him to appear before a judge at a future date. Police arrested ten people in all. Grijalva has been a vocal critic of President Trump and his policies, and a strong advocate for protecting DACA recipients from deportation.


Heading into Election Day 2016, the Donald Trump campaign has a very specific path to 270 Electoral College votes. In order to win the election, Trump must win nearly every single battleground state and retain every state that Mitt Romney won in 2012 as well. Plus, there are a few states that Trump is hoping to flip from blue to red. So what exactly are the states that Trump needs to win if he hopes to become president? First, there are 21 states that Donald Trump will win essentially by default. These are the states that traditionally always vote for the Republican candidate, and they add up to 163 Electoral College votes. If Hillary Clinton were to somewhat win in just one of these states, it would be a complete shock. The states are: Then there are two states that usually vote for the Republican candidate but where Hillary Clinton has actually been somewhat close in the polls. Still, it seems likely that these states will stay red as they have been for a long time, but it’s necessary for Trump to defend himself here if he wants to win the election. Those states are: If we add these two states to Donald Trump’s column, plus all the traditionally red states, the Republican nominee is now at 190 Electoral College votes. He needs 80 more votes to become president. What remains are six battleground states that could realistically be won by either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Those battlegrounds are: All of these states add up to 80 Electoral College votes, meaning that if Trump wins all of the states we have mentioned so far, he hits 270 electors exactly, and he becomes the next president of the United States. The state that Donald Trump absolutely must win in order to be elected president is Florida. Technically Trump can win without it, but the path would become so narrow as a result that it’s almost impossible to imagine Hillary Clinton not winning if she turns Florida blue. If Florida is called for Hillary Clinton on the evening of November 8th, you can essentially consider this the announcement that Hillary Clinton has won the presidency. Florida is worth 29 Electoral College votes. Really, though, Trump does not have much wiggle room, and so basically all of the six battleground states – plus one battleground district – are must wins for him. Because the aforementioned path is so narrow, the Trump campaign is also looking at a fourth category, states that are leaning towards Hillary Clinton and that traditionally vote blue but that Trump hopes he can turn red. Winning any one of these would dramatically increase his odds of victory, as they would give him some room to lose another battleground state but still win the election. Winning any of them would also start eating into Hillary Clinton’s path rather than simply forging Donald Trump’s. Those blue states, accompanied by the lead Hillary Clinton currently has in the polls according to Real Clear Politics, are: To summarize, with each of the battlegrounds (Florida, Iowa, Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Ohio) losing one means Trump must make up for it by winning a combination of blue states (Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin) . If Trump loses a single battleground but does not compensate for it with a victory in a blue state, Hillary Clinton wins the election. And if Trump loses two battleground states, that will be almost impossible to recover from. With that in mind, here are a few scenarios, albeit somewhat unlikely scenarios, where Trump could recover from the loss in a battleground state. Read more about Donald Trump and Melania in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com: Join over 240,000 people who get the most important news stories and the best shopping deals from Heavy – Delivered right to your inbox.


A "Muslim migrant" beats up a boy on crutches in a video posted to a site in the Netherlands. On 29 November 2017, United States President Donald Trump retweeted three videos from Jayden Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right anti-Islam organization Britain First who was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment in November 2016. As this group has a penchant for sharing out-of-context, misleading, and false information, it wasn’t surprising that at least one of these videos, which purportedly shows violent acts committed by Muslims, had a misleading caption : Although the video is frequently accompanied by the caption “Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches,” there is no evidence to support this assertion, which in fact came, like so many other unfortunate assumptions, from its comment section. This video was first posted to the web site Dumpert.nl, a popular video portal in the Netherlands, in May 2017. Although the original posting largely focuses on the act of hitting a person on crutches, and it was not shared with any claims about the attacker’s religion, some people on the comment section naturally — and baselessly — assumed that the perpetrator was Muslim. As the video was reposted to other web sites, the unfounded claim that the attacker was a Muslim migrant followed it. Shortly after this video was posted to Dumpert.nl, Dutch police officers were able to locate the attacker and arrest him. A news report from the Telegraaf identified him as a 16-year-old boy from Monnickendam. The report made no mention of the boy’s religion. Further, when this months-old video was brought back into the spotlight in November 2017 thanks to a retweet from President Trump, Dumpert.nl posted a short article that mocked Trump for sharing the video: (By the way, fake news! Dader was geen moslim en geen immigrant. Maar leuk geprobeerd Trumpie) (By the way, fake news! Perpetrator was not a Muslim and not an immigrant, but nice try Trumpie) Geenstijl, the web site that operates Dumpert, also stated that the attacker in the video was not a Muslim: Moreover, the perpetrator was not a Muslim, let alone a migrant, but simply a Dutchman. The official Twitter account of the Public Prosecution Service of North Holland also disputed the claim that the attacker in this video was a Muslim migrant. In a message posted on 29 November 2017, they explained that the video showed a May 2017 quarrel between two minors. The attacker, who was born in the Netherlands, was placed in the HALT Program, an alternative settlement for young first time offenders: A video has been shared on twitter in which an argument between two underage boys can be seen. This incident took place in May of this year. The public prosecution service Noord-Holland has studied the file submitted by the police. (1/2) The suspect, who was born and raised in the Netherlands, received a HALT settlement ( https://t.co/w62MNOFvug). This has been successfully completed. (2/2) The Netherlands Embassy in the United States also took to Twitter to tell to President Trump that “facts do matter” and that the attacker in the video was not a Muslim migrant: . @realDonaldTrump Facts do matter. The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands. He received and completed his sentence under Dutch law.


UPDATE: 09/12/17 This morning Walt Disney World opened its gates to all four theme parks to guests. Even though the parks looked immaculate, several attractions were closed today (or delayed) due to debris caused by Hurricane Irma. We walked around Magic Kingdom to see if we could identify the causes behind these delays. Walt Disney World Railroad has trees down across the tracks. Tom Sawyer Island is also currently closed due to Hurricane Irma’s after effects. Jungle Cruise has also been reported as needing at least a week to remove the debris before it can be operational. ********************************************************* Hurricane Irma passed over Walt Disney World last night and has since turned into a Tropical Storm. Florida curfew remains in effect until 6pm today for Osceola and Orange counties. Approximately 300,000 are without power in Orange Country alone. Luckily we have not heard of any of the Walt Disney World Resorts losing power overnight. WFTV 9 ABC News reported earlier this morning seeing a “load” of tour buses pass them by. It appears they were carrying linemen to EPCOT to help get the power back on. Lights remain on at Walt Disney World and damage appears minimal https://t.co/qpSXVU9KVo pic.twitter.com/7bSh2epOuP — WDWMAGIC.COM (@wdwmagic) September 11, 2017 Overall it seems that Walt Disney World had relatively minimal damage and the lights remain on. Disney World is still advising their resort guests to remain in their room/building and will notify everyone once the curfew is lifted. Let’s take a look at photos from the different resorts this morning post-Hurricane Irma. Please be patient as some pictures take a bit to load. Tree down @WaltDisneyWorld #caribbeanbeachresort . Just one of #IrmaWDW damages. pic.twitter.com/pPOr6It8ud — mike feltner (@MikeyzDead) September 11, 2017 — mike feltner (@MikeyzDead) September 11, 2017 Caribbean Beach has some tree damage The aftermath of #HurricaneIrma, here at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. Quite a few trees down. 🌳 #LiveFromWDW pic.twitter.com/PztJf5mKj9 — CafeFantasia 💫 (@CafeFantasia) September 11, 2017 Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter has quite a few trees down. — Stuart, Becky & Leo (@StuartBeckyLeo1) September 11, 2017 Here's a look behind Disney's Contemporary Resort this morning: #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/Dc3P0xveLG — Attractions Magazine (@Attractions) September 11, 2017 Very minor damage this side of the Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah, already seen park rangers out surveying damage too pic.twitter.com/9yxSkBww1V — shook in wdw 🌈 (@carackobama) September 11, 2017 Contemporary Resort and Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah both look like they fared pretty well through the storm. From tiki man's pageOasis pool at the Polynesian pic.twitter.com/1s6EMOxtdb — Ed @ Baylakes edge (@DisneyMoose) September 11, 2017 Watching this tree fall last night at our hotel at Disney. FInally seeing itthis morning, lucky it went the other way! @WFTV @BShieldsWFTV pic.twitter.com/wMLYD7wAgD — Katie Herron (@Nsgirlkt) September 11, 2017 Polynesian seems to have been hit worst. Trees are down but it doesn’t sound like any hit the buildings. — Theme Parks & Beyond (@ParksandBeyond) September 11, 2017 All-Star Music Resort has seen its share of tree debris as well. We will continue to update this page as we receive additional information on the state of the Walt Disney World Resort this morning. Stay Tuned! Are you ready to start planning your amazing Disney vacation? Our friends at MickeyTravels (designated with Platinum Earmarked status by Disney) can help! Click Here for your FREE No Obligation Quote from one of their Authorized Disney Vacation Planners. Ready to experience Disney for yourself? There are still fantastic 2017 Summer and Fall packages to be had. Click here or send an email for a FREE, no obligation quote with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Want more help planning your next Disney vacation? As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, my goal is to help you plan the Magic your way. I create customized itineraries, book advanced dining and FastPass+ reservations, monitor for discounts for your vacation, and much much more! And did I mention that my services are FREE? Get in touch toll-free at 1-800-454-4501, via email at mickeytravelssarah@gmail.com or follow along on Facebook. Thank you for visiting Chip and Co - Your home for the best in Disney News!


Following a deadly shooting in Las Vegas that has left more than 50 people dead and over 200 injured, celebrities are taking to social media to express their grief. Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15 after receiving reports of an active shooter at the Route 91 Harvest festival, near the Mandalay Bay Casino at about 10:10 p.m. local time. Sheriff Joe Lombardo of Las Vegas Police confirmed at a news conference that the shooter had fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay. He said officers responded and the suspect was dead. Jason Aldean was performing as the shooting began. On Instagram, he said he his crew members were safe and that he was "heartbroken." "Tonight has been beyond horrific," he captioned a picture of the city. A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jake Owen, who was slated to perform ahead of Aldean Sunday called the event "unimaginable." "Please pray," he tweeted. Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray. Chris Young tweeted that he clung to "the floor of a trailer behind the stage" and later added that he felt "lucky to be alive." Spent I don't know how long on the floor of a trailer behind the stage... know multiple people are dead. Listening to that gunfire... I'm not gonna say anything else other than I'm lucky to be alive. As are many others... and so many people are gone... this is heartbreaking Little Big Town performed at the same festival a year ago, and tweeted out their prayers. One year ago we played Route 91 on Sunday night. Our prayers are with all the first responders, artists, crew and mostly the country fans. pic.twitter.com/CTGg7Qm6MJ Brad Paisley dedicated his prayers to those at the festival and tweeted, "There are no words right now that suffice." Praying for everyone at #HarvestFestival. There are no words right now that suffice. Miranda Lambert said her heart had been broken. Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum tweeted that he was, "Praying 4 everyone in the country community & everyone at the scene. My heart is sick over the news in Las Vegas. Praying 4 everyone in the country community & everyone at the scene. Kelsea Ballerini thought of "the fans who came to sing and dance and be free and happy." Just sad. And so sorry for the fans who came to sing and dance and be free and happy. thinking of everyone there & my friend @Jason_Aldean. Those outside of the country community were also in mourning. Celine Dion, who has a residency at Caesars Palace, said that she was "Praying for all the innocent victims and their families." Praying for all the innocent victims and their families in Las Vegas - Céline xx... #LasVegas Mariah Carey offered her thoughts to those affected. "Praying for everyone's safety," she tweeted. Horrified to hear about the shooting in #LasVegas. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Praying for everyone's safety 🙏💔 Trey Songz, who tweeted he was in Vegas at the time of this incident, offered his prayers and shared that he and his team were safe. Don't even know what to say. To be in Vegas while this is happening, brings a pain to my heart. My team and I are safe Thank God! Prayers up Ne-Yo, who is from Las Vegas, called the news "crazy" and hoped people could "stay safe." Hearing crazy news coming out of my hometown... Las Vegas, please, stay safe. Kendra Wilkinson, a co-host of a show at Paris Las Vegas, said she was "absolutely sick to my stomach." No words, just absolutely sick to my stomach.... Vegas be safe. Prayers to victims. 😔 A befuddled Paris Hilton asked, "What is our world coming to?!" I can't believe what just happened in Las Vegas! What is our world coming to?! 😭 My prayers go out to the victims & their families. 🙏 Ruby Rose expressed her deepest condolences. "I'm so sorry for what is happening right now," she tweeted. "It is horrific just to see the videos.. I can't imagine what you are feeling." Vegas keep safe. I'm so sorry for what is happening right now. It is horrific just to see the videos.. I can't imagine what you are feeling. Sam Smith described the scene as "horrifying," adding his "heart and soul is with all the victims & their families and friends." Horrifying scenes in Las Vegas. My heart and soul is with all the victims & their families and friends. Everybody please stay safe. With tears in his eyes, DJ Steve Aoki told viewers in a video with a Henderson, Nev. geotag to "check on each other" and "stay indoors." Khloé Kardashian exlaimed, "Things have got to change!" This is heartbreaking to learn about! Things have got to change! 🙏🏽 Mandy Moore called the news "devastating." Las Vegas. No words.💔 Victims and their families are in our thoughts and prayers. This is absolutely horrific and devastating. Actress Holly Marie Combs took a stand against automatic weapons, writing, "My only thought is that amount of rounds in automatic rifle should not be available or made or allowed." I am at a loss watching Las Vegas. My only thought is that amount of rounds in automatic rifle should not be available or made or allowed. Assault rifles were on Sheryl Crow's mind. "Can we discuss the loss of rights of people going to a concert because of the lack of assault rifle regulations?" she tweeted. Can we discuss the loss of rights of people going to a concert because of the lack of assault rifle regulations? Chloë Grace Moretz called the Las Vegas police members who responded "true (heroes)." A post shared by Chloe Grace Moretz (@chloegmoretz) on


She’s young, attractive, articulate, conservative, and black! Candace Owens is surely the worst nightmare of the hard-Left wing of the Democrat party. For decades, those folks have taken the black vote for granted. Now blacks are waking up, and that could spell doom for Democrats — hence their “interest” in Latino-Americans, especially illegal immigrants. In the 2-minute video above, hear Candace’s advice and warning for Latinos — namely, don’t be scammed by Democrats the way that America’s blacks have been. Check out her longer speech too (below) given to the Conservative College Student Action Summit in January, 2018. She explains clearly how Democrats are eyeing illegal immigrants as the most promising new voting livestock for their Big-Government-Dependency Plantation. Owens’ message isn’t new, but her youth and style makes her among the best to reach America’s young people, no matter what identity group the Democrats assign them to. Thomas Sowell is fantastic, but he cannot reach young people the way Owens can. Via WFP


A Grain of Saul is a weekly column that digs into some of the biggest issues we face as a nation and as an international community in search of reliable data, realistic solutions, and — most importantly — hope. More and more women are reporting that Harvey Weinstein harassed or sexually assaulted them. After an explosive piece in The New York Times, which cited several women's firsthand accounts of Weinstein's alleged "sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact," it appears the dam has broken. Yesterday, a piece in The New Yorker quoted nearly a dozen on the record firsthand accounts of Weinstein's harassment and sexual assault and included never-before-heard audio recordings from a New York Police Department sting operation in which Weinstein appears to admit to groping model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez. Although Weinstein apologized in a statement for at least some of the behavior referenced in the New York Times article, he denied the sexual assault allegations following the New Yorker piece's release. That piece, a gut-punch for anyone holding out hope the worst wasn't true, was notably written by journalist Ronan Farrow. Farrow is the estranged son of Woody Allen, another Hollywood magnate accused of sexual assault. Those allegations (which Allen denies) were made by his own daughter, Ronan's sister Dylan. With so many accusers against Weinstein now on the record, including household names like Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne and Angelina Jolie, all corners of the country are offering their hot takes in the discussion. Perhaps one of the most unfortunate reactions has been to politicize the story, as some conservative pundits have grasped onto Weinstein — a major Democratic donor Michelle Obama once publicly praised as a "wonderful human being" — as illustrative of rotten liberal America. But this isn't a uniquely Democratic problem. Fox News, a notoriously right-wing news outlet, has had to dismiss a slew of on-air talent because of sexual assault allegations. Our Republican president appeared to admit on tape to sexually assaulting women (and has also been photographed chumming it up with Weinstein). The point being: this isn't a partisan or even a political issue. This is — largely — an issue with men, specifically men who yield any kind of power. The allegations leveled against Weinstein, Allen, Bill Cosby, Bill O'Reilly, Roger Ailes, Anthony Weiner and President Trump are not unique to Hollywood or a certain political party. It's not always famous and powerful men, either: it's the Catholic Church, Penn State football, orthodox Jews, professional athletes, universities, and your local retail store. The list goes on. In many of the cases that have made national headlines, though, wealthy men in positions of significant power have leveraged their status to pressure or force women into sexual encounters. Those women are then shamed, threatened with lawsuits and silenced if they speak out. Perhaps most unsettling about these stories is that there is almost always someone who could have stepped up and stopped the harassment or assault. In Farrow's story, he wrote that 16 former and current employees of Weinstein's companies had witnessed or had knowledge of unwanted sexual advances Weinstein made in work-related settings. Sixteen! And that's just the number of current or former employees who happened to speak to Farrow. What about all the ones who didn't? What about the ones who were too scared to speak to a reporter? Weinstein's case, again, isn't unique. In President Trump's infamous Hollywood Access tape, television host Billy Bush laughs offthe notion that Trump could simply "grab women by the pussy" because he was a star. His supporters and advisers dismissed it as "locker room talk." Former Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly and former CEO Roger Ailes were repeatedly reported to human resources at Fox Newsand, reportedly, no action was taken. Football coach Joe Paterno was let go from Penn State because of what he may or may not have known about convicted rapist Jerry Sandusky. An entire film was made about the Catholic Church spending years trying to fend off reporters who wanted to get the truth out about rampant sexual abuse by priests. In many cases, campus rape stories include bystanders who don't intervene when a clearly intoxicated woman is taken home by a less intoxicated man. People — especially men who are in positions of power — have the ability to step in and stop these stories from happening. And we cannot forget that there are male survivors of sexual assault, and they are every bit as worth protecting. Terry Crews came out on Twitter to share a story about being assaulted by another man who allegedly grabbed his penis while Crews was standing next to his wife at a Hollywood function. Crews said he decided not to retaliate with allegations against the man because he didn't want to be ostracized, noting that "the predator has power and influence." Instead, he let it go, like many women do, because he couldn't stop asking himself if anyone believe him and if the repercussions for speaking out would be life-changing. If Terry Crews, a wealthy, well-known man is wary of reporting his assault, imagine the obstacles that face many other sexual assault survivors. It's time for men to police our own communities, our own friends and our own family members. It's time for men to stop being passive observers of the kinds of harassment and overt sexism that are all too common in the spaces we dominate. It's time for men to stand up for the victims we see in our day-to-day lives, and to create spaces, environments, communities, teams, companies and homes where everyone feels safe and supported enough to speak truth to power. The issue of sexual assault cannot simply be a "women's issue." It cannot be a political talking point. It cannot be a Democrat or Republican or religious or campus issue. Sexual assault is a men's issue. It is my issue. It is your issue. And it's about time we did something about it.


Few words could be more apposite to the tactics of the Remainers. On Thursday morning, after the High Court ruled that the Government cannot use the Royal Prerogative to trigger Article 50, Gina Miller – the woman behind the case – stood outside the Royal Courts of Justice and tried to prove Abraham Lincoln wrong. With a straight face she said that the case had nothing to do with the EU. “This is about process, not politics.” And she’s not alone. Almost to a man and woman the Remainers have told us that all they have been trying to do is right a wrong. That it’s a simple matter of democracy and parliamentary sovereignty being re-established and the fact they are all Remainers is irrelevant. They really do think you can fool all of the people all of the time. Because in the real world the case was brought by people who had only one motive: to screw up this first stage of Brexit. It had almost nothing to do with process and everything to do with politics. And it’s not going to stop here. There is almost nothing the Remainers won’t do to try to keep us in. If that means showing contempt towards the result of the referendum – well, they won’t bat an eyelid. The entire history of the EU shows that whenever a referendum goes against them the Eurofanatics ignore it and demand another one. Which is of course exactly what some – such as Owen Smith, the Labour MP who was beaten out of sight by Jeremy Corbyn this summer – are now saying, arguing that any deal done by the Government should be subject to another referendum. For others there’s no need even to hold a second referendum. They want simply to ignore the referendum and let Parliament put the kybosh on Brexit. Most won’t admit to this because they know that it’s toxic. But some, such as Labour MP David Lammy, are open about their contempt for the electorate. Mr Lammy said that when Parliament decides on Article 50: “I will be voting in what I believe to be the interests of the country – which I think all MPs will take on board – and will absolutely not be voting to trigger Article 50.” This is the crux of the matter because the real issue isn’t whether or not Parliament should have a vote. The real issue is how Parliament will vote. Be clear about what many of the Remainer MPs want: to stop Brexit. And remember that a clear majority of MPs backed Remain in June. They speak about parliamentary sovereignty (which, incidentally, can only be reestablished if we leave the EU). But that’s a fig leaf. What they are really concerned with is finding whatever ways they can to stop Brexit. Let me tell you what is coming next. When MPs have to vote on triggering Article 50 they will come up with some entirely spurious but supposedly democratic reason why they have to vote No. It’s got nothing to do with not honouring the referendum result, they’ll tell us. How could you even think that?! No, it’s because… blah blah blah. On and on it will go. Every time the issue is discussed they will come up with supposedly plausible reasons to do with democracy and fairness that mean they have no choice, they’ll say, but to vote No. In reality they will have only one motive: stopping Brexit. Their hope and plan is that the longer any decisions are delayed the more chance there is of a change of mood. And they will do their damnedest to create that change of mood. So in parallel they will use their powers to try to ensure we have the worst possible deal so that they can re-argue the referendum debate when the deal is done. We are seeing this already with Hilary Benn, the Remainer chair of the new House of Commons select committee on Brexit, demanding that the Government reveals its negotiation stance – and so hand a huge advantage to Brussels. But they are playing with fire. The will of the people has been clearly expressed. The referendum was unambiguous. There is no wriggle room. Brexit must mean Brexit. If it doesn’t – if Remain MPs use their powers to frustrate the will of the people – then they will provoke one of the greatest constitutional crises since the Civil War. Thu, March 2, 2017 Parliament will be defying the people over the result of a referendum that Parliament itself called. But the constitutional crisis may be the least of it. It is a truism of modern politics that voters are disengaged – that their faith in the political class and political institutions is collapsing. In the US that is reflected in Donald Trump’s ascendancy. In France, Marine Le Pen owes her rise to a similar trend. We have a proud tradition that has always pushed extremists and rabble-rousers to the edges. If, however, our politicians were to show that they do not merely fail to connect with voters but are actively contemptuous of them, it is difficult to see how we could avoid disaster. To say there would be anger would barely come close. Not only would our political system be on the point of collapse there would be riots. And it would be a political crisis entirely of the Remainers’ making. These are worrying times. It is not just Brexit that is imperilled by their behaviour. It is our entire political system.


Members of the Dallas Cowboys organization have been reluctant to protest the national anthem, with head coach Jason Garrett calling the anthem “sacred” and Dez Bryant saying he wouldn’t protest. Their attitudes mirror what’s coming from the top. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has made it clear that he opposes national anthem protests. In an interview with FOX Business, Jones said he did “not think the place” to express opinions is by protesting the flag. "I do not think the place to express yourself in society is as we recognize the American flag." – Jerry Jones on National Anthem protests pic.twitter.com/3JkrdMhwWy — FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) September 24, 2017 Jones’ thoughts echo that of many Americans, though as the demonstrations attest, there are many who disagree. Based on his public comments, it would be a surprise to see a display from any Cowboys on Monday night.


Former Dems Now Backing Trump: 'Our Country's Going in the Wrong Direction' If you've ever seen "Watters' World," you know that some American adults are pretty clueless. But what about the youth of the nation? Jesse Watters hit the streets of New York City to see what kids think about Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the major issues facing the country. What have you heard about Hillary Clinton? What do you think about Donald Trump? "Equal rights, feminism, that's very important nowadays." Watch the "Watters' World" clip above, and let us know what you think in the comments. Clinton Aide in New WikiLeaks Email: 'We Need to Clean This Up. He Has Emails from Her'


In the space of a day, R. Kelly‘s name has catapulted back into the headlines after a shocking exposé alleged that he is leading a secret “sex cult” and is holding women against their will. Since the story hit the wire, the singer has, via his publicist, denied the claims and alluded to taking legal action. However, it’s quickly becoming clear that the drama isn’t going anywhere. The family of alleged hostage Jocelyn Savage held a press conference claiming that Kelly has brainwashed the 21 year old. So much so that she effectively has Stockholm Syndrome: In a twist, Jocelyn sat down with TMZ to refute the claims of her family, insisting that she has been receiving their messages but has willingly cut off communication with them. She wouldn’t, however, reveal what her current living arrangement is nor which city she resides in: Sigh. Keep it locked on That Grape Juice for the latest.


For the third debate in a row, Donald Trump expressed doubt that Russia was behind recent hacks of Democratic groups, putting him at odds not just with Hillary Clinton, but with the entire U.S. intelligence community. “She has no idea whether it’s Russia, China, or anybody else,” Trump said at the final presidential debate held in Las Vegas Wednesday night. “Hillary, you have no idea.” “Do you doubt 17 military and civilian agencies,” Clinton fired back. “And our country has no idea,” Trump said. “Yeah, I doubt it, I doubt it.” In this case, Clinton had it right. Two weeks ago, the U.S. intelligence community announced it is “confident that the Russian government directed the recent compromises of e-mails.” The candidates also challenged on a number of other issues throughout the debate. On the issue of immigration, Trump said Clinton agreed with his signature proposal. “Hillary Clinton wanted the wall. Hillary Clinton fought for the wall in 2006,” Trump said. “I voted for border security, and there are...” Clinton began speaking, before Trump interrupted, “And the wall.” We rate Trump’s claim as partially true. As a senator, Clinton did vote for a bill to build 700 miles of fencing along parts of the 2,000-mile Southern border, but not a massive wall as Trump has proposed. Trump accused Clinton Wednesday night of hiring people to disrupt his allies. “She’s the one, and Obama, that caused the violence,” Trump said. The truth on that score is unclear. Democratic contractors were caught on video, appearing to plan to provoke Trump supporters. But there’s no indication Clinton’s campaign paid for it or even knew about it. As in previous debates, Trump denied making some controversial comments that are immortalized on video. “He said that he could not possibly have done those things to those women because they were not attractive enough for them to be assaulted,” Clinton said. “I did not say that. I did not say that,” Trump said. But in Greensboro, North Carolina, Trump told a crowd, “Believe me. She would not be my first choice. That I can tell you.” “He also went after a disabled reporter, mocked and mimicked him on national television,” Clinton said. “Wrong,” Trump denied. But he did that too, at a campaign rally at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “I don’t remember!’ He’s going like, ‘I don’t remember!’” Trump said, imitating his physical handicap. On the budget, Clinton claimed that her proposals on infrastructure and education would not add a penny to the debt because she has ways to pay for all of them. Independent analysts said that’s false -- her plan add $200 billion to the debt over the next decade. Trump’s plans, they said, would add $5.3 trillion.


BERKELEY, Calif. (KCRA) — Several fights broke out during largely-peaceful protests in Berkeley Sunday afternoon when about 4,000 people converged on the city, police said. Thirteen people who ranged in ages from 20 to 47 years old, were arrested for "various violations” including assault with a deadly weapon and felony assault during the events, Berkeley police said. Of the people arrested during the protests, several were wearing masks while others were connected to assaults. Two men were arrested after exchanging blows. The SFGate reported they were quickly swept up by officers inside Civic Center Park. Police detained Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson at the protests. The SFGate reported he was handcuffed after being chased by a mob of demonstrators who took swings at him and pepper sprayed him. Police said Gibson was actually "rescued" and was not arrested or charged. The crowd began to diminish around 3:30 p.m., six hours after a march led to the protests. The event was one of several rallies that had been called for Sunday in Berkeley, a day after a controversial freedom rally planned by Gibson in San Francisco fizzled amid throngs of counterprotesters. Hundreds of people gathered on the UC Berkeley campus around 10 a.m. Sunday. They then marched to Civic Center Park, where police had set up barricades and secured the area with bomb sniffing dogs. The march was part of the Bay Area Rally Against Hate Rally. In a statement early Sunday, the group said "we fully intend to move forward with (the Rally Against Hate)" on the campus despite calls by the university police department for people to stay away for safety reasons. The rally was held in response to the planned right-wing protest "No To Marxism in America." However, organizer Amber Cummings canceled the protest on Friday, saying Berkeley officials and left-wing extremists made it impossible to hold the event and she would be the sole attendee. Despite the cancellation, hundreds of ring-wing protesters showed up to the park. Around 1 p.m., police reported the crowd had grown to several thousand. A skirmish broke out between several dozen left-wing demonstrators and a handful of right-wing supporters. The skirmish was tense but ended quickly. The left-wing protesters surrounded the small number of right-wing supporters, then shouted at them and pushed them. The right-wing protesters sought protection from police and were escorted away. Before the unpermitted events, Berkeley police put into place several rules in response the protests, stating, "To ensure the peaceful expression of free speech, the City of Berkeley will be prohibiting sticks, pipes, poles and anything else that can be used for a 'riot' at Civic Center Park." Other banned items include explosives, pepper spray, axes, dogs (except for service animals), eggs, torches and more. Police also said anything that "covers or partially covers the face and shields the wearer's face from view, or partially from view, is prohibited." However, protesters with an anarchist group arrived at the park wearing masks and hoods that covered their faces. The group of more than 100 hooded protesters, with shields emblazoned with the words "no hate" and waving a flag identifying themselves as anarchist, broke through police lines, avoiding security checks by officers to take away possible weapons. Then the group blended in with the rest of the crowd. The group pushed their way past police barricades and into Civic Center Park. They assaulted at least five people by punching and kicking them. Gibson was one of the people assaulted by the group. Police broke up the fights, using what appeared to be a smoke grenade to stop one scuffle. The three people who were attacked ran behind police lines to escape. Then around 2:30 p.m., more than 1,000 people left the park and began marching north Martin Luther King Way. An hour later, the crowd had diminished and many roads reopened. ---- The Associated Press contributed to this story.


The left continues to harp on unproven allegations that Donald Trump inappropriately touched women and said dirty words 11 years ago many are wondering where the outrage is about Joe Biden. For years the vice president’s inappropriate touching of women, and the invading of their personal space, has been a punchline seen as harmless. But now that the barrage of claims against Trump has reached its zenith social media has begun asking where the mainstream news sources are on “creepy Uncle Joe’s” unwanted encroachments. #WomenWhoVoteTrump wonder why Joe Biden gets a pass on “inapropriate touching.” Yikes!⤵If this was Trump, imagine the MSM headlines . #MAGA pic.twitter.com/gtk64X3tXH — Trump the Hill (@TrumpTheHill) October 15, 2016 @CNN @andersoncooper @Maddow @MSNBC Where’s the Wall 2 Wall segment on Creepy Uncle Joe Molesting Young Girls/Women? #HYPOCRITES #NVDebate pic.twitter.com/vODHxrEF0g — Truth Is Power (@truthispower777) October 15, 2016 #OnHillarysTeleprompter would someone tell Joe Biden that touching women and making them uncomfortable makes you unfit for office — Robert Wilson (@rwlawoffice) October 15, 2016 Katie Pavlich – It’s Time For a National Conversation About Joe Biden’s Inappropriate Touching https://t.co/ZHpbwjI5XU — Diamond Barbarian (@NoMoreElitists) October 14, 2016 No prof of Trump touching women. Watch Joe Biden Rub, Touch And Kiss His Way To Beck-Like Creepiness – YouTube https://t.co/jFWNo4ssgF — R. Wolfe (@WhoWolfe) October 14, 2016 Joe Biden can’t Keep his Hands off Women, a known fact! Always touching them! HYPOCRIT! pic.twitter.com/nNc1QFG7Hk — TRUMP/ PENCE 2017! (@audreyringrose) October 13, 2016 BIDEN IS A CLASS-A PERV. TALK ABOUT GROPING, HE’S ALWAYS TOUCHING WOMEN. IT’S RIGHT IN OUR FACES! https://t.co/aBAr2mzrlb — DeplorableWhatWhat7 (@OpinionOnion7) October 13, 2016 . @frankthorp Sure let’s have that conversation https://t.co/wC1deHu544 — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) October 9, 2016


On the left, and among Donald Trump's conservative critics, a new debate has emerged: is the media to blame for the businessman's rise, or are Republican primary voters simply "idiots," as New York Magazine's Jon Chait argued recently, and unable to recognize a con-artist when they see one? This is a false choice. There are plenty of factors that went into Trump becoming the presumptive GOP nominee, and the incessant media coverage of his every utterance and movement probably contributed to his sky-high negatives. But it's unserious, not to mention smug, to assume that Trump has been playing all of his Republican supporters for dupes. You don't need to worship Trump to vote for him. You don't even have to like him, or think he's always honest, because these are not the factors at the heart of Trump's appeal. Consider this from Michael Cooper, a writer, attorney, and liberal Democrat who lives in rural North Carolina. "My Republican friends are for Trump. My state representative is for Trump," he wrote in U.S. News in March. "People who haven't voted in years are for Trump. He'll win the primary here on March 15 and he will carry this county in the general. His supporters realize he's a joke. They do not care. They know he's authoritarian, nationalist, almost un-American, and they love him anyway, because he disrupts a broken political process and beats establishment candidates who've long ignored their interests." This, I think, nicely sums up the core of Trump's support. Yes, there is a cult of personality around the candidate, and some of his backers do seem to think of him as a man who can do no wrong. But the breadth of Trump's support alone indicates that we're dealing with more than just full-fledged #TrumpTrain devotees. We're also dealing with the people Cooper writes about, the ones who aren't so enthralled with the man himself but recognize him as a change agent. And the truth is that a President Trump would, of course, be a change agent. A Hillary win would likely take us to something like the pre-Trump status quo ante, which is one reason why so many D.C. and Wall Street Republicans will wind up supporting her -- they'll still know how to play the game in a second Clinton presidency. A Trump victory, meanwhile, will undoubtedly lead to profound upheaval in our political system. The policies he'll pursue in office are still something of a mystery, but due to his lack of a real, grounding political philosophy, we can assume that he'll embrace positions to both the right- and left-of-center. In effect this would be something like a third party in American politics, and one in control of the White House no less -- a Party of Trump, which will find itself at odds with both stalwart conservatives like Ben Sasse and progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Occasionally he'll find common cause with one side, and sometimes with the other. You could even see him putting together odd bedfellows like Sherrod Brown and Jeff Sessions to pass new restrictions on trade. Any way you look at it, he would scramble everything we know about American politics. You can argue that the changes that Trump would bring to this country would be disastrous, or that he's morally and intellectually unfit for the office. But the one safe bet we have about a Trump presidency is that it would provoke a realignment in our politics and bring about an end to the elite governing consensus of the last several decades. America's many establishments -- Republican and Democrat, liberal and conservative - would all suddenly find themselves on the outs. The Democrats have signaled that they'll run on the idea that a Trump presidency is just too "risky" and "dangerous." But that shows a real misunderstanding of his appeal as a candidate. The subtext of every Trump rally is basically take this risk, take this gamble -- it may all end in tears, but it's worth a shot. America isn't working anymore, his argument goes. It's not working for Americans, Americans know that, and all those smug elites are to blame. How do we fix that? Hard to say: Trump, remember, has a habit of contradicting himself within the same sentence when answering questions about his policy specifics. But step one is blowing up the system, and that's exactly what Trump is promising to do. Is it childish to want the political system to be completely upended even if the consequences might be disastrous? Maybe. But in a country where a plurality of Americans think that "people like them" were better off 50 years ago, at least according to a recent Pew survey, it should also be expected. We can dismiss Trump's voters as low-class, knuckle-dragging racists who deserve, in some sense, to suffer. But that wouldn't be wise from a governing standpoint or, for Trump's opponents, a tactical one. If you think that Trump's voters don't get what's best for them, then it's up to you to sell them on why they're wrong -- to make the case that free trade leads to cheaper, better goods for everyone, that immigration greatly benefits the economy, that a "Muslim ban" is immoral and would only help groups like ISIS. That the system, for all its faults, can still be reformed, and that allowing Trump to raise hell in Washington will only make his supporters' lot worse. But to just dismiss them as "idiots" is, well, stupid. It plays into his hands; it justifies the anti-elite impulse he's exploited. The consensus among all the poll-watchers and data-heads who have consistently underestimated Trump from the onset is that Hillary is all but certain to win in November. And they might be right. But if Trump pulls off the upset, the smugness and lack of empathy that defines too many of his detractors will be in large part to blame.