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Billy Bush suspended from 'Today' show after tape of Trump's lewd comments: memo

(Reuters) - NBC has suspended television personality Billy Bush from the “Today” show after fallout over the host’s 2005 taped lewd conversation with U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, according to a show memo seen by Reuters on Sunday. The suspension comes as a flood of Republicans have withdrawn their support for Trump over the video that emerged on Friday showing the businessman, then a reality TV star, talking with Bush on an open microphone about groping women and trying to seduce a married woman. In the recorded conversation, Trump was chatting on a bus with Bush, then host of NBC’s “Access Hollywood,” ahead of a segment they were about to tape. Bush said in a statement to Variety on Friday he was “embarrassed and ashamed” of his comments. NBC said Bush had been suspended indefinitely from the “Today” show, where he hosts the third hour of programming. Noah Oppenheim, the executive in charge of the morning show, wrote in a memo to staff that “there is simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape.” Oppenheim said: “NBC has decided to suspend Billy, pending further review of this matter.” The controversy has pitched Trump, 70, into the biggest crisis of his campaign and deepened fissures between him and establishment Republicans just a month ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election.

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Too Many Deer on the Road? Let Cougars Return, Study Says - The New York Times

What large mammal regularly kills humans in the Eastern United States? And what other large mammal might significantly reduce those deaths? The answer to the first question is the deer. Deer do not set out to murder people, as far as anyone knows, but they do jump out in front of vehicles so often that they cause more than a million collisions a year, resulting in more than 200 deaths. The answer to the second question, according to a new scientific study, is the cougar. Laura R. Prugh, a wildlife scientist at the University of Washington Sophie L. Gilbert, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Idaho and several colleagues argue in the journal Conservation Letters that if eastern cougars returned to their historic range, they could prevent 155 human deaths and 21, 400 human injuries, and save $2. 3 billion, over the course of 30 years. And although cougars do kill humans sometimes, the scientists estimated that the total number of lives lost would be fewer than 30, far fewer than the number of lives saved. The scientists studied 19 states, including Maine, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Four other states — Delaware, Illinois, Indiana and Rhode Island — were part of the eastern cougar’s historic range, which was wiped out by the early 1900s. However, those states do not have enough open forestland to support viable cougar populations, the scientists said. I have a personal interest in this new report. In 2004, I wrote an entirely selfish and completely undocumented essay lamenting the damage that deer were doing to my garden and suggesting, only partly that the lawn and garden community would be willing to sacrifice a few pets and joggers if mountain lions could be brought to the suburbs to get rid of the Bambi plague. I noted that deer were also responsible for human deaths, although that was not my true motivation. I’m sure I wasn’t the first to have this idea. What deer do to cultivated suburban yards can make otherwise peaceful people quite bloody minded. But I didn’t do the numbers. Dr. Prugh and her colleagues have done the numbers in an attempt to find some real answers. The return of cougars on their own is entirely possible, they say. The animals have come back to parts of the Midwest over the past few decades and are starting to appear in the East. One animal was documented in Connecticut. That kind of natural repopulation would be likely to face less resistance than a reintroduction, which she was not advocating, Dr. Prugh said. But would their reappearance really help? She and her colleagues took a methodical approach to putting together available numbers on how deer populations grow, how many car accidents involve deer and how accidents increase with a growing deer population. They gathered information on how many deer a cougar might kill — about 259 over an average life span of about six years — and how much open, forested land was necessary for cougars to sustain a wild population — about 850 square miles. Then the scientists tested a variety of mathematical models and came up with their projections. One of the questions they needed to consider was whether the cougars would be killing just deer that would die anyway from starvation or illness. The scientists took what Dr. Prugh said was a conservative approach that about 75 percent of the deer the cougars killed would have died anyway. They also considered that as adult deer decrease in number, more fawns survive. So killing deer doesn’t immediately shrink the population. Adrian Treves, the head of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was not involved with the study, said he was impressed with the analysis and thought it might underestimate the benefits of cougars. He said in an email that there would probably be an even greater reduction in collisions, “if governments and private citizens allow cougars to recover to historic levels. ” Figuring out the downsides of having cougars back was more difficult. The numbers of cougars would be considerable in some states once the deer and cougar populations stabilized — about 1, 000 each in New York and Wisconsin, 350 or so in Missouri and only eight to 15 in New Jersey. They estimated lost livestock values in the areas studied at $2. 35 million a year. But they were not able to get good estimates of pet loss, because it is hard to pin down which pets that disappear were killed by cougars. They may have been killed by coyotes, or cars, or may have been taken in by someone else. Also, they could not account for the obvious emotional response to predators. Even if the estimate is correct that five times as many people would be saved by cougars as would be killed, death by deer and cougar are different. “The idea of being killed in a car crash with a deer just doesn’t scare people the way the idea of a cougar leaping on your back in the woods does,” Dr. Prugh said. But she says she hopes that if cougars do return to the Eastern states, an understanding that they could bring tangible benefits will make people “a little more accepting, even if they are still scared. ”

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TPP - Remember when after TP you just washed your hands? Sounds like another bad Comptroller joke. The extra P is for watering the stock.

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Armstrong: Stop Trying to Make Temple Attacks About Race

Jenice Armstrong, Philly, October 26, 2016 The Temple attacks were about troublemaking teens–not race. The youngsters who jumped those college students as they walked to campus Friday night are delinquents who need to be put in check before it’s too late. They were nothing but miscreants who took out their aggression and misdirected rage on random passersby. Why? Because they felt like wilding out that night. They were out to create chaos, so they did. So, don’t talk to me about gentrification in North Philly. Don’t talk to me about poverty. Don’t talk to me about race relations. Those are whole other conversations and not what these attacks were about. No one was safe from these teens that night. Not the six Temple students who were injured. Not the Temple police officer knocked from her bicycle by a 15-year-old. Not even a police horse. Anyone could have gotten caught up in that madness. According to news reports, a crowd of 150 youngsters started gathering after an Instagram advertised an 8 p.m. meet-up at the AMC North Broad Street 7 (formerly the Pearl Theater at Avenue North), on Broad Street near Oxford at the southern end of the campus. {snip} Most of the high schoolers who responded to the online posting were good kids looking to socialize. But then the delinquents did what they often do and ruined it for everybody. According to police, a group of 20 to 30 boys and girls in their early to late teens randomly attacked Temple students as they returned from a football game at Lincoln Financial Field. {snip} People keep trying to make this a racial thing because at least two of the victims were white and all of the assailants were African American. They make that assumption even though we don’t know the race of the other injured students. (Lots of African Americans go to Temple.) Nor do we know the race of the injured officers. Street violence is street violence. It knows no skin color. {snip} {snip} Another student, a junior environmental science major who didn’t give her name, told a website called theTab.com, “My boyfriend ran and got away but the second I tried to run, they grabbed me by my hair and started beating my head and back. “I remember shoes coming for my face and after that I heard other kids from the group saying, ‘Yo chill, yo chill, it’s just a girl,’ and they pulled my attackers off me.” {snip} Temple has promised increased security, but when it comes to random street violence, anything can happen to anyone–black or white.

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Adnan Syed, of ‘Serial’ Podcast, Gets a Retrial in Murder Case - The New York Times

A judge in Maryland has granted a new trial to Adnan Syed, setting aside his conviction for the 1999 murder of his former girlfriend, in a case that was the subject of the first season of the hit podcast “Serial. ” Mr. Syed’s lawyer, C. Justin Brown, posted the news on Twitter on Thursday afternoon and confirmed by phone that the motion for a new trial had been granted by Judge Martin P. Welch of the Baltimore City Circuit Court. The decision to grant Mr. Syed, 35, a retrial was a major victory for an inmate who has long maintained his innocence and has exhausted all other avenues of appeal. He was convicted in 2000 in the murder of his former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and had served 16 years of a life sentence. “Serial” turned speculation about Mr. Syed’s guilt and whether he had received a fair trial into something of a national pastime in 2014. The show was downloaded more than 100 million times and won a Peabody Award for its role in illuminating flaws in the criminal justice system. At a news conference in Baltimore, Mr. Brown was asked if he thought there was any chance that the retrial could have come about without “Serial. ” “I don’t think so,” he said. On the possibility that Mr. Syed may eventually go free, Mr. Brown said: “I’m feeling pretty confident right now. This was the biggest hurdle. It’s really hard to get a new trial. ” On Thursday, Mr. Brown said that he had not been able to reach Mr. Syed to tell him the news, but by Friday, he said in a post on Twitter that his client had been “informed of the decision. ” The family of Ms. Lee has expressed pain and outrage at the attention surrounding Mr. Syed’s bid for a new trial. In a statement released through the Maryland Attorney General’s Office on Friday, the family said: “We continue to grieve. We continue to believe justice was done when Mr. Syed was convicted of killing Hae. ” For its part, the Attorney General’s Office said Thursday night that it had a responsibility to keep pursuing justice and “to defend what it believes is a valid conviction. ” Mr. Syed’s brother, Yusuf, 26, said in an interview on Thursday that the family had high hopes for a favorable decision, based on the strength of the legal arguments and the outpouring of support. “We really felt 100 percent that the judge would rule in our favor,” he said, adding, “We’ve been waiting 20 years for this. ” Rabia Chaudry, a family friend of Mr. Syed’s who introduced Sarah Koenig, the host of “Serial,” to the case, celebrated the decision online, thanking the judge and witnesses, among others. A production manager for “Serial,” Emily Condon, declined to comment on Thursday. The judge’s decision came after three days of postconviction hearings in February. Mr. Syed and his legal team had presented new evidence, including the testimony of a new alibi witness, and argued that his original defense counsel had been grossly negligent. The proceedings were held before Judge Welch, a retired judge, who had granted Mr. Syed’s request for a hearing in November. Mr. Syed first filed a request for a postconviction hearing in 2010, but was denied. Mr. Syed’s defense had argued in February that the decision by Mr. Syed’s lawyer in the original trial, Maria Cristina Gutierrez, not to question a state’s expert, Abraham Waranowitz, about the reliability of evidence relating to cellphone towers constituted ineffective assistance. The judge’s decision to grant Mr. Syed a new trial turned on that issue. In a memo, Judge Welch wrote that Ms. Gutierrez’s failure to question Mr. Waranowitz “created a substantial possibility that the result of the trial was fundamentally unreliable. ” Judge Welch also said in the memo that the substantial public interest in the case did not affect his decision. “Regardless of the public interest surrounding this case, the court used its best efforts to address the merits of petitioner’s petition for postconviction relief like it would in any other case that comes before the court unfettered by sympathy, prejudice, or public opinion,” he wrote. Ms. Gutierrez was a prominent Baltimore defense lawyer in the 1990s whose career crumbled in 2001 when she was disbarred by consent after a state commission uncovered financial improprieties involving her clients. She told The Baltimore Sun at the time that her legal practice suffered in part because of her severe medical problems related to multiple sclerosis. She died of a heart attack in 2004. On Thursday, hundreds of fans of “Serial” took to social media, some of them to celebrate and others to emphasize that they still believed Mr. Syed was guilty. The podcast recently ended its second season, which told the story of Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier in Afghanistan who was captured by the Taliban in 2009 and released as part of a prisoner swap in 2014.

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MH370 search: Debris found in Reunion may give clues

Saint-Denis, Reunion Island (CNN) When investigators get an in-person view of a wing component that likely came from a Boeing 777, they'll be looking for not only a serial number but clues as to why the part broke off the Boeing 777. One group of independent observers said Thursday that the damage to the component -- a right wing flaperon -- should give authorities a good indication that the piece came off while the plane was still in the air. The group, led by American Mobile Satellite Corp. co-founder Mike Exner, points to the small amount of damage to the front of the flaperon and the ragged horizontal tear across the back. The rear damage could have been caused if the airliner had its flaperon down as it went into the ocean, some members of Exner's group wrote in a preliminary assessment after looking at photos and videos of the component. But the lack of damage to the front makes it more likely the plane was in a high-speed, steep, spiral descent and the part fluttered until it broke off, the group said. Boeing and Australian officials are confident the debris -- found Wednesday off the coast of a remote island in the west Indian Ocean -- came from a Boeing 777 -- and might be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a 777 that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board. Exner's group -- an informal cadre of aviation experts -- said that if the flaperon were still on the wing when the plane hit water, the front would have been damaged by hitting the part of the wing to which it was attached. And the rear damage looks like it was caused by stress rather than being bent and broken off when the plane hit the water. But an aircraft component specialist who spoke to CNN disagreed. The lack of damage to the front section "tells me that the component could still have likely been back in its original position inside the wing itself," said Michael Kenney, senior vice president of Universal Asset Management, which provides plane components to airlines. Boeing investigators are confident that debris found on a remote island in the Indian Ocean comes from a 777 aircraft, according to a source close to the investigation. "We are highly confident but it still needs confirmation that it is a part from a 777 aircraft," he told CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront." "The only 777 aircraft that we're aware of in the Indian Ocean that could have led to this part floating is MH370. But as I said, we still need to confirm that through closer study." People cleaning a beach found the debris Wednesday on Reunion, a French overseas territory in the western Indian Ocean. The source said Boeing investigators feel confident the piece comes from a 777 because of photos that have been analyzed and a stenciled number that corresponds to a 777 component. A component number is not the same as a part number, which is generally much longer. Images of the debris also appear to match schematic drawings for the right wing flaperon from a Boeing 777. A flaperon helps the pilot control the aircraft. It is lightweight and has sealed chambers, making it buoyant. Despite this confidence, no one is saying the part definitely comes from a 777, much less MH370. Finding the debris is a "significant development" in the search for MH370, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said. New debris, which washed ashore Thursday and appears to resemble remnants of a suitcase, is also part of the investigation, Reunion Island police officials confirmed to CNN. A preliminary assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies, produced in the wake of the MH370 disaster, suggested it was likely someone in the cockpit deliberately caused the aircraft's movements before the Malaysian airliner disappeared. Two U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CNN that the assessment, which was not intended for public release, was prepared months ago and was solely based on available satellite and other evidence. The U.S. intelligence assessment was largely focused on the multiple course changes the aircraft made after it deviated from its scheduled Kuala Lumpur to Beijing route. Analysts determined that, absent any other evidence, it's most likely someone in the cockpit deliberately moved the aircraft to specific waypoints, crossing Indonesian territory and eventually toward the south Indian Ocean. Malaysian investigators haven't reported finding any evidence that casts suspicion on the pilots. If it does turn out to be from Flight 370, the development would reassure Australian officials that they are looking for the rest of the plane in the right area, Truss and Dolan said. "It's credible that debris from MH370 could have reached the Reunion Islands by now," Truss said. Malaysia Airlines is sending a team of investigators to Paris and a second team to Saint-Denis, Reunion, on Friday, an airline official in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, told CNN. It's unclear how identification will be made. Normally identification would be aided by a small serial number plate attached to a flaperon, but the part found on the beach appears to be missing the serial number plate, according to photographs. Other markings may be found on the part, said Kenney, the executive from Universal Asset Management. Australia is leading the underwater search for the remains of Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean, some 2,300 nautical miles (3,700 kilometers) east of Reunion. But Truss said that French and Malaysian authorities will be responsible for establishing whether the debris found off the island came from the missing jetliner. Australia has offered its help, he said, including asking marine experts to look at photos of the debris to determine whether barnacles on it are "consistent with something that was floating in the oceans for 16 months or more."

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Threatening note left at senator's office amid healthcare debate

(Reuters) - A threatening note was left over the weekend at the Las Vegas office of a Republican U.S. senator from Nevada who may cast a decisive vote over a healthcare bill aimed at dismantling Obamacare, police said on Monday. Officers who responded to a burglary alarm at the building housing Senator Dean Heller’s office found the note near the office door on Sunday morning, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. The content of the note was not released and police are investigating. The alarm was triggered by motion sensors and there was no forced entry to the building or Heller’s office, spokesman Officer Larry Hadfield said by phone. Heller, who is up for re-election next year, is under pressure over his potential vote on the revised bill before the Senate that would roll back the 2010 Affordable Care Act, former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature domestic accomplishment, popularly known as Obamacare. Heller is among a dozen Republican senators who have expressed reservations or remained noncommittal about the revised bill. Republicans control the Senate by a 52-48 margin and cannot afford to lose more than two from within their ranks because of united Democratic opposition. Two Republicans have already said they oppose it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has delayed a vote on a retooled bill. Heller’s office declined to comment on the letter, citing an ongoing investigation.

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Fish Seek Cooler Waters, Leaving Some Fishermen’s Nets Empty - The New York Times

POINT JUDITH, R. I. — There was a time when whiting were plentiful in the waters of Rhode Island Sound, and Christopher Brown pulled the fish into his long stern trawler by the bucketful. “We used to come right here and catch two, three, four thousand pounds a day, sometimes 10,” he said, sitting at the wheel of the Proud Mary — a named, he said, after his wife, not the Creedence Clearwater Revival song — as it cruised out to sea. But like many other fish on the Atlantic Coast, whiting have moved north, seeking cooler waters as ocean temperatures have risen, and they are now filling the nets of fishermen farther up the coast. Studies have found that of marine species in the Northeast United States have shifted or extended their range as a result of ocean warming, migrating northward or outward into deeper and cooler water. Lobster, once a staple in southern New England, have decamped to Maine. Black sea bass, scup, yellowtail flounder, mackerel, herring and monkfish, to name just a few species, have all moved to accommodate changing temperatures. Yet fishing regulations, which among other things set legal catch limits for fishermen and are often based on where fish have been most abundant in the past, have failed to keep up with these geographical changes. The center of the black sea bass population, for example, is now in New Jersey, hundreds of miles north of where it was in the 1990s, providing the basis for regulators to distribute shares of the catch to the Atlantic states. Under those rules, North Carolina still has rights to the largest share. The result is a convoluted workaround many fishermen view as nonsensical. Because black sea bass are now harder to find in their state waters, North Carolina fishermen must steam north 10 hours, to where the fish are abundant, to even approach the state’s allocation. Mr. Brown and other New England fishermen, however, whose states have much smaller shares, can legally land only a small fraction of the black sea bass they catch and must throw the rest overboard. And New England states like Maine, where fishermen are beginning to catch black sea bass regularly, have only a tiny allocation and no established fishery. “Our management system assumes that the ocean has white lines drawn on it, but fish don’t see those lines,” said Malin L. Pinsky, an assistant professor in the department of ecology, evolution and natural resources at Rutgers University, who studies how marine species adapt to climate change. “And our management system is not as nimble as the fish. ” The mismatch between the location of fish and the rules for catching them has pitted recreational fishermen against commercial ones and state against state. It has heightened tensions among fishermen, government regulators and the scientists who advise them and raised questions for fishery managers that have no easy answers. Reflecting these tensions, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Christopher S. Murphy, both Democrats of Connecticut, noted in a letter to the acting inspector general of the Commerce Department in June that fishermen in their state were experiencing “extreme financial hardship” because the apportionment of resources was so outdated. “We request that your office investigate how the current system impacts the region’s fishermen and whether the structure should be reformed to bring quota allocations in line with current data on actual fish population distribution,” the senators, joined by Representative Joe Courtney, also a Democrat of Connecticut, wrote. “As species of fish move north, the allocation levels should migrate with them. ” Although such shifts in allocations are possible, said Tom Nies, the executive director of the New England Fishery Management Council, in practice they are difficult to execute. “If you’re giving fish to somebody, you’re taking them away from somebody else,” Mr. Nies said. But, he added, fishery managers at state and federal levels are examining ways to take into account the effects of warming ocean temperatures. Those approaches include changes in how permits are structured and giving states with nascent fisheries representation in councils that oversee states where the fish are . “I would be surprised if you find very many fishermen who will tell you that climate change is not happening,” he said. “I think there’s a clear recognition from everybody that this is a problem, and a lot of people are working on how to address it. ” One approach being actively pursued by scientists and managers is developing methods to incorporate temperature data and other characteristics of the environment into the surveys that regulators use to set fishing quotas. Richard J. Seagraves, the senior scientist for the Fishery Management Council, said that in a series of surveys distributed and town meetings held by the council, “the most pressing concern expressed by all parties was the failure to address ecosystem considerations, like a changing climate and the physical effects on fish stocks. ” The government periodically monitors fish species to see if they are thriving or at risk of extinction. The surveys are intended to determine how much fishing a given species can sustain, in order to avoid overfishing. But even in the best case, trying to estimate the size of fish populations is an uncertain proposition. And the migration of species in response to warming temperatures has made the task considerably harder. “From a scientific perspective, there are some really interesting questions,” Dr. Pinsky said. “Where did the fish go? Did we eat them? Or did they go somewhere else? Those are questions we haven’t really had to grapple with. ” A 2014 survey of butterfish — a small, silvery fish that provides food for many larger fish species and is popular in Japan — illustrated the problem with traditional assessment methods. A previous survey of butterfish had been unsuccessful at figuring out how robust the population was — there was too much uncertainty in the assessment’s sampling of the fish. Because regulators could not make a judgment about the status of the species, butterfish fishing was temporarily suspended. But when a team of scientists began talking to fishermen, they realized that the earlier survey had not taken into account the movements of the butterfish in response to changes in water temperature. “What we learned from working with the fishermen was that the animals were probably occurring outside the survey,” John A. Manderson, a research biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s northeast fisheries science center. Dr. Manderson and his colleagues developed a way to factor movement patterns and temperature shifts into models for assessing the fish. Once their work was incorporated into the next survey, which found that butterfish were still plentiful, the fishery reopened. Dr. Manderson said that listening to fishermen, who are often in the best position to know how many fish there are and where they are, was the key to understanding what was occurring. “What started out as an academic exercise turned into a collaborative one,” Dr. Manderson said. Yet it remains difficult to tease apart how much of the dip in a fish population is a result of climate change and how much is a result of overfishing, or even of a natural fluctuation in population numbers from year to year. “I think you’ve got to be careful when you react to these things,” Mr. Nies, of the New England fishery council, said. “You want to make sure you’re reacting to a signal and not to noise. ” He noted that there had been cases where regulators incorrectly concluded that a species had collapsed, citing the haddock population in the . “Here we are 20 years later and we’ve got more Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock than has ever been detected in the last 100 years,” he said. A growing number of scientists and managers favor moving eventually to what they call management, a system that is focused on the environmental niche a species occupies, rather than individual species themselves. Under such a system, regulation would be aimed at making sure that there are enough fish available to maintain an ecological balance of predators and prey, and quotas might be based on a category of marine species, rather than specific fish. The West Coast has already adopted some version of this approach in the north Pacific, setting an overall quota for groundfish caught in the Bering Sea. Temperature affects fish species differently. “Climate change is going to make it hard on some of those species that are not particularly fond of warm or warming waters,” said Mr. Brown, who is the president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association, a trade group. “But as the impacts of climate change descend upon us, there are also species that are going to be victorious, hugely victorious. ” Yet the changes are happening so fast that regulators will have to adapt quickly if they are to have any hope of keeping up. Marine species, Dr. Manderson said, are moving north at 10 times the rate of animals on land. “Our ideas of property rights and laws are purely ” he said. “But the ocean is all about flux and turbulence and movement. ” He added, “Even the science is too slow. ”

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HILARIOUS! LIBERALS STUNNED When Republican Guest Won’t Play Race-Baiting Game With MSNBC Host…Cuts Off Interview [VIDEO]

On Saturday, MSNBC s Joy Reid repeatedly attempted to race-bait former Republican congressman J.D. Hayworth on her show AM Joy. NewsBusters reported that the claims that Reid threw at Hayworth ranged from false to misleading. Joy started out by asking if Hayworth had any discomfort that an undocumented woman walked into a courtroom to file a protection order against an abusive boyfriend (no mention of his residency status) and was met with ICE agents who arrested her (The job of an ICE agent is to arrest people who illegally cross our borders). An alternative version would be: A woman who has broken our laws, and living in our country ILLEGALLY, was arrested after walking into a courthouse to ask for the same protections afforded to taxpaying US citizens, after it was discovered that she is also a lawbreaker.However it wasn t until Hayworth exposed Reid s liberal hypocrisy by bringing up the fact that Elizabeth Warren is not Native-American that Reid flipped out and kicked the GOP guest off the show.

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Fake News! Newsweek Continues War on Steve Bannon by Inventing Russia ‘Ties’

Watch out readers of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, since the mere familiarity with Russian authors is now sufficient to have a person branded as a Russian conspirator by mainstream media. [In the latest episode in extreme fake news, the foundering Newsweek Magazine has concocted an entire web of Russian connections around Trump’s chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon simply because Bannon knows something about Russian politics and literature. While acknowledging that Steve Bannon, “hasn’t been implicated in any of the ongoing probes” into “murky connections” with Russian hackers and spies, and while further noting that Bannon “isn’t under investigation by the FBI for possible collusion with the Kremlin,” Newsweek writer Owen Matthews insists that something even more nefarious is going on between Bannon and the Kremlin. “But Bannon’s ties to Russia are ideological,” Matthews proclaims, “and therefore, arguably, they’ve had a more profound impact on White House policy with Moscow. ” Hitting a new low in fake news, Newsweek doesn’t even bother citing “unnamed sources” in relating its imaginary version of White House intrigue, but simply puts forward unsourced allegations that “Bannon was booted off Trump’s National Security Council in a White House coup” that was partly about “whether to appease a resurgent Kremlin or confront it. ” In his rambling piece, titled “Alexander Dugin and Steve Bannon’s Ideological Ties to Vladimir Putin’s Russia,” Matthews makes the verifiably erroneous claim that Bannon “has praised not only Putin but also a brand of Russian mystical conservative nationalism known as Eurasianism. ” Matthews does not explain to readers how Bannon’s characterization of Putin as a “kleptocrat” that Americans have to be “on guard of” can be considered praise. Nor does Newsweek inform us how Bannon’s mere mention that Putin’s belief system is based on Eurasianism should be construed as anything other than analysis, and has nothing to do with “praise. ” Still, in his magnificent house of cards, Matthews imagines that “Bannon and the ’s admiration for Putin has come into direct conflict with the White House’s new policies. ” Not content with this sophomoric application of guilt by association, Matthews goes further still, suggesting that the slogan “America first” somehow relates to the worldview of Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin, whose philosophy “glorifies the Russian Empire. ” This is like saying that Charles de Gaulle must have been in cahoots with Cambodian dictator Pol Pot because the two were nationalists. Despite no ties between Bannon and Dugin, Matthews alleges that they “have common cause in the idea that global elites have conspired against ordinary people — and the old order must be overthrown. ” Bannon “seems to admire Dugin,” Matthews proposes, a theory for which he adduces no evidence, evidently springing from his overly fertile imagination. At best, Matthews sees common threads running through Bannon and Dugin’s speeches and concludes that they must somehow be colluding or at very least admire one another. Since Bannon believes that “individual sovereignty of a country is a good thing,” Matthews suggests, he must have Russian ties, because this is “precisely what Putin’s Kremlin is promoting as it backs anti — European Union candidates from Hungary to France. ” By this strained logic, anyone who believes that national sovereignty is a positive value must therefore be a supporter of Putin’s Kremlin. After saying literally nothing of substance in his exhaustingly article, Matthews arrives at the ridiculous conclusion that the “ideological honeymoon” between Trump and Bannon is over. “The only question now is whether Bannon can survive the divorce. ” Truth be told, Owen Matthews and Newsweek are not completely to blame for their exercise in groundless . They are following the example of an equally fatuous story published by the New York Times last February. Remarkably, the Times dedicated an entire article to Steve Bannon’s familiarity with the writings of Italian philosopher Julius Evola “who inspired Fascists,” and therefore must somehow share his worldview. In the eyes of the New York Times, literacy has now become a crime. “The fact that Bannon even knows Evola is significant,” the article eerily reports, citing Mark Sedgwick, a British intellectual teaching in Denmark. While admitting that the entire connection amounted to “a passing reference by Mr. Bannon to an esoteric Italian philosopher,” somehow the Times saw fit to produce a essay in a desperate effort to tease out a dark association between the two men. Nowhere but in the discredited mainstream media could such be seriously proposed as anything remotely akin to true journalism. Reporting on the news is being systematically replaced by news fabrication. Apparently, propaganda vehicles like Newsweek and the New York Times have reached the conclusion that their readers are so ideologically driven that facts no longer matter at all. Any story — however baseless and absurd — is worth publishing as long as it advances the narrative that want to believe. Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter Follow @tdwilliamsrome

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LOW FLUSH TOILETS, DELTA SMELT, PAYOFFS, NEIGHBORHOOD SNITCHES AND STATISTS…Why The Radical Left Is Lying About A Water Crisis In CA

Dr. Gina Loudon is hands down one of our favorite conservative writers. She nails it with this piece about the truth behind the lies of the California drought I found it supremely ironic this week that two of the big stories were about a man-made lack of water in California, and a man lost in a vast sea off of Florida.Gov. Jerry Moonbeam Brown announced the dire circumstances, not from the Capitol in Sacramento, but from the dramatic backdrop of a mountaintop. His narrative held that there should be five feet of snow pack, but alas, there was none. Brown, and the radical Marxists, couched as environmentalists he represents, have convinced most Americans to hold two radically opposing views simultaneously. Ostensibly, California is in danger of being flooded by rising sea levels caused by global warming and melting polar ice caps, and it is also utterly out of water.There is no shortage of water. This is an environmentalist-created drought that is costing billions.I waver between utter disgust and admiration when I watch how the leftists sell these things, always with straight faces. Every major news outlet in America and many around the world swallowed the narrative like fish on a baited hook. They tell us there is no water, no snow to provide water for the summer, and the farmers are taking too much so people must suffer. There is an all-out war on grass, and no one is safe. Sorry, Shaggy, your grass is to blame as well.There is hand wringing in every club house as the boards are told they are coming for the rough grass, your fairways and greens are safe, for now. Evil rich guys in colorful knickers and almond farmers in overalls are the scourge of California. Off with their heads! Oh, and you can forget about the luxury of children playing on the lawn. If you want that, you breeders should move to flyover land! Don t you dare sneak and water the backyard after dark; Brown makes it easy for your neighbors to snitch on you. I m not making this up. They really have a state hotline for that.Those of us who pay attention know well the proverb, Where there is no vision, the people perish. The people who built California into the greatest agricultural producer in America gave us dams, canals, reservoirs and all kinds of conveyance of water. They harnessed the rivers that reach from the Pacific Northwest down well into Northern California and even draw water to the Golden State from the Colorado River. That was then. Nothing has changed since then, except political power.For the last several decades, the radical fringe has taken full control of California, and it hates people. Dennis Prager observed that statists love humanity but hate humans. Watch how they latch onto dreams of egalitarian states but begin the execution of their plans by marginalizing, isolating and then executing anyone who disagrees with them. They dine in the finest restaurants in San Francisco, the likes of Brown, Pelosi, Boxer and Feinstein, planning lawsuits to cut the flow of water to the farms of Central California and the people in Southern California, caring not a wit that 40,000 agricultural workers, mostly Hispanic, are unemployed.Just this week, in the middle of a human crisis, federal fish agents ordered the release of billions of gallons of water purportedly to save six fish. You read that right. Not to save six species of fish, but literally, six fish. Apparently, these special six stood their, err ground, and when 29 of their compadres rode the 10 billion gallon man-made wave to the ocean in March, they refused to go with the flow (sorry).You can t make this stuff up. But when you do, people actually believe it.So Obama administration agents want a second toilet flush to give these hard-headed steelheads a second nudge. The idea that nature itself may be holding the fish where they are is of no concern to statists who love telling both man and beast what they think is good for them. Sadly, this latest mind-boggling atrocity is getting very little media coverage. I found excellent coverage in the Manteca Bulletin. Why hasn t the Los Angeles Times reported on this?The current shortage is based primarily on the release of billions of gallons daily into the San Francisco Bay to sustain the bait fish known as the Delta smelt. This is a simple distribution issue; there is plenty of water.Prior to the statists taking over California, massive pumps were diverting water from rivers into the canal system (built before Brown and his ilk took control of the state). They have all but turned these pumps off to protect the fish from their Darwinian demise, and billions upon billions of gallons of fresh water is continuously dumped into the ocean.For the people-hating San Francisco cabal, cutting off water from the people is the real goal. They want fewer people to begin with, but the ultimate goal is control. Few environmentalists admit it publicly, but they want zero farming in the central valley, preferring to allow land to return to its prehistoric state. The cabal wants to control water so they can control people. Brown is just the messenger today. He is telling America that water access is a privilege, he has the power to pick winners and losers, and we have to just take it.If Brown decides tomorrow that he wants to withhold water from almond farmers, Americans will just have to accept it. Have you ever wondered why any business owner would give campaign donations to Marxist, business-hating politicians? Now you know why. They must give to buy protection. Business owners do not donate to Brown, Pelosi or Harry Reid because those politicians are good for business; they give to be sure they are not the next targets.The problem with all of this is that water is a limitless natural resource. Just ask the sailor who faced drowning daily or the people in the Midwest who were deluged this week. It is one thing to argue for conservation of animals, or even trees, or green space, but water? Water is a limitless natural resource. Not even the most self-important leftist believes he could make water go away, no matter how hard he tried. How did they convince us to accept this lie?They got us to buy the lie that water is scarce by telling it often enough and pounding it into generations of schoolchildren. Using federal law and acts of Congress, they forced people from water-soaked regions to accept low flush or what some call two flush toilets the same as desert-dwelling Californians. And we fell for it. At least the Democrats among us fell for it.Thus it is that Brown got to have his cake and eat it, too. He told Californians, and really all Americans and the world, that lack of water was not his fault for lacking the vision to feed the distribution system created by the real men who built California. He repeats that it is not the fault of the Marxists Endangered Species Act that prefers hard-headed fish over people. The lack of water is the result of the lack of snow pack, which is the result of climate change, which is the result of greedy people being well, people. The Delta smelt and steelhead trout must live and we mere humans should all just die.Meanwhile, Jerry Brown is committed to spending $100 billion for trains, but he has made zero commitment to allowing water to flow to people instead of fish, and zero commitment to finding funding for his twin tunnels alternate solution. And why would he? We are cutting back our water use, ratting on our neighbors and accepting higher produce prices across America. The Marxists in San Francisco are toasting total victory. The farmers and country club board members are suing for peace. Lord help usVia: WND

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I'm not horrified she's with the Washington Post. She's typical of what you get with that paper. Left wing bias. I'm glad O'rilley called her out.

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Fox News Confuses Julius Caesar Depiction For Trump And Gets PISSED about Shakespeare

Fox News loves to point the finger at Snowflakes and anybody they think should buck-up and not complain about the way of the world. Ironically, they also are the first to freak-out over any type of artistic expression that they think puts the President in an unflattering light. A disgusting New York City play depicting the president brutally assassinated, is how Fox and Friends began a news segment about an NYC Shakespeare in the Park play they found to be offensive. Fox apparently succeeded at stoking conservative outrage because even Donald Trump Jr. seems to have his panties in a bunch over the play.I wonder how much of this "art" is funded by taxpayers? Serious question, when does "art" become political speech & does that change things? https://t.co/JfOmLLBJCn Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 11, 2017So what is this outrageous performance? A play called The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, which was written by William Shakespeare all the way back in 1599 way before The Donald got his greasy paws on the White House.Most people are familiar with Julius Caesar from high school English class. The plot highlights the agony of Brutus, Caesar s pal who ends up conspiring to murder him. This particular version seems to be confusing Fox and Friends because of its anachronistic interpretation the players are dressed in the clothes of today.According to Fox, they are sure this is a depiction of a Trump assassination because the actor looks very similar to the tall, blond businessman elected president in 2016. It s definitely a unique interpretation of the play, but modern updates of Shakespearean plays are very common think 90 s Romeo and Juliet.On top of that, the play doesn t depict Caesar s assassination as a positive event nor the assassins as heroes.It s pretty snowflakey for Fox to be this pissed about a Shakespeare play. Grow up.Feature Image via ScreenCapture of Fox and Friends news segment

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Ex-White House Press Secretaries Come Forward With DIRE Warning About Trump (DETAILS)

Donald Trump s strained relationship with the media has been nothing but problematic from the start. The President-elect has openly attacked the press countless times, threatened to sue, and even expressed the desire to restrict the media s freedom to report facts that paint him in a negative light.This has raised several concerns about what Trump s presidency is actually going to look like when it comes to reporting and keeping Americans informed. Recently, three former White House press secretaries came forward with warnings about what Trump s disdain for the media might turn into during a panel conversation on NBC s Meet The Press.In speaking to host Chuck Todd, Joe Lockhart who was White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton likened Trump s lies and misinformation to the behavior seen during President Richard Nixon. Calling Trump out for his habit of literally just making things up, Lockhart said: It s somewhat Orwellian, which, you know, you redefine the past, which means you can define the present and the future. And that s going to be very difficult for both sides to come to grips with. President George W. Bush s communications director, Nicolle Wallace, also remarked on the fact that, while Trump has a clear hatred for the press, his ego still needs it like an addict craves their drugs. She said: I think we re staring at trees and missing the forest. We ve just elected a man who bullies female reporters at his rally as an applause line. We have just elected a man who started a hot war with a female anchor instead of attending a debate she moderated. We are in a new place. And I don t think it s good. And I don t think it has any parallels to the past. Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary for Bush, also stated that the hard feelings are on both sides, and called the tension between Trump and the media a double-barreled hostility. Fleischer said: He can use it to his advantage, because as the Gallup poll recently indicated, confidence in the press to report the news accurately and fairly has never been lower. And so the press has made itself vulnerable, because it lost the trust of their readers and their viewers and Trump has widely taken advantage of it. Trump s relations with the press are unprecedented, and Trump has worked hard throughout his presidential campaign to create distrust for the press because it enables him to continue telling lies and makes it harder for him to be held accountable. Trump knows exactly what he s doing, and his presidency is going to be extremely damaging when it comes to how Americans are kept informed.Featured image via Zach Gibson via Getty Images

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Guatemalans burn Trump effigies to scatter evil spirits

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Revelers in Guatemala set ablaze cardboard representations of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump wearing devil horns during a traditional ceremony, “La Quema del Diablo”, or the Burning of the Devil, held ahead of Christmas every year. Trump’s hardline stance on immigration during his presidential election campaign, including a promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, has drawn anger from Latin Americans in the United States and around the world. “We are against this person in many respects, regarding deportations, the wall he wants to build. We do not agree,” said participant Astrid Soto, just before setting fire to the Trump figures, which clutched fistfuls of fake cash, and a U.S. flag. Participants believe the practice of torching the devil helps banish bad spirits from their homes and neighborhoods. The custom began in the 16th century, but has spread out from various towns since the 1990s to become popular nationwide.

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AL SHARPTON CALLS For Less Legal Protection For Cops, More Federal (Obama) Involvement When Blacks Are Killed By Cops

How much longer before cops stop coming into the neighborhoods to help the people who hate them? The following is a statement from Ebonie Riley, Washington DC Bureau Chief of the National Action Network: We are disappointed in the decision of the court but unfortunately not surprised. As we have seen throughout the years, when officers opt for a trial by judge rather than by a jury, acquittal is the result. We have been through this with Sean Bell and far too many other cases in the past. This is exactly the reason we are calling for lowering the bar for federal prosecution, and greater involvement of the federal government in cases like this. In federal court, a jury trial cannot be waived without the consent of the prosecution and we believe that is a fairer, more just process. We continue to stand with the Gray family as they fight for justice for their son. Via: Weasel Zippers

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Democrat Megyn Kelly Exposed, Will Move to ABC After Presidential Election

Megyn Kelly will co-host “Live with Kelly” alongside Kelly Ripa on the morning after the presidential election, Nov. 9. It’s anyone’s guess what the Nov. 9 timing means. The Fox News host of the “The Kelly File” will join Ripa much like Anderson Cooper, Seth Meyers and others have been doing as co-hosts since Michael Strahan left the show for a new role on “Good Morning America,” according to People magazine on Wednesday. Actress Naomi Watts and actor Michael Ealy are also scheduled to appear that day. The Wrap noted that Kelly’s co-hosting gig comes as speculation continues to swirl about her next move as her Fox News contract expires in 2017. “Live with Kelly” which is nationally syndicated by Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and TV Distribution, noted People. “Cue up speculation that Kelly is flirting with ABC News – ‘Live with Kelly’ being syndicated by ABC-parent Disney, and a timeslot competitor to NBC News’ cash cow ‘Today’ show,” said Lisa Moraes on Deadline.com. “In one of those incredible coincidences, word of the booking on the significant election-cycle morning broke the same day Fox News interim CEO Rupert Murdoch gave an interview to his newspaper Wall Street Journal, to publicly announce Kelly is important to the network and he hopes to get her under contract ‘very soon,’ while adding, ominously, ‘we have a deep bench of talent, many of whom would give their right arm for her’ timeslot.” CNN Worldwide chief Jeff Zucker praised Kelly earlier this month, calling her “a tremendous news anchor” but was coy in addressing her contract coming to an end at Fox News, according to Deadline.com, adding “I’ll leave it there.” Kelly and fellow Fox News host Sean Hannity had publicly feuded this month over the presidential election, according to the Washington Post, and she told Variety in April she was unsure whether she would resign with Fox News. “I really like my show, and I love my team,” Kelly told Variety then. “But you know, there’s a lot of brain damage that comes from the job. There was probably less brain damage when I worked in the afternoon. I was less well known. I had far less conflict in my life.” “I also have three kids who are soon going to be in school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. I come to work at 3:30. I like to see my children. Having said that, my boss has been good about working with me to make me happy – he knows I’m a hard worker. I’ve had few problems here where I couldn’t talk to him and say, ‘Can we work something out?,’ and come away happy,” she added. Source

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Putin — Who Once Honored Tillerson with Friendship Award — Won’t Meet with Secretary of State - Breitbart

The U. S. and Russia have been trading barbs since President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on the Assad regime’s military assets in Syria last week, but now Russian President Vladimir Putin has closed the door on a meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when the U. S. top diplomat visits the country later this week. [Russia has long supported Syrian President Bashar Assad and refutes the U. S. claim that the dictator ordered the recent chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed innocent people, including many children. “We have not announced any such meetings and right now there is no meeting with Tillerson in the president’s diary,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a Monday press conference call, according to Reuters. Before Tillerson became Secretary of State, he was the CEO of ExxonMobil, a job that included dealings with the Kremlin. In 2013, Putin presented Tillerson with the Russian Order of Friendship award. Tillerson is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during his stop in Moscow, according to Reuters. Reuters reported that Putin regularly met with John Kerry, Secretary of State under Barack Obama. “Reacting to media reports that Tillerson would use his visit to press Moscow to stop supporting Syrian President Bashar Russia’s closet Middle East ally, Peskov called that a ” Reuters reported. “Returning to to resolve the crisis by repeating mantras that Assad must step down cannot help sort things out,” Peskov said. Other thorny issues may surface during Tillerson’s visit to Moscow, including Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U. S. presidential election, its violation of an arms control treaty, and finding common ground on fighting radical Islamic terrorism in Syria. Tillerson had some tough words for Russia on Thursday about the chemical weapons attack. Speaking from Trump’s estate in Florida, where Trump was meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tillerson cited Russia’s 2013 agreement to oversee the destruction of Syria’s chemical stockpile, saying Russia has “clearly failed in its responsibility” to eliminate those weapons. “Either Russia has been complicit or Russia has been simply incompetent on its ability to deliver,” Tillerson said. U. S. military officials have said they are certain Assad is responsible for the attack. “We highly suspect, and in fact, there’s no credible alternative to a Syrian regime air attack as the source of the chemicals that killed so many Syrian civilians,” a military official said. “ISIS has experimented with mustard agents, blister agents, not nerve agents,” an official said. “But this is well beyond the technical capability of the opposition. ”

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Putin and Erdogan to use meeting next week to discuss Syria: agencies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan will use a meeting in southern Russia next week to discuss the Syria situation and energy cooperation, Russian news agencies cited the Kremlin as saying on Friday. The two men are due to meet in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Nov. 13.

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Google And God

(16 fans) - Advertisement - Yeah. I know, I know. I'm an iconoclast. Yep and I'm proud of it. So the other day I got to thinking about religion and other things in the Homo Sapiens space called life. You know I get philosophical from time to time. And then I get inspired to tackle some very touchy and sensitive subjects that usually set off a lot of people. I get a perverse joy in rubbing people the wrong way and send them into WFT hissy fits. So you know that this article is going to have some folks seeing red and the God-police will start pulling out their truncheons to give me a whack on the ole noggin just to prove their point that I should not meddle in the affairs of the Great Father somewhere in a place called Heaven. The fact is that today, with the click of a mouse button the era of seeking answers and advice about God directly from rabbis, pastors, or imams is gradually coming to an end. And the cause of this backsliding and undermining of the hitherto unquestioned role of these "emissaries of God on earth?" Well, it's not a human person but Artificial Intelligence personified and its called "Google." Google may be the well-known supercomputer system that processes information by nano-seconds but AI has been with us for a long time. Consider the following: Self-driving cars have arrived; Siri (on your Iphones and Ipads) can listen to your voice and find the nearest movie theatre; and I.B.M. set the " Jeopardy"- conquering Watson to work on medicine, initially training medical students, perhaps eventually helping in diagnosis. Nowadays, scarcely a week goes by without the announcement of a new A.I. product or technique. And for all the constant complaining about the religious right's inappropriate influence in politics and religious conservatives' attempts to tear down the church-state wall, the secular movement in America is actually doing quite well. The most recent Pew Research Center poll says 23 percent of Americans are religiously unaffiliated (atheists, agnostics and no-religion people); that percentage increases to 35 percent for Americans under thirty-five -- young people are not doing too many religious conversions, and see God as part of a belief system of their parents. So, for Americans in the Bible Belt and elsewhere this is alarming news - if secularism hasn't yet taken over the country, its on track for that to happen. And its all the fault of artificial intelligence as epitomized in the incredible superpower of Google . Now I do NOT intend to be dismissive of religion or disrespect people's beliefs OR their right to worship and believe what they want to. Me? I believe that every Thursday night when karaoke takes place in Brooklyn my bulldog Max turns into a werewolf seeking cats to relieve them of their hemoglobin fluids. You get my drift -- you can believe what you want but that does not make what you believe true. But one thing is not in doubt -- Google and God are on our daily human agendas. Indeed, the questions that Americans type into Google searches about God appear to confirm the country's rising secularism. For example, according to an economist writing in the New York Times : "Despite the rising popularity of Pope Francis, who was elected in 2013, Google searches for churches are 15 percent lower in the first half of this decade than they were during the last half of the previous one. The top Google search including the word "God" is "God of War," a videogame, with more than 700,000 searches per year." Bummer, people searching for a videogame with the word "God" in it? WFT! Are people losing their cotton-picking minds? And to make matter worse the same economist, Stephens-Davidowitz, also discovered that "Searches questioning God's existence are up." He went further to seek what questions people Google whilst in their periods of doubt: The No. 1 question? In the United States of America? Is without a doubt: "who created God?" And the second? "why God allows suffering?" in number 3 "why does God hate me? And in fourth place: "why God needs so much praise?" - Advertisement - It now appears from this data that people in America are looking to Google for answers to some pertinent and serious questions about God and in an oblique way questioning what they were taught by their parents and learned in churches on Sundays for so many years. There is absolutely no doubt that the Internet and Google have been at odds with religion. The Google phenomenon is also explainable in the context of the adversarial relationship between science and religion -- they just don't mix. Religion -- all religions -- are based on a system of blind, unquestioning belief and a rejection of objective inquiry that is substituted with faith. Religions place and validate this faith by statements found in their Holy Books that's interpreted by preachers, pastors, priests and ministers. These writings and teachings MUST be accepted without question by the faithful. Science on the other hand believes that ALL things in nature should be questioned and examined. And that it is only by this kind of objective inquiry that humankind has progressed and will progress. The Internet and Google are not the products of a Sunday sermon or the dogmatic faith or prayers of the faithful. Advances in medicine, communications technology, transportation, and other things that define modern human existence are the results of science -- not faith or belief. In fact, the cornerstone of the scientific method is to question everything; science accepts nothing that is not provable -- again and again and again. The rise of American secularism and of individuals with no religious affiliations is directly due to the rise and use of the Internet. Hitherto the Internet, and in particular Google , people used libraries and their church leaders for research on questions of faith, belief, and the existence of God. Religion had a stranglehold on knowledge and issues of God and Sin. But with the advent of Google information and knowledge became readily available and a new generation is now growing up in a society more open to doubting old canards and traditional belief systems. Google has undermined religion's central premise for the belief in God -- his all-knowing faculty. Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide. Google can bring up literally millions of hits SIMULTANEOUSLY on every conceivable topic that the human mind can imagine -- including Biblical history, origins and that of other religious books, and their pros and cons. For iconoclasts like me declining religious affiliation is akin to social improvement. It's evidence of the clarifying influence of scientific rationality that's the end result of the global information revolution. I know that one of the questions here will undoubtedly be about personal faith in the context of our ability to pay bills, order clothes and food, communicate with friends and family and send emails across the word in seconds. And too, I'll hear the issue of the difference between Google as a profit-making, altruistic organization, and the church whose primary concern is about the condition of our souls. These are valid arguments when it comes to God and Google. I'm not suggesting that this is an either or situation. But what I am suggesting is that modern experiences in the secular world are now impacting religious belief and not in a very positive manner. - Advertisement - And yes, from a religious standpoint the question is: because of the rise of Google are religious institutions that used to answer questions about God and Sin crowdsourcing the acts of faith that the entire system is built on? Put another way, does religion risk losing its ability to provide answers to life on earth when Google's data cannot do so? And, in today's Internet and Google dominated world will faithful people when in doubt, Google "who created God?"

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Greek government in spat with Spain's ambassador over Catalonia

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece called on Spain s ambassador to Athens on Sunday to rescind statements to a Greek newspaper suggesting that Athens was not supportive of Spanish unity, revealing strains between the European Union partners over a Catalan independence drive. It is with surprise that we note the comments made by the ambassador of friend and ally Spain, criticising publicly the Greek government, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement. EU leaders, wary of encouraging separatists across the bloc, have largely backed the Madrid government during a deepening political crisis which culminated last week in the Catalan parliament voting to unilaterally declare the region s independence from Spain. The Spanish Ambassador to Greece, Enrique Viguera, was quoted in Sunday s Eleftheros Typos newspaper as saying that while he had clear assurances of support for Spanish unity from Greece s conservative opposition and from President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the same was not true of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras s left-wing government. Statements on the issue from the part of the (Greek) government are absent. However, other European governments warmly supported the territorial integrity of Spain and our government s position, he said. On Saturday, Greece, through its government spokesman, said it fully supported Spain s territorial integrity and cohesion as well as any initiative to restore democratic dialogue in the framework of Spain s constitution. We are particularly concerned over the situation in Spain and reiterate that Europe can only advance united. Unilateral actions cannot be acceptable, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said in a statement. The Foreign Ministry accused the ambassador of insulting Greece s constitution by suggesting that the country s president did not speak for the government. It also said that by adopting the arguments of the political opposition, Spain s ambassador was interfering in Greece s domestic politics. We call on the ambassador to avoid behaving in a way that is not in line with diplomatic norms and expect that he will proceed to rescind his unfortunate statements and provide the Greek government with the necessary explanations, the ministry said.

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Trump Offers Father Down on His Luck $10,000 Check at Inaugural Event - Breitbart

A FedEx courier and former security guard from Illinois was surprised with an invitation to meet with Donald Trump after the saw a story on the struggling single father. But the special meeting wasn’t the only surprise. The young man was stunned when Trump presented him with a check for $10, 000. [Shane Bouvet, a single dad, was featured in a Washington Post story highlighting his visit to D. C. to support Donald Trump’s inauguration. The paper revealed that Bouvet was headed to D. C. in a borrowed suit and donated shoes to celebrate Trump’s oath of office. “This is pretty much the biggest thing I’ve done in my life,” Bouvet told the paper. “I don’t get out much. I’m a guy. ” But a mere visit to Washington to see this historic day was far from the only notable thing about Bouvet’s visit, because Trump himself saw the paper’s feature on Bouvet and invited the young man to a meeting. On Thursday, only a day before he took the oath of office to become the 45th president of the United States of America, Donald Trump met Mr. Bouvet, shook his hand, and offered some help. “This is the greatest guy,” Trump said as he shook Bouvet’s hand in a tented area behind the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday, the Post reported. Bouvet called his father and had him say hello to the president in waiting. The laughed that Bouvet’s father, who is also named Don, has “a great name. ” After Bouvet’s phone call back home, Trump signed autographs for the young man’s son and then came the big surprise. As Mr. Bouvet prepared to end his historic meeting with the Donald Trump handed him a personal check for $10, 000. As he walked away stunned and crying, Bouvet muttered aloud, “Did that just happen?” Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail. com.

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Trump Wants To Spend Most Of His Term Going On Vacation And Playing Golf

Since Republicans had such a problem with President Obama going on vacation and playing golf, they ll be totally opposed to Donald Trump doing even more of both, right?Because while President Obama and his family moved into the White House and took less vacation time than any Republican president in the last 40 years, it looks like Trump wants to spend much of his term playing golf or relaxing at his gold-plated apartment in Trump Tower.According to The New York Times,Mr. Trump, a homebody who often flew several hours late at night during the campaign so he could wake up in his own bed in Trump Tower, is talking with his advisers about how many nights a week he will spend in the White House. He has told them he would like to do what he is used to, which is spending time in New York when he can.The questions reflect what Mr. Trump s advisers described as the president-elect s coming to grips with the fact that his life is about to change radically. They say that Mr. Trump, who was shocked when he won the election, might spend most of the week in Washington, much like members of Congress, and return to Trump Tower or his golf course in Bedminster, N.J., or his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach on weekends.In other words, Trump isn t interested in being president full-time. He wants to vacation and golf. And if he gets the schedule he wants, he would end up spending 416 days away from Washington over the course of four years. Far MORE days than the 217 days President Obama spent on vacation in eight years.And that s not even counting official vacations Trump will likely take.Furthermore, if Trump plays one round of golf every weekend, he will play more golf in two years than President Obama played during his whole first term.So while Trump is away, it s likely the responsibility of governing will be left to his advisers and cabinet members.If Donald Trump is serious about governing, he should be in Washington full-time. Also, he should never take a vacation or play a single round of golf during his term because for years, Trump and his supporters bitched every time President Obama left the White House for just about any little thing. And they definitely despised him for playing golf. Doing either of these things would make Trump a hypocrite, especially since he could end up doing more of it over four years than Obama did in eight.Featured Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

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HillaryMediaMole.Con

Lloyd Billingsley “Presidential debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton included a third participant: Vladimir Putin, standing in the background, stealthily inserting himself in the process.” Putin’s Russia “uses deniable cyber-hooliganism to actively prank the American political system. And it’s taking a toll. . . This is the Putin Playbook. Steal, cheat, attack, disrupt, mislead, confuse. If caught, lie and deny.” And it gets worse. “Unfortunately, the Republican presidential nominee reinforces this narrative, referring to a ‘rigged’ system and an indictable opponent. His outbursts follow years of domestic political discord, where comity is history, crazy seems the new normal, and a sitting president can be heckled with ‘You lie!’” All told, the piece reads like a Clinton press release, but it’s actually “Putin’s powerful playbook: Hack, steal, disrupt, mislead, confuse,” in the October 30, Sacramento Bee , two days after the Comey email bombshell. The author is Markos Kounalakis, billed as “a senior fellow at Central European University and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution.” That doesn’t quite capture the man and his connections with the Clintons, which have shown up in Wikileaks. Mr. Kounalakis’ author line fails to reveal that he is married to Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis, daughter of real-estate tycoon Angelo Tsakopoulos. According to Greek USA Reporter , Angelo is a “top political donor to the Clintons as well as the Democratic Party,” whose “donations to former President Bill Clinton were rewarded with a night in the prestigious Lincoln Bedroom.” In 2013 Tsakopoulos, “confirmed that Hillary Clinton will seek the Democratic nomination in the next Presidential election.” Angelo’s daughter Eleni, a protégé of Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer , raised more than $1 million for Hillary Clinton in 2008 , and that money found its reward. On January 7, 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton swore in Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. In that capacity , she condemned Wikileaks for releasing secret diplomatic cables, but declined comment on the authenticity of the material. Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis served as ambassador until 2013 but as Wikileaks confirms, she continued as a key Clinton supporter doing her best to beat back a presidential run by Joe Biden. In a June 11, 2015 email, Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis tells John Podesta that a Bay Area bagman “swears Biden is running. He said he took him on Air Force Two, and he’s getting emails.” Last July, Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis emailed Clinton confidant Jake Sullivan that “HRC indicated her view that it would be best to avoid Grexit” and a July 9, 2015 email to Sullivan, John Podesta and Huma Abedin, she supports “terms that will allow Greece to stay in the Eurozone.” On October 11, 2015, Tsakopoulos Kounalakis emailed Podesta that “there is a Greek American love fest going on with Joe Biden, very boy-club.” The same day she emailed Podesta and Huma Abedin that “we had a David Brock dinner with Annie Karni from Politico. She asked to use four quotes from me (see attached). I told her the first two could be with attribution, and the second two without.” As the emails to John Podesta and Humba Abedin reveal, “Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis,” as she styles herself, remains part of Hillary Clinton’s inner circle. Tellingly, the McClatchy-Tribune newspapers that run her husband’s columns, do not acknowledge the strong Clinton connection. The New York Times proclaimed Kounalakis a “White Knight” for rescuing Washington Monthly , where he served as publisher and teamed with editor Paul Glastris. This tandem made the publication a “progressive must-read,” according to Clinton strategist James Carville. Kounalakis reported for Newsweek in East Germany and ran their bureau in Prague. He also worked in Moscow for NBC Radio and Mutual news. Kounalakis’ books include Hope Is a Tattered Flag: Voices for the Post-Bush Era , with Peter Laufer, and Beyond Spin: the Power of Strategic Corporate Journalism with Drew Banks and Kim Daus. It remains something of a mystery how the leftist Kounalakis became a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, known for strong conservative writers and scholars such as Thomas Sowell, Victor Davis Hanson, and Bruce Thornton. Only one time, as this writer recalls, has Kounalakis acknowledged in print his wife’s strong Clinton connections. Even after the Wikileaks revelations, and with a presidential election only days away, Kounalakis did not acknowledge his wife’s key role in HRC’s inner circle with John Podesta and Huma Abedin. His October 30 Sacramento Bee piece suggests Markos is right at home in those circles. Kounalakis attacks “the Republican presidential nominee,” implying that he is “crazy,” and a tool of the evil Putin. On the other hand, the Clinton email scandal gets zero attention and the author piles on the ad copy: “American society has made great strides in LGBTQ rights, women’s rights and minority rights, and has a relatively strong and resilient globally innovative economy.” The author gives readers good cause to regard this article as pure Clinton campaign propaganda from a camouflaged Clinton crony. Maybe Markos will join his wife, Huma Abedin, and John Podesta in the Wikileaks revelations. For many observers, the issue is not where the leaks came from but whether the revelations are true and authentic. If Markos Kounalakis believes they are bogus, maybe he can write about what’s in the real ones.

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New Zealand foreign minister praises China ties, damps fears of protectionism

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand will develop a close relationship with China, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday, putting to rest fears that his protectionist campaign rhetoric would fuel tension with a key trading partner. The 40-year political veteran played a decisive role in bringing the centre-left Labour Party to power in October after an inconclusive election left his nationalist New Zealand First party holding the balance of power. But many in China see New Zealand as a model for the Asian giant s relationship with Western countries, with President Xi Jinping last year calling the depth of the bond unprecedented . Our record of trade and economic firsts is dramatic, Peters, who is also deputy prime minister, told academics and diplomats in Wellington, setting out his stance on China for the first time since taking office. New Zealand will continue to seek closer cooperation with China as both countries focus on sustainable economic development and the wellbeing of our peoples, Peters said, giving a complimentary account of 45 years of diplomatic ties. Peters had campaigned on a protectionist platform, vowing to slash immigration and curb foreign investment, which fueled concern he could anger the Asian giant, the country s top destination for goods exports. On the previous National government s watch, New Zealand became the first developed country to join the China-led Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and helped usher in other Western countries, according to treasury officials. Trade between the two countries has grown to more than NZ$24 billion ($16.54 billion) a year and New Zealand was the first Western nation to formally sign up to China s sweeping Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative in March. The two are in the midst of negotiations to upgrade their 2008 free trade pact, which Peters said would serve as a demonstration to our shared commitment to trade liberalization . He also defended China s human rights record, which has at times drawn fire from rights groups. When you have hundreds of millions of people to be re-employed and relocated with the change of your economic structure you have some massive, huge problems, Peters said. Sometimes commentators in the West should have a little more regard to that, and the economic outcome for those people, rather than constantly harping on about the romance of freedom. China s crackdown on activists and lawyers in its campaign to stifle dissent was alarming , New York-based Human Rights Watch said in September. ($1=1.4512 New Zealand dollars)

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Poll: Hillary Clinton tops Donald Trump, GOP field on handling terror

Americans trust Hillary Clinton to handle the threat of terrorism more than any of the leading Republican candidates for president in the wake of the Paris attacks, according to a new poll. The Democratic front-runner leads most of the GOP candidates by a wide margin, and tops GOP front-runner Donald Trump by 8 points and second-place Ben Carson by 9 points. The closest gap is with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is within the margin of error of Clinton, with Clinton at 46% and Bush at 43%. The Washington Post-ABC News poll out Monday asked Americans if they would trust Clinton or one of five Republican candidates more. She led Trump 50% to 42%, Carson 49% to 40%, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz 47% to 40%, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio 47% to 43%. The poll did not ask about Clinton's Democratic opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The poll also found that Americans strongly disapprove of how President Barack Obama is handling ISIS and the threat of terror broadly. Americans disapprove of how Obama is handling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, with 57% who disapprove and 35% who approve. Fifty-four percent also disapprove of his handling of the threat of terrorism, compared with 40% who approve. Questioners surveyed 1,004 American adults by telephone Nov. 16 to Nov. 19, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Sign up for CNN Politics' Nightcap newsletter, serving up today's best and tomorrow's essentials in politics.

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Smugglers offer new routes to Europe for jobless Tunisians

OFF THE TUNISIAN COAST (Reuters) - Tunisian smugglers are offering migrants seeking a fresh start in Europe a new route from Africa to Italy. Thousands have made the dangerous 300 km journey between Libya and the Italian island of Lampedusa this year and hundreds more are thought to have died trying to crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores. A crackdown by the Libyan coastguard in August has forced migrants and smugglers to find alternatives, giving Tunisians an opportunity to sell spots on overcrowded boats between the Gulf of Tunis and Sicily. The number of migrants trying to make the trip, which can be as short as 150 km, has jumped in the last month while fewer are leaving from Libya. Most are Tunisians fleeing economic hardship at home. Others want to avoid increased navy patrols off Lampedusa and prefer to arrive on the larger island of Sicily where it is easier pass unnoticed. Penalties for smugglers and migrants are also light in Tunisia if you are caught. The route to Sicily is not as heavily guarded as to Lampedusa, said Hassen Rebhi, captain of a Tunisian coast guard captain whose boat patrols the waters off Tunisia. Libya is still a much bigger departure point for Europe with 108,000 reaching Italy from Libya in 2017, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). But Tunisian arrivals are on the rise with 1,400 in September, up from 1,350 in the first 8 months of the year. Many others are believed to have reached Sicily but escaped detection and identification. Tunisian coast guard officials said they had foiled 900 departure attempts in September compared to 170 in August. About 80 percent are Tunisians but there are also Libyans, Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans. The route from Tunisia has been active before - some 20,000 left in 2011 as Tunisians tried to escape political turmoil when longtime president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted. Tunisia won international praise for its democratic progress and the numbers seeking to leave fell but successive governments have failed to create jobs for young people. Some 40 km offshore, Rebhi s boat pulled up alongside an inflatable boat overloaded with 14 young Tunisian men who had been hoping to make it to Italy. The coast guards ordered them to switch off their engine and climb aboard the ship. I watched many videos of young people who arrived in Italy. I have been unemployed for five years and don t have any hope things will get better in Tunisia, said Anwar, a Tunisian who was shivering after spending 8 hours on the damp boat. European officials are worried about an influx of Tunisian jihadists. Thousands of Tunisians have left to fight for Islamic State. Some have also made their way to Europe including Anis Amri who killed 12 people when he plowed a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin. Italy last week urged Tunisia to increase patrols, an Italian interior ministry spokesman said. It also wants to increase the number of Tunisians that can be repatriated from 30 a week to at least 80. Tunisia s navy has stepped up controls but the arrival of many in Sicily celebrating and dancing on beaches in social media posts is a powerful draw. All those in the inflatable vowed to try the crossing again. I prefer to die in the sea than to stay in Tunisia without dignity, said Hassan Chouchan, a 27-year-old who had lost his job as an entertainer in a tourist resort. Please let us continue our journey. We do not want to stay here, he shouted at the coast guard. Frustrated young people openly discuss plans to leave. Families from Aweld Amer, a village near the tourist resort of Sousse where an Islamist militant shot dead 39 foreigners in 2015, told Reuters that at least 300 of the 4,000 residents had left for Italy. More than 600 youths in the southern city of Tataouin left, while more than 1500 young people left the coastal towns of Hargeleh, Monastir, Sfax, Chebba, Bizerte and Kelibia last month alone, residents said. The government says it encourages private projects, said 25-year old Borhan Sallem in Monastir, a port two-hours from Tunis. When I wanted to get a loan to buy a fishing boat they refused it. Reuters met him and a group of friends in the port of Monastir in presence of a smuggler, a fisherman, who brought them days later safely to Sicily, relatives confirmed. The interviews came abruptly to an and when a police car arrived at the port to monitor possible smuggling activity. But migrants and the smuggler said they were not worried about getting caught. They also feel the trips are safe as the boats are driven by fishermen who are less likely to abandon local people in rough seas than Libyan armed groups. You get detained a few days and that s it. The trip is safe. I don t go with more than 30 to 50 people, said the smuggler. Farhat Mansour, a 26-year-old Tunisian who paid a smuggler 3,000 Tunisian dinars ($1,223) for the journey to Sicily said the Italian police put him and others in a detention center when he arrived a month ago. Only those suspected of having militant ties were still being held. Mansour has not found work and is living with under bridges with other Tunisians but has no regrets. Here maybe the opportunities are few, but in Tunisia the opportunities are totally non-existent, he said.

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A ‘Hoop Dreams’ Sequel, Written by Gun Violence - The New York Times

CHICAGO — The first truly great American sports documentary, it’s universally agreed, was “Hoop Dreams. ” Released in 1994, it garnered immediate critical acclaim Roger Ebert later called it the best film of the decade and “one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime. ” Its failure to be nominated for an Academy Award caused such an outcry that the process for nominating documentaries was eventually revamped. “Hoop Dreams,” you’ll perhaps recall, followed two promising basketball players from Chicago’s West Side from the eighth grade through high school. One of them, William Gates, became a star guard for suburban St. Joseph, where Isiah Thomas went to high school the other, Arthur Agee, began at St. Joseph but ultimately wound up at his local public school, Marshall High, where in 1991 he led the team to a surprise finish in the Illinois state championships. Like thousands of poor families in disadvantaged neighborhoods all over the country, the Gateses and the Agees yearned for William and Arthur to make it as professional basketball players, in no small part to catapult them out of the poverty that permeates the West Side. But there were so many obstacles. William damaged his knee just as he was approaching stardom. Arthur and his family had to deal with the city shutting off their power because they could not pay their bills. The film touches on issues of addiction and domestic violence. Indeed, as I watched “Hoop Dreams” recently, I thought there was only one obvious obstacle that didn’t make it onto the screen: gun violence. “The reality is, it wasn’t what we really saw a lot in their lives,” recalled Steve James, the filmmaker who wrote and directed “Hoop Dreams. ” This was the case even though the crack epidemic was at its peak and the murder rate in Chicago was reaching a record high. “It was different then,” James said. So it would appear. Shawn Harrington was one of the bit players in “Hoop Dreams. ” A sophomore point guard at Marshall who moved from the junior varsity to the varsity during that glorious 1991 tournament run, he had his own star turn a few years later. After bouncing around several colleges — during which time he both got a degree and became a Division II — Harrington returned to the West Side, where he raised a daughter and eventually became an assistant coach for the Marshall basketball team. His first year as an assistant, 2008, Marshall won the state championship that had eluded the “Hoop Dreams” team. “When I left for school,” he told me when I met him this week, “my mom said she hoped I would never come back. She was happy that I was away. She didn’t have to worry. ” “I had the dream like any other player in Chicago to play in the N. B. A. ,” he added. “But God had another plan. ” Then he pushed his wheelchair up a small ramp and joined me by the dining room table in his small, apartment. Harrington, 41, originally returned to the West Side because he had just fathered a daughter and he wanted to be a real parent — not an absent father as his own dad had been. By 2014, he had etched out a life he was happy with: In addition to his assistant coaching duties, he worked with students at Marshall, and operated a small “scouting service” that was meant to help Chicago basketball players land college scholarships. He viewed his life’s work as helping youngsters in the neighborhood where he grew up, and he became a proselytizer for the importance of education in achieving a better life. Like many former athletes, he saw sports as a means to that education. Eleven years earlier, Harrington’s mother had been killed when she mistakenly walked into a house that was being robbed. “That was a rough patch,” he recalled. “I donated mom’s organs, which helped three people. God was preparing me for this. ” By “this,” Harrington was referring to his own shooting. One of his daily rituals was driving his daughter, Naja, to high school. Early one morning in late January in 2014, with Harrington’s car in a repair shop, they set out together in a rented white sedan. At the corner of Augusta Boulevard and Hamlin Avenue, in the West Side neighborhood of Humboldt Park, a shooting had just taken place involving a white sedan. When Harrington and Naja drove into that same intersection, the men who had been shooting at the other white sedan opened fire, thinking it was the same car. Harrington lay on top of his daughter, trying to protect her. “Daddy, I don’t want to die,” she cried. By the time the shooting stopped, she was unharmed, but he had been hit twice one bullet went through his back and damaged two vertebrae, causing him to lose the use of his legs. He has used a wheelchair ever since. The person who brought Shawn Harrington to my attention was an assistant professor at New Mexico State, Rus Bradburd. A former college basketball assistant coach, Bradburd had recruited Harrington to New Mexico State from a junior college. Harrington left the school after one year, and the two men had lost touch. But when he heard about the shooting, Bradburd visited Harrington and has since been a constant in his life, helping him in innumerable ways. (Bradburd is also writing a book about Harrington, which is to be published in 2018 and is tentatively titled, “All the Dreams We’ve Dreamed. ”) In the course of our conversations, Bradburd made me aware that Harrington was not the only former Marshall High basketball player to have been shot in recent years. Most of them had been coached by Harrington. Tim Triplett, star of the 2014 Marshall team, was killed in April 2015 — just a few years after his brother had been killed. Martin Satterfield, shot six times in the spring of 2014, is now paralyzed. Shawn Holloway was killed in early 2015. Marcus Patrick and Keon Boyd were killed this year. And two months ago, Edward and Edwin Bryant, twins who were sophomores at Marshall, met the same fate. Edward, a talented forward, was becoming a star of the basketball team, and Edwin played football for Marshall. “The violence has always been there,” Harrington told me. “When I was in high school, it was bad. But back then, gang members protected the athletes. They’d say: ‘Get out of here. Go back to school. ’” Indeed, that’s why Steve James didn’t focus on gun violence when he was filming “Hoop Dreams” — athletes, especially basketball players, had a on the street. Regular newspaper coverage of high school basketball turned players into celebrities. Gang members, some of whom had once played basketball themselves, wanted to see them succeed. There was an “unspoken alliance” between gang members and basketball players, said Bradburd, who grew up in Chicago and spends his summers there. And sometimes not so unspoken: “Hoop Dreams” has a remarkable scene at a sporting goods store where Agee and a friend are buying clothes, paying with a thick wad of bills. Agee explains to the camera that they got the money from drug dealers. “They’re thinking they can give us stuff and keep our career going,” he says. In 1984, when Benji Wilson, a heralded high school player, was shot and killed, the news was shocking not only because Wilson was considered the next great Chicago talent, but also because it simply didn’t happen: Basketball players were supposed to be immune to the violence that was so prevalent in the city’s poorer neighborhoods. So what has happened? First, the nature of gun violence on the West Side has changed. Twenty years ago, the gangs were fewer in number and better organized, and most of the shootings were among gang members. “These were gangs who were mostly fighting over turf,” said Alex Kotlowitz, the great chronicler of Chicago’s poor. Today, gun violence feels much more random, and people can be killed over the tiniest slights, including insults on social media. “The morality has changed,” said Dorothy Gaters, Marshall’s athletic director and Hall of Fame girls’ basketball coach. “People are getting shot for blowing their horns. ” Harrington told me that Marshall itself is a safe haven for students during school hours, and Gaters agreed. But the school can’t protect the students once they leave the building. Second, athletes no longer seem to be protected the way they once were. Gang members simply don’t seem to care anymore whether or not athletes succeed. Vince Carter, who coaches the Chicago Demons, a youth traveling team that Edward Bryant played for, told me that the Bryant twins were standing on a corner not far from Wrigley Field around 3:15 a. m. (The Cubs had lost a World Series game that night.) Although the hour was late, the neighborhood was relatively safe. They were gunned down in a shooting. The killers have not been apprehended, and no one has any idea what the motive might be — if there even is a motive. That’s why even though Chicago had 928 homicides in 1991, the city felt safer than it does in 2016, a year in which it had 739 homicides as of Wednesday. “Even though there were more murders, and the gun violence was greater, it felt more circumscribed,” said James, who in 2011 made a film with Kotlowitz about gang violence called “The Interrupters. ” (Gates and Agee escaped Chicago’s gun violence, but they each had close relatives who were killed after “Hoop Dreams” came out.) Even if you survive being shot, it changes your life irrevocably — and never for the better. Harrington’s circumstances today are pretty dire. He hasn’t been able to return to work at Marshall because the school does not have accommodations for wheelchairs it does not even have a freight elevator that might allow him to go from floor to floor. He is essentially confined to his apartment unless someone takes him out. He lives on $300 a month in Social Security, $175 from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (a. k. a. food stamps) and the generosity of family. Although he says he is still coaching Marshall players, it is a volunteer gig now. “He’s been abandoned,” Bradburd said. “It is a failure of America. ” Not completely abandoned, though. Dale Brown, the former basketball coach at Louisiana State University, heard about Harrington and took up his cause. In 2015, Harrington was named coach of the year by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports. This year, during the Final Four, he spoke on a panel with Brown and Shaquille O’Neal at the National Association of Basketball Coaches convention. During the event, O’Neal and Brown gave him a check for $40, 000 to buy a van. Harrington remains relentlessly upbeat. He has a machine in his apartment that allows him to stand and put weight on his legs, and he firmly believes that he will walk again someday. He corresponds regularly with Bradburd and Brown. He is trying to shepherd a group of basketball players — “teaching them,” he says, “to be student athletes, and use it to get an education. ” He checks in from time to time with Martin Satterfield, the former Marshall basketball player who is also paralyzed. Ever since he returned to the West Side all those years ago, Harrington’s goal has been to help young people find a better life. Even from a wheelchair, that hasn’t changed. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to help kids in my community,” he told me. To help them succeed and achieve, yes. But also to help them find a path where they won’t end up dead or maimed, victims of the scourge of gun violence in Chicago.

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Russian warships denied fuelling stop in Spain after concern from NATO

October 27, 2016 Russian warships denied fuelling stop in Spain after concern from NATO A Russian war fleet, including the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, will not refuel in Spain on their way to Syria after the Nato member cancelled a planned stopover following concerns by the military alliance. Moscow has withdrawn a request for three warships to dock at the Spanish port of Ceuta with the Spanish foreign ministry confirming the stopover would not take place.

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Asylum-seekers get 24-hour reprieve from Papua New Guinea camp eviction

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea will delay by at least 24 hours a plan to forcibly evict hundreds of men from an abandoned Australian detention center, three asylum seekers said on Saturday. Hundreds of men have barricaded themselves into the Manus island center for more than 11 days without regular food or water, defying closure bids by Australia and Papua New Guinea in what the United Nations calls a looming humanitarian crisis . Rejecting United Nations calls to restore utilities to the camp, Papua New Guinea this week said it would apprehend those responsible for the stand-off when it forcibly evicted the men on Saturday. But several asylum seekers said Papua New Guinea officials told them detainees could remain until Sunday. Police are talking on a microphone outside prison, Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish journalist from Iran, who has spent more than four years detained in the camp, told Reuters. They re telling the refugees to leave, saying tomorrow will be the last day you are here, he said in a text message. It was not immediately clear what caused the postponement. Pressure on the asylum seekers, drawn largely from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Syria, has grown in recent days as Papua New Guinea tries to get them to move to three transit centers. The asylum seekers fear reprisals if they move to the transit centers, pending possible resettlement in the United States. The main camp was closed on Oct. 31 and water and power have been cut off. Some island-dwellers are angry at what they perceive as preferential treatment for the asylum seekers, many of them well educated, in a poor, rural society, and some detainees have come under attack when on release from the camp. The patience of Papua New Guinea authorities has begun to wane, however, and they moved this week to remove camp fences and dismantle rainwater collection bins and makeshift shelters built to ward off the tropical sun and rain. Under pressure, groups of men have elected to move to the transit centers. But the exact number left is difficult to ascertain, though Manus Island police commander David Yapu told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about 400 remain. Several of those remaining told Reuters they would not move, setting the scene for a potential clash, which would further stoke international criticism of Australia. Australia has used the center, and a camp on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru, to detain asylum seekers who try to reach its shores by boat. It says boat arrivals will never enter Australia, even if found to be refugees, as this would encourage people smugglers in Asia. Australia says the policy prevents people drowning at sea, but it has been widely condemned. Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop said there was no reason for the remaining men to choose to stay, rejecting criticism of inadequate facilities at the transit centers. Over the last few months they have traveled to East Lorengau on many occasions and never raised any concerns, Bishop told reporters in Perth.

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BOOM! TX Governor Will CUT FUNDING To County Where Sheriff Of Sanctuary City Refuses To Cooperate With Feds [VIDEO]

Soon after newly elected Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez announced she would be scaling back her department s cooperation with federal immigration agents, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that his office will cut funding for Travis County adopting sanctuary policies. The Governor's Office will cut funding for Travis County adopting sanctuary policies. Stiffer penalties coming. https://t.co/yYxeXql3xL Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 20, 2017 Stiffer penalties coming, his tweet says.This week, the American-Statesman reported that she had notified the county that it would soon no longer be complying with federal agents requests in many cases. The county consequently could lose up to $1.8 million in grants because the governor s office requires compliance in order to receive grants.Gov. Greg Abbott said via Twitter in response to the Statesman s report, I m about to up the ante. No more sanctuary cities in Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned he would cut off aid to Sheriff Hernandez if she refused to cooperate with the Federal immigration agencies:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=DXPmp2XIizk&pbjreload=10The Travis County sheriff s office has a $169 million budget, according to the county s budget website. The $1.8 million would represent 1 percent of that budget.Earlier: In a major policy shift that is already being met with controversy, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez on Friday announced that she is scaling back the amount of aid her department provides federal immigration agents in detaining suspects who may be in the country illegally.Traditionally, the county has honored nearly all requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold a suspect booked into jail when agents have wanted to investigate their status further. However, effective Feb. 1, sheriff s officials will honor so-called immigration holds or detainers placed by federal authorities only when a suspect is booked into the Travis County Jail on charges of capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and continuous smuggling of persons. Otherwise, federal agents must have a court order or arrest warrant signed by a judge for the jail to continue housing a person whose immigration status is in question, according to Hernandez s policy, which she released Friday. The public must be confident that local law enforcement is focused on local public safety, not on federal immigration enforcement. Our jail cannot be perceived as a holding tank for ICE or that Travis County deputies are ICE officers, Hernandez said in a video announcement. My Statesman

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The Ruthlessly Effective Rebranding of Europe’s New Far Right

The Ruthlessly Effective Rebranding of Europe’s New Far Right Sasha Polakow-Suransky, Guardian, November 1, 2016 In April 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen stunned all of Europe by defeating the socialist candidate, Lionel Jospin, in the first round of the French presidential election, and advancing to the final round between the top two candidates. Terrified by the prospect of a far-right victory, the French left–including communists, Greens and the Socialist party–threw their support behind the incumbent president, Jacques Chirac , a pillar of the centre-right establishment who had served as mayor of Paris for 18 years before becoming president in 1995. This electoral strategy effectively isolated Le Pen’s Front National (FN), depicting it as a cancerous force in the French body politic. Two weeks later, on 5 May, Chirac won the election with an astronomical 82% of the vote, trouncing Le Pen by the biggest margin in a French presidential election since 1848. Raucous celebrations spilled into the streets of Paris. “We have gone through a time of serious anxiety for the country–but tonight France has reaffirmed its attachment to the values of the republic,” Chirac declared in his victory speech . Then, speaking to the joyous crowds in the Place de la République, he lauded them for rejecting “intolerance and demagoguery”. But May 2002 was not, in fact, a moment of triumph. Rather it was the dying gasp of an old order, in which the fate of European nations was controlled by large establishment parties. Jean-Marie Le Pen was an easy target for the left, and for establishment figures such as Chirac. He was a political provocateur who appealed as much to antisemites and homophobes as to voters upset about immigration, drawing his support largely from the most reactionary elements of the old Catholic right. In other words, he was a familiar villain–and his ideology represented an archaic France, a defeated past. Moreover, he did not seriously aim for power, and never really came close to acquiring it; his role was to be a rabble-rouser and to inject his ideas into the national debate. Europe’s new far right is different. From Denmark to the Netherlands to Germany, a new wave of rightwing parties has emerged over the past decade-and-a-half, and they are casting a much wider net than Jean-Marie Le Pen ever attempted to. And by deftly appealing to fear, nostalgia and resentment of elites, they are rapidly broadening their base. Le Pen’s own daughter is a prime example of the new ambitions of the right: unlike her incendiary father, Marine Le Pen is running a disciplined political operation and has already proven that her party can win upwards of 40% of the vote in regions from Calais in the north to the Côte d’Azur in the south. She and her Danish and Dutch counterparts are not–as some on the left would like to believe–neo-Nazis or inconsequential extremists with fringe ideas lacking popular appeal. These parties have built a coherent ideology and steadily chipped away at the establishment parties’ hold on power by pursuing a new and devastatingly effective electoral strategy. They have made a very public break with the symbols of the old right’s past, distancing themselves from skinheads, neo-Nazis and homophobes. They have also deftly co-opted the causes, policies and rhetoric of their opponents. They have sought to outflank the left when it comes to defending a strong welfare state and protecting social benefits that they claim are threatened by an influx of freeloading migrants. They have effectively claimed the progressive causes of the left–from gay rights to women’s equality and protecting Jews from antisemitism–as their own, by depicting Muslim immigrants as the primary threat to all three groups. As fear of Islam has spread, with their encouragement, they have presented themselves as the only true defenders of western identity and western liberties–the last bulwark protecting a besieged Judeo-Christian civilisation from the barbarians at the gates. These parties have steadily filled an electoral vacuum left open by social democratic and centre-right parties, who ignored voters’ growing anger over immigration–some of it legitimate, some of it bigoted–or simply waited too long to address it. They have shed some of the right’s most unsavoury baggage while responding to both economic anxiety and fear of terrorism by blending a nativist economic policy–more welfare, but only for us –and tough anti-immigration and border security measures. Their message is beginning to resonate widely with a fearful population that believes the liberal governing elite no longer listens to them. Brexit was just the start. Europe’s new far right is poised to transform the continent’s political landscape–either by winning elections or simply by pulling a besieged political centre so far in its direction that its ideas become the new normal. And when that happens, groups that would never have contemplated voting for a far-right party 10 years ago–the young, gay people, Jews, feminists–may join the working-class voters who have already abandoned parties of the left to become the new backbone of the populist right. On 6 May 2002, one day after revellers filled the streets of Paris to celebrate Chirac’s historic victory, the flamboyant and iconoclastic leader of the Dutch far right, Pim Fortuyn, was gunned down by a radical animal rights activist as he emerged from a radio interview. His assassin later claimed that he had killed Fortuyn to stop him from using Muslims as “scapegoats”. In national elections nine days later, Fortuyn’s eponymous party–the Pim Fortuyn List– became the second largest in the Netherlands with 17% of the vote. Fortuyn, a former communist and openly gay man who boasted of sleeping with Muslim immigrants while calling for a ban on Muslim immigration, was an electrifying figure in a country known for its staid politics. His time in the limelight was short but transformative. It was Fortuyn who blazed the trail for the new generation of far-right leaders across Europe. He may not have intended to be a pioneer, but his brand of plain-spoken political incorrectness and his depiction of Islamic culture as a “backwards” and reactionary threat to the hard-won progressive values of western Europe would provide a potent template for a modernised far right. His ideological inheritors in Dutch politics, as well as the revamped Front National in France, the Danish People’s Party and Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland have all emulated Fortuyn in their own ways. Fortuyn proved that the winning argument for the European far right was not a US-style appeal to conservative religious values, but rather to claim it was “defending secular, progressive culture from the threat of immigration,” argues Merijn Oudenampsen of Tilburg University. The Netherlands was a perfect laboratory for this new strategy because, unlike France, it did not have a strong contingent of religious traditionalists opposed to women’s liberation and gay rights. Before founding his own party in 2002, Fortuyn had tried to join an establishment centre-right party, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), in the late 1990s. The party’s then-leader, Frits Bolkestein, who had been one of the first figures to speak critically about immigration in the early 1990s, remembers Fortuyn as a talented but inflammatory politician. “He had a thoroughly theatrical personality, and that played in his favour,” said Bolkestein, now in his 80s, from his office overlooking the canals of Amsterdam. “I didn’t want him to be in my parliamentary group, so I cold-shouldered him . . . He would have acted as a fragmentation bomb.” Fortuyn took his explosive rhetoric elsewhere and, by creating a new type of far-right politics in progressive garb–“a form of xenophobia ideally suited to a nation that prides itself on its tolerance,” as a New Yorker profile once described it–he redirected the entire national debate in a way that has endured long after his death. Two years after Fortuyn was killed, the Netherlands was traumatised by another political assassination. Early one morning in November 2004, the filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered by a young Dutch-Moroccan, Mohammed Bouyeri, who shot van Gogh eight times, slashed his throat and then pinned a letter to his chest with a knife. The letter was a death threat aimed at the Somali-born Dutch parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali –a vocal critic of Islam who was soon placed under the protection of the Dutch security services. The two assassinations shook the Netherlands to its core and catapulted a little-known and theatrically coiffed politician, Geert Wilders , to popularity as an ideological successor to Fortuyn. Wilders had also flirted with Bolkestein’s VVD, beginning his political career as a staffer in the party office. In late 2004, he split off and formed his own. With Hirsi Ali in hiding, he quickly became the most prominent anti-immigration voice in the country–and has remained so ever since. For those who cared to look, the political ground had already begun to shift. Six months before Chirac’s trouncing of Le Pen and Fortuyn’s assassination, Denmark had an election. On its surface the result was not a historical watershed; the centre-right Venstre party ousted the Social Democrats, handing power from one establishment party to the other. What had changed was that the Danish People’s Party, which had campaigned on an overtly anti-immigrant platform, took 12% of the vote–transforming it into a kingmaker in parliament. Unlike France, which revelled in its triumph over the FN, or the Netherlands, where the remains of Fortuyn’s party failed to become a real parliamentary force, the DPP immediately became a serious player with real influence over policy. And it was not only taking votes from the right; it was also attracting disgruntled social democratic voters who felt that their leaders had abandoned them. The DPP had crafted a social and economic policy that was in many ways more socialist than that of the Social Democrats–promising better health care, better care for the elderly, and more subsidised housing. As the outgoing Social Democratic prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen told me in 2002, a few months after his defeat: “They took a part of our rhetoric and tried to sell it as a new package to the people, and with some success, one may say.” Back then, Naser Khader, a Danish member of parliament who immigrated from Syria as a child, argued that “the best way to weaken the DPP is to give them influence”. He was wrong. The headquarters of the Front National sits on a quiet street in the unassuming Paris suburb of Nanterre, near a car repair shop and a Portuguese restaurant. Only when you approach the grey building with its mostly closed blue shutters do the armed guards come into view. In her modest second-floor office, surrounded by books and a cloud of vape smoke, Marine Le Pen explained earlier this year how she transformed a party previously known for calling the Holocaust a “ detail of history ” into a genuine contender for the presidency. “Voluntarily or not, he gave ammunition to our adversaries,” Le Pen said of her father. But she insisted that she has now cleaned house. “I fired them all . . . all those people who expressed an ideology or held views that I found unacceptable.” Julien Rochedy, a 28-year-old who headed the FN’s youth wing but has since left the party, told me that he believes the changes are real. Whereas the party’s former leader used to pepper his speeches with lines that made Jews’ hair stand on end, today, if someone tells a racist joke within the party, “you will be attacked straight away,” Rochedy said. “There is such self-discipline these days. They are so afraid they’ll be accused once again of being antisemitic or racist.” Still, the party’s detractors continue to level the same charges at the FN, which outrages Marine Le Pen . “Today our adversaries no longer have that ammunition, and they repeat on loop” old tropes about fascists and racists. “At a certain point this argument loses its force,” she continued, “because voters see clearly that there’s absolutely nothing in our platform that remotely resembles fascism or racism.” Le Pen has done more than kick out the most blatant racists and antisemites. She has consciously crafted a campaign designed to appeal to voters of the centre and left–and other constituencies–who could never have imagined voting for her father’s Front National. As Le Monde’s Olivier Faye has written , she is “trying to erase another image that has stuck to the skin of the FN–that of homophobia”. And it is working: a survey showed that her share of the vote among married gay couples in the 2015 regional elections was over 32%–up from just 19% in a similar poll from 2012. As Le Pen has filled her inner circle with more and more openly gay advisers and party leaders, she has also made her pitch to Jewish voters more explicit: “For a lot of French Jews, the FN appears to be the only movement that can defend them from this new antisemitism nourished in the banlieues ,” Le Pen told me. “In a very natural way they have turned toward the FN, because the FN is capable, I think, of protecting them from that.” Among French voters threatened by the country’s new diversity, rejection of a multicultural society increasingly takes the form of longing for a bygone era. And peddling nostalgia is the centrepiece of many new far-right parties across Europe . In France, Marine Le Pen has promised a return to a time when the French had their own currency and monetary policy, when there were fewer mosques and less halal meat, when no one complained about nativity scenes in public buildings, and when French schools promoted a republican ethos of assimilation. “A growing number of French people feel uncomfortable in their own country,” the prominent philosopher, Alain Finkielkraut , declared in January during a debate with the centre-right presidential candidate Alain Juppé–who has taken a less strident line on Islam and migration than his rival Nicolas Sarkozy. Finkielkraut depicted contemporary France as a country of halal butchers and tea shops filled only with men, pleading that “the public good isn’t in the clouds, it’s made from tangible things–the French of Proust and Montaigne . . . the Jardin du Luxembourg and the cows of Normandy”. Finkielkraut, a 67-year-old Jewish liberal, is not an admirer of the Front National, but Marine Le Pen’s deliberate appeals to Jews and gay people have given political expression to an argument that he first made more than a decade ago–that the left, with its indulgence of Islam, poses a greater threat to France than the far right. After Chirac “saved” the republic from Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2002, Finkielkraut watched the celebrations in the streets and warned that the victors were the real danger: “The future of hate is in their camp and not in the camp of those nostalgic for Vichy,” he wrote, “ . . . in the camp of the multicultural society and not that of the ethnic nation–in the camp of respect, not that of rejection.” Fourteen years later, after the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo, the Bataclan and Nice, Finkielkraut is even more certain he was correct. “Anti-racism today frequently serves as a pretext for not seeing the true danger that threatens us,” he told me when we met in his Paris apartment this summer. While he is still no fan of the FN, he believes it has changed and argues that it “should be resisted, but for what it is today and not what it was in the past, and not in the name of anti-fascism”. The French must, he insisted, “avoid simplistic analogies with the 1930s. We must not mistake what era we live in. Europe doesn’t only have demons; it also has enemies, and it needs to know how to fight those enemies.” He worries that integration has been such a failure that France will have to “reconquer” its “lost territories”–by which he means the suburbs surrounding Paris. “Integrating people is not telling them ‘You are how you are and we are how we are’ . . . Integration means making them an integral part of our civilisation.” And if that doesn’t happen, he warned darkly, “at best we’ll have secession and at worst civil war”. Continued immigration from Muslim countries, he argues, is nothing less than the “planned demise of Europe”. Across the country, nostalgia for an older, whiter France has become a potent political force. In the southern city of Béziers, Mayor Robert Ménard, a former Trotskyist who cofounded the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders , is seeking to place a moratorium on the opening of kebab shops and has renamed a street after one of the French officers who joined a failed coup against De Gaulle in 1961 to prevent Algerian independence . Ménard comes from a family of pieds-noirs , French settlers in Algeria. He regards the Evian accords that ended the Algerian war as a “capitulation”, and those who tried to preserve French Algeria as heroes. This nostalgia has an unmistakable appeal, but not necessarily for the sort of voters one might expect. Whereas young Britons overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and the elderly voted to leave, in France it is the opposite. According to Julian Rochedy, the former FN youth leader, appeals to nostalgia work better with the young in France–who dream of an era they never witnessed–than with the old, who lived through the era Marine Le Pen promises to restore. It is older voters, Rochedy argues, who are the greatest obstacle to Le Pen’s victory. “They are afraid of leaving the euro,” he says. “They are afraid of huge changes.” Rochedy is convinced that the FN will never win simply by fetishising the past. “They just want to go back 30 years,” he said of his erstwhile colleagues. “It’s a discourse that doesn’t at all take into account the world as it is and what France has become.” Even if Le Pen cannot win over enough older voters for her to become president, there is one ageing constituency that has already moved significantly to the right–the former members of what used to be the largest communist party in western Europe. As the French Communist party collapsed, its supporters were left rudderless. According to Andrew Hussey, a Liverpool-born academic who teaches in Paris, the technocratic leaders of the Socialist party– many of them graduates of the ultra-elite Ecole Nationale d’Administration–“are so disconnected from ordinary people” that even former Marxists won’t consider voting for them. Distrustful of the establishment and searching for a state that protects them, many have turned to the FN. “I think you’ve got a big political question here about who looks after you,” Hussey said. “This is a very communist way of thinking.” Le Pen knows that she is attracting these people. Many of her supporters “used to be socialists, but they aren’t any more”, she told me. Although she prefers to avoid the phrase welfare state–“That’s a socialist concept,” she insisted–Le Pen has appealed directly to this yearning for a large and nurturing state that fights for the common man and not the rich. “I defend fraternity–the idea that a developed country should be able to be able to provide the poorest with the minimum needed to live with dignity as a human being. The French state no longer does that,” she told me. “We’re in a world today in which you either defend the interests of the people or the interests of the banks.” And she has seen results. She points to the northern Pas-de-Calais region. “It was socialist-communist for 80 years,” she says. “I won 45%.” At the same time as Marine Le Pen was working to “de-demonise” the FN, the leaders of the Dutch far right successfully seized the mantle of radicalism by positioning itself as the only force that dares to challenge an out-of-touch political establishment, and the only party willing to speak out about what many voters fear: extremist Islam. Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) have surpassed the Dutch Labour party to take up a close second place in polls ahead of the March 2017 election. Last September, Wilders declared that Europe was facing an “ Islamic invasion ”–the sort of comments that landed him in court this week on charges of inciting racial hatred , which he dismisses as an attack on freedom of expression. The presence of “masses of young men in their 20s with beards singing ‘Allahu Akbar’ across Europe”, Wilders warned at the peak of last year’s refugee crisis, posed a dire threat to “our prosperity, our security, our culture and identity”. Across the country, grassroots groups responded to Wilders’s warning, attempting to block the resettlement of asylum seekers in their towns. Last October, Klaas Dijkhoff, the deputy minister responsible for refugee resettlement, arrived for a visit to the tiny north-eastern village of Oranje, where the Dutch government had decided to place 700 refugees. Outraged locals blocked the road leading to town, kicked Dijkhoff’s car and tore off its rearview mirrors. A few days later, near Utrecht, an asylum centre was attacked by masked men with smoke bombs and fireworks. In the decade following the assassinations of Fortuyn and Van Gogh, the integration of Muslim immigrants became the most divisive issue in Dutch politics. Suddenly, Turkish and Moroccan-born Dutch citizens became “Muslims”. And as the public debate over Islam and migration grew even more hostile, even the most basic forms of visible religious observance–wearing the hijab, buying halal meat, fasting during Ramadan–became politically loaded. The Dutch Labour MP Ahmed Marcouch, who came to the Netherlands from rural Morocco when he was 10, recounted how controversies have erupted everywhere from supermarkets to classrooms. It is a jolt to the traditionally liberal Netherlands when teenage girls tell their male teachers they can’t shake hands, or that they fast and pray while many other Dutch kids are out drinking and having sex. As Marcouch remarked, it runs against everything that Dutch youth culture promotes. Wilders’s PVV has capitalised on this cultural angst by using simple and deliberately brash slogans about immigration, crime, and refugees–one of his latest memes is simply “De-Islamise”–to win over voters who feel that everything familiar to them is slipping away. By framing its anti-migrant politics as a battle against imperious elites and political correctness, the PVV has been able to capitalise on a panoply of grievances, from anger over asylum seekers to Euroscepticism. Meanwhile, many causes of the radical left–including anti-racism and anti-colonialism–have now become establishment thinking in the Netherlands. “Idealism has been bureaucratised,” argues the journalist Bas Heijne, who writes a column in the liberal daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad. “And when the establishment enforces universalism, you react against it.” That’s why there is such a strong anti-PC tone to the Dutch right: do not tell us what to say, what to celebrate and who we must live next to. Just as Marine Le Pen’s FN has become a huge presence on social media in France, the right is in the midst of colonising the Dutch media. Geen Stijl (“No Style”), a popular Breitbart-style news site featuring abrasive articles and videos, encourages its best and angriest commenters to visit mainstream news sites and go on the attack. “It is massively important,” says Tilburg University’s Merijn Oudenampsen, “like a social movement”. The site began as a blog dedicated to those who felt politically homeless after Fortuyn’s murder, and has since become a ubiquitous presence in Dutch public debate, with an army of “reactors” on Twitter. According to Oudenampsen, some politicians have told him that Geen Stijl is the first site they check in the morning. The right’s newfound media clout has also helped shape what the journalist Kustaw Bessems, from the leftwing Volkskrant newspaper, sees as a new, inverted, form of political correctness. In the old days, he says, there were taboos enforced by the left: badmouth immigrants and “you were immediately called a racist and extreme right and basically pressured to shut up”. Now, it’s the other way around. “As soon as you say anything other than ‘immigration is a problem’ or ‘Islam is the cause of terrorism’ . . . the thought police immediately jump on your neck to correct you.” A Dutch government official who focuses on security issues complained that even as the integration of Muslim immigrants and the threat of radical Islam had become the most heated and polarising issues in the Netherlands, almost none of the feverish public debate was informed by knowledge of Islamism or terrorism. While politicians fan the flames of fear, the official said, “the economists look for the economic roots of the problem, sociologists look for social causes and the anthropologists try to explain jihadi culture–but none of them have any idea about theology”. Even scholars of radicalisation tend to study today’s extremists through the historical lens of the European radical left–which does little to explain what leads a small number of young Muslim men such as Van Gogh’s killer, Mohamed Bouyeri, to devote themselves to the cause of jihad. “It’s easy to be a Marxist,” the security official quipped. “It’s fucking hard to be a salafi.” As the perception that the state is helpless to prevent the radicalisation of Muslim teenagers deepens and the fear of terrorism increases, so does the share of voters who are newly receptive to the far right’s tirades about “Islamisation”. These days it is not only anti-migration activists pushing back against the bureaucratised consensus. There are also many disappointed progressives–the people who saw the cultural victories of the 1960s and 1970s as major battles that had long since been won, making sexual freedom, feminism and gay rights an unquestioned part of Dutch society. Suddenly those old victories seem tenuous. “There is a sense that, ‘We are welcoming and then they do this,’ says Bas Heijne. “They have been terribly let down in their good intentions.” And in such an environment, traditionally leftist constituencies such as gay people and Jews feel threatened–and some have become reflexively suspicious of Muslims. The stereotype that observant Muslims hate gay men and lesbians has become so entrenched in the Netherlands that neither side can fathom evidence to the contrary. When the Moroccan-born Labour MP Ahmed Marcouch first joined in Amsterdam’s legendary gay pride parade , he was, as he puts it, the “first hetero-active Muslim” to participate. The gay community feared violence from extremists; conservative Muslims were baffled and angry. Both groups concluded, “Oh, maybe Marcouch is homosexual too,” he says with a laugh. Neither group could imagine a straight Muslim doing what he did. But public displays of solidarity such as Marcouch’s are rare. Among openly gay couples and religious Jews alike, there is a palpable fear of being targeted by homophobic or antisemitic young Muslim men. Much as in France, this fraught atmosphere has made far-right parties seem a palatable option for groups who would never previously have considered voting for them. In Amsterdam earlier this year, I had several meetings with a staunch Jewish supporter of Wilders’s PVV, who insisted on remaining anonymous. He described his own backing for the far right in terms that echoed Alain Finkielkraut. “It’s an outdated reflex for Jews to always say the problem is the extreme right,” he told me. “We have new enemies and we need new ideas.” The experience of his own family during the second world war has convinced him that Europe’s capacity for murderous violence is always lurking beneath the surface. “Anne Frank wasn’t betrayed by the Germans,” he argued. “But by Dutch people. Regular Dutch.” Jews need to find new allies in a new war, he argues, because they will never be safe. “The trains for the Jews will always come,” he added, ominously. “I’d rather be wrong than be too calm and end up on the trains.” He is not unsympathetic to the plight of European Muslims, and told me that he even sees parallels with the persecution his own family faced. “If I were a Muslim in Europe at this moment I’d be very uneasy,” he admitted. “If Europeans regain their manhood, it could be bad. It’s the history of Europe to treat foreigners terribly. We Jews know that.” For that reason, he argues, Muslims should regard Wilders as a lesser evil. “Every Muslim should be happy Geert Wilders exists. If someone else channelled these hateful feelings it would be much worse,” he told me menacingly. “Wilders is civil. He is a democrat. He is not the new Hitler.” To Frits Bolkestein, who led the Netherlands’ centre-right VVD in the 1990s–and was briefly Wilders’ boss when he was a young aide in the party office–the rise of the far right is as much about class as it is about Islam. The Dutch Labour party, he argues, gave up on its working-class base: “They made a major mistake,” he says of his old rivals, with a tinge of satisfaction. Faced with “the choice between the foreign-born and the labour classes, they chose the foreign-born … and they’ve paid for it dearly”. Current polls project that the party will drop from the 36 seats it now holds (out of 150) to just 10. Marcouch concedes that, like the old leftists in France, many former Labour voters now back Wilders. Moreover, he says, they still live in the very neighbourhoods that families such as his own moved into in the 1980s, as many white Dutch families were moving out. “Their message to the Labour party,” he said, “is: ‘You ignored us. You let it happen.’” The Danish People’s Party has been seeking out such voters for years, and they have masterfully leveraged anti-immigrant sentiment to siphon away the Social Democrats’ traditional base–people who fear that the “bread will be buttered more thinly”, as the Danish journalist Lars Trier Mogensen puts it. The DPP has effectively combined anti-immigrant rhetoric with a strong pro-welfare message that stresses quality health benefits and good care for the elderly. Søren Espersen, the DPP’s deputy leader, doesn’t think that former Social Democrats will ever go back. “When one of those takes the step to vote for us, it is a very, very huge step he is taking,” he says of voters who supported the Social Democrats all their lives. “And why should he go back? I mean, to come over this first hurdle of voting for us, then he’s done it.” The Social Democrats first began to lose their dominance in and around the major cities in the 1990s, with many of their votes going to the DPP. One of those places is the small satellite town of Herlev, about 10 miles west of Copenhagen. The 41-year-old Social Democratic mayor, Thomas Gyldal Petersen, has lived there all his life, and he is adamant that controlling immigration numbers is the only way to reverse his party’s political misfortunes. For Gyldal Petersen, the key to successful integration is a demographic balance. As soon as a school or housing estate becomes majority immigrant–or majority unemployed–he says, problems start to arise. He blames his own party’s leaders: “Mayors in the 80s, they were warning, something is going wrong, you have to change.” But the party leadership “shut their eyes”, he says. Then came the Muhammad cartoons . In 2005, the editors at Jyllands-Posten, Denmark’s largest newspaper, invited a group of well-known cartoonists to draw the prophet. The initial response was underwhelming, but within a few months–through a combination of diplomatic pressure, a dismissive response from the Danish government, and a concerted campaign by local imams–the cartoons became a full-blown crisis, with boycotts of Danish products and violent protests occurring throughout the Middle East. Danes who had never contemplated voting for the DPP now saw their embassies on fire and death threats against some of their best-known journalists. Suddenly, the DPP’s platform was making sense. They had warned that Muslims were extremists in waiting, and now those warnings seemed to come true. Politicians such as Naser Khader, who once warned that giving the DPP influence would weaken them, found themselves moving steadily to the right of the political spectrum. When Khader founded a new organisation called “Democratic Muslims” in the wake of the cartoon controversy, he received death threats. Those at the top of the Social Democrats are now taking a tough stance, too. Earlier this year the party leader, Mette Frederiksen, went to Stockholm to meet with fellow Scandinavian social democrats. There she gave a speech that rattled her colleagues. “We social democrats must accept that there is a clash,” she declared. “It is a very strong part of our identity that we help when people need help . . . but just as strong is our value that we must have a well-functioning welfare state.” Frederiksen continued: “My position is that a universally funded Scandinavian welfare state with free and equal access to healthcare, education and social subsidies is not compatible with an open immigration policy.” But in its zeal to get tough on migration, Denmark has damaged its international reputation as a bastion of progressivism–the sort of place that Bernie Sanders liked to mention at campaign rallies. In January, just three months after the refugee crisis peaked, Denmark passed what became known as the “ jewellery law ”, which stipulated that any refugees carrying valuables worth more than 10,000 kroner (£1,200) would have them confiscated to fund the cost of accommodating asylum-seekers. Editorial pages and columnists across the world lined up to condemn the law. According to Kenneth Kristensen Berth, a babyfaced MP for the DPP, it was about deterrence. “The goal was, of course, that we should try to tell people that they should not seek asylum in Denmark,” he said. The jewellery provision was a minor part. “More important is the fact that many people will be waiting longer for family reunification, like waiting three years,” he added. And it wasn’t just the DPP and government who supported it–the Social Democrats voted for it, too. Bent Melchior, Denmark’s 87-year-old former chief rabbi, was outraged. He bristled at the suggestion that refugees are rich because they flee with some money in their pockets. He would know: although Denmark is always hailed for saving its Jews during the second world war, it is often forgotten that Danish Jews paid fishermen huge sums to ferry them across to Sweden. Melchior’s family paid the equivalent of “almost a year’s rent of a six-room flat” just for his own passage. “Denmark is not a poor country, for God’s sake,” Melchior says. “There’s food for everybody here, and even if we get a few tens of thousands more people, there will still be food for everybody.” The road that led a centre-left party to support such a law has been long and tortuous, but the trajectory has been clear. The Scandinavian welfare system has always been premised on solidarity, with everyone paying their fair share and receiving what they deserve. As the country has become more diverse, some of the trust sustaining it has broken down. There has been abuse of the system by immigrants, and there has been even more tabloid fearmongering depicting immigrants as cheats and leeches sucking the system dry. But the larger issue, as the Oxford economist Paul Collier has argued, is the growing unwillingness of natives to subsidise those seen as the foreign poor. Herlev’s mayor does not oppose asylum, but he insists that the numbers have to be capped. “We have to help refugees, and we have to take refugees to Denmark in a number that we can help. If the balance tips, the welfare society cannot hold together,” Petersen warns. But such balance may only help so much. Aydin Soei, a Danish sociologist and the son of immigrants from Iran, believes there is a larger blind spot in the thinking of the Danish government–one that native Danes who have never been on the receiving end of the state’s integration policy have failed to see. “A lot of refugees were just parked on social welfare instead of [the state] recognising their education and their skills,” Soei told me, citing the case of his own mother, who arrived in Denmark with a physics degree that was regarded as worthless. “If your motivation is to create a liberal society where the individual can create a good life for him or herself, then you would have solved this problem years ago,” he argues. Instead the state has effectively provided newcomers with an allowance and keys to an apartment, and ignored them–assuming that its work was done. The problem, Soei claims, is that there is no political incentive to integrate asylum seekers into the job market. “It doesn’t have consequences for the politicians . . . because they don’t have the right to vote.” Either way, it plays into the DPP’s argument. “Immigrants can’t do right,” said Gyldal Petersen. “When they’re unemployed they’re a burden to society. When they’re in a job, they just stole the job from a Dane.” Whether or not Marine Le Pen wins next year’s French election or Wilders’ PVV becomes the largest party in the Netherlands, the new far right is not going away. The reflex among many establishment parties–and media institutions–has been to dismiss them, sideline them or mock them. Others, however, have begun to mimic them in an effort to win their old voters back. Rhetoric might, in the long run, matter more than election results. When I spoke again recently with the Jewish Wilders supporter from Amsterdam, he was convinced that the battle has in some ways already been won–regardless of the outcome of next year’s elections. “The PVV has shifted the whole political discussion to the right. The Labour party is saying almost exactly the same thing Wilders said five years ago,” he told me. “You can have a lot of influence in politics by steering the debate.” If traditional political parties want to win, they must first abandon the old strategy of marginalising populist movements and instead engage them on the merits–and flaws–of their policies and counter their messages of fear. Not least among the lessons of Brexit was that, for millions of disaffected voters, immigration is just one more thing nobody asked them about . This is what makes the issue an especially potent weapon: it combines the resentful energies of nativism, economic instability, and hatred of a remote and unaccountable political elite. And the leaders of the new far right have learned to wield it effectively. They know better than to let themselves be dismissed, as Jean-Marie Le Pen was, as antisemites or racists. In France, the new majority Marine Le Pen hopes to build is strikingly similar to the coalition that brought the Brexit campaign victory. In a park near Calais’ castle-like town hall in May, Samuel and Pascal, activists from a group named Retake Calais, railed against the town’s centre-right mayor. They blamed her for the growth of the sprawling, trash-strewn tent city known as the Jungle, which sat three miles east of the town until it was dismantled this month . “Those who govern us are completely against us. The illegals, who aren’t French, can do whatever they want,” they told me. For them, even Marine Le Pen is “too soft”. If resettlement programmes take refugees away from Calais to other parts of France, as dozens of buses have in the past week since the destruction of the camp, they would not be any happier. “They’re sending them to all the little villages in France,” says Samuel. After they start to open businesses and bring family members, “in two years the village will be dead”. About a mile down the road, the Calais ferry terminal lies behind layers of tall steel fences and coiled barbed wire. I met Rudy Vercucque and Yohann Faviere, the local FN leaders, on a blustery morning in June outside the terminal, where they were anxiously awaiting a visiting EU dignitary. Giant seagulls circled and squawked above as they denounced the mayor, Natacha Bouchart, a member of Sarkozy’s Republicans party. “It’s she who has permitted this,” Vercucque, a portly 35-year-old, fumed. And it was Sarkozy, he reminded me, who negotiated the notorious Le Touquet accords , effectively moving the British border to where we were standing. Calais depends on British tourism and revenues are down sharply. The result is crippling economic and social malaise: “Find a doctor who wants to move to Calais. Find a surgeon who wants to move to Calais,” Vercucque exclaimed. “You work your whole life, you pay off your house and you lose money. It’s intolerable.” Their support locally may have once been a protest vote, said Faviere, but no longer. “Today we really have people who adhere to our ideas.” Vercucque was more blunt: “We say out loud what people think deep down.”

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Mexico, U.S. agree not to talk publicly about wall payment

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Friday agreed not to talk publicly for now about payment of the wall the American wants to build on the United States’ southern border and that he says Mexico should finance. In a statement, Mexico’s government said that during a phone call on Friday, the two had held “constructive and productive” talks and broached issues including the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and the flow of illegal arms and drugs across the border. “Regarding payment of the border wall, both presidents recognized their clear and very public differences of opinion on this sensitive subject, and agreed to resolve their differences as part of a comprehensive discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relationship,” the statement said. “The presidents also agreed for now to not talk publicly about this controversial issue.”

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Conservative ‘Christian’ Leader Kept A Sexual Assault Secret For A Republican Lawmaker

Conservatives should shun Tony Perkins for this.Earlier this week, Ohio GOP state Rep. Wes Goodman was busted for carrying on a same-sex affair in his taxpayer funded office, forcing him to tender his resignation.But there is an even worse transgression in Goodman s past, one that should drag the Family Research Council leader to hell with him.As it turns out, Goodman once fondled an 18-year-old without consent in his hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in Washington D.C.The teen s stepfather was quick to alert Perkins of the incident via email, warning him that continuing to endorse Goodman would be a mistake. If we endorse these types of individuals, then it would seem our whole weekend together was nothing more than a charade, the teen s stepfather wrote. Trust me, Perkins replied. This will not be ignored nor swept aside. It will be dealt with swiftly, but with prudence. Perkins withdrew his support and suspended Goodman from the Council for National Policy. Going forward so soon, without some distance from your past behavior and a track record of recovery, carries great risk for you and for those who are supporting you, Perkins wrote to Goodman.But Perkins failed to report the crime to law enforcement. Instead, he kept quiet and allowed a sexual predator to gain public office. In fact, even the board members of the Council for National Policy knew about the crime because Perkins informed them, and none of them did a damn thing about it.And this all happened just two years ago in 2015. Surely, Perkins and the board members he told can still be prosecuted for failing to report Goodman to the authorities.Because they definitely should be.Featured Image: Wikimedia

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China's premier says U.S. ties will develop no matter who wins election

NEW YORK (Reuters) - China and the United States will keep developing positive relations no matter who wins November’s U.S. presidential election, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told an economic forum in New York on Tuesday. Li declined to comment on which candidate he favored. Republican Donald Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on Chinese goods and push for tougher trade talks if elected. His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, has changed tack on trade, backing away from a Pacific trade pact she previously endorsed. Both candidates have been critical of China’s assertive pursuit of territory in the South China Sea, a potential flashpoint in Asia and a cause of significant friction in relations between Washington and Beijing. Li, who was attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York, said the U.S. election was an internal affair for the United States, so what he could say was very limited, but he went on to remark: “No matter who gets elected in the U.S. presidential election, I believe that China-U.S. ties will continue to grow steadily and in a positive direction.” Li responded to complaints from foreign business leaders about restricted access to the Chinese market by saying that China was open to foreign investment, although some economic sectors were not yet mature. “This process of them becoming more mature is also a process for them to open up and the areas of the Chinese economy open to foreign investment will only increase and China will only open its door even wider. The door will not close,” he said. Referring to a U.S.-China Bilateral Investment Treaty that has been long in negotiation given disagreements about access to sectors the sides deem sensitive, Li said as long as both countries took a strong and pragmatic approach, they would be able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. As an example of China’s willingness to open up its markets, Li said China had decided to designate a Chinese investment bank as a clearing bank for renminbi business in New York and welcomed foreign banks in the city which met eligibility requirements to become clearing banks for the currency. He also said China would soon allow imports of beef on the bone from the United States, now that Chinese quarantine procedures had been completed. Li pledged that China would not engineer a devaluation of its currency to boost exports for its economy, which is growing at its slowest rate in two decades. Some critics in Washington have charged that Beijing is still manipulating its currency, although the U.S. Treasury says its assessment is that it is not undervalued. China’s economy will continue its growth momentum this year, Li said. “I can say here that in the third quarter of this year, or until the end of this year, China’s economy will maintain this momentum of steady growth.” China’s growth target for this year is 6.5 to 7 percent. In the second quarter of this year, the world’s second-largest economy grew 6.7 percent from a year ago, according to official data.

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California Republicans lean to Trump but dislike candidate choices

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - About 38 percent of California Republicans support billionaire Donald Trump’s bid for the U.S. presidency, but more than half say they are not satisfied with their choices of candidates, a new opinion poll shows. The poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California on Wednesday also shows that among Democrats who are likely primary voters, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont with 48 percent support compared with Sanders’ 41 percent. The survey also showed that California Democrats are much more likely to be satisfied with their presidential choices than Republicans. Among Democratic voters surveyed, 65 percent said they were satisfied with their choices of candidates, while just 46 percent of Republicans say they were satisfied with the field. Among independents, who make up nearly a quarter of registered voters in the most populous U.S. state, satisfaction with primary choices is even lower, at 34 percent. Democrats, who make up 43 percent of registered voters in the state, break along age lines in their support for Clinton or Sanders, the poll showed. Voters aged 45 and older skewed heavily for Clinton at 63 percent, while the same percentage of voters below age 45 said they support Sanders. The U.S. presidential election is on Nov. 8. The PPIC poll showed an increase in support for Trump when compared with a poll by the Field Research Corporation in January. In that survey, Trump and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas were in a statistical tie at roughly 25 percent each. Since then, however, several candidates have dropped out of the crowded Republican race. Nationwide, Reuters polling conducted on Tuesday showed Trump with a commanding lead among Republicans at 44.6 percent. By comparison, 26.9 percent said they supported Cruz and 19.8 percent supported Ohio Governor John Kasich. The PPIC poll of 1,710 adult California residents was conducted March 6-15, and has a margin of error of 3.6 percent. Polling ended on the night that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination.

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UK government confident of winning vote on Brexit legislation: spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May s government is confident of winning a vote on a major piece of Brexit legislation, due in parliament later on Monday or early Tuesday, May s spokesman said. Parliament is due to hold a late-night vote on whether to let the central plank of Britain s Brexit plan - the EU withdrawal bill - move to the next stage of the lawmaking process. Asked whether the government was confident of the outcome, he said: Yes. We ve said this is a hugely important bill in terms of preparing the way for a smooth Brexit for business and the rest of the country, and we encourage all MPs (Members of Parliament) to support it.

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Rubio gets boost from Republican endorsements, Cruz missteps

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio received boosts Monday in his drive to become the mainstream Republican alternative to front-runner Donald Trump, with a string of high-profile endorsements and missteps by rival Ted Cruz’s campaign. Rubio, who eked out a second-place finish in South Carolina’s primary by fewer than 1,000 votes over Cruz on Saturday, racked up endorsements from prominent Republicans including U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and former presidential candidate Bob Dole. Rubio and Cruz came out of South Carolina with sharper criticism of Trump, who swept the Southern state with a comfortable margin of victory. At the same time, the two senators’ rivalry intensified - and soured. Cruz fired his main spokesman, Rick Tyler, on Monday afternoon over a video that falsely showed Rubio dismissing the Bible. Tyler had apologized late on Sunday for posting “an inaccurate story” involving a video purporting to show Rubio referring to the Bible and saying, “Not many answers in it.” Tyler had retweeted a link to the misleading video and posted it on Facebook. Cruz fired Tyler the next day, saying his campaign did not question the faith of other candidates. “That’s why I’m asking for Rick Tyler’s resignation,” Cruz said. The first-term senators from Texas and Florida are locked in a battle to become their party’s alternative to political outsider Trump in Nevada’s caucus on Tuesday, the last Republican presidential contest before the busy voting month of March. Tyler’s dismissal came amid intense criticism of the Cruz campaign as dishonest from both Rubio and Trump. Rubio spokesman Alex Conant called Cruz a “candidate willing to do or say anything to get elected” and urged him to apologize. “There is a culture in the Cruz campaign, from top to bottom, that no lie is too big and no trick too dirty,” he said. Trump seized the opportunity to pile on Cruz, whom he has repeatedly characterized as a liar. “Wow, Ted Cruz falsely suggested Marco Rubio mocked the Bible and was just forced to fire his Communications Director. More dirty tricks!” the billionaire businessman from New York said on Twitter. “Ted Cruz has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support!,” continued Trump, who has derided Cruz for failing to live up to expectations he would get solid support from evangelical Christians in South Carolina. Trump was the big winner in that state on Saturday, finishing ahead of Rubio by 10 percentage points. Opinion polls show Rubio and Cruz running close in Nevada, and both candidates hope to get a boost going into the contests in a dozen states on March 1. Super Tuesday is the crown jewel in the state-by-state nominating contests to pick the Republican and Democratic candidates for the Nov. 8 presidential election. Rubio on Monday also secured the backing of three Republican leaders from Nevada: U.S. Senator Dean Heller and U.S. Representatives Cresent Hardy and Mark Amodei. Senator Hatch said that, unlike many in the Republican establishment, he did not dislike Trump. “I just feel that Rubio is the more serious candidate. And I feel he has the background to be able to really help turn this mess around,” Hatch told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson, Megan Cassella, Susan Cornwell, Eric Beech; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis) This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.

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Cause of Severe Injury at Pipeline Protest Becomes New Point of Dispute - The New York Times

Sophia Wilansky, 21, who grew up in the Bronx, rested in a Minneapolis hospital bed, her father by her side, recovering from surgery to try to save her left hand and arm after an explosion at a pipeline protest in North Dakota this week. “From an inch below the elbow, to an inch above her wrist, the muscle is blown off,” her father, Wayne Wilansky, said from the hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center. “The radius bone, a significant amount of it, is blown away. The arteries inside her arm are blown away. The median nerve is mostly blown away. ” As many as 20 operations lie ahead, Mr. Wilansky said, and it was unclear whether she would keep the arm. Her injury is the most serious to have been reported during months of increasingly acrimonious conflict over the Dakota Access Pipeline, which Native American tribes, led by the Standing Rock Sioux, fear would pollute the Missouri River and harm sacred cultural lands and tribal burial grounds. The project was delayed in September when the Obama administration temporarily blocked it from crossing under the Missouri River. And this month, President Obama called on both sides to show restraint and revealed that the Army Corps of Engineers was considering an alternative route for the project. But Kelcy Warren, the chief executive of the pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, told The Associated Press last week that it would not consider a different route. On Wednesday, Gov. Jack Dalrymple, Senator John Hoeven and Representative Kevin Cramer, all North Dakota Republicans, urged Mr. Obama to authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to allow construction to resume. All the while, the protests have gone on, and the polarization between the police and protesters extended to their sharply differing explanations of how Ms. Wilansky was injured early Monday. Law enforcement accounts suggest that fellow protesters caused the explosion the demonstrators insist the police are to blame. The clash that led to Ms. Wilansky’s injury began Sunday night when protesters with homemade wood and plastic shields tried to dismantle obstacles, including burned vehicles and concrete barriers, and push past a bridge to the pipeline construction site. They were turned back by officers using water hoses several protesters were treated for hypothermia. Mr. Wilansky, who spoke by telephone and checked details with his daughter as he did, said the explosion had taken place around 4 a. m. Monday, when most of the protesters were gathered around a bonfire near the foot of the bridge. His daughter and a handful of others were farther up on the bridge, he said, “playing around,” using pieces of plastic and wood as sleds to skid across icy sections of the highway, when an officer began firing foam or plastic bullets at her and another person. “She was backing away as they were shooting her,” Mr. Wilansky said, adding that someone from the police lines then threw a device, which he called a grenade, that hit her in the forearm and exploded. Lt. Tom Iverson of the North Dakota Highway Patrol offered a different version of the episode, which he said was being investigated by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Around the time of the explosion, Lieutenant Iverson said, officers fired sponge and beanbag rounds at three people who had shielded themselves behind a length of plywood near a burned vehicle on the bridge. The three were thought to be acting suspiciously and refused orders to emerge, he said. Officers saw someone roll metal cylinders to the protesters by the burned vehicle, Lieutenant Iverson said, and then heard an explosion. Afterward, he said, several protesters ran up, pulled a woman from under the vehicle and ran off. Three propane canisters were recovered from the vicinity of the explosion early Tuesday, he said. Lieutenant Iverson said that officers did not use concussion or flash grenades at any time. Instead, officers used tear gas, pepper spray canisters and what are known as stinger balls, round grenadelike objects that spread tiny rubber pellets to try to disperse protesters, he said. Mr. Wilansky said that doctors in Minnesota had removed fragments from his daughter’s arm that he hoped could be used to find out what caused the injury and to hold someone responsible. Ms. Wilansky headed to North Dakota around the beginning of November, bringing a subzero sleeping bag and planning to stay through the winter with the protesters, who call themselves “water protectors. ” Friends said they were not surprised that Ms. Wilansky would gravitate to the North Dakota protest. She had also protested the construction by Spectra Energy of a natural gas pipeline in New York. In June, she locked herself to an excavator at a natural gas pipeline dig in Vermont. About three weeks later, she was arrested in Massachusetts after lying down in a trench dug for the West Roxbury Lateral pipeline. “Every time I talked with her she was doing something new, going to a rally,” said Rebecca Berlin, 23, from Yorktown Heights, N. Y. “She was really plugged in, really passionate. ”

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Part 2 Mother & Child Worship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWtZPg2RP-M

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ANGELINA JOLIE HUMILIATED Barack Obama On World Stage Over Weak Leadership On Terrorism

It s good to know there are a few Hollywood celebrities who haven t bought into Obama s false messiah B.S During an appearance before the U.K. s House of Lords on Tuesday, Hollywood actress and human rights advocate Angelina Jolie spoke out about how Islamic State group militants use sexual violence as a means to perpetuate terrorism and about how we need strong leadership (unlike that of President Barack Obama) to overcome this threat.Jolie s excoriating speech laid bare just how anemic and pitiful Obama s response to ISIS has been, and how ISIS is being allowed to build a society based on rape, violence, and of course Shariah law. They are dictating it as policy beyond what we have seen before, Jolie said. They are saying, We should do this, this is the right way to build a society, so we tell you to rape. Islamic militants are basically building a civilization not focused on growing food or educating children, but rather on kidnapping, enslaving and raping women, to perpetuate the endless cycle of terrorism, and Obama has allowed these barbaric radical Muslims to thrive. The most aggressive terrorist group in the world today knows what we know, knows that it is a very effective weapon and they are using it as a centrepoint of their terror and their way of destroying communities and families, and attacking and dehumanising, Jolie explained. For over 10 years, I had been visiting the field and meeting families and survivors of sexual violence who felt for so long that their voices simply didn t mater, they weren t heard, and they carried a great shame, Jolie continued.She added that we need a very, very strong response at this time to stop this horrific behavior. Of course, we have been calling on Obama to make that strong response for years, but he s far more interested in race baiting back home than dealing a death blow to radical Islam.Jolie does have some measure of expertise in the matters she s speaking of. As she told the Houses of Parliament, she has been campaigning for Middle Eastern victims of sexual abuse for over a decade (H/T The Gateway Pundit).Below is an excerpt of Jolie s address, this part dealing with some of her encounters with young rape victims.https://youtu.be/KBmHnzjgwSkIt seems like Jolie is someone whose words President Obama should heed. Will our president actually take the time though to listen, learn and adjust his failed strategy against what he once referred to as the JV team? Only time will tell but we wouldn t want to put any money on it. Via: Conservative Tribune

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Airbnb Goes Full SJW And Demands Users Host Deviants Of Every Kind In Their Home

Home This Month Popular Airbnb Goes Full SJW And Demands Users Host Deviants Of Every Kind In Their Home Airbnb Goes Full SJW And Demands Users Host Deviants Of Every Kind In Their Home David G. Brown David is a lifelong dissident and intellectual rebel. He despises political correctness, which replaces real, needy victims with narcissistic leftists out for a free meal. Though still a young man, he has watched society descend into its present morass with great sadness, combined with a determination to help make things better. He tweets when there's something worth tweeting here . October 30, 2016 News You commit to treat everyone–regardless of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or age–with respect, and without judgment or bias. — Airbnb’s new SJW diktat Short-term residential accommodation network Airbnb is forcing its providers to adhere to a new “nondiscrimination” policy , including a requirement to accept transgender people. The policy takes effect on November 1 and is accompanied by a slew of other recent or impending changes, which Airbnb says are designed to make its “community” more “inclusive.” Those who refuse to accept the main nondiscrimination policy will barred from listing their properties with Airbnb. The major problem with Airbnb’s new nondiscrimination provisions is that they really just represent an euphemism—bowing to a customer’s feelings, rather than proven discrimination. The overall framework of the company’s policy alterations assumes that those accommodation providers accused of discrimination are actually guilty of it. This rush to judgment gives little or no recourse to those who depend on Airbnb to generate an income. It also makes it very easy for certain protected groups, most notably transgender people, to falsely or very loosely claim discrimination, when, in fact, the issue is likely to be the prospective guest’s temperament or perceived reliability in respecting the property. Secondly, the policy changes ignore the unique nature of sharing economy sites like Airbnb. Accommodation providers are often accepting guests into their literal homes, or their sole investment property. Whereas hotels have round-the-clock staff, including security, Airbnb properties are much more informal and unsupervised. Providers therefore have good reasons to be very judicious about who exactly they let into their residences. Airbnb’s “Open Doors” policy treats any discrimination complaint as gospel truth Brian Chesky must’ve drank the same poisoned water as fellow tech SJW Jack Dorsey of Twitter. We’ll be implementing a new policy called Open Doors. Starting October 1st, if a Guest anywhere in the world feels like they have been discriminated against in violation of our policy – in trying to book a listing, having a booking canceled, or in any other interaction with a host – we will find that Guest a similar place to stay if one is available on Airbnb, or if not, we will find them an alternative accommodation elsewhere. — Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO and co-founder In addition to dictating what kinds of guests can enter their providers’ properties, another one of Airbnb’s new policies, which is already in force, treats those accused of discrimination as immediately guilty. Rather than determining whether discrimination has occurred, Airbnb has made it clear that it will bend over backwards to find those claiming discrimination other accommodation within its network or, more strangely still, alternative accommodation outside its network. The second arm of this “discrimination response” will become very interesting indeed should privately-owned Airbnb decide to go public. It is hard to see how shareholders would acquiesce to a company offering customers third-party accommodation options that effectively deprive it of money. Airbnb is simply trying to have its cake and eat it, too. On the one hand, it wants to create as wide a market for itself as possible, now having providers offering 2,000,000 listings in 34,000 cities around the world. On the other hand, however, it wants to assume total control for determining what is and what is not discrimination, despite having no ability to verify pretty much any of the accusations. Airbnb are mere gatekeepers, providing a rudimentary service that makes its bucks by the sheer volume of providers. These same providers should not suffer because of the company’s “thinly-spread” business model. Allegations of discrimination have been scant at best We don’t question the right of people to be selective about new housemates, so why not Airbnb providers and their guests? Various news articles reporting on the shift in Airbnb policies have only been able to point to isolated instances of even alleged , let alone proven discrimination. The best that SJW enablers can offer is a deeply flawed Harvard study, which claimed that prospective guests with stereotypical African-American names like LaToya and Darnell were 16 percent less likely to be approved by the company’s accommodation providers. Considering that a guest’s profile provides a lot more information than just their name, the Harvard “research” leaves a lot to be desired. Moreover, names like “Cletus” and “Mary-Sue” would arguably garner even less approvals. Both these “white” names and the aforementioned African-American names usually dovetail with some of America’s least sophisticated and worldly types, the exact kinds of people least likely to be allowed into someone’s home. It has precious little to do with race and almost everything to do with run-of-the-mill decisions about how to safeguard one’s own property by entrusting it to the right people. Such decisions are routinely accepted when new housemates are sought, so why not with Airbnb? Has Airbnb signed its own execution order? . @bookingcom is better than @Airbnb : cheaper prices, always instant booking, tons of apartment listings, better interface, and no SJW crap. — Roosh (@rooshv) October 29, 2016 Just as Roosh swears by Booking.com, there are plenty of other options you can take in avoiding Airbnb from now on. Like Twitter, the company is quickly falling under the spell of the SJW crowd. It seems certain that, minus a backtrack, Airbnb and its reputation will follow Jack Dorsey’s company into the abyss. Unlike Twitter, though, Airbnb may never make the jump to publicly-listed company. We live in very sad times for freedom. But there’s one freedom we can all exercise now–staying the hell away from Airbnb and its SJW madness.

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‘Loving’ Christians Make Plans To Harass Thousands Of People At DC Rally

A group of about 1,000 Christians planned to attend next week s Reason Rally in Washington, D.C., so they could hand out literature and about $25,000 in Subway gift cards. The purpose was to show the atheists that would be there some so-called Christian love. However, the D.C. police have put a stop to that, saying they would have to get a separate permit, and stay on the other side of the National Mall, because such a gathering constitutes a protest.Organizer Ray Comfort told Christian NewsWire the following: In what is so often a cruel world, we tried to show a little kindness and it didn t work. So it now looks like we will be eating Subway sandwiches for the next 40 years. Oh, no. What to do, what to do? Comfort will still be allowed to film the event, because his film crew is too small to need a permit. Since the Reason Rally is free and open to the public, Comfort is now encouraging Christians to go as individuals, and not as a group, so they can still proselytize to the atheists there. That s their M.O. force their religion down the throats of anyone who doesn t believe in any way possible.While Comfort can understand the perspective of the police they re trying to maintain peace there s a solid chance that there will be Christians there who don t get it at all, and only see their so-called mission from God, to convert these heathens. For instance, Eric Hovind, writing on Creation Today, said: On June 4, 2016 we will be gathering in Washington, D.C. to share the love of Christ with a group of people who practice the religion of Selfianity. That s right, they self identify as Atheists in order to become worshipers of themselves. Oh, please. Hovind is one of those that thinks atheists (and other non-Christians) are the root of what s wrong with the world. He won t be the only one there to think that way, either.Hovind calls his blog post REASON hits the Reason Rally 2016, in a lame attempt to demonstrate that Christianity is the only reason there is. He s one of those that will probably end up hounding the atheists that attend.There is one good thing to come out of this. Some readers of The Friendly Atheist were able to convince Ray Comfort to give those Subway gift cards to the homeless. That there is true Christian love helping the downtrodden. They need to spend more time doing that, and less time trying to convert people to their religion and taking over the country.Featured image by Brambmanu. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons

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As Taliban Depends More on Heroin, Anti-Cultivation Efforts Plummet

Efforts to eradicate opium in Afghanistan dropped by nearly 90 percent last year as the cultivation of the illicit drug, which as heroin provides an estimated 60 percent of Taliban funding, reached unprecedented levels. [The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) a U. S. watchdog agency, published a report revealing the alarming trend this week. Meanwhile, a heroin crisis deemed the worst drug addiction epidemic in U. S. history has gripped the United States. Although the DEA estimates that only about one percent of the heroin in the United States originates from Afghanistan, the world’s top producer of opium, some analysts believe it is impossible that only such small amount reaches American soil. The DEA has acknowledged that the majority of heroin in neighboring Canada is produced in Afghanistan. As heroin overdose deaths in the United States have reached historic levels, surpassing gun homicides, the U. S. is spending millions to treat addiction in Afghanistan. “The United States has committed more than $8. 5 billion to counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan, the country still leads the world in opium production, and Afghan farmers are growing more opium than ever,” notes SIGAR in its latest quarterly report to Congress, the last to cover the Barack Obama administration. Citing the United Nations, SIGAR points out that eradication efforts in 2016 “were the lowest this decade at 355 hectares — a 91% decrease from 2015,” while opium production skyrocketed 43 percent over 2015’s levels, to an estimated 4, 800 tons. Afghan territory under opium cultivation also increased this year by 10 percent, to 201, 000 hectares (about 776 square miles) compared to last year’s total. The area under opium cultivation is equivalent to more than 11 times the size of Washington, D. C. SIGAR notes, “The opium produced is exported as either raw opium or consumed domestically in different forms, seized, stored, or lost. ” American Gen. John Nicholson, the top commander of U. S. and NATO forces, estimated at the end of last year that the Taliban generates more than half of its funding from the lucrative opium business. “They [the Taliban] receive much of their funding from the narcotics trafficking that occurs out of Helmand,” the commander told reporters in December. “As you know, Helmand produces a significant amount of the opium globally that turns into heroin and this provides about 60 percent of the Taliban funding, we believe. ” For years, the Pentagon has reported that revenue from opium trafficking is sustaining the insurgency in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Taliban has grown stronger and is believed to have captured more territory under former President Barack Obama than at any time since it was removed from power by the U. S. military in 2001. “While opium is not counted in official GDP [Gross Domestic Product] estimates, its earnings boost domestic demand and are a significant source of foreign exchange,” reveals SIGAR. “The 2016 value of opium production was almost $900 million, roughly 5% of GDP, and a 57% increase over 2015. ” John Sopko, chief of SIGAR, has acknowledged that the cultivation and trafficking of opium in Afghanistan puts the entire estimated $117 billion U. S. taxpayer investment in the reconstruction of Afghanistan at risk. In February 2015, Sopko told lawmakers: The narcotics trade, which not only supports the insurgency but also feeds organized crime and corruption, puts the gains the U. S. agencies and their international partners have achieved over the past 13 years in women’s issues, health, education, rule of law, and governance in jeopardy. Helmand, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan that borders Pakistan, remains the country’s main opium province. More than half of the province is currently under the control or influence of terrorists. The DEA claims most of the heroin in the United States is produced in Mexico. However, an article published by the Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) a patient advocacy group, criticizes the Obama administration and the mainstream media for misleading the American public about the influx of heroin from Afghanistan. The article cites William Edstrom, identified as a scientist and author of articles in scientific journals, including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, as writing: Heroin from Mexico cannot supply even 10% of US heroin demand. Yet the DEA claims most heroin in the US is from Mexico. Most heroin in the US is coming from Afghanistan. We’re getting hit with the largest ever illicit drug epidemic in American history and the DEA is asleep at the wheel. Using U. N. data, Breitbart News has determined that opium production has dramatically increased since the U. S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. SIGAR notes that the U. N. may have underestimated its most recent estimate for historic opium production in 2016 given the international body’s inability to reach various regions for security reasons. The U. N. “delivers estimates for only a single harvest, yet credible reports indicate that Afghan farmers have been reaping multiple harvests in recent years,” adds the inspector general.

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China And Russia Chase US Destroyer Away After Trump’s Navy Creeps Up On North Korea

Trump s loyalty to Vladimir Putin is being tested like never before. On one hand The Donald really wants a war with North Korea. On the other, both Russia and China have told him to back the f*ck off and the Associated Press reports that these warnings are becoming more forceful after Trump s Navy sent a Destroyer into the Korean Peninsula:China and Russia have dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the USS Carl Vinson nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which is heading toward waters near the Korean Peninsula, multiple sources of the Japanese government revealed to The Yomiuri Shimbun.It appears that both countries aim to probe the movements of the United States, which is showing a stance of not excluding military action against North Korea. The Self-Defense Forces are strengthening warning and surveillance activities in the waters and airspace around the area, according to the sources.China and Russia, which prioritize stability in the Korean Peninsula, showed concern over the tough U.S. stance, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying the issue should be resolved peacefully through political and diplomatic efforts.The dispatch of the intelligence-gathering vessels appears to be partly aimed at sending a warning signal to the United States.Recently, Donald Trump stopped calling China a currency manipulator after his companies were granted 38 lucrative trademarks in the country (including for an escort service). As for Russia, we all know what Putin s people did for The Donald.At this point, it is surprising that the United States has any allies left given how Trump has treated them, and countries like Russia and China with whom we enjoy a shaky relationship at best (especially when the former recently committed numerous acts of war against the U.S. during the election), and Trump is testing our bonds with every single friend and frenemy we have.As Trump pushes us toward war with North Korea, he fails to consider that both Russia and China are likely to step in if he goes all Rambo on the tiny island dictatorship.Featured image via screengrab

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JUST IN: UK LEADER Who Criticized President Trump For Tweeting About ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS Is Victim Of Assassination Plot By ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS

According to CNN UK Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a rare public admonishment to US President Donald Trump on Thursday, declaring that he was wrong to share anti-Muslim videos posted online by a hateful British far-right group.May, facing intense pressure to cancel a planned state visit by Trump, was forced to address the controversy in person after the President criticized her on Twitter. But she insisted the US-UK relationship would survive the storm, and suggested the visit by Trump would go ahead.As the extraordinary diplomatic clash stretched into a second day, the British ambassador to the US revealed he had expressed concerns to the White House about the affair. Trump also faced an unprecedented barrage of criticism in UK Parliament, where MPs variously called him racist, fascist and evil. Some suggested he should quit Twitter.Donald Trump responded to Theresa May s criticism of his Britain First retweets by tweeting back to her: Theresa@theresamay, don t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine! Many, including us, wonder if British Prime Minister Theresa May is still feeling the same way about Islamic extremists in the UK after her own life was threatened by the same group of people she attempted to defend last week.Less than one week later, British Intelligence announced that they ve foiled a plot by Islamic extremists to assassinate Prime Minister Theresa May.The disrupted plot against May included an explosive device that terrorists planned to detonate in front of May s residence on Downing Street, according to Sky News. It is in essence an extreme Islamist suicide plot against Downing Street, Sky correspondent Martin Brunt said. Essentially police believe that the plan was to launch some sort of improvised explosive device at Downing Street and in the ensuing chaos attack and kill Theresa May, the Prime Minister. Sky s Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: It s the latest in a number of terror plots that police and MI5 believe they ve foiled this year. I understand that the head of MI5, Andrew Parker, briefed Cabinet ministers today, such is the seriousness of what they believed they have uncovered. It is in essence an extreme Islamist suicide plot against Downing Street. Essentially police believe that the plan was to launch some sort of improvised explosive device at Downing Street and in the ensuing chaos attack and kill Theresa May, the Prime Minister. This is something which has been pursued over several weeks at least by Scotland Yard, MI5 and West Midlands Police. It came to a head last week with the arrest of two men, by armed police, who were charged with preparing acts of terrorism. Naa imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, from north London and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, from south-east Birmingham are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on terror charges on Wednesday morning.On Tuesday MI5 revealed that it had prevented nine terror attacks in the UK in the past year but several attackers have still got through.The plot was just one in a number of planned attacks this year that cops and British security services have been able to prevent, Sky said.It was not clear Tuesday night what stage the plot was in or if any suspects have been arrested. NYP

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President Paul? Wall Street on high alert

A verdict in 2017 could have sweeping consequences for tech startups.

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Watchdog That Shepherded Panama Papers Now Constrained by Finances - The New York Times

WASHINGTON — As news outlets round the world continued to publish revelations from the Panama Papers, the nonprofit organization that coordinated the project was preparing to move out of its offices here in an effort to cut costs. The organization, called the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, was already forced to part with three contract journalists who had helped its small staff shepherd the project. And three other budgeted positions, it was told, would have to be left unfilled for now. Its brief shining moment in the journalistic spotlight was being complicated by much more familiar issues. Like so many of its peers in nonprofit journalism, the consortium is subject to the financial headwinds buffeting the industry as a whole. In this case, it is feeling ripple effects from the financial struggles of its parent organization, the Center for Public Integrity, the venerable nonprofit investigative news organization that controls the consortium’s budget. The financial pinch has created dual realities for the consortium, damping morale and escalating tensions with its parent, even as the impact of the Panama Papers has dramatically increased its global profile. The consortium’s problems also represent a potential setback in the search for new ways to finance and pursue journalism at a time when traditional news organizations, and even new digital operations, are seeking workable business models. In the nonprofit segment of the industry, which has inspired hope as a way forward, it has exposed a particularly hard truth: Financing even the most successful investigative reporting unit is hard and often inconsistent. “You always want more staff and more funding,” the consortium’s director, Gerard Ryle, said. “But I have to accept the situation as it is. My job is to get on with things no matter what. ” Financial uneasiness is nothing new for the Center for Public Integrity, which ran yearly operating deficits from 2005 to 2007, and again in 2011. Peter Bale, who took over the organization last year after a stint at CNN International, said the organization was still trying to recover from that legacy — including a $2. 1 million deficit in unrestricted net assets that he said he had inherited from his predecessor, whose editorial gambles have drawn criticism. That deficit, which the board has said cannot grow, has forced him to make cuts, Mr. Bale said, while honoring funding agreements and the center’s editorial imperatives. But Bill Buzenberg, who led the center from 2007 to 2015, disputed that assessment, saying that a deficit in general support is not unusual for nonprofits. It becomes a problem, he said, when annual from specific programs and objectives declines. “I kept telling them, you have to raise money like crazy this year for next,” Mr. Buzenberg said. “I’m not sure that happened. ” The center is expected to raise $9. 3 million this year, down from around $11 million last year, Mr. Bale said, noting that grants to the center are often paid out over multiple years. He has had to consider cuts anywhere he can find them, not just at the consortium. The Center for Public Integrity laid off two prizewinning senior investigative reporters of its own in May and is delaying hiring for open positions. The financial woes have strained the relationship between two organizations that David E. Kaplan, who ran the consortium from 2008 to 2011, says have always been awkward partners. The consortium was founded in 1997 as a branch of the center to focus on international investigations, but it quickly developed its own ethos. “These are two different organizations in culture, structure and methodology,” said Mr. Kaplan, who resigned in protest in 2011 during a period of particular tension between the groups. The differences have only intensified as the consortium has grown under Mr. Ryle, an investigative journalist who worked in Australia before taking the position. Its budget has roughly tripled, to almost $2 million this year, and its staff has grown threefold, to about a dozen, including contractors, after the cuts. It has also deliberately moved away from the journalistic model of its parent organization, in search of a more effective way to investigate and distribute stories across borders at a relatively low cost. The model, in which the consortium coordinates teams of reporters around the world to work collaboratively on a single big source base, has been increasingly successful, aiding in investigations of international interest, like “Lux Leaks,” which in 2014 exposed how Luxembourg had helped hundreds of international companies cut their taxes through preferential deals, and “Swiss Leaks,” which a year later exposed how HSBC helped the rich evade taxes. With the Panama Papers, the consortium assembled its largest team to date, carefully coordinating with almost 400 journalists from 70 countries to pore over a single enormous leak of documents. Using research tools developed by the consortium, the team exposed a vast network of offshore banks and shell companies used by the world’s powerful and rich to hide their wealth. Their findings have prompted investigations in dozens of countries, forced political ousters — including the prime minister of Iceland — and inspired policy debates around the world. The Panama Papers also brought a new level of renown to the consortium. And it prompted peers and supporters to wonder whether the organization could provide a model for a segment of the journalism industry particularly hard hit by shrinking budgets and other market forces. “Given the need to operate within the budgets we have, I. C. I. J. has done an astounding job,” Mr. Bale said of the consortium, adding that he hoped the Center for Public Integrity could incorporate some of its techniques. Mr. Bale acknowledged that tensions between the two groups had increased and might fan the desire by some at the consortium to spin off into a separate organization. That, he said, would be a mistake the center’s board opposes such a move. could help, and both Mr. Bale and Mr. Ryle said they hoped the consortium’s increased profile would attract support to help stabilize the center’s overall finances. But for now, the cutbacks at the consortium are particularly painful. The group has spent much of the last two weeks moving up five floors from its own offices into the center’s. And though Mr. Ryle said he hoped to be able to hire back some of the contractors he had let go, for now, he said, he would have to make do with less. “It gives you an enormous amount of freedom in the journalism,” Mr. Ryle said of the nonprofit model, “but you have to accept that there is a cost sometimes on the other side. ” For Ryan Chittum, one of the three contractors who left last month after more than a year working on the Panama Papers, the timing is as frustrating as it is ironic. “There’s still a lot to do on that story — it’s just kind of an unfortunate commentary on the fragility of journalism,” Mr. Chittum said. “It’s not like I make huge dollars, but we don’t have money to do it right now. ”

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White House open to small changes on corporate tax rate: budget chief Mulvaney

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is willing to consider a small increase on the corporate tax rate if it is needed to finalize the bill in the U.S. Congress, White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said on Sunday. Mulvaney made his comments after President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the corporate tax rate could end up at 22 percent once the Senate and House of Representatives reconcile or “conference” their respective versions of the legislation, even though both bills currently stand at 20 percent. “My understanding is that the Senate (bill) has a 20 percent rate now. The House has a 20 percent rate now. We’re happy with both of those numbers,” Mulvaney said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “If something small happens in conference that gets us across the finish line, we’ll look at it on a case-by-case basis. But I don’t think you’ll see any significant change in our position on the corporate taxes,” Mulvaney said.

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WHOA! DNC Releases Statement Suggesting Dallas Sniper And Black Lives Matter Protesters Are Linked

Of course tomorrow morning, the Democrat Party will put their heads together and after hours of damage control, they will tell Americans Wasserman-Schultz didn t really mean what she said. What is it about women in the Democrat Party (Hillary) who don t really mean what they say?The Democratic National Committee has released a statement about the shooting of 11 police officers in Dallas tonight. The shooting took place at a Black Lives Matter protest against the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of police this week. In a press conference, the chief of the police department clearly said that there is no known link between the snipers and the protesters.Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz didn t get that memo. The statement from the DNC looks like this:Pay attention to that penultimate paragraph. The last line, in particular, is noteworthy. And while most protesters have made their voices heard peacefully, tonight s shooting of officers in Dallas is unacceptable and a reminder that the time to address these tensions and find common ground is long overdue. What are you implying here, DWS?Image via: TwitterVia: Mediate

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Border Patrol Agent Died after Being Stabbed by Cartel Member, Says DHS Secretary Kelly

A Tweet quotes Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly saying a Border Patrol agent died last night after being stabbed in the face by a cartel member. [Huffington Post politics and immigration reporter Elise Foley Tweeted on Thursday, “DHS Secretary John Kelly says a CBP officer died last night after being stabbed in the face by a cartel member. ” DHS Secretary John Kelly says a CBP officer died last night after being stabbed in the face by a cartel member. — Elise Foley (@elisefoley) May 25, 2017, This was followed shortly by a Tweet from U. S. Customs and Border Protection’s Twitter account stating that Border Patrol Agent Isaac Morales had died. “CBP mourns the loss of USBP Agent Isaac Morales. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fellow agents during this difficult time — KM,” the Tweet states. CBP mourns the loss of USBP Agent Isaac Morales. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fellow agents during this difficult time — KM pic. twitter. — CBP (@CustomsBorder) May 25, 2017, A statement from the El Paso Police Department obtained by Breitbart Texas states the incident began on May 20 when Agent Morales and his girlfriend walked to their car from a bar they attended. The suspect, later identified as Hisaias Justo Lopez, 39, walked up to the couple, and another couple they were walking with and began an unprovoked confrontation. Morales identified himself to Lopez as a Border Patrol agent. The suspect then pulled a knife and stabbed Morales, Sgt. Enrique Carrillo wrote in a statement. Lopez reportedly fled and Morales pursued him, along with his friend and other witnesses. Suddenly, Lopez turned and stabbed Morales in the face, Carillo stated. Witnesses eventually tackled Lopez and held him for police. Emergency medical personnel transported Morales to an area hospital where they listed him in critical condition. Morales died from his wounds on Thursday. Jail officials told Breitbart Texas Lopez is a U. S. citizen, born in Modesto, California. Lopez is being held in the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $2 million bond, officials stated. He is charged with murder. Officials stated Lopez is being held in an isolation cell, meaning he is in lockdown 23 hours per day. Breitbart Texas reached out to Lopez’ attorney, Robert Ramos, for comment. A person in Ramos’ office stated the attorney will not make a comment regarding his client. “Agent Morales entered on duty with the U. S. Border Patrol February 18, 2008 as a member of border patrol academy class 749,” CBP officials wrote in a statement published by KVIA ABC7 in El Paso. “Please join the Border Patrol in offering condolences to the family, friends and of Agent Isaac Morales as they cope with this loss. We ask our community to keep Agent Morales’s loved ones in their thoughts and prayers during the difficult days ahead. ” CBS4 in El Paso captured police and Border Patrol officers and agents escorting the body of Agent Morales from the hospital. Officials with the National Border Patrol Council Local 3307 Tweeted a statement of condolence following the loss of a fellow agent. “Our hears are heavy as we morun the loss of BP Agent Isaac Morales, may he rest in peace,” the Rio Grande Valley Sector union Tweeted. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of BP Agent Isaac Morales, may he rest in peace https: . via @elpasotimes, — BORDER PATROL RGVTX (@rgv3307) May 25, 2017, This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.

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SpaceX Says It’s Ready to Launch Rockets Again - The New York Times

After the explosion in September of one of its rockets, SpaceX is now ready to get back into the business of sending payloads to space, the company announced on Monday, with its next rocket headed to orbit as soon as Sunday. In a statement, SpaceX — or more formally, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation — said that an investigation had determined the likely cause: an unexpected interplay of supercold helium and oxygen with carbon fibers and aluminum. The statement Monday added technical details about what went wrong, and the company said it had devised workarounds to prevent a recurrence. The cascade of explosions on Sept. 1 that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida was perplexing and concerning, because it occurred during what is usually regarded as a safer portion of operations — the fueling of propellants — about eight minutes before the ignition of the engines for a planned test. (The launch had been scheduled for two days later.) The trouble appeared to start near the liquid oxygen tank on the second stage of the rocket, and in less than a tenth of a second, that section was in flames, followed by the destruction of the entire rocket and a $200 million communications satellite whose customers included Facebook, which had planned to use it to expand internet services in Africa. Under current federal laws, investigations into such explosions are led by the company that built the rocket, not by a government agency. The investigation panel included representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Air Force, NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board. Falcon 9 rockets are used to carry NASA cargo to the International Space Station and are to provide transportation for astronauts beginning in 2018. SpaceX is also competing to win contracts to launch Department of Defense spy satellites. With few obvious clues to the explosion, the company initially considered hypotheses like sabotage, that a sniper had fired a shot rupturing the oxygen tank from the roof of a competitor’s building nearby. “The accident investigation team worked systematically through an extensive fault tree analysis,” SpaceX said in its statement. The investigation narrowed in on three helium containers within the liquid oxygen tank. The containers consist of an aluminum liner with an outer layer of strong carbon fibers. During launch, as the liquid oxygen is consumed, the helium is heated and released to maintain pressure within the tank. In December 2015, SpaceX began using an upgraded Falcon 9 design that uses supercooled liquid oxygen at minus 340 degrees, 40 degrees colder than what is typically used. The lower temperature makes the oxygen denser, which improves engine thrust. But the helium was even colder. As the carbon and aluminum cool, they shrink at different rates, opening gaps into which liquid oxygen could flow. In addition, the helium may have been below the temperature at which oxygen freezes, and some of the trapped oxygen may have become solid. “Really surprising problem that’s never been encountered before in the history of rocketry,” Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, said in an interview on CNBC in November. Both carbon and aluminum can burn, and with oxygen sandwiched in between, all of the ingredients for a conflagration were present. Friction or the breaking of fibers could have provided the energy for ignition, the company said. Tests at SpaceX’s facilities in Hawthorne, Calif. and McGregor, Tex. supported that conclusion, the company said. The configuration of the helium containers has been shifted, and the fueling procedures will change so that the helium will be warmer, SpaceX said. The next SpaceX launch is to carry a of satellites for Iridium Communications, which provides communications services including satellite telephones through a constellation of satellites. Iridium is looking to replace the surviving 65 original satellites with 70 new satellites, each about the size of a Mini Cooper car. A month ago, Iridium issued a statement saying it hoped that SpaceX would be able to launch its satellites in but less than a week later, SpaceX said it was pushing back the launch date to early January. The Iridium satellite is to be launched by SpaceX from a leased launchpad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. For launches from Florida, SpaceX hopes to complete renovations at Launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, once used for space shuttle launches. SpaceX is tentatively aiming to resume cargo flights to the space station this month.

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WHO IS THIS WOMAN And Why Did Hillary Have Her Copy Top Secret Info…Does She Hold The Secrets To Emailgate?

Well, this is rich Hillary Clinton had her housekeeper print out sensitive government e-mails and documents! The former Secretary of State lectured her employees to remind them of how to keep information secure (video below) yet she s playing loose and free with top secret documents!What if Marina Santos was a spy for a foreign government that was hostile to the US? Ms. Santos is now in hot water and should be called upon to testify. The big question you re probably asking about now is why the heck Santos wasn t subpoenaed? Marina Santos could hold the secrets to Emailgate! You REALLY can t make this stuff up!As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton routinely asked her maid to print out sensitive government e-mails and documents including ones containing classified information from her house in Washington, DC, e-mails and FBI memos show. But the housekeeper lacked the security clearance to handle such material.In fact, Marina Santos was called on so frequently to receive e-mails that she may hold the secrets to E-mailgate if only the FBI and Congress would subpoena her and the equipment she used.Clinton entrusted far more than the care of her DC residence, known as Whitehaven, to Santos. She expected the Filipino immigrant to handle state secrets, further opening the Democratic presidential nominee to criticism that she played fast and loose with national security.Clinton would first receive highly sensitive e-mails from top aides at the State Department and then request that they, in turn, forward the messages and any attached documents to Santos to print out for her at the home.Among other things, Clinton requested Santos print out drafts of her speeches, confidential memos and call sheets background information and talking points prepared for the secretary of state in advance of a phone call with a foreign head of state. Pls ask Marina to print for me in am, Clinton e-mailed top aide Huma Abedin regarding a redacted 2011 message marked sensitive but unclassified.In a classified 2012 e-mail dealing with the new president of Malawi, another Clinton aide, Monica Hanley, advised Clinton, We can ask Marina to print this. Revisions to the Iran points was the subject line of a classified April 2012 e-mail to Clinton from Hanley. In it, the text reads, Marina is trying to print for you. Both classified e-mails were marked confidential, the tier below secret or top secret. Santos also had access to a highly secure room called an SCIF (sensitive compartmented information facility) that diplomatic security agents set up at Whitehaven, according to FBI notes from an interview with Abedin.From within the SCIF, Santos who had no clearance collected documents from the secure facsimile machine for Clinton, the FBI notes revealed.Read more: NYP

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Western operative Baghdadi announces arrival of more terrorists around Mosul - Russia News Now

This post was originally published on this site sott.net/news ISIS media channels announced the arrival of the so-called “al-Sham battalion” to be deployed in the different regions of Mosul, in order to boost the morale of its fighters, Iraqi media outlets reported on Thursday. Al Sumaria News stated, “ISIS media channels announced the arrival of the so-called al-Sham battalion, coming from the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, in order to be deployed in Mosul and support the other fighters of the caliphate state against Iraqi security forces.” “The ISIS announced the arrival of the battalion to raise the collapsed morale of its fighters in Mosul,” Al Sumaria explained. “The members of the battalion are masked, wear distinctive uniforms and speak with an Iraqi accent, which raised doubts that the battalion is just a play made by Baghdadi to persuade his fighters that reinforcements will arrive to support them after many fighters fled from Mosul,” Al Sumaria added. Related

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Trump review of Wall Street rules to be done in stages: sources

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government’s review of a landmark 2010 financial reform law will not be complete by early June as originally targeted, and officials will now report findings piece-by-piece, with priority given to banking regulations, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. President Donald Trump has pledged to do a “big number” on the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law, which raised banks’ capital requirements, restricted their ability to make speculative bets with customers’ money and created consumer protections in the wake of the financial crisis. In February, Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to review the law and report back within 120 days, saying his administration expected to be cutting large parts of it. But the Treasury Department is still filling vacancies after the transition from the Obama administration and there are not enough officials to get the full review done by early June, three sources said. A Treasury spokesperson dismissed the idea the report that would be broken up because the department is short-handed, saying the reach of the project could require several separate reports, as permitted under the executive order. “Treasury has an entire team dedicated to reviewing the financial regulatory rules and will begin reporting our findings to the president in June,” the department spokesperson said. “Given the volume and scope of the issues we are reviewing that involve potential changes to the financial regulatory system, we are carefully considering the best options to begin rolling them out in the most effective and responsible manner,” the spokesperson said. The Treasury Department will first report back on what banking rules could be changed, including capital requirements, restrictions on leverage and speculative trading. Examinations of capital markets, clearing houses and derivatives as well as the insurance and asset management industries and financial innovation and banking technology will come later, the sources said. It could be several months until these other stages of the financial reform review are completed, some of the sources said. The piecemeal approach could create challenges for some sectors if parts of the report are significantly delayed. The report has been highly anticipated, as it marks the new administration’s most detailed foray into outlining what it wants to do with financial rules. Trump previously has spoken only in broad terms about easing regulation surrounding lending. Any efforts to rework existing regulations or craft new legislation will be a lengthy and contentious process, something that banking lobbyists have said will make any delay to the administration’s initial findings costly for businesses eager for regulatory relief. Former BlackRock Inc executive Craig Phillips is leading the administration’s plan for financial deregulation. Alongside other Treasury officials, he is soliciting feedback from banking industry groups and executives for how banking policy should be shaped. The change in the timing of the Treasury report comes after Trump ordered a separate review of some key planks of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. In April, Trump signed a pair of executive orders directing a review of two additional regulatory powers - orderly liquidation authority, which allows regulators to step in and wind down a failing financial institution, and systemic designation, in which certain large firms may be deemed critical to the overall health of the financial system, meriting stricter oversight. The findings from those reviews are not expected until October.

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North Korean envoy ignores U.S. call for testing freeze in U.N. speech

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea s ambassador to the United Nations on Friday ignored a U.S. call for a cessation of weapons testing to allow for talks with Pyongyang on its nuclear program and said his country would not pose a threat to any state, as long as its interests were not infringed upon. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier told a meeting of the U.N Security Council on Pyongyang s nuclear and ballistic missile programs that a sustained cessation of North Korea s threatening behavior was needed before talks could occur between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea s U.N. ambassador, Ja Song Nam, made no mention of Tillerson s call in his speech to the session, which he called a desperate measure plotted by the U.S. being terrified by the incredible might of our Republic that has successfully achieved the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force.

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Trump Caught Again, Ripping Off Kids Charity This time

Vladimir Putin: The United States continues to sleep with al-Nusra ‹ › GPD is our General Posting Department whereby we share posts from other sources along with general information with our readers. It is managed by our Editorial Board Trump Caught Again, Ripping Off Kids Charity This time By GPD on October 27, 2016 Trump golf course sponsors charity fundraiser for kids — and then asks for half of the money DAVID EDWARDS Officials at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County complained this week after one of Donald Trump’s golf courses hit the charity with $20,000 in charges to hold a fundraiser that was expected to cost little or nothing. The Palm Beach Post reported in July that the Trump International Golf Club is required to allow charities to use its facilities because the course is built on county land. Each year the charity is selected by a different county commissioner. This year, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay selected the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County to receive the benefit. And Trump’s course signed on to sponsor the fundraiser. But McKinlay learned this week from Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron that Trump’s people were requiring the charity to pay $20,000 in golf and catering fees. In the past, fees had reportedly been capped at $5,000. In an email this week, Mark Casale, vice president philanthropy for the Boys and Girls Clubs, told McKinlay and Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron that Trump’s course was effectively asking for half of the proceeds from the fundraiser. Read more at Raw Story Related Posts:

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Italy's government wins confidence votes on contested electoral law

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government on Wednesday won two confidence votes on a fiercely contested electoral law that is likely to penalize the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in next year s national election. The proposed voting system is backed by three of the country s four largest parties, with the centre-left government looking to rush it onto the statute books ahead of elections, which are due by May 2018. Five-Star supporters protested in front of parliament as the Chamber of Deputies approved two confidence motions by a wide margin. A third such vote is scheduled for Thursday ahead of a final ballot in the lower house on the disputed bill. Unlike the current rules, the new system would allow the formation of multi-party coalitions before the ballot, a factor likely to hurt 5-Star, which is topping most opinion polls and refuses to join alliances. They want to take away our right to choose, said Nicola Zuppa, 45, who said he had paid 175 euros ($200) to travel from Padua in northern Italy to take part in the protest, which drew up to 2,000 people in the heart of Rome. The use of multiple confidence motions allowed the ruling coalition to truncate discussion on the bill and sidestep dozens of planned secret votes on various amendments. The reform still needs the approval of the upper house Senate. If you allow the electoral rules to be changed again so that the scum of the country rises to the top yet again, it will be your children who pay the price, 5-Star s founder Beppe Grillo wrote on his blog on Wednesday. President Sergio Mattarella, the only figure with the power to dissolve parliament, has called for new voting rules because the current system is very different for the upper and lower houses, meaning it could throw up conflicting majorities. All previous attempts to harmonize the rules have failed, most recently in June when dissident deputies used a secret vote to upend part of the proposed legislation. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi s Democratic Party (PD) drafted the latest version, which is supported by right-wing parliamentary rivals Forza Italia (Go Italy!) and the Northern League. Five small parties are also backing the proposed law. Five-Star estimates that the new rules could cost it up to 50 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and potentially scupper its chances of being the largest group in parliament after the vote. Mattarella is expected to give the formation that gets the most seats the first crack at forming a government. The PD has denied trying to stymie the 5-Star s chances. No one is preventing (5-Star) from making alliances if they want to, said Ettore Rosato, the parliamentary party leader of the PD who has put his name to the reform. If they don t want to do them, they can continue to be an isolated party. Analysts say the new electoral system looks unlikely to throw up a clear parliamentary majority, with opinion polls showing the centre-left, centre-right and 5-Star splitting the vote three ways. Such a result could lead to the creation of a grand coalition that would need to span the political divide. ($1 = 0.8452 euros)

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Yes, Ted Cruz could win

Conventional wisdom holds that Sen. Ted Cruz doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the GOP nomination, but I wouldn’t bet the ranch against him yet. His announcement at Liberty University was impressive, and he was passionate and precise in a 40-minute speech without notes or TelePrompter. A brilliant man of clear, conservative convictions, he is not muddled by the politics of calculation, which gives him an advantage in a big, wide-open field. To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column in the New York Post, click here. Michael Goodwin is a Fox News contributor and New York Post columnist.

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DISGRACEFUL! Senator John McCain Swipes At Trump…Slams His Leadership Ability

Senator John McCain took another swipe at President Trump. He claimed that American leadership was stronger under Obama. The Senator has been attacking Trump non-stop making people wonder what in the world is wrong with him. President Trump has only been in office 5 months!The Hill had this to say about McCain s feelings on Trump s leadership:Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said American leadership was stronger under President Trump s predecessor, President Barack Obama, according to a Guardian report published Sunday.Asked if the country stood on sturdier ground under Obama s leadership, McCain said yes, according to the report. As far as American leadership is concerned, yes, said McCain, who also vocally criticized many of the Obama administration s foreign policy decisions.McCain also lost to Obama when he ran as the GOP nominee in the 2008 presidential election.He recently fumbled in questioning former FBI Director James Comey leaving people to question his mental fitness for the Senate:Memes like the one below have started to pop up on social media:McCain has become more and more of an obstructionist when it comes to Trump s policies. Is this McCain s true colors coming out or a case of his mental ability to reason diminishing? We think it s a little of both Time to go!

1real

Tough reality check for Trump's pledge of better heartland jobs, wages

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - Donald Trump’s promise to revive small town America faces a tough challenge in an economy that for decades has been wired to direct income and opportunities toward urban hubs and the better educated. Little in the president-elect’s so far sketchy economic plans indicates the trend can be reversed any time soon, according to interviews with experts on income inequality and recent occupational trends. The manufacturing jobs Trump pledges to bring back have disappeared as much because of automation as the trade deals he has promised to rewrite, and that process will only continue. A promised infrastructure revamp would boost middle wage jobs but for only as long as the programs last, economists point out. During President Barack Obama’s eight years in office incomes for the best off continued to diverge, despite nearly 10 million new jobs and recent strength in those paying middle-tier wages. On a pre-tax basis, the share of income to the top fifth of households increased from 50.4 percent to 51.4 percent between 2008 and 2015 at the expense of all the others, according to census estimates. (Graphic:tmsnrt.rs/2elimH2) Without the sort of tax and redistribution policies Republicans have traditionally opposed, Trump may struggle to make good on his promise to help those left behind in the global economy, economists who study inequality trends say. “We have 30 to 40 years to catch up on...Lots of money has gone to the top and to change that is going to be a long and slow process,” said David Madland, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a think tank with close ties to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Trump campaigned promising to shake up a Washington establishment he argued was responsible for destroying middle class jobs with bad trade deals. The message hit home across rural America and mid-sized cities, where voters felt they missed out on the fruits of the seven-year economic recovery that big cities may have enjoyed. Charlotte has been growing fast as a financial hub that attracts college educated talent from around the country, and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton did better there than Obama did in 2012, handily beating Trump by 137,000 votes. But in the state’s textile and furniture belt just northwest from here, Trump’s promise of economic renewal and anxieties of a shrinking white majority more than offset Clinton’s urban victory, giving him 76 out of 100 North Carolina’s counties. The Catawaba County region, one of the nation’s hardest-hit by cheap imports from China, now has a more diverse economy and even the furniture industry has begun adding jobs. But many still live in poverty and rely on disability and social services for support. “The trade argument was as prominent as any. That is certainly the bet that the Trump campaign has made,” said John Dinan, a political scientist at Wake Forest University. Trump has not highlighted income inequality the way Clinton did, but to help low-wage industries such as textiles or offer a “new deal” for blacks, he would need to tackle the income gap. Recent data show how hard it may be if Trump relies on economic growth alone: Despite a record jump in household income and a continued surge in middle wage jobs nationally, the effect on income inequality was “statistically insignificant” according to census estimates. Under Obama, after tax income for the bottom fifth of households did increase by about 18 percent, or $2,200, according to a recent Council of Economic Advisers study. But that was made possible by higher taxes on the wealthy, more benefits for the poor and, in large part, by an estimated $1,900 gain from health coverage extended under the Affordable Care Act. Trump has vowed to roll Obamacare back. Instead, Trump has proposed to strike better trade deals and offered a familiar Republican recipe - tax cuts for businesses meant to spur investment and jobs. He has been ambiguous about a possible increase in the federal minimum wage typically opposed by Republicans, but advocated by many economists as a way to help the disenfranchised workers Trump focused on in his campaign. Economists say that even if economic growth accelerates under Trump, it may not do much to counter the downward pressures on wages and middle income jobs from automation, technology and other longstanding trends. Brookings Institution senior fellow Isabel V. Sawhill said researchers on inequality agree on one point: it is hard to move the needle. “Even when you distribute all of the dividends from growth in a progressive fashion you don’t change things very much,” Sawhill said. “You shift things at the margin.” (Correct paragraph 2 to remove extraneous word.)

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WATCH: Hillary RUINS Trump Right Outside His Bankrupt Casino (VIDEO/TWEETS)

Things are not looking good for Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton is making sure things will only get worse.Just a day after being cleared by the FBI s investigation into her emails, the former Secretary of State headed to Atlantic City, New Jersey to trash Trump s shameful business record right outside of one of Trump s own failed casinos! Standing in front of the bankrupt and shuttered Trump Plaza Casino, Clinton exposed Trump s lies and mocked him in a brilliant, scathing speech.Speaking to a crowd of about 500 people, Clinton pointed out how Trump s involvement in New Jersey had caused multiple bankruptcies, stiffing contractors and spurring hundreds of job losses. Warning voters that Trump would do exactly what he did in Atlantic City to America if he won the election, she said: Remember what he promised: I m going to do for the country what I did for my business. We should believe him and make sure he never has the chance to bankrupt America the way he bankrupted his businesses. Clinton s speech was only 30 minutes long, but it was all she needed to take Trump and his scammy business endeavors down. Making a perfect example out of Trump Plaza, Clinton joked: Donald Trump once predicted it was the biggest hit yet. Now it s abandoned. Now ask yourself, according to the Donald, isn t he supposed to be some sort of amazing businessman? What in the world happened here? She was especially passionate because this topic hit home for the presumptive Democratic candidate, whose father was a small business owner. She said, This is personal for me as she cited an example of how Trump left small business owners with unpaid bills: The people he is trying to convince to vote for him now are the same people he s been exploiting for years: Working people, small business people, trying to support their families. He got rich and got out. And he thinks that s something to be proud of. He didn t just take advantage of investors, he took advantage of working people as well. Here are some highlights from her speech, which show just how brutal Clinton was:TwitterTwitterTwitterTwitterTwitterTwitterTwitterTwitterClinton also made sure to trash one of Trump s biggest supporters, former presidential candidate and New Jersey governor Chris Christie, for being away campaigning with Trump instead of looking after his state. Clinton said:Clinton s main message to Americans was that when Trump is left in charge of anything, people get hurt and Donald gets paid. You can watch Clinton slam Trump in her speech below:Featured image is a screenshot

1real

WHO WILL SUPPORT “THE BERN”? New Numbers Show OBAMA STOLE An EXTRA 6 Months Income From Average Working American Since Bush Years

The average American makes $52,250* per year. The extra $25K Obama stole from working Americans didn t include free college or the redistribution of your income to people who would rather not work. It didn t include support for people who came here illegally and need to be taken care of either. Over the course of the 86 full months that President Barack Obama has completed serving in the White House from February 2009 through March 2016 the U.S. Treasury has collected approximately $18,764,164,000,000 in tax revenues (in non-inflation-adjusted dollars), according to the Monthly Treasury Statements issued during that period. (President Obama was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009.)That equals approximately $124,003 for each of the 151,320,000 persons who, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, had either a full- or part-time job during March 2016.During the same 86-month stretch of the Obama presidency, the total debt of the federal government increased from $10,632,005,246,736.97 to $19,264,938,619,643.07, according to the Treasury.That is an increase in the debt of $8,632,933,372,906.10 or approximately $57,051 for each of the 151,320,000 people with jobs as of March.If the Treasury succeeds in collecting the full $3,335,502,000,000 in reveneus that the White House Office of Management and Budget estimates it will collect in fiscal 2016 (which will end on Sept. 30), Obama will become the first American president whose Treasury collected more than $20,000,000,000,000 in taxes (in non-inflation adjusted dollars) during his time in office.As of the end of fiscal 2015 (on Sept. 30, 2015), the Treasury had collected a total of approximately $17,287,946,000,000 during the 80 full months Obama had at that point served as president.By the end of this September if the Treasury collects the estimated $3,335,502,000,000 in revenues for this year the Treasury will have collected $20,623,448,000,000 in taxes during the 92 full months Obama will by then have served in the White House.During the first 86 full months that George W. Bush was president (February 2001 through March 2008), according to the Monthly Treasury Statements, the Treasury collected approximately $15,099,826,000,000 in taxes. (From February 2001 through January 2009, the Treasury collected $17,251,191,000,000 in taxes. Bush was inaugurated on Jan, 20, 2001 and left office on Jan. 20, 2009, when Obama was sworn in.)The $15,099,826,000,000 in taxes that the Treasury collected during Bush s first 86 full months in office equaled approximately $103,363 for each of the 146,086,000 persons who had a full- or part-time job in March 2008.During the first 86 full months of George W. Bush s presidency, the debt increased from $5,716,070,587,057.36 to $9,437,594,138,091.39.That is a debt increase of $3,721,523,551,034.03 or approximately $25,475 for each of the 146,086,000 persons who had a job in March 2008.For entire story: CNS News*US Census

1real

The Trump Camp Just LIED Through Its Teeth About An Assassination Attempt On Trump (VIDEO)

While campaigning in Reno on Saturday, the Secret Service suddenly rushed Trump off the stage with no one to give an explanation. The audience started trying to leave, and it was a very good show. Minutes later, Trump reappeared onstage to continue his speech.It seems there was a protester in the front of the crowd holding a Republicans against Trump sign, and the trouble started after someone shouted, gun! Nobody found any guns at the scene, though, and the man, Austyn Crites, was allegedly put in a chokehold and grabbed by his testicles.Both Trump s social media director and his son found a tweet from a rabidly lying Trump fan saying that Trump had just survived an assassination attempt. This tweet has yet to be taken down from Trump Jr. s Twitter feed:Look, we get it. Cardboard signs with writing on them are terrifying for Trump fans. They still don t qualify as weapons, tthough, and oddly enough, there was no weapon and likely no aggression on the part of Crites. There are some on Twitter claiming that Crites first tried to grab a gun off of a Secret Service agent, the Secret Service merely searched him, questioned him, and released him.Doesn t sound like he tried to grab a gun there. In fact, the Secret Service has so far said nothing about that happening. Don t confuse the Trumpkins with facts and truth, though. It hurts their three brain cells.Later on, at a rally in Colorado, the man who introduced Trump to the crowd said that there was an attempt of murder at the Reno rally. Again, there wasn t an assassination attempt, but of course they ll say anything to garner sympathy for their candidate and make him out to be both a hero and a victim at the same time.Despite the lack of evidence that Crites was a would-be assassin, Trumpkins have taken to Twitter to push that whopper and make utter fools of themselves: For his part, Trump issued a blah statement, and, at the time of this posting, hadn t said anything on Twitter about it. His fans, though are just eating this up. They re so thick in the head that they ll believe anything and everything that makes their lord and savior into a victim of a nefarious plot. That includes spreading lies about assassination attempts.Here s a video of the Secret Service rushing him offstage:OBAMA CALLED #TRUMP UN-AMERICAN & UNHUMAN YESTERDAY! TODAY, THERE WAS AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON DONALD TRUMP! pic.twitter.com/z6KKGT5Hk6 Trump Super PAC (@TrumpSuperPAC) November 6, 2016Featured image via screen capture from embedded video

1real

Texas Teabagger Lt. Governor Promises To Take Away Food From Poor Kids To ‘Resist’ Obama

Tea Party radio host and Lieutenant Governor of Texas Dan Patrick has officially made the stupidest move yet in regards to bathroom rules in our schools. Patrick declared that Texas was prepared to forego literally billions of dollars in federal education funding rather than allow transgender children to use the bathroom. We will not be blackmailed by the president s 30 pieces of silver, Patrick ignorantly announced. The we he refers to are rich elected Republicans that can afford to send their kids to private schools. Not mentioned by any Republican is whether millions of Texas parents and children that are completely dependent on the public school system are also prepared to have their entire school system essentially shut down.This isn t just some minor budget readjustment and tightening of belts by teachers and school districts. This is totally defunding the educations of 5.2 million students who rely on federal money to attend an already desperately underfunded public school system in Texas.As of now, the issue of school bathroom use is inevitably headed towards our court system. The legal question is whether or not the federal government can continue using the Civil Rights Act to force schools to allow children to use the bathroom with which they feel comfortable.According to interpretation by the justice department, title 9 of the Civil Rights Act does allow for the federal government to prohibit discrimination based on gender in public schools that receive federal funding.If the courts find in favor of the federal government, which it is very likely they will, the president can then try to use the cutting off of federal funds in order to get state compliance on the law.The White House was asked about the Texas Lt. Governor s comments. Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, This does underscore the risk of electing a right-wing radio host to a statewide elected office. Truer words were never spoken.Featured image via Brietbart

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U.S. must consider broader Iran threats when formulating new strategy: Tillerson

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States must consider the full threat it says Iran poses to the Middle East when formulating its new policy toward Tehran, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday, adding that Iran had breached the spirit of a 2015 nuclear deal. Tillerson, made the comments during a visit to Britain to see Prime Minister Theresa May and foreign minister Boris Johnson. The trip was billed as focusing on the relief effort after Hurricane Irma, how to respond to North Korea s nuclear test, and resolving the political deadlock in Libya. But he was outspoken in his criticism of Iran when asked whether he believed it was meeting the obligations of a 2015 international nuclear agreement designed to curb an Iranian nuclear program in return for lifting most Western sanctions. Tillerson cited the preface of the nuclear deal, which calls on Iran to contribute positively to regional security. In our view, Iran is clearly in default of these expectations ... through their actions to prop up the Assad regime (in Syria), to engage in malicious activities in the region, including cyber activities, aggressively developing ballistic missiles, he told a news conference. We have to consider the totality of Iran s activities and not let our view be defined solely by the nuclear agreement. He was speaking before the United States announced it had imposed sanctions on seven Iranian individuals and two entities, alleging involvement in either malicious cyber activities or enabling Tehran s ballistic missile program. U.S. President Donald Trump has previously expressed doubts about the nuclear deal, and in April his administration said it would review whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran was in the United States national security interest. Trump is weighing a strategy that could allow more aggressive U.S. responses to Iran s forces, its Shi ite Muslim proxies in Iraq and Syria, and its support for militant groups. Earlier on Thursday, a North Korean state agency threatened to reduce the United States to ashes and darkness for supporting a U.N. Security Council resolution and sanctions over its latest nuclear test. Tillerson said he was hopeful that China would decide to use the powerful tool of oil supplies to put pressure on Pyongyang, but conceded that it would be difficult to agree an oil embargo through the United Nations Security Council. North Korea carried out its sixth and largest nuclear test earlier this month. I am hopeful that China, as a great country, a world power, will decide on their own, will take it upon themselves to use that very powerful tool of oil supply to persuade North Korea to reconsider its current path towards weapons development, reconsider its approach to dialogue and negotiations in the future, he said. Commenting on violence in Myanmar against the minority Rohingya population, Tillerson said the country faced a defining moment. I think it is important that the global community speak out in support of what we all know the expectation is for the treatment of people regardless of their ethnicity, he added. This violence must stop, this persecution must stop. He said he understood that Myanmar s Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel prize laureate and de facto head of the government in Myanmar, was in a power-sharing agreement with the military and it was a complex situation in which she found herself. (Corrects seventh paragraph to say ballistic missile program, not nuclear program.)

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At least 33 people died in police crackdown in Nairobi -rights groups

NAIROBI (Reuters) - At least 33 people died in the Kenyan capital Nairobi during a police crackdown on opposition supporters after elections in August, including a child and a pregnant woman, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said on Monday. Protests erupted after President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga in the vote. The Supreme Court later voided the result. Odinga has withdrawn from a re-run on Oct. 26, leaving Kenyatta as the only candidate, prompting further protests. Kenyan police disputed the rights groups report, which brings the nationwide death toll in the crackdown to at least 45. Human Rights Watch had earlier documented 12 killings after the vote by police in western Kenya, the main opposition stronghold. HRW and Amnesty said police in Nairobi had used excessive force and that most of (the 33 who died) were killed as a result of action by the police. Among them was a nine-year-old child shot dead while standing on a balcony and a woman who was eight months pregnant and was trampled to death after fainting from inhaling tear gas, the rights groups said in the report. Kenya s National Police Service said in a statement the report was totally misleading and based on falsehoods. Immediately after the violence in August, police said only criminals and thugs had been killed or injured. The report is likely to bolster the case of Kenyan activists and rights groups who accuse police of brutality and extrajudicial killings but say few officers are charged and convictions are extremely rare. Researchers found that although police behaved appropriately in some instances, in many others they shot or beat protesters to death, the groups said in the report. On Thursday the government banned demonstrations in the central business district of Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa and the western city of Kisumu, where protesters had been gathering twice a week, calling on the election board to make reforms to ensure a fair poll. Police had used tear gas to disperse them.[L8N1MO1O3] A group of U.N. human rights experts called for the government s ban on protests to be listed and denounced a pattern of police brutality in response to recent demonstrations. During the violence the parents of a six-month-old baby in western Kenya told Reuters their child was clubbed by police in her home and died later in hospital from brain trauma. Kenya receives financial support for security from the United States, Britain and other international donors.

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DISASTER CAPITALISTS: How Bill And Hillary’s “Clinton Foundation” Used Relief Donations Like An ATM

Hillary was Secretary of State an unimaginable earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010. 250,000 people were estimated to have died in the earthquake. Hillary promised Haitians on behalf of the United States that we would offer disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, as billions of dollars flowed into the coffers of the Clinton Foundation, former President Bill Clinton was appointed Special Envoy to Haiti for the United Nations was also named co-chair of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission.Here is the horrific story of how the Clinton s helped some of the poorest people in the world:

1real

White House says still expects House vote on healthcare Thursday night

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday he believed the House of Representatives was still on track to hold a vote on Thursday night on healthcare legislation backed by President Donald Trump. Spicer, at his daily news briefing, said Trump’s meeting with House Republican conservatives who make up the “Freedom Caucus” was a “very positive step” and that Trump continues to build support for the legislation. “I expect it to climb hour by hour,” Spicer said of support for the Republican healthcare effort. He said drawing conservative support while not alienating moderate lawmakers remained part of a “balancing act.”

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Planned Parenthood to Host Pre-Inauguration Benefit Concert in DC

Rapper Common and indie rock band The National are set to host a benefit concert for Planned Parenthood in Washington, D. C. on January 19, the day before Donald Trump is sworn into office. [The free concert, billed “Show Up! A Concert for Reproductive Health, Freedom + Justice,” will take place at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D. C. Organizers All Access promise special guests, elected officials and other activists will join in on the concert. “We plan to send a clear message to the incoming administration that millions of people across this country are prepared to fight attacks on reproductive health care and abortion services,” Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said in a statement. The concert is one of several protest events planned around Trump’s inauguration. On January 21, thousands of demonstrators are expected to participate in the Women’s March on Washington, including celebrities like Katy Perry and Cher. “Women should be able to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and health,” the National’s frontman Matt Berninger said in a statement. “This is a basic human right, and we’re at the very beginning of a long and tough battle to defend these basic rights. A concert in D. C. inspiring people to take action, seems like a pretty good way to kick it off. ” This isn’t the first concert hosted by the All Access Coalition. In September, the group planned a concert featuring singer Sia and Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones in Cleveland, Ohio. Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum

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President Obama Just Revealed His New Career, And It Could Be Awesome

There is a lot of speculation as to what President Obama might do after January, when he s no longer the Commander-in-Chief and lead punching bag for the racist right. Obama wants to be a businessman, maybe.The Obama family will be staying in Washington, D.C., at least for the foreseeable future, but that doesn t mean Obama s post-White House activities have to be limited to the nation s capital. Like all great American pioneers, Obama is looking west this time, toward Silicon Valley, not Wall Street. In an interview with Bloomberg, Obama said: Well, I ve said this before and, I think, surprised a lot of people, but if I think about what would stir my passions had I not gone into politics, it d probably be starting some kind of business. The skill set of starting my presidential campaigns and building the kinds of teams that we did and marketing ideas I think would be the same kinds of skills that I would enjoy exercising in the private sector. The President was careful not to repeat the Republican talking point, that business skill somehow translates to running a country: Now, I m always careful about drawing too many easy parallels there, because sometimes there are CEOs who come in and start explaining to me how I should be running the presidency. And I sometimes have to stop them and say, All right. One, I appreciate your advice. But imagine a situation in which half your board and management were actively trying to get rid of you and prevent you from accomplishing anything. And you had 2 million employees, and you couldn t fire a large portion of them. And your competitors weren t simply promoting their own products, but were continually saying how your products were the worst that were ever invented and will cause a civilizational crisis. If you pull that all together, then you ve got about half of what I m dealing with on a daily basis.' As for the type of business, Obama wants to help the world. He is interested in science and medicine. Like Bill Gates, Obama wants to use capitalism to try to save the world, one small project at a time. You can become Bill Gates. Or, in some cases, you can electrify a village. You can save water in a desert. That s the thing about the U.S. economy that continues to be unique. And it s tied to capitalism and markets, but it s also tied to a faith in science and reason and a mindset that says there s always something new to discover, and we don t know everything, and we re going to try new things, and we re pragmatic. And if we ever lose that, then we will have lost what has made us an incredible force for good in the world. If we sustain it, then we can maintain the kind of progress that has been made. I always tell interns and young people who I talk to that as tough as things seem right now, do not believe people when they tell you they wish they could go back to the good old days. Because the good old days aren t I m now old enough where I remember some of those good old days. While Obama s plans might not be locked in yet, we can be sure of one thing, he won t let his time go to waste painting pictures of feet or living on the golf course. Former Democratic presidents get s*it done, and Obama will be no exception. The right will hate whatever he does, though.Featured image via Chip Somodevilla at Getty Images.

1real

Trump Spokeswoman HUMILIATES Herself While Trying To Make Democrats Look Stupid (TWEETS)

Trump spokeswoman and walking stump Katrina Pierson responded to how she thinks liberals reacted to Jeff Sessions claiming he will follow the Constitution on Monday with perhaps the dumbest thing that will disgrace Twitter this week, month, or maybe year. When Democrats heard @SenatorSessions commit to enforcing the United States Constitution as AG during his confirmation hearing #MAGA, she tweeted. Trump s favorite imbecile then includes a video of her impression of these imagined liberals, which is basically just her making stupid faces into the camera with a poorly-edited explosion and cartoonish sound effects. All of these things are terrible individually, but put them together and hoo boy!When Democrats heard @SenatorSessions commit to enforcing the United States Constitution as AG during his confirmation hearing #MAGA pic.twitter.com/QtQ3sBMMfy Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) January 10, 2017In the end, she wound up with sh*t all over her face.Naturally, Twitter wasn t going to allow Pierson to pull such an attention-seeking, ridiculous stunt without informing her of exactly what is wrong with her as a human being (and just making fun of her, period):@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions Any adults around there or is everyone associated with Trump pretty much like this? Bill Cullen (@oracle_head) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions you're defending a hardcore racist, if he had his way you would be in chains. Fuckin sellout!!! Jimmy (@ChicagoHitman) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions Childish Chisom Oz-Lee (@Chisomicon) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson SESSIONS seems to look down on everyone except white straight christians, in his own words. CANNOT admit he was ever wrong ! Dennis Lurvey (@GeniusPhx) January 10, 2017@the4closer attorney general is NOT a political position. he is supposed to apply the rule of law evenly. His past says he cannot do that. Dennis Lurvey (@GeniusPhx) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions lmao like enforcing the voting rights act Sam Robinson (@SamRob41) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions Session's nomination is clear proof that Trump has no intention to unify country. DrZmann (@DrZmann) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions Oh honey they didn't give you a job, did they? Mrs Dimsworthy (@MrsDimsworthy) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson Bath Salts no question about . Teddy Watts(Eduardo) (@WattsTeddy) January 10, 2017@KatrinaPierson @SenatorSessions Very silly and VERY immature. I pray you're able to assemble together some grace and dignity before D.C. Lisa Saunders (@MrsLisaSaunders) January 10, 2017In reality, liberals would be thrilled if Trump appointed someone who could be trusted to uphold the Constitution, but Sessions has a long and storied past with regard to race relations. Not only does he oppose the Voting Rights Act, but he was once determined to be too racist to be a federal judge when Reagan tried to appoint him. If he s too racist to be a federal judge, then he s too racist to be attorney general especially since he says himself that he was fine with the KKK until he learned they smoke marijuana (you seriously can t make this shit up).Featured image via screenshot and Twitter

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Obama defends choice of white male jurist for Supreme Court

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his pick of a white man to fill a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy against criticism he could have chosen someone from a more diverse background, saying Merrick Garland was “indisputably qualified” for the post. Obama was speaking at a town hall-style event at the University of Chicago Law School, where he once taught, as part of a White House campaign to pressure the Republican-led Senate to approve Garland, a centrist appellate court judge. Responding to a question from a student about what kind of “diversity” Garland brought to the job, Obama joked that he came from Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. “At no point did I say: ‘Oh, I need a black lesbian from Skokie in that slot ... can you find me one?’ That’s just not how I’ve approached it,” Obama said, noting he had transformed the federal court with diverse picks. “Yeah, he’s a white guy, but he’s a really outstanding jurist. Sorry,” Obama said of Garland, 63, calling him “indisputably qualified to serve on the highest court in the land.” Obama’s first two Supreme Court picks were women, including Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Hispanic justice. Some groups had hoped Obama would this time nominate appeals court judge Sri Srinivasan to be the court’s first Indian-American member. Garland faces an uphill fight being confirmed in the face of Republican opposition. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has insisted the next president, who will take office on Jan. 20 after the Nov. 8 election, should fill the vacancy created by the Feb. 13 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Before the event, McConnell dismissed Obama’s Chicago event as political theater. “I’m sure he’ll gloss over the fact that the decision about filling this pivotal seat could impact our country for decades, that it could dramatically affect our most cherished constitutional rights like those contained in the First and Second Amendments,” McConnell said in a Senate floor speech, referring to gun rights and freedom of speech and religion. The high court is now split 4-4 between conservatives and liberals. Garland, if confirmed, could tilt the court to the left for the first time in decades. Obama told the law school audience that the partisan fight over the nomination threatened to erode the “institutional integrity” of the courts. “We are going to see the kinds of sharp partisan polarization that have come to characterize our electoral politics seeping entirely into the judicial system, and the courts will be just an extension of our legislatures and our elections and our politics,” Obama said. “At that point, people lose confidence in the ability of the courts to fairly adjudicate cases and controversies,” he said. Most Republican senators have backed McConnell’s stance. Only two of the 54 Republicans in the 100-seat Senate have said Garland deserves hearings and a vote. Some others have said they will meet with Garland privately for a “courtesy visit.” That includes Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who is set to have breakfast with Garland next Tuesday, but only to explain why he will not consider his nomination. On Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, announced he would have a courtesy meeting with Garland. But Graham’s spokesman said the senator had not changed his opposition to holding hearings and a vote on the nomination.

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New York Times Co.’s Decline in Print Advertising Tempered by Digital Gains - The New York Times

Precipitous declines in print advertising rocked the newspaper industry last year. And while The New York Times Company recorded significant growth in subscriptions and promising increases in digital advertising, it nevertheless has not avoided the inevitable. The company said on Thursday that its print advertising revenue in 2016 fell 16 percent, driving a 9 percent drop in total advertising revenue. For the quarter, print advertising revenue declined 20 percent. The story on the digital side was positive, underscoring the diverging financial narratives for print and digital that have emerged at the company. Digital advertising revenue rose 6 percent last year, to $209 million. The Times Company added 514, 000 net subscriptions for its news products during the year, bringing its total to 1. 6 million. Buoyed by readers’ intense interest in the presidential election, the company added 276, 000 net subscriptions to its news products in the last three months of the year, more additions than in 2013 and 2014 combined. Including print and crossword product subscriptions, The New York Times now has more than three million total paid subscribers, a milestone that aligns with the company’s commitment to a revenue model that is less reliant on the advertising revenue derived from page views and clicks. As for many other legacy print companies trying to adapt to an increasingly digital world, these have been challenging times for The New York Times. Last month, The Times released an internal report that called for swift changes in the newsroom, including more staff training, a commitment to hiring journalists with skills and an elimination of duplicative layers of editing. That has left employees bracing for staff reductions that newsroom leaders said could be announced in the next several weeks. Despite positive developments on the digital side, the overall financial results announced on Thursday are unlikely to assuage the tangible anxiety among journalists at The Times. Total revenue fell about 2 percent for the year, to $1. 6 billion, and 1 percent in the quarter, to $440 million. Adjusted operating profit, the company’s preferred method for assessing performance, fell to $241 million last year, from $289 million in 2015. Operating profit dropped to $102 million, from $137 million. For the quarter, adjusted operating profit was $96 million, compared with $118 million in the fourth quarter in 2015. Operating profit fell to $56 million, from $88 million. On a more positive note, circulation revenue rose 3 percent in 2016, to $881 million. Revenue from the company’s subscriptions jumped 17 percent in 2016, to $233 million. For the quarter, circulation revenue increased 5 percent, to $226 million, and subscription revenue rose 22 percent, to $64 million. Digital advertising revenue rose 11 percent. In an earnings call on Thursday, Mark Thompson, chief executive of the Times Company, called digital growth “unprecedented” and expressed optimism in the company’s growth strategy. He also used the call to needle President Trump over his claims that the publication’s audience and subscriber numbers were “dwindling. ” “Not so much, Mr. President,” Mr. Thompson said. “We had spectacular audiences in the quarter. ” Times executives said the company expected circulation revenues to increase about 6 percent in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same quarter last year. The company also expected to see about 200, 000 net additional subscriptions to its digital news products in the first quarter. Total advertising revenue is forecast to fall in the high single digits, though digital advertising revenue is expected to increase 10 to 15 percent. On Wednesday, The Times announced the promotion of Clifford J. Levy, a top digital editor, to the position of deputy managing editor. On Thursday, the company announced a partnership with Snapchat to create a new daily edition for the app’s Discover section, with the aim of gaining exposure to a younger audience.

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Trump Says His Favorite Book Is No Longer The Bible – His NEW Favorite Book Proves He’s A Narcissist

By Jameson Parker Election 2016 , Politics November 2, 2016 Trump Says His Favorite Book Is No Longer The Bible – His NEW Favorite Book Proves He’s A Narcissist In August of 2015, while trying desperately to convince Evangelical Christians that he would be a better choice for president than the laundry list of other potential Republican candidates, Donald Trump made the outrageous claim that his favorite book was the Bible . He even placed his own book just behind it. “[The Art of the Deal] is my second favorite book of all time,” said Trump. “Do you know what my first is? The Bible! Nothing beats the Bible,” he added to applause. The feigned adoration for the Christian holy book was undone by the fact that Trump had quite literally never shown an interest in religion prior to that moment, couldn’t name a single New Testament passage when pressed, and years earlier once remarked that he didn’t believe adultery – one of the Ten Commandments – was a sin. Now that Trump is the nominee and Christian conservatives have stood by him despite his disgusting hate campaign and torrent of sexual assault allegations, he’s apparently feeling a bit more confident. He doesn’t need to fake it anymore. It was fun while it lasted! When asked by Extra ‘s A.J. Calloway what his favorite books were, Trump seemingly forgot that “nothing beats the Bible.” He put his own books back on top. When given a “rapid fire” quiz about his two favorite books, without hesitation Trump went with “The Art of the Deal” and “Surviving at the Top,” both of which were written by ghostwriters but with Trump getting a byline. It’s particularly interesting that Trump with “The Art of the Deal,” considering the man responsible for writing it has since disavowed Trump and now acts as his biggest critic . “I put lipstick on a pig,” he said. “I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is.” He went on, “I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization.” As with every answer Trump gives off-the-cuff, this one is very revealing. Here is a man so caught up in worshiping himself that when asked what his favorite book is he can only think of the ones with his own name on the covers. It really does say everything about his personality. Watch Trump bumble his answer below: Featured image via Extra

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Trump congratulates China's Xi on 'extraordinary elevation'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping to congratulate him on a new leadership line-up unveiled at the Communist Party Congress in Beijing. The two also discussed North Korea and trade, Trump said in a Twitter post. “Spoke to President Xi of China to congratulate him on his extraordinary elevation. Also discussed NoKo & trade, two very important subjects!” Trump wrote. Xi told Trump China would “unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development” and promote “coordination and cooperation among world major powers”, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday. “China attaches great importance to the Sino-U.S. relations and is willing to promote the long-term, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefits,” Xinhua cited Xi as saying. Trump is expected to meet Xi when he visits China next month, when the two are likely to discuss issues related to North Korea and U.S.-China trade.

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What Are the Best Snacks Before Bedtime? - The New York Times

Q. I know it’s not good to eat close to bedtime, but I get hungry. What are the least harmful things I can eat — or drink — say, an hour or two before going to bed? A. It’s hard to resist cravings, but try to limit your bedtime nosh to 100 or 200 calories, 300 calories tops, said Isabel Maples, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and choose items that may be lacking in your diet, like fruits and vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains or nuts, “to really make those calories count. ” (Seafood and beans are other good options, but not particularly appealing before bed.) Keep in mind that snacking contributes to weight gain, and studies have found that nearly of the calories we eat come from snacks. A banana, apple or other fresh fruit, a small portion of cottage cheese or plain yogurt with sliced fruit, or oatmeal or some other cereal with skim milk were frequent suggestions made by experts interviewed for this article. Other suggestions included raw veggie sticks, a couple of whole grain crackers with a small slice of cheese, a handful of almonds or other nuts, or celery sticks spread with a tablespoon or two of peanut butter or almond butter (measure the nuts and butters — don’t eat them straight out of the container). Combining carbohydrates with protein produces a filling, sating feeling, even from a small snack, Ms. Maples said. If you’re in the mood for something salty and crunchy, popcorn may fit the bill, suggested Laura Smith, a product manager for Weight Watchers. It’s important to note that many people become hungry at night because “they eat too little during the day, and then by the time they get home, they can’t stop, because they have built up a huge reservoir of starving inside,” said Susan B. Roberts, a senior scientist and professor at the U. S. D. A. Nutrition Center at Tufts University, and founder of the online iDiet weight management program. For others, she said, snacking before bed may just be a bad habit. Also ask yourself: Are you really hungry? People often mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking more throughout the day, and having more water or carbonated water with dinner. Before bed, try a glass of milk, hot or cold, noncaffeinated tea or, best of all, plain old water. “Drinking water is clearly the least harmful item to have before bed,” said Barry Popkin, a professor at the U. N. C. Gillings School of Global Public Health. Do you have a health question? Submit your question to Ask Well.

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Pew U.S. survey finds agreement on some gun-control proposals

(Reuters) - More than 80 percent of Americans want to limit firearms access for people with mental illness and require background checks at gun shows and in private sales, according to a Pew Research Center survey released on Thursday. Eighty-three percent also favor barring gun purchases by those on federal no-fly or watch lists, the survey found. But gun owners were far less supportive than non-owners of creating a federal database to track gun sales or to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The survey of 3,930 U.S. adults, including 1,269 gun owners, in March and April, provided a snapshot of American views on guns and gun policies as the nation grapples with gun violence. On June 14, an Illinois man opened fire on Republican members of Congress with legally purchased guns during a baseball practice near Washington, wounding Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise. A few hours later, a UPS driver opened fire with a handgun inside a United Parcel Service Inc delivery center in San Francisco, killing three co-workers before fatally shooting himself. Some advocates called for a renewed push for gun control measures, as the Republican-controlled Congress has sought to relax existing gun laws. The National Rifle Association has opposed expanded background checks and argued the government was already being notified when someone on a no-fly list attempts to buy a gun. Pew’s survey respondents often diverged based on whether they were gun owners or non-owners, Republicans or Democrats and urban or rural residents. “Overall, 52 percent of Americans say gun laws should be stricter than they are today,” according to Washington-based Pew. Forty-four 44 percent of adults surveyed said they personally knew someone who was shot, accidentally or on purpose, and 83 percent believed gun violence was a very big or moderately big U.S. problem. As for violence in their local communities, 49 percent of black respondents said it was a very big problem, compared with 11 percent of whites. A large majority said easy access to illegal guns contributed to gun violence, but just as many thought expanding gun ownership would boost crime as reduce it. Among all adults, 89 percent favored policies preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns, and 84 percent favored background checks in private sales and at gun shows. Tracking gun sales was favored by 71 percent overall, banning assault weapons by 68 percent, and banning high-capacity magazines by 65 percent, with gun-owners showing less approval than non-owners.

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Democrats to Bring DREAMers, Muslims to Trump’s First Speech to Congress

Several congressional Democrats reportedly plan to bring Muslim clients of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and recipients of former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to President Donald Trump’s first joint address to Congress Tuesday evening. [According to the Hill, several of the Muslim ACLU clients these Democratic lawmakers are taking as their guests this evening have been affected by Trump’s temporary travel ban. Rep. Judy Chu ( ) is reportedly bringing Sara Yarjani, an Iranian graduate student who was detained for 23 hours at Los Angeles International Airport and later deported Rep. Nydia Velázquez ( ) will bring Hameed Darweesh, an Iraqi who was detained for 18 hours at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport last month Rep. Jim Langevin’s ( ) guest is Dr. Ehsun Mirza, a Muslim American immigrant Rep. Jan Schakowsky ( ) will host Suzanne Akhras Sahloul, founder of the Syrian Community Network and Rep. Pramila Jayapal ( ) will bring Aneelah Afzali, founder of the American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN) as her guest. Sen. Dick Durbin ( ) who sponsored the BRIDGE Act, which seeks to continue President Barack Obama’s DACA policy, has invited a Muslim American DACA recipient as his guest. BRIDGE stands for “Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow Our Economy Act. ” Sen. Lindsey Graham ( ) also sponsored the bill. According to Politico, Durbin invited Aaima Sayed, a medical student whose parents brought her to the U. S. when she was three, to the address. “Would the United States be better off if Aaima is deported to Pakistan, where she hasn’t lived since she was a toddler, instead of using her talent as a physician to help Americans? The answer is clear,” Durbin reportedly said in a statement. He added, “I am honored to host this gifted young medical student as my guest. I hope her presence reminds President Trump what’s at stake in the debate over DACA: the lives of more than 750, 000 innocent young people and the of entire communities. ” According to the Migration Policy Institute, 67 percent of individuals in the United States come from Mexico, five percent come from Guatemala, three percent from El Salvador, another three percent come from Korea, and two percent hail from Honduras. Politico reported that other Democrats who plan to bring DACA recipients to Trump’s address include Rep. Jerrold Nadler ( ) Rep. Jared Polis ( ) and Rep. Mark Pocan ( ). During a recent press conference, Trump said, “We’re gonna show great heart. DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me. ” He added, “To me, it’s one of the most difficult subjects I have because you have these incredible kids. … I love these kids. I love kids. I have kids and grandkids. And I find it very, very hard doing what the law says exactly to do, and, you know, the law is rough. ” Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter and Periscope @AdelleNaz.

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Crisis over Catalan independence nears crucial few days

BARCELONA/MADRID (Reuters) - Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont kept friends and foes guessing on Wednesday on whether he intends to unilaterally declare independence as the Spanish government prepares to impose direct rule to stop the region breaking away. Puigdemont spurned an invitation to explain his position to the Senate in Madrid on Thursday an indication of the rigid stands taken by both sides in Spain s gravest political crisis since the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1975. He also kept his silence on whether to call for a new regional election, a move which might prompt the Madrid government to postpone its plan to take over Catalonia s institutions and police. The next few days could prove crucial in the battle of wills that has followed an independence referendum on Oct. 1, which Madrid declared illegal and the Catalan government said endorsed its claim to statehood. While it is not clear how the central government will take over in practical terms, nor how Catalan civil servants and police will react, some independence supporters have threatened a campaign of civil disobedience, raising the possibility of ugly confrontations. The Catalan secessionist drive is the most serious existential challenge to a Western European country since the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, when voters in the end decided to stay part of the United Kingdom. It has caused deep resentment elsewhere in Spain, caused a flight of business from the wealthy region, and worried other European leaders who see it as fanning separatist sentiment elsewhere on the continent. Madrid has rejected Puigdemont s calls for dialogue to resolve the situation, saying he first must withdraw an ambiguous declaration of independence made earlier this month. But it did invite to him address the Senate on Thursday. However, late on Wednesday the Catalan leader turned down the offer, a spokesman for the regional government said, on the grounds that Madrid had already announced its plans to impose direct control on the autonomous region. The Senate is expected to give the green light for that on Friday morning. It was still unclear if Puigdemont would make a unilateral declaration of independence, which, given the opposition from the Madrid government as well as European leaders, would be merely symbolic. Also up in the air was whether he would call a snap regional election, something a senior Catalan politician said on Tuesday was being considered. He could still do this on Friday before the Senate strips him of his powers and imposes direct rule. Some Spanish political and business leaders, along with most Catalan newspapers, have backed the idea as a snap election could forestall direct rule and help break the deadlock. Calling an election could also either strengthen Puigdemont s mandate if pro-independence parties won, or allow him a graceful exit if they did not. An opinion poll published by the El Periodico newspaper on Sunday showed a snap election would probably have results similar to the last ballot, in 2015, when a coalition of pro-independence parties formed a minority government. The actual steps to enforce direct rule could be taken gradually in order not to inflame the situation. Catalonia said on Monday it was confident its officials, including the police, would defy attempts by Madrid to take over institutions. Analyst Antonio Barroso of Teneo Intelligence said Puigdemont was caught between radicals and moderates in the Catalan establishment. Radical elements want him to make the Catalan parliament declare independence unilaterally on Thursday or Friday. This would provoke a tough government reaction, playing into their hands, he said. More moderate voices have said that if he calls an early election, he could stop the imposition of direct rule. Both sides are engaged in a game to tag each other with the blame for what happens next, Barroso said.

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“America has lost” in the Philippines

shorty PEPE ESCOBAR “Your honors, in this venue I announce my separation from the United States…both in military and economics also.” T hus Philippines President Rodrigo “The Punisher” Duterte unleashed a geopolitical earthquake encompassing Eurasia and reverberating all across the Pacific Ocean. And talk about choosing his venue with aplomb; right in the heart of the Rising Dragon, no less. Capping his state visit to Beijing, Duterte then coined the mantra – pregnant with overtones – that will keep ringing all across the global South; “America has lost.” And if that was not enough, he announced a new alliance – Philippines, China and Russia – is about to emerge; “there are three of us against the world.” Predictably, the Beltway establishment in the “indispensable nation” went bananas, reacting as “puzzled” or in outright anger, dispersing the usual expletives on the “crude populist”, “unhinged leader”. The bottom line is that it takes a lot of balls for the leader of a poor, developing country, in Southeast Asia or elsewhere, to openly defy the hyperpower. Yet what Duterte is gaming at is pure realpolitik; if he prevails, he will be able to deftly play the US against China to the benefit of Filipino interests. “The springtime of our relationship” It did start with a bang; during Duterte’s China visit, Manila inked no less than $13 billion in deals with Beijing – from trade and investment to drug control, maritime security and infrastructure. Beijing pulled out all stops to make Duterte feel welcomed. President Xi Jinping suggested Manila and Beijing should “temporarily put aside” the intractable South China Sea disputes and learn from the “political wisdom” of history – as in give space to diplomatic talks. After all, the two peoples were “blood-linked brothers.” Duterte replied in kind; “Even as we arrive in Beijing close to winter, this is the springtime of our relationship,” he told Xi at the Great Hall of the People. China is already the Philippines’ second-largest trade partner, behind Japan, the US and Singapore. Filipino exports to these three are at roughly 42.7 percent of the total, compared to 22.1 to China/Hong Kong. Imports from China are roughly 16.1 percent of the total. Even as trade with China is bound to rise, what really matters for Duterte is massive Chinese infrastructure investment. What this will mean in practice is indeed ground-breaking; the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will definitely be involved in Philippine economic development; Manila will be more involved in promoting smooth China-ASEAN relations in all sorts of regional issues (it takes the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2017); and the Philippines will be more integrated in the New Silk Roads, a.k.a. One Belt, One Road (OBOR). Three strikes; no wonder the US is out. And there’s even a fourth strike, embedded in Duterte’s promise that he will soon end military cooperation with the US, despite the opposition of part of the Filipino armed forces. Watch the First Island Chain The build-up had already been dramatic enough. On the eve of his meeting with Xi, talking to members of the Filipino community in Beijing, Duterte said, “it’s time to say goodbye” to the US; “I will not ask but if they (the Chinese) offer and if they’ll ask me, do you need this aid? [I will say] Of course, we are very poor.” Then the clincher; “I will not go to America anymore … We will just be insulted there.” Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the Spanish Navy and subsequently the United States Navy located in Olongapo, Zambales, Philippines. The base was 262 square miles, about the size of Singapore. It was finally turned over to the Filipino government in 1992. The US was the colonial power in the Philippines from 1899 to 1942. Hollywood permeates the collective unconscious. English is the lingua franca – side by side with tagalog. But the tentacles of Uncle Sam’s “protection” racket are not exactly welcomed. Two of the largest components of the US Empire of Bases were located for decades in the Philippines; Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Base. Clark, occupying 230 square miles, with 15,000 people, was busy to death during the Vietnam War – the main hub for men and hardware in and out of Saigon. Then it turned into one of those Pentagon “forward operating” HQs. Subic, occupying 260 square miles, was as busy as Clark. It was the forward operating base for the US 7th Fleet. Already in 1987, before the end of the Cold War, the RAND corporation was alarmed by the loss of both bases; that would be “devastating for regional security”. Devastating” in the – mythical – sense of “defending the interests of ASEAN” and the “security of the sea-lanes”. Translation; the Pentagon and the US Navy would lose a key instrument of pressure over ASEAN, as protecting the “security of the sea-lanes” was always the key justification for those bases. And lose they eventually did; Clark was closed down in November 1991, and Subic in November 1992. It took years for China to sense an opening – and profit from it; after all during the 1990s and the early 2000s, the absolute priority was breakneck speed internal development. But then Beijing did the math; no more US bases opened untold vistas as far as the First Island Chain is concerned. The First Island Chain is a product, over millennia, of the fabulous tectonic forces of the Ring of Fire; a chain of islands running from southern Japan in the north to Borneo in the south. For Beijing, they work as a sort of shield for the Chinese eastern seaboard; if this chain is secure, Asia is secure. For all practical purposes, Beijing considers the First Island Chain as a non-negotiable Western Pacific demarcation zone – ideally with no foreign (as in US) interference. The South China Sea – which in parts is characterized by Manila as the Western Philippine Sea – is inside the First Island Chain. So to really secure the First Island Chain, the South China Sea must be free of foreign interference. And here we are plunged at the heart of arguably the key 21st century hotspot in Asian geopolitics – the main reason for the Obama administration’s pivot to Asia. The US Navy so far counted on the Philippines to oppose the proverbial, hyped up “Chinese aggression” in the South China and East China seas. The neocon/neoliberalcon industrial-military complex fury against “unhinged” Duterte’s game-changer is that containing China and ruling over the First Island Chain has been at the core of US naval strategy since the beginning of the Cold War. Beijing, meanwhile, will have all the time needed to polish its strategic environment. This has nothing to do with “freedom of navigation” and protecting sea-lanes; everyone needs South China Sea cross-trade. It’s all about China – perhaps within the next ten years – being able to deny “access” to the US Navy in the South China Sea and inside the First Island Chain. Duterte’s game-changing “America has lost” is just a new salvo in arguably the key 21st century geopolitical thriller. A Supreme Court justice in Manila, for instance, has warned Duterte that, were he to give up sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, he could be impeached. That won’t happen; Duterte wants loads of Chinese trade and investment, not abdicate from sovereignty. He’d rather be ready to confront being demonized by the hyperpower as much as the late Hugo Chavez was in his heyday. Crossposted with Strategic Culture , first iteration. NOTE: ALL IMAGE CAPTIONS, PULL QUOTES AND COMMENTARY BY THE EDITORS, NOT THE AUTHORS PLEASE COMMENT AND DEBATE DIRECTLY ON OUR FACEBOOK GROUP INSTALLATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pepe Escobar is the author of Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War (Nimble Books, 2007), Red Zone Blues: a snapshot of Baghdad during the surge and Obama does Globalistan (Nimble Books, 2009). His latest book is Empire of Chaos . He may be reached at pepeasia@yahoo.com . What will it take to bring America to live according to its own propaganda? =SUBSCRIBE TODAY! NOTHING TO LOSE, EVERYTHING TO GAIN.= free • safe • invaluable If you appreciate our articles, do the right thing and let us know by subscribing. It’s free and it implies no obligation to you— ever. We just want to have a way to reach our most loyal readers on important occasions when their input is necessary. In return you get our email newsletter compiling the best of The Greanville Post several times a week.

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Dispatches from Wolf Country — Kale and Seal Liver

Without intention, Mike kind fulfills the proverb that not all who wander are lost. A 1973 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross with a BA in Philosophy, he had successfully dodged the draft during Vietnam, despite his lottery number of 29. Logically, after failing at being a bum for a year after college, he then enlisted in the Army. His theory was to hang out for two years, go to Germany, date blondes, drink lots of beer, improve his wretched German and come home to use the GI Bill for Graduate School. Didn’t quite work out that way; he did go to Germany and stayed five years first tour; married a red-headed American GI who worked in S2; did drink lots of beer and developed some acuity with pidgin Deutsch. Mike re-enlisted and then wandered through a great 23 years as a soldier. A lot of it sucked, of course; but, he avoided ending his adolescence until the end of the 23 years…since then, he’s been in a fight to regain that feeling of camaraderie, purpose and trust. Mike chose to stay a career NCO. There were a couple of dozen reasons, but they’re best summed up by the fact that he really didn’t like officers. He still doesn’t, sheepishly at times admitting that “Some of my best friends are officers. Some of my best friends are gay. Some of my best friends are gay officers. I’m not gay and I’m not an officer – I like it better that way.” He got his initial First Sergeant assignment in his 14th year and basically stayed a First Sergeant until he retired, as a First Sergeant. If he hadn’t retired, the day after the retirement would have been the day he pinned on CSM stripes but, as he says, “Some of my best friends are Sergeant Majors; some of my best friends are hookers. I’m not a Sergeant Major and I’m not a hooker and that works fine for me.” Since retiring, Mike’s worked in Labor Relations, HR and General Management for government, tribes, nonprofits and for profits including Defense Contractors. He’s found that his “not being a hooker” approach hasn’t necessarily worked to his career advantage. He’s picked up a bunch of irrelevant graduate degrees, that basically were there to teach you how to be a Hobbit. Hobbits are small, insignificant fearful types who scurry around getting in the way and accomplishing nothing of any great merit. He believes that the movies would have been infinitely better had the bad guys killed off all the Hobbits in the first part of the first movie, and then spent the rest of it avenging the little twits. Mike really hates Hobbits He’s a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a Six Sigma Black Belt. He plays guitar, reads, broods and drives too fast in fast cars – currently, a Mustang GT – channeling Hunter S. Thompson, patrolling “on the edge of the desert, just outside of Barstow.” An avowed leftist and philosophical Stoic, Mike admits that everything is probably going to hell, but thinks that it’s the duty of people of honor to work to stop it from going there too quick. Since he regards all veterans as his extended family, he expects that they’ll do the same. An oddly religious guy, Mike believes that God is a not very bright, self—entered and hormonal teenage girl obsessed with the Jonas Brothers and whether or not her Daisy Duke jeans make her ass look fat. They do, but he’s not going to be the one to tell her the truth. God can’t handle the truth. While he might write about anything, he’s really interested in business, economics and how to keep people from being screwed by machines, be they corporate, government, or societal. He's also interested in guitars... Dispatches from Wolf Country — Kale and Seal Liver By Mike Farrell on October 29, 2016 The reason why young people don't turn out for elections is because they don't remember how badly things can go. How hard can it be to run a country is a question asked by outsiders; how bad can it be is a question asked by those who don't remember; what's the worst thing that can happen is the one asked by well-insulated di pshits who should watch some footage of the Cultural Revolution in China interspersed with Triumph of the Will and 1984. A Center Right Party for Progressives! Pirate Party Logo With Dragon Head The Pirates promise to introduce direct democracy, subject the workings of government to more scrutiny and place the country’s natural resources under public ownership. The party also seeks tough rules to protect individuals from online intrusion. Jonsdottir, the Pirates’ most prominent voice, is a former ally of WikiLeaks who has called on Iceland to offer citizenship to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.Opponents claim the inexperienced Pirates could scare off investors and destabilise an economy that is now recovering, with low unemployment and high growth. “We’d rather be naive than corrupt,” Jonsdottir said. – The Guardian, Oct 29, 2016 Bill Mahar, the commentator comedian, had a bit going during the height of the “If Trump wins, I’m going to Canada!” thing that American progressives and liberals couldn’t all go to Canada because if they did, “Who’s going to eat all this fucking Kale!?” Well, perhaps this offers a solution. If the best thing in the world happens, perhaps we can export it to Iceland… Birgitta Jonsdottir, Iceland’s Pirate Party Leader — Stuff.Co.NZ Iceland strikes me more and more as a very cool place. Cold, but cool. Michael Lewis had a great Vanity Fair article “Wall Street on the Tundra” about the 2008 economic crisis worldwide focusing on Iceland. Iceland had no reason to be sucked into that mess but was, like a Long Ship dragged under the ocean by a Krakken powered whirlpool. Fishermen found themselves as real estate magnates and shepards as billionaire speculators, largely in the UK, leveraging debt and selling tranches of fish futures while getting used to driving Bentley’s and Astons around Reykjavik in Trump designer label suits under their seal skins. When it all went to hell, and it did, the country convulsed, shook it off, sent the fishermen-shepherd speculators back to sea and sheep while the poets, intellectuals and activists led largely by lesbian politicians,’various poets and saga translators; and World Strong Man champions took over and got things running again only with more transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. What the hell do you expect in a country where everybody is related to Bjork? And, of course, to Eric the Red and Leif Ericsson? In a country where the Parliament’s Official Name Translate from Danish to The Thing? Anyway, they have an election today, and there’s a good possibility that the Pirate Party, founded on-line in the post 2008 period and led by female poet named Brigitta Jonsdottir could end up in a leading role in one or another version of a governing coalition. Of course, before we get too excited, we should remember that despite an average electoral turnout of 80%, young people tend to blow off elections at a very high rate and the Pirate Party is a youth party, so… Selling tranches of fish futures driving Astons around Reykjavik in Trump designer suits under their seal skins. I suspect the reason why young people don’t turn out for elections is because they don’t remember how badly things can go. How hard can it be to run a country is a question asked by outsiders; how bad can it be is a question asked by those who don’t remember; what’s the worst thing that can happen is the one asked by well-insulated dipshits who should watch some footage of the Cultural Revolution in China interspersed with Triumph of the Will and 1984. It’s possible that for Iceland and Europe as a whole, 2008 is close enough to encourage people to remember; and, since Iceland is limited from the Nationalist and Corporatist hysteria facing the UK and the rest of the EU, they might be able to avoid the Fascist tinge to so much…after all, I think their platform, for a center-right party is to the left of Bernie Sanders. Hope so. Related Posts:

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Russia and Egypt still in talks over resumption date for Russian flights - TASS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Friday that Russia and Egypt were still in talks to decide on the date that Russia would resume regular flights to Egypt, the TASS news agency reported. He said that Russia and Egypt would discuss the date on Friday and sign documents if they reached an agreement, according to TASS.

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Statistical Propaganda: How many Syrians has US regime-change killed?

October 31, 2016 - Fort Russ - Aleksandr Khrolenko, R IA Analytics - translated by J. Arnoldski - Hardly a day goes by without foreign media circulating the false accusations that the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic is guilty of the deaths of hundreds of thousands and even millions of Syrians. Even authoritative international organizations are cited as the sources of the dissemination of such information. In July 2013, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the death toll in Syria exceeded 100 thousand. In October 2014, the Jordanian prince and UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, determined the number of people killed in Syria to be 200,000. By October 2015, according to UN figures, the number of killed in Syria was more than 240,000. In September 2016, the UN officially presented the figure of 300,000 Syrians killed and more than half of the Syrian population as refugees. According to the Dubai news channel “Al-Arabiya,” in October 2015, the number of killed had already surpassed 250,000. The New York Times produced similar figures. After the beginning of the Russian air force’s operation in Syria, the figures of casualties presented by Western sources did not change for the better. Of course, the countries participating in the conflict “correct” the data in favor of their interests and many media outlets operate with unverified information from the Supervisory Board on Human Rights of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights created by the opposition. How objective are these disseminated figures? The Russian Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences has conducted its own study using data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Syria. This was reported at a press conference entitled “Syria: The Thorny Path to Reconciliation” at the Russia Today media agency by the UN’s senior advisor and representative on Syria, Russian Academy of Science correspondent Vitaliy Naumkin. In 2011, the population of Syria amounted to 22.51 million people. According to the figures of the Syrian Central Statistical Bureau, the Syrian Arab Republic’s population has declined to 17.87 million. Given the average growth rate of the population excluding refugees, the total number for today was supposed to be 24.64 million people. As of October 20th, 2016, the number of Syrian citizens (including emigrants) is 24.54 million. Given correct calculations, the number of Syrians killed over five years of war has been determined, taking into consideration that around 7 million people have left Syria as refugees. According to the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the total number of Syrians killed is 105,000. The losses of the government army and militia amount to 45,000. 24,000 militants of terrorist organizations from among the local population have been killed, and 35,000 civilians have been killed. The largest number of civilians have been killed at the hands of jihadists and the so-called “moderate opposition.” Around 18,000 in Syria have been killed by foreign mercenaries of terrorist groups including citizens from 80 countries. Earlier, the ex-head of the Israeli secret services Nativ, Yaakov Kedmi, presented almost identical figures of Syrian losses (around 40,000 civilians). American assessments, as a rule, range from several hundred thousand to millions killed, which is beyond the boundaries of reality. But the point is not even in the statistics. The death of people in principle should not become an object of political speculation or an instrument of information war. American lies on the number of people killed in Syria is doubly disgusting because it is the US that developed and attempted to realize regime-change projects against unfavorable leaders in a number of Middle Eastern and African “rouge states” by means of terrorists from “moderate oppositions” and fomenting civil wars... The American coalition does not want to publicize the civilian losses resultant of their air strikes on ISIS in Iraq. And yet the coalition has repeatedly hurled accusations against others for losses among the civilian population. During the Iraq War (2003-2011), 460,000 Iraqis were killed. The assault on Mosul is also resulting in many victims among the civilian population. Palestinian political analyst Azzam Abu Saud remarked in the Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen: “The US has made a mass of mistakes in Syria. The war in Syria never would have been so bloody if the US had not supplied weapons to rebels. The US, in addition, created the Islamic State, which has now spun out of their control.” Another Norwegian publication, ABC Nyheter , adds: “The US claims that only 55 civilians and 45,000 militants from ISIS and other militant Islamists have been killed as a result of more than 11,000 coalition airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria since 2014…Even when the American leadership is presented with the lists of civilians killed in Syria and Iraq and their photographs, they refuse to acknowledge their deaths.” The Russian approach to resolving the Syrian and other Middle Eastern conflicts remains the same: there is no military solution. Success is possible only through dialogue and national reconciliation. Follow us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Donate!

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WATCH: Jon Stewart Joins Colbert To HUMILIATE Trump For Issuing Tyrannical Executive Orders

As Donald Trump continues to issue executive orders as if he is a king, Jon Stewart showed up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to mock him.Stewart has been humiliating Trump for years so this was just like riding a bike. Once you do it, you never forget how to do it. And Stewart absolutely nailed Trump on Tuesday night.As Colbert spoke about Trump s unconstitutional executive orders, Stewart interrupted and surprised a gleeful crowd in the process.Stewart sat down and told Colbert that he knows what Trump s next executive orders will be and proceeded to act like Trump while reading them off. I hereby direct that to secure our border, China shall immediately and without hesitation send us their wall. Done. Boom! Stewart began.It makes sense, too, since Trump has repeatedly antagonized China over the last few months to the point where a confrontation could occur between China and the United States in the near future if Trump continues to to try to bully them.Stewart then declared that America has a new national language. The new official language of the United States is bullshit, he said. I, Donald J. Trump, have instructed my staff to speak only in bullshit. Stewart went on to declare that the staff must only speak bullshit at work and at home. None of those pesky facts are acceptable at any time.Then Stewart revealed the third executive order Trump will sign. I Donald J. Trump am exhausting. It has been eleven days, Stephen. Eleven f*cking days. Eleven! The presidency is supposed to age the president, not the public. The reason that I, Donald J. Trump, am exhausting is that every instinct and fiber of my pathological self regard calls me to abuse of power.Stewart then mocked Trump s request to have tanks at his parade and his whining because he isn t adored by the whole nation.Stewart compared Trump to Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars and said that the American people are going to have a hell of a fight trying to prevent him from destroying democracy. We have never faced this before, Stewart concluded. Purposeful, vindictive chaos. But Stewart urged Americans to keep fighting because if America can somehow survive through the next four years and defeat Trump in 2020, we can truly make America great again.Here s the video via VidMe.It sure would be nice to have Jon Stewart on our televisions every day to bring laughter to our lives as Trump continues to cause national and worldwide chaos.Featured image via screenshot

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“FAIR SHOT” OBAMA Wants To Force Companies To Report Gender Pay For Employees [VIDEO]

This new effort to have companies report to the government is really rich. If you look at this subjectively, it s kind of a crazy idea. There might be reasons within a company as to why a certain employee gets paid less. This is up to the employee and employer to work out payment. Does anyone else see the Nanny State in this new regulation?The Obama administration is proposing new regulations that would require large employers to disclose how much they pay men and women, the latest move in President Obama s efforts to equalize wages.The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Friday published a plan to begin gathering pay data from employers with 100 or more workers, looking at information on gender, race and ethnicity. The government will use the information to target companies that may be discriminating against women for enforcement action.

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Trump and Netanyahu share a kiss on West Bank wall mural

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Another Donald Trump mural believed to be the work of Australian graffiti artist Lushsux has popped up on Israel s barrier in the occupied West Bank, this time depicting the U.S. president sharing a kiss with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His face hidden by a headdress, a man who identified himself as Lushsux said against the backdrop of a cement section of the Israeli wall in Bethlehem that he hoped his painting would draw attention to Palestinians stuck in an indoor prison . The Bethlehem wall has become a showcase of protest art voicing Palestinians fears that Israel s West Bank fence-and-concrete barrier is a land grab that may deny them a state. Israelis deem the project a bulwark against Palestinian attack. The wall is a message in itself, the man, who said he painted the mural overnight, told Reuters. I don t need to write Free Palestine or something like that, something really direct ... that people will ignore. I just paint what I usually paint and maybe people will start looking at the background and looking at the razor wire and looking at people stuck in here, and maybe that ll work better, he said in Australian-accented English. Murals on the barrier believed to be the work of Lushsux include one showing Trump kissing an Israeli watchtower and another depicting him placing his hand on the barrier and thinking about building a similar wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.

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Trump To Give HUGE F**K You To States Hillary Won By Taking A Literal Ego Trip

One of the things that Trump wants to do over the next four years is continue to hold huge rallies for the purpose of stroking his ego. Apparently, that s already getting underway. He s planning to take a victory lap around the states he won sometime in the next several weeks, rather than working closely with his transition team to make sure as much is in place as possible before Inauguration Day.This will be a 30-state tour if he plans on visiting every state that voted for him. Since the trip seems to be mostly for the purpose of visiting the states he won, it s hard not to see this as a giant middle finger to the states he lost, even though there are a number of voters in rural areas of blue states like Illinois who voted for him.It doesn t really jibe with his ongoing assertions that he will work every day for ALL Americans (shouldn t he be impossibly eager to get to down to business?). In fact, it doesn t jibe with the idea that he ll do any work at all.The glow of winning a presidential election already seems to be wearing off he has to continually find ways of feeling superior and getting the instant gratification that these huge, cheering crowds give him. And really, who wants to spend day after day in boring meetings with transitional staffers, members of Congress, security teams, the current President, and more when he can just be gone all the time, stroking his ego? While some have spun his need for large rallies full of adoring fans as rubbing shoulders with the everyday American, it just doesn t seem like that s what Trump really wants to do.He has an ego the size of Russia. It s not easy to quiet that, and his staff would rather kowtow to him than try and actually mold him into a real statesman. He publicly admits that his life is going to change drastically, but what he s pushing his advisers and planners to do shows he s going to try and hold onto his old life as much as possible.Will he hold rallies in states he didn t carry? Who knows. He ll promise to, because to do otherwise would be to confirm that some people don t matter, even if they voted for him. Will he actually do it, though? It might actually depend on whether he thinks he can get the huge crowds he wants, which is totally what being president is all about.Featured image by Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

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Trump, lawmakers agree on disaster aid, debt limit, spending: Democrats

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and congressional leaders agreed on Wednesday to pass an extension of the debt limit until Dec. 15, as well as a government funding bill covering the same period and disaster aid for Hurricane Harvey victims, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Nancy Pelosi said. “Both sides have every intention of avoiding default in December and look forward to working together on the many issues before us,” Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement. “As Democratic leaders, we also made it clear that we strongly believe the DREAM Act must come to the floor and pass as soon as possible and we will not rest until we get this done.”

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Trump University asks for trial delay until after inauguration

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has requested that a trial over a lawsuit by former students of his now-defunct Trump University be put on hold until after the presidential inauguration, according to a motion filed by his lawyer late Saturday. A trial in federal court in San Diego over former Trump University students’ claims that they were defrauded by a series of real-estate seminars is scheduled to begin on Nov. 28, but Trump lawyer Daniel Petrocelli said the president-elect needs to “devote all of his time and attention to the transition process.” Trump is due to assume office on Jan. 20, 2017. “The 69 days until inauguration are critical and all-consuming,” Petrocelli said in the filing, arguing that the president-elect should not be required to stand trial during that time. Petrocelli had said at a hearing in San Diego on Thursday that he would request the delay, though U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing the lawsuit, told lawyers he was not inclined to put off the six-year-old case further and encouraged the parties to settle. The lawsuit involves students who claim they were lured by false promises to pay up to $35,000 to learn Trump’s real estate investing “secrets” from his “hand-picked” instructors. Trump owned 92 percent of Trump University and had control over all major decisions, the students’ court papers say. The president-elect denies the allegations and has argued that he relied on others to manage the business. Curiel also tentatively rejected last week a bid by the president-elect to keep a wide range of statements from the presidential campaign, which included attacks against Curiel himself, out of the fraud trial. Trump attacked the judge as biased against him. He claimed Curiel, who was born in Indiana but is of Mexican descent, could not be impartial because of Trump’s election campaign pledge to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s lawyers have argued that Curiel should bar from the trial accusations about Trump’s personal conduct including alleged sexual misconduct, his taxes and corporate bankruptcies, along with speeches and tweets. Curiel is presiding over two cases against Trump and the university. A separate lawsuit by New York’s attorney general is pending. While presidents enjoy immunity from lawsuits arising from their official duties, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that this shield does not extend to acts alleged to have taken place prior to taking office.

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Did Democrats really stuff ballot? Here's their answer

Print Fairfax County, Virginia, voter Jena Jones told WND and Radio America she found this Democrat insert included with her absentee ballot, among others Democratic Party officials in Fairfax County, Virginia, are categorically denying that pro-Democrat campaign materials were included in the same envelope as a voter’s absentee ballot, arguing that pamphlets were sent in a separate mailing to absentee voters from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, or FCDC. Earlier this week, Jena and David Jones shared their story of finding more than they expected in the envelope that contained her ballot. (See images of the materials Jena and David say they found at the end of this article. Also included are two images from Democrats showing what they say is confusion on the part of the voters.) “I found a letter from the governor of Virginia asking me to please vote Democrat and ‘help keep Virginia blue’ this year,” Jena explained. “Then I got a letter from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, giving me a step-by-step, yes-and-no what I should vote for as far as the meal tax and all those other things on the ballot.” In recent days, at least two more people contend they received the same materials in the envelope with their absentee ballots. After the report was first published, and shared on Facebook by David Jones, Fairfax County Democratic Committee Executive Director Frank Anderson replied to David’s post to dispute their account of what the ballot envelope contained. “These materials were NOT sent in the same envelope as the ballot. The ballot is mailed separately by the Office of Elections. Political parties are free to mail items to voters who request absentee ballots. The two envelopes arrived at the same time,” commented Anderson. That triggered a quick back-and-forth between David Jones and Anderson. “I hate to tell you but you’re wrong. All items came in one envelope,” Jones said. Like the reporting you see here? Sign up for free news alerts from WND.com, America’s independent news network. “Impossible. That letter came out of my office. We never have access to other people’s ballots,” replied Anderson. “Then it seems those that sent the ballots have access to YOUR letters,” said Jones. “Who should I believe? You or my lying eyes?” Anderson then stated that political parties are informed when anyone requests an absentee ballot, and mailings are sent to those voters to promote Democratic Party candidates and positions on ballot initiatives. “I am literally sitting down the hall from the place where those envelopes are stuffed. We are a political office and have no business handling anyone’s ballots. You can believe what you want to believe,” concluded Anderson. The Virginia Department of Elections did not respond to repeated attempts for a response. But after seeing reports from WND and Radio America, Anderson protested the premise of the story. “Please stop spreading these absurd allegations that are just hearsay from a misinformed voter who cannot verify his claim,” stated Anderson in an email in which he also explained why he believed the Jones account could not be accurate. He shared a photo sent by State Sen. Scott Surovell, showing his absentee ballot envelope next to a separate envelope containing Democratic Party advocacy. In a formal interview, FCDC Communications Adviser Bruce Neilson told WND and Radio America the Jones version of what the ballot envelope contained cannot be true. “It’s not possible,” said Neilson, who then explained how absentee voters are approached by the local Democrats. “Voting is a sacred privilege and a right of every citizen,” he said. “The activity of voting is also a public record. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee receives a notice of everyone who has requested an absentee ballot. We get that information as public information on the day the ballot is mailed. “The same day the ballot is mailed, our volunteers prepare materials to advise voters what the Fairfax (County) Democratic Committee knows to be Democratic positions on the ballot,” said Neilson, noting the materials include fliers on candidates and ballot proposals like the meals tax. Listen to the WND/Radio America interview with Bruce Neilson: However, he insists those materials are never sent with the ballot itself. “That material is mailed in a separate envelope, labeled with our initials – FCDC – and our return address in Fairfax, Virginia, and would be received either the same day, perhaps the day before or the day after she received her official absentee ballot from the government,” Neilson said. “It’s a separate mailing. It’s a separate stamp. It’s a separate envelope. It’s very easy to confuse where they came from if you have all those materials on the table at the same time while you’re filling in your votes,” he said. Jones is standing by her story 100 percent, as is her husband. David says it’s a very clear memory. “Jena opened the envelope that contained her ballot, the green sample ballot, the two-sided letter from the governor and card with kids on it saying ‘go vote’ or something of that nature. There was also the return envelope, which I signed,” David said. The coverage of Jena’s story has also elicited similar stories from two other Fairfax County voters. Both of them commented on Reddit. “I can confirm this. I live in Herndon, VA (Fairfax County) and also received these materials in my absentee ballot. I thought it was fishy at the time but didn’t look into it,” stated a comment by a reader using the handle thisisaterriblename. Get the hottest, most important news stories on the Internet – delivered FREE to your inbox as soon as they break! Take just 30 seconds and sign up for WND’s Email News Alerts! Another, under the Reddit handle Nightingale-Nights, said the same thing happened to them and posted similar photos to the ones David and Jena shared last week. Neilson said there is no way the county government, which sends out the ballots, could be including partisan materials in the envelope containing the ballot. “They don’t have our materials,” he said. “Our materials are printed for us, by our printer, and we have complete control over our materials in our office, and they come from our office in our mailing. They don’t go anywhere else. “It’s not possible that the county government is distributing partisan Democratic materials. It’s never happened before. I’m not aware of it happening now. And I don’t think that it would happen anywhere in the future,” Neilson said. There are only a few known complaints of stuffed ballot envelopes in Fairfax County, leading David Jones to believe an individual in the government is responsible. He accepts the explanation that the Fairfax County Democratic Committee is not responsible for what he and Jena discovered with her ballot. “I understand Frank’s comments about his office has nothing to do with the ballots. I believe that,” Jones said. “I think what we are seeing here is a person that actually stuffs and mails the ballots is taking it upon themselves to add in extra material. I don’t see how Frank’s office could be held accountable for what’s in the ballot envelope. But it does seem odd that others are now reporting similar issues.” Neilson said there is zero chance of that scenario being true. “I just can’t imagine that happening because of the internal controls that we have on the literature that we mail,” Neilson said. He also said the internal controls at the county government are air tight. “I am an election official. On Election Day, I serve in a non-partisan capacity for our county election office,” Nielson said. “I can assure you, you have Democrats and Republicans working in the office. You have plenty of oversight of the voting process, and there’s no way that a partisan political piece was mailed with her ballot. There is no way that happened.” The following are three images of the Democratic Party materials Jena and David Jones say they found stuffed inside the absentee ballot: The following are two images from Democrats who say the voters must be confused:

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Breaking Down the Crooked Clintons with Special Guest: ChangeDaChannel

In this News Brief, Joe Joseph is joined by good friend and legendary YouTuber “ChangeDaChannel” to discuss the election and all the controversy surrounding the Clintons. It’s no surprise to most that the Clintons are as corrupt as they are, but it has been fairly surprising that with the abundance of evidence that has come forth, there isn’t more outrage. What can we expect in the days and weeks ahead? Joe and Ken muse about what’s to come. Watch on YouTube Source: BREAKING: I believe I have connected a convicted child abductor who was caught stealing children in Haiti with the Clintons from The_Donald Check out ChangeDaChannel on YouTube . Delivered by The Daily Sheeple We encourage you to share and republish our reports, analyses, breaking news and videos ( Click for details ). Contributed by The Daily Sheeple of www.TheDailySheeple.com . This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.TheDailySheeple.com.

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Damages for Grenfell fire victims may total just $5 million: Reuters analysis

(This Oct. 18 story corrects age in paragraph 19 to five, not six) By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - The bill for compensating families of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London may be as low as 4 million pounds ($5 million), according to several lawyers and a Reuters analysis of how damages laws apply in England. The blaze engulfed a 24-storey social housing block in west London on June 14, killing an estimated 80 people in the country s deadliest fire since World War Two. While similar disasters in the United States have led to massive payouts, any compensation for Grenfell would be far lower because English laws offer less generous damages and don t allow punitive claims, even if companies are found criminally responsible, said Brett Dixon, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). The four main firms that have been linked to the Grenfell fire - U.S. companies Arconic Inc. and Whirlpool Corp. and Britain s Harley Facades and Rydon Group - declined to comment on the size or calculation of potential payouts. The Reuters calculation of a bill of 4 million pounds is based on the compensation amounts stipulated in the Fatal Accidents Act of 1976, precedents set in previous cases and the individual circumstances of the 70 victims identified so far. Three personal injury lawyers have verified the methodology used by Reuters and said the estimate for the total payout is reasonable. If the courts find there was no unlawful behavior by any of the companies or public bodies involved, victims will not be entitled to sue for compensation and would only get the financial support and temporary housing already provided by the government and public donations, personal injury lawyers said. The British judicial system is not renowned for being generous, said Rebecca Thomas of law firm Duncan Lewis, which is representing some victims families. It s not about money for the families, said Tim Murphy, whose brother Denis, a disabled former painter who lived on the 14th floor, died in the fire. Nothing can ease our pain, (but) I think it s quite insulting. The U.S. legal system sees punitive damages as a way of encouraging companies to behave lawfully, but British and European governments have taken the view this approach would put excessive burdens on the judicial system, businesses, insurers and state bodies that might be liable, some legal experts say. While APIL said the Grenfell Tower disaster demonstrated the inadequacy of payouts to victims, Duncan Fairgrieve, who has advised the UK government on compensation rules, said more generous payouts could also harm society. They could drive up insurance costs for all and lead to big claims against government bodies such as the National Health Service and the police, he said. There is an affordability issue, said Fairgrieve, a Senior Research Fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. If the courts find someone was wrongfully killed, the claim categories are a flat 12,980 pounds per victim for bereavement, costs such as funeral bills, dependency damages where minors or dependent spouses are left behind, and property damage - all to be paid by the party found responsible. Under the 1976 law, only family members who were supported by those who died can claim dependency damages. Reuters has identified only five people who died leaving dependents who could definitely claim damages - on the basis they were financially dependent on the deceased. Daniel Machover, a lawyer at Hickman and Rose, which is representing some victims families, also said he didn t expect there to be many claims. Most of the others who died in the fire were minors, single or elderly and did not leave family members who were financially dependent upon them. The biggest dependency payout will be for children who lost both parents, said lawyers representing some of the victims. One five-year-old girl, Tasnim Belkadi, lost her mother, father and all her siblings in the fire. Lawyers said she could get 300,000 pounds, based on a share of her parents income and some childcare costs up to her 18th birthday. Her aunt, with whom she now lives, did not respond to requests for comment on the Reuters calculation. Grenfell plaintiffs can also claim expenses they incurred as the result of a death, such as the cost of a modest funeral. Heirs to the deceased could also claim the value of goods lost in the fire. The Association of British Insurers puts the cost of replacing the contents of an average three-bedroom home at 55,000 pounds. However, Thomas said Grenfell claims would probably be less than 30,000 pounds per property because compensation is based on the market value of personal belongings rather than replacement value, and the flats destroyed had only one or two bedrooms. Based on the victims circumstances, Reuters has calculated the payout for dependency damages could be 1.2 million pounds, for property it could be 1.4 million and for bereavement it could come to 1.0 million. Other smaller claims for costs and loss of parental guidance take the total to 4 million pounds. Police said the fire started in a fridge freezer made by a subsidiary of U.S. company Whirlpool and have been investigating whether the tower s cladding, made by U.S. firm Arconic Inc., played a role in the spread of the blaze. Arconic said it was up to contractors to ensure its products were used correctly. Whirlpool said it was investigating the fire. Rydon Group, the contractor that oversaw the refurbishment when the new cladding was added, said it had complied with all regulations. Sub-contractor Harley Facades Ltd said it was not aware of any link between the fire and the cladding. Fears among investors that companies linked to Grenfell could be sued for large sums in the United States hit their shares. Whirlpool s market value fell about $250 million on June 23 when police identified the maker of the appliance as Hotpoint, a brand owned by Indesit, which is a subsidiary of Whirlpool based in Italy. More than $1 billion was wiped off Arconic Inc. s value after Reuters reported in June that internal emails showed it had supplied flammable cladding panels, knowing they would be used on the tower and despite warning in its brochures that only non-combustible panels should be used on tall buildings. Arconic s share price has recovered since its late June lows but it and Whirlpool s stock are below the levels they were at just before the fire, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has climbed 7 percent over the same period. Awards against companies in U.S. courts have run into the tens of millions of dollars per family in some cases. In 1980, a fire blamed in part on inadequate fire safety measures killed 85 people at the MGM Grand Hotel in Nevada and injured hundreds. The hotel operator and contractors agreed to pay victims families and survivors more than $200 million. Foreigners have often tried to sue U.S. corporations in U.S. courts over alleged wrongdoing abroad. However, judges have consistently ruled they lacked jurisdiction in such cases, saying adequate tribunals existed in the plaintiff s own country and that it would be hard for defendants to make their case in the United States. Machover at Hickman and Rose said he was considering whether Grenfell victims could bring a U.S. case on the basis that two of the companies involved were based there. But Thomas at Duncan Lewis and Leigh Day partner Jill Paterson were skeptical that U.S. courts would agree to hear Grenfell claims given the United Kingdom offers a reasonable forum for redress and because the U.S. companies were involved through European-registered subsidiaries. I can t see any circumstances under which they could bring this in the United States, said Thomas. Arconic and Whirlpool declined to comment on the possibility of legal claims against them.

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Bernie Ecclestone Is Replaced as Formula One Chief Executive - The New York Times

LONDON — Bernie Ecclestone’s longstanding leadership of Formula One ended when Liberty Media officially completed its takeover of the series on Monday and named Chase Carey, the vice chairman of 21st Century Fox, as Formula One’s new chief executive. The takeover came five days after the International Automobile Federation, the sport’s governing body, approved the sale of Formula One to Liberty Media, an American company that invests in entertainment and sports. Liberty said in a statement on Monday that the transaction price represented an enterprise value for Formula One of $8 billion and an equity value of $4. 4 billion. The Ecclestone, who has been in charge of the series for nearly 40 years, will remain as an honorary chairman and will be an adviser to the circuit, according to Liberty. “I’m very pleased that the business has been acquired by Liberty,” Ecclestone said. “I am sure that Chase will execute his role in a way that will benefit the sport. ” Last September, Liberty Media Corp. which is controlled by the tycoon John Malone, ended years of uncertainty about the ownership of Formula One when it announced plans for a takeover. Last week, the World Motor Sport Council of the F. I. A. as the governing body is known, approved the change of control of Delta Topco, the series’s holding company, from the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners to Liberty Media Group. With Liberty’s shareholders having approved the move, an F. I. A. green light was the last regulatory step before the sale. Although Carey had been expected to replace Ecclestone, the buyout came sooner than expected and some time ahead of the new Formula One season, which starts on March 26 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

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IS CROOKED HILLARY Getting Ready To Compete With Creepy Joe Biden In 2020…As Both Career Politicians Fight For Credit Over Dem Seats Won In BLUE STATES Last Night

The Republican Party should be so fortunate, as to have three aging, white, career politicians like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders running against each other while representing the future of the diverse Democrat Party LOL!Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden gave themselves a pat on the back for the gains made by Democrats in yesterday s off-year election. For Clinton it was that her political group, Onward Together, supported a number of new progressive grass roots groups that did a lot of work on the ground. Last night was a great reminder of what s possible when we come together and fight for what we believe in, Clinton tweeted Wednesday morning. So I wanted to take a few minutes to celebrate the extraordinary successes of a few groups I and Onward Together proudly fight alongside. For Biden, who is keeping the door open to a 2020 presidential bid, it was his candidate picks.In a note, to supporters, Biden said Americans voted for a different kind of leadership. And last night, nearly every single candidate that I endorsed at your recommendation was elected, he wrote. Daily MailWhy were Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden both taking credit for wins in VA, a blue state that went for Hillary in 2016 and, in spite of constantly being referred to in the media as a swing state , hasn t been a red state since 2004 (see chart below):New Jersey is and has been a blue state for decades, so all of the self-congratulations and patting themselves on their own backs seems rather odd unless of course, Hillary and Joe are setting themselves up for what would be the most entertaining ever Democrat presidential primary in 2020. Anyone who believes that Hillary isn t up for another fight doesn t know Hillary. Fingers crossed Hillary s great at taking credit for a win, but prefers to blame everyone but herself when she loses bigly : Hillary Clinton has blamed Russian hackers for her loss along with many others. DailyMail.com has been keeping trackJames Comey The FBI Vladimir Putin The Russians Wikileaks Low information voters The electoral college Anti-American forces Everyone who assumed she d win Bad polling numbers Barack Obama White women The New York Times Joe Biden Bernie Sanders Bernie bros People wanting change Misogynists Television executives Netflix Facebook Twitter Content farms in Macedonia The media Steve Bannon and Breitbart The Democratic Party The Republican Party Cambridge Analytica Women protesters Matt Lauer White voters Democratic documentary makers Voter suppression Mitch McConnell The Supreme Court Father Husbands Boyfriends Male bosses

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Suicide bomber kills nine near Afghan political meeting

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital near a meeting of supporters of an influential regional leader on Thursday killed at least nine people and wounded many, the interior ministry said. Islamic State claimed responsibility, according to Amaq, its official news agency. The Taliban denied involvement. Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of the northern province of Balkh and a leader of the mainly ethnic Tajik Jamiat-i-Islami party, was not at the meeting at the time of the attack, members of the party said. Political tensions are rising as politicians have begun jockeying for position ahead of presidential elections expected in 2019 and thousands of civilians have been killed in attacks this year. The bomber approached the hotel hosting the gathering on foot but was spotted by a police official, Sayed Basam Padshah, as he neared a security checkpoint, an interior ministry spokesman said. The attacker triggered his explosives vest before he could get any further, Kabul police chief Basir Mujahid told Reuters. Padshah was among the seven policemen and two civilians killed. He saved many lives by sacrificing his life, Mujahid said. The northern-based Jamiat-i-Islami was for years the main opponent of the Taliban, who draw their support largely from the southern-based ethnic Pashtun community. A witness to Thursday s bombing said: We are proud to be martyred because of our country and our rights. This gathering was for the sake of our country to raise our voice. In June, a suicide bomber attacked a meeting of Jamiat-i-Islami leaders, including Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. Abdullah, who is supported by ethnic minority leaders including Noor who fought against the Taliban s hard-line Islamist regime in the 1990s, formed a coalition government with President Ashraf Ghani after a disputed 2014 presidential election. Ghani on Wednesday sacked the chairman of the Independent Election Commission, raising doubts over whether parliamentary and council ballots scheduled for next year will take place as planned.

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Comey Hates Trump So Much He Once Tried To Hide In The Curtains To Avoid Him (VIDEO)

We all know the feeling of dread that takes over when you see someone in public that you would really rather avoid. That frantic moment when you look around for somewhere, anywhere, to hide. Well, apparently former FBI Director James Comey felt that way about Donald Trump, not that you can blame him.The New York Times reports that Comey was once so desperate to avoid dealing with Trump that he tried to blend in with the curtains to avoid him. Make no mistake, Comey is not a little guy. He stands 6 8 tall. So he tends to stand out. But Brookings Institution fellow Benjamin Wittes said that Comey was hoping that if he stood close enough to the dark blue curtains of the White House Blue Room in his suit (that was an almost perfect match), maybe he could go unnoticed. He thought he had gotten through and not been noticed or singled out and that he was going to get away without an individual interaction, Wittes told the Times.But no such luck. Trump spotted Comey and made a big production out of it. He called Comey out of the curtains, noting that he had become more famous that himself and then proceeded to hug Comey against his will.Comey said that as he was walking across the room he was determined that there wasn t going to be a hug, Wittes said. It was bad enough there was going to be a handshake. And Comey has long arms so Comey said he pre-emptively reached out for a handshake and grabbed the president s hand. But Trump pulled him into an embrace and Comey didn t reciprocate. If you look at the video, it s one person shaking hands and another hugging. Lucky for us, this classic moment was caught on video: Featured image via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Trump dismisses Buffett's rebuke over his business judgment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday brushed off billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s blistering critique of his business acumen. “I don’t care much about Warren Buffett,” Trump said on the FOX Business television network Tuesday morning, a day after Buffett lashed out at Trump in a speech at a campaign rally for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Buffett, a widely followed investor who is chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, scorned Trump’s 1995 move to list Trump hotels and casino resorts on the New York Stock Exchange, saying it lost money for the next decade and that “a monkey” would have outperformed Trump’s company. He also challenged Trump to release his tax returns, something the real estate mogul and television star has declined to do so far citing an Internal Revenue Service audit. Trump, who has held up his career in business as a qualification to lead the country, defended his record running his hotel and casino business in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “I had great timing. I got out,” after seven years, he told FOX Business on Tuesday. “I took a lot of money out of Atlantic City, which is what I’m supposed to do. I’m a businessperson.” Trump said he “did well in the good times in Atlantic City, but then times started going very bad.” Trump said he used to invest in U.S. stocks but got out because “I don’t like what I’m seeing at all,” pointing to U.S. immigration policies, Syrian refugees and what he said were “artificially low” interest rates. He also vowed to spend twice as much on U.S. infrastructure as Clinton, who has pledged $275 billion on rebuilding the nation’s crumbling roads and bridges, among other structures. Trump, who has been criticized by fellow Republicans and others for responding too readily to opponents, declined to target Buffett personally for his comments: “There’s no counter-punch.” Buffett on Monday vowed to do “whatever it takes” to get out the vote in his congressional district in Nebraska, including driving voters himself to the polls to cast ballots. With Clinton by his side, Buffett told the crowd that his “final straw” was Trump’s critical response to the Muslim parents of a decorated U.S. soldier killed by a bomb in Iraq 12 years ago. Buffett is No. 3 on Forbes magazine’s list of the richest billionaires, with a net worth calculated at $60.8 billion.

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WATCH: PEGGY HUBBARD Defends Trump…Talks About Being Attacked Because She Defended Confederate Statues: “Antifa and Black Lives Matter showed up with weapons, wanting a fight”

Here s a partial transcript of her rant about the black community blaming whites for racism: If you believe in what you re doing, why hide your face? The KKK came out swinging. They had a permit. They had a right to be there. I am not condoning what the KKK did. I do not condone what they stand for, not at all. But they had the right to be there like everyone else. Antifa and Black Lives Matter showed up with weapons, wanting a fight. We as black people, we have got to get off the plantation. We have got to stop believing the lies. We as black people, are just as complicit on slavery as the white people. Not alL white people own slaves. Not all black people were slaves. We are refusing to acknowledge that we as black people had a hand in slavery. 3,076 slaves were sold by black people during the civil war period.

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US to Hold Off on Cyberwar With Russia Until After Election - Jason Ditz

US to Hold Off on Cyberwar With Russia Until After Election Obama wants to do it together with Clinton Antiwar.com While the Obama Administration has made much of its intention to start a full-scale cyberwar against Russia at a “time of their choosing,” the most recent reports suggest that the war is effectively on hold at least until the presidential election in two weeks. From President Obama’s standpoint, the hope is to work with Hillary Clinton, if she becomes president-elect, to launch a cyber war that they both can get behind. Indeed, both have appeared very hawkish against Russia, and Obama apparently doesn’t want to deny Clinton a chance to participate in the early days of a war she’d inherit. Starting a cyberwar ahead of a Trump win would be even less wise, as Trump has opposed the idea of picking fights with Russia, and expressed strong doubts about Democratic Party “certainty” that Russia is behind hacks against them. Rep. Adam Schiff (D – CA), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, says that another factor is concern about provoking Russian retaliation for such a US attack before the vote, with many Democrats concerned Russia could release “forged” documents to embarrass the Clinton campaign. Earlier this month, Vice President Joe Biden reported that he has informed Russia of an imminent retaliatory hack, and says the Obama Administration will pick a time which will “have the greatest impact.” Russia has denied any involvement in the hacks.

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