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Georgia Republican Threatens To ‘Disappear’ Democrat Over Monuments To Slavery

A furious Georgia Republican issued a horrifying threat to a Democrat over her push to remove Confederate statues. In an ominous social media post, State Rep. Jason Spencer warned that if former state Rep. LaDawn Jones doesn t abandon her fight against monuments to slavery, she might go missing. In a contentious back and forth on Facebook, Spencer told Jones that people in South Georgia are people of action, not drama and then added that people who don t understand that will go missing in the Okefenokee. Too many necks they are red around here, he wrote. Don t say I didn t warn you about em. Jones, a black woman who represented an Atlanta-based district from 2012 to 2016, did not back down from Spencer s threat of physical violence. Enjoy but know WINTER IS COMING, Jones wrote back. You know it too otherwise you wouldn t have found a need to even make this post or those hollow threats of not coming to south GA. Spencer now swears that he really wasn t threatening Jones. Of course. No, to the contrary, he was just trying to keep her safe by giving a warning to her of how people can behave about this issue. (Insert eye roll here.) She is from Atlanta and the rest of Georgia sees this issue very differently, Spencer said. Just trying to keep her safe if she decided to come down and raise hell about the memorial in the back yards of folks who will see this as an unwelcome aggression from the left. Jones later said in an interview that she and Spencer had developed a friendship during their time representing the people of Georgia and that she wasn t worried about his online threat. If it were anybody other than Jason Spencer, then I would be alarmed. But we had a unique relationship in the Georgia Legislature, Jones said. If that had come from anybody else, I d take it as a serious threat. But she did say that she was very concerned by his appalling reaction to her efforts to remove the statues of people who fought against the U.S. in their quest to continue the practice of owning people based on skin color. Because if that s representative of what people in south Georgia think, then yikes. You can read the tense exchange in its entirety here:Featured image via screenshot

Title: Georgia Republican Threatens To ‘Disappear’ Democrat Over Monuments To Slavery. Text: A furious Georgia Republican issued a horrifying threat to a Democrat over her push to remove Confederate statues. In an ominous social media post, State Rep. Jason Spencer warned that if former state Rep. LaDawn Jones doesn t abandon her fight against monuments to slavery, she might go missing. In a contentious back and forth on Facebook, Spencer told Jones that people in South Georgia are people of action, not drama and then added that people who don t understand that will go missing in the Okefenokee. Too many necks they are red around here, he wrote. Don t say I didn t warn you about em. Jones, a black woman who represented an Atlanta-based district from 2012 to 2016, did not back down from Spencer s threat of physical violence. Enjoy but know WINTER IS COMING, Jones wrote back. You know it too otherwise you wouldn t have found a need to even make this post or those hollow threats of not coming to south GA. Spencer now swears that he really wasn t threatening Jones. Of course. No, to the contrary, he was just trying to keep her safe by giving a warning to her of how people can behave about this issue. (Insert eye roll here.) She is from Atlanta and the rest of Georgia sees this issue very differently, Spencer said. Just trying to keep her safe if she decided to come down and raise hell about the memorial in the back yards of folks who will see this as an unwelcome aggression from the left. Jones later said in an interview that she and Spencer had developed a friendship during their time representing the people of Georgia and that she wasn t worried about his online threat. If it were anybody other than Jason Spencer, then I would be alarmed. But we had a unique relationship in the Georgia Legislature, Jones said. If that had come from anybody else, I d take it as a serious threat. But she did say that she was very concerned by his appalling reaction to her efforts to remove the statues of people who fought against the U.S. in their quest to continue the practice of owning people based on skin color. Because if that s representative of what people in south Georgia think, then yikes. You can read the tense exchange in its entirety here:Featured image via screenshot

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President Obama Hammers Republicans: They’re Full Of Hot Air, Bluster, And A Word Starting With A B (VIDEO)

A day after he schooled Republicans during his historic State of the Union Address, President Obama smacked them down again in their own backyard.On Wednesday, President Obama traveled to America s heartland to speak to a crowd in Omaha, Nebraska and just like he did on multiple occasions on Tuesday night, called out Republicans for their bullshit claims about the state of our country. That s how crazy our politics has gotten. Where we now feel obliged to not root for America doing good. So when you hear people peddling this fiction about our enemies getting stronger, America getting weaker, when you hear folks say we can solve challenges by looking meaner or talking tougher, or carpet bombing wherever we want. That s just hot air. It s bluster. It s not serious. There s another word for it that starts with a B It s baloney. Here the video via YouTube.During the State of the Union Address, President Obama chided Republicans for refusing to accept the science of climate change, and slammed them for not voting for military action against ISIS even as they claim that he isn t doing enough to stop them.Despite what Republicans like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump say, America is already great and has been getting stronger every day as President Obama s policies continue to make Republicans desperate to destroy him. America has witnessed an unprecedented job growth streak that has reduced unemployment to 5 percent. Meanwhile, more Americans than ever before are gaining health insurance for themselves and their families. President Obama has also taken actions to fight climate change and has struck back against terrorist organizations time and time again over the course of his presidency, dealing heavy blows to their leadership structure in particular.Yet, to hear Republicans talk, you would think that America has been rendered into a wasteland that somehow only they can save. The only problem is that they have to lie repeatedly to make anyone think that. The facts, however, tell us that America is progressing and flourishing despite every Republican attempt to sabotage it over the years. And that s because President Obama has been a great leader, which is why Republicans are so desperate to have us believe that America is falling apart or faces destruction. Because the only way they will ever win the presidency again is if enough Americans actually believe them.Featured Image: Pete Souza

Title: President Obama Hammers Republicans: They’re Full Of Hot Air, Bluster, And A Word Starting With A B (VIDEO). Text: A day after he schooled Republicans during his historic State of the Union Address, President Obama smacked them down again in their own backyard.On Wednesday, President Obama traveled to America s heartland to speak to a crowd in Omaha, Nebraska and just like he did on multiple occasions on Tuesday night, called out Republicans for their bullshit claims about the state of our country. That s how crazy our politics has gotten. Where we now feel obliged to not root for America doing good. So when you hear people peddling this fiction about our enemies getting stronger, America getting weaker, when you hear folks say we can solve challenges by looking meaner or talking tougher, or carpet bombing wherever we want. That s just hot air. It s bluster. It s not serious. There s another word for it that starts with a B It s baloney. Here the video via YouTube.During the State of the Union Address, President Obama chided Republicans for refusing to accept the science of climate change, and slammed them for not voting for military action against ISIS even as they claim that he isn t doing enough to stop them.Despite what Republicans like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump say, America is already great and has been getting stronger every day as President Obama s policies continue to make Republicans desperate to destroy him. America has witnessed an unprecedented job growth streak that has reduced unemployment to 5 percent. Meanwhile, more Americans than ever before are gaining health insurance for themselves and their families. President Obama has also taken actions to fight climate change and has struck back against terrorist organizations time and time again over the course of his presidency, dealing heavy blows to their leadership structure in particular.Yet, to hear Republicans talk, you would think that America has been rendered into a wasteland that somehow only they can save. The only problem is that they have to lie repeatedly to make anyone think that. The facts, however, tell us that America is progressing and flourishing despite every Republican attempt to sabotage it over the years. And that s because President Obama has been a great leader, which is why Republicans are so desperate to have us believe that America is falling apart or faces destruction. Because the only way they will ever win the presidency again is if enough Americans actually believe them.Featured Image: Pete Souza

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Why Doctor Who Made Bizarre Race Rant Against Michelle Obama Can’t Be Fired

A Denver, Colorado doctor under fire for a bizarre racial rant about First Lady Michelle Obama will probably keep her job anyway. Dr. Michelle Herren, who works at Denver Health Medical Center, had an anti-Obama meltdown on her Facebook page.Herren posted a photo of Michelle Obama yelling on Facebook. Under the photo, Herren wrote: Doesn t seem to be speaking too eloquently here, thank god we can t hear her! Harvard??? That s a place for entitled folks said all the liberals! Herren then added, Monkey face and poor ebonic English!!! There! I feel better and am still not racist!!! Just calling it like it is! Herren has a non-paid faculty appointment at CU School of Medicine, who announced that they would be terminating their relationship with the doctor. We are beginning the process to terminate Dr. Herren s faculty appointment, Mark Couch, spokesman for the school, said Thursday. She has expressed values that are at odds with ours and she has compromised her ability to meet the teaching and patient care mission of the School of Medicine. But her position at the Medical Center is likely to remain intact because her offensive comments were made outside of her workplace. They are also protected by her First Amendment rights because the hospital operates under the state, and government employees have the ability to make such comments outside of work.Dr. John Reilly Jr., the CU vice chancellor for health affairs, wrote a letter condemning Herren s smear: Your comments and tone are harmful to the students we teach and the patients we care for. Your derogatory, insensitive remarks have resulted in harm to others in our community and beyond. For almost every day that she has been First Lady, conservatives have hurled a never-ending stream of hate and invective towards Michelle Obama. But despite the hatred, she has become one of the most popular and admired public figures in all of America. Many have signed petitions asking her to run for public office such as the Senate or even the White House, but she has said she wants to return to private life when President Obama leaves office.Featured image via YouTube

Title: Why Doctor Who Made Bizarre Race Rant Against Michelle Obama Can’t Be Fired. Text: A Denver, Colorado doctor under fire for a bizarre racial rant about First Lady Michelle Obama will probably keep her job anyway. Dr. Michelle Herren, who works at Denver Health Medical Center, had an anti-Obama meltdown on her Facebook page.Herren posted a photo of Michelle Obama yelling on Facebook. Under the photo, Herren wrote: Doesn t seem to be speaking too eloquently here, thank god we can t hear her! Harvard??? That s a place for entitled folks said all the liberals! Herren then added, Monkey face and poor ebonic English!!! There! I feel better and am still not racist!!! Just calling it like it is! Herren has a non-paid faculty appointment at CU School of Medicine, who announced that they would be terminating their relationship with the doctor. We are beginning the process to terminate Dr. Herren s faculty appointment, Mark Couch, spokesman for the school, said Thursday. She has expressed values that are at odds with ours and she has compromised her ability to meet the teaching and patient care mission of the School of Medicine. But her position at the Medical Center is likely to remain intact because her offensive comments were made outside of her workplace. They are also protected by her First Amendment rights because the hospital operates under the state, and government employees have the ability to make such comments outside of work.Dr. John Reilly Jr., the CU vice chancellor for health affairs, wrote a letter condemning Herren s smear: Your comments and tone are harmful to the students we teach and the patients we care for. Your derogatory, insensitive remarks have resulted in harm to others in our community and beyond. For almost every day that she has been First Lady, conservatives have hurled a never-ending stream of hate and invective towards Michelle Obama. But despite the hatred, she has become one of the most popular and admired public figures in all of America. Many have signed petitions asking her to run for public office such as the Senate or even the White House, but she has said she wants to return to private life when President Obama leaves office.Featured image via YouTube

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Senator Graham open to selling Boeing F-18 to Kuwait, Qatar

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the Republican party’s senior foreign policy voices, said on Thursday he would likely support the sale of advanced military equipment including Boeing F-18 fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait, despite Israel’s concerns. Israel’s government worries that equipment sent to Gulf states could fall into the wrong hands and eventually be used against the Jewish state. “The Israeli argument is that you’ve seen regimes in the neighborhood change pretty quickly. Be careful of introducing new weapons into the region,” Graham told reporters following a trip to the region, citing the situation in Iraq. However, he said he thought it was important for such sales to go ahead despite those concerns, given instability in the region and threats including Islamic State militants. “I say to my Israeli friends, ‘We need partners. Partners without capability are paper partners.’ ... So I’ll probably be in the camp of pushing the increased capability of Gulf Arab states, understanding Israeli’s concern,” Graham said. He acknowledged that there was strong opposition in Congress toward arming some Gulf Arab states. “I don’t know how the votes go right now,” Graham said. Graham is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees foreign aid.

Title: Senator Graham open to selling Boeing F-18 to Kuwait, Qatar. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the Republican party’s senior foreign policy voices, said on Thursday he would likely support the sale of advanced military equipment including Boeing F-18 fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait, despite Israel’s concerns. Israel’s government worries that equipment sent to Gulf states could fall into the wrong hands and eventually be used against the Jewish state. “The Israeli argument is that you’ve seen regimes in the neighborhood change pretty quickly. Be careful of introducing new weapons into the region,” Graham told reporters following a trip to the region, citing the situation in Iraq. However, he said he thought it was important for such sales to go ahead despite those concerns, given instability in the region and threats including Islamic State militants. “I say to my Israeli friends, ‘We need partners. Partners without capability are paper partners.’ ... So I’ll probably be in the camp of pushing the increased capability of Gulf Arab states, understanding Israeli’s concern,” Graham said. He acknowledged that there was strong opposition in Congress toward arming some Gulf Arab states. “I don’t know how the votes go right now,” Graham said. Graham is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees foreign aid.

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https://100percentfedup.com/video-hillary-asked-about-trump-i-just-want-to-eat-some-pie/

https://100percentfedup.com/video-hillary-asked-about-trump-i-just-want-to-eat-some-pie/

Title: https://100percentfedup.com/video-hillary-asked-about-trump-i-just-want-to-eat-some-pie/. Text: https://100percentfedup.com/video-hillary-asked-about-trump-i-just-want-to-eat-some-pie/

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Georgia congressman being eyed for top Trump health post: Politico

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Representative Tom Price of Georgia is under consideration to be secretary of health and human services during a Trump administration, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. Price, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, had endorsed Donald Trump’s candidacy in May. The congressman has been a leading voice among Republicans pushing to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law.

Title: Georgia congressman being eyed for top Trump health post: Politico. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Representative Tom Price of Georgia is under consideration to be secretary of health and human services during a Trump administration, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. Price, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, had endorsed Donald Trump’s candidacy in May. The congressman has been a leading voice among Republicans pushing to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law.

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Egypt's Sisi invites Palestinian president to Cairo to discuss Trump's Jerusalem move

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Cairo on Monday to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel s capital, a presidential statement said on Sunday. The statement said Sisi wanted to discuss ways to deal with the crisis in a manner that preserves the rights of the Palestinian people and their national sanctities and their legitimate right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital .

Title: Egypt's Sisi invites Palestinian president to Cairo to discuss Trump's Jerusalem move. Text: CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Cairo on Monday to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel s capital, a presidential statement said on Sunday. The statement said Sisi wanted to discuss ways to deal with the crisis in a manner that preserves the rights of the Palestinian people and their national sanctities and their legitimate right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital .

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WATCH: CNN Smacks Down Rudy Giuliani So Hard He Starts Blaming President Obama For Shootings

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani had his ass handed to him so badly that he resorted to spouting Trump talking points to distract from the whipping he just received.During an appearance on CNN on Tuesday, host Chris Cuomo slammed Giuliani for refusing to say the word gay in reference to the Orlando mass shooting that occurred over the weekend, thus following other Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Florida Governor Rick Scott who would rather pretend there is no such thing as gay people.Giuliani claimed not saying the word is okay because President Obama won t say radical Islamic terrorism. But Cuomo had the perfect response to that bullshit by asking Giuliani how he would feel if people referred to mob violence as radical Italian terrorism. Calling this gay and not using that word and not running away from it because of some sense of identity politics is wrong and you agree with that, Cuomo began. Saying radical Islamic terror you used an analogy, let me reverse it on you. If every time the mafia made a killing or a murder, they said well, those Italians, well there s something about em, and the mob. There s something about the Giuliani and the Cuomo. How would you have felt? You would have been disgusted. It s one of the things that motivated you as a prosecutor to distinguish the mafia from the rest of the Italians. That is the same point, is it not? That you can t talk about all of Islam you talk about these perversions. Of course, Giuliani claimed that they weren t the same thing but Cuomo quickly countered, But if you said radical Italian murders They call themselves the Islamic State, Giuliani said, which gave Cuomo the opening he needed to smack down the right-wing mayor for making ISIS happy. They do because they want the credit of owning the religion, Cuomo informed Giuliani. They want that. Why would you give them what they want? Rather than admit that he s helping ISIS in their crusade to own Islam, Giuliani quickly changed the subject to blaming President Obama for the attacks in Orlando and San Bernardino and repeating Trump s suggestion that President Obama is in league with the terrorists.Cuomo didn t buy the bullshit Giuliani was trying to sell. I think there s some politics being played with this. With Donald Trump coming out and seeming to suggest that President Obama has some sympathy, some compromise personally that doesn t keep him from being tough. With all the troops, with taking out OBL (Osama Bin Laden), I mean, it just doesn t seem like the right kind of rhetoric. I don t think if you were running you would ever suggest anything like that about a Commander in Chief. But Giuliani just continued to blame President Obama and claimed he is weak on terror, conveniently forgetting that the 9/11 attacks occurred on his own watch as NYC mayor in 2001. President Bush was also in charge on that day, yet Giuliani somehow believes that Bush was strong against terrorism despite the fact that 3,000 Americans died that day in attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that are far worse than any terrorist that has occurred before or since.Here s the video via YouTube:In addition, President Obama stated recently that the FBI has been tracking ISIS sympathizers but are unable to keep them from buying guns like Omar Mateen did because Republicans refuse to ban people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing firearms. If Republicans had done that when President Obama asked a long time ago this shooting could have been prevented because the FBI would have been able to make sure that every time Mateen walked into a gun shop, he would be flagged as a possible threat and would have been denied the assault rifle he used in the massacre. Someone should ask Giuliani why his party wants terrorists to have guns so much.Featured Image: Screenshot

Title: WATCH: CNN Smacks Down Rudy Giuliani So Hard He Starts Blaming President Obama For Shootings. Text: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani had his ass handed to him so badly that he resorted to spouting Trump talking points to distract from the whipping he just received.During an appearance on CNN on Tuesday, host Chris Cuomo slammed Giuliani for refusing to say the word gay in reference to the Orlando mass shooting that occurred over the weekend, thus following other Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Florida Governor Rick Scott who would rather pretend there is no such thing as gay people.Giuliani claimed not saying the word is okay because President Obama won t say radical Islamic terrorism. But Cuomo had the perfect response to that bullshit by asking Giuliani how he would feel if people referred to mob violence as radical Italian terrorism. Calling this gay and not using that word and not running away from it because of some sense of identity politics is wrong and you agree with that, Cuomo began. Saying radical Islamic terror you used an analogy, let me reverse it on you. If every time the mafia made a killing or a murder, they said well, those Italians, well there s something about em, and the mob. There s something about the Giuliani and the Cuomo. How would you have felt? You would have been disgusted. It s one of the things that motivated you as a prosecutor to distinguish the mafia from the rest of the Italians. That is the same point, is it not? That you can t talk about all of Islam you talk about these perversions. Of course, Giuliani claimed that they weren t the same thing but Cuomo quickly countered, But if you said radical Italian murders They call themselves the Islamic State, Giuliani said, which gave Cuomo the opening he needed to smack down the right-wing mayor for making ISIS happy. They do because they want the credit of owning the religion, Cuomo informed Giuliani. They want that. Why would you give them what they want? Rather than admit that he s helping ISIS in their crusade to own Islam, Giuliani quickly changed the subject to blaming President Obama for the attacks in Orlando and San Bernardino and repeating Trump s suggestion that President Obama is in league with the terrorists.Cuomo didn t buy the bullshit Giuliani was trying to sell. I think there s some politics being played with this. With Donald Trump coming out and seeming to suggest that President Obama has some sympathy, some compromise personally that doesn t keep him from being tough. With all the troops, with taking out OBL (Osama Bin Laden), I mean, it just doesn t seem like the right kind of rhetoric. I don t think if you were running you would ever suggest anything like that about a Commander in Chief. But Giuliani just continued to blame President Obama and claimed he is weak on terror, conveniently forgetting that the 9/11 attacks occurred on his own watch as NYC mayor in 2001. President Bush was also in charge on that day, yet Giuliani somehow believes that Bush was strong against terrorism despite the fact that 3,000 Americans died that day in attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that are far worse than any terrorist that has occurred before or since.Here s the video via YouTube:In addition, President Obama stated recently that the FBI has been tracking ISIS sympathizers but are unable to keep them from buying guns like Omar Mateen did because Republicans refuse to ban people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing firearms. If Republicans had done that when President Obama asked a long time ago this shooting could have been prevented because the FBI would have been able to make sure that every time Mateen walked into a gun shop, he would be flagged as a possible threat and would have been denied the assault rifle he used in the massacre. Someone should ask Giuliani why his party wants terrorists to have guns so much.Featured Image: Screenshot

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Trump declares national emergency on opioid abuse

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency and said his administration was drafting papers to make it official. “The opioid crisis is an emergency and I’m saying officially right now it is an emergency,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey. “We’re going to draw it up and we’re going to make it a national emergency. It is a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had.” Trump spoke about a week after a White House commission on the opioid crisis led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recommended the president declare it a national emergency. The declaration could help unlock more support and resources to address the drug overdose epidemic, such as additional funding and expanded access to various forms of treatment, and it gives the government more flexibility in waiving rules and restrictions to expedite action. National emergencies are typically declared for short-term crises, such as the Zika virus outbreak or a natural disaster. It is unclear what Trump’s declaration will mean for a complex, long-term public health problem. “We’re going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis,” Trump said. “This is a worldwide problem, not just a United States problem.” More than 100 Americans die of drug overdoses every day, the commission wrote in a report, noting that “America is enduring a death toll equal to September 11th every three weeks.” Opioids played a role in more than 33,000 deaths in 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trump held a “major briefing” on the epidemic on Tuesday, but stopped short of following the commission’s recommendation. Instead, he talked mostly about stopping the flow of drugs into the United States and ensuring young people never start using drugs. He did not discuss access to treatment.

Title: Trump declares national emergency on opioid abuse. Text: BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency and said his administration was drafting papers to make it official. “The opioid crisis is an emergency and I’m saying officially right now it is an emergency,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey. “We’re going to draw it up and we’re going to make it a national emergency. It is a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had.” Trump spoke about a week after a White House commission on the opioid crisis led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recommended the president declare it a national emergency. The declaration could help unlock more support and resources to address the drug overdose epidemic, such as additional funding and expanded access to various forms of treatment, and it gives the government more flexibility in waiving rules and restrictions to expedite action. National emergencies are typically declared for short-term crises, such as the Zika virus outbreak or a natural disaster. It is unclear what Trump’s declaration will mean for a complex, long-term public health problem. “We’re going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis,” Trump said. “This is a worldwide problem, not just a United States problem.” More than 100 Americans die of drug overdoses every day, the commission wrote in a report, noting that “America is enduring a death toll equal to September 11th every three weeks.” Opioids played a role in more than 33,000 deaths in 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trump held a “major briefing” on the epidemic on Tuesday, but stopped short of following the commission’s recommendation. Instead, he talked mostly about stopping the flow of drugs into the United States and ensuring young people never start using drugs. He did not discuss access to treatment.

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Czech billionaire' s ANO party leads election - results projection

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The ANO party of billionaire businessman Andrej Babis was seen winning a Czech parliamentary election with 29.1 percent of the vote, results projections based on 8.8 percent of voting stations reporting showed on Saturday. The projection by the Median agency showed eight parties crossing the 5 percent threshold to win parliamentary seats. The centre-right Civic Democrats were seen second with 11 percent, the projection showed. Actual results from 10.6 percent of poling stations counted had ANO ahead at 31.8 percent.

Title: Czech billionaire' s ANO party leads election - results projection. Text: PRAGUE (Reuters) - The ANO party of billionaire businessman Andrej Babis was seen winning a Czech parliamentary election with 29.1 percent of the vote, results projections based on 8.8 percent of voting stations reporting showed on Saturday. The projection by the Median agency showed eight parties crossing the 5 percent threshold to win parliamentary seats. The centre-right Civic Democrats were seen second with 11 percent, the projection showed. Actual results from 10.6 percent of poling stations counted had ANO ahead at 31.8 percent.

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netflix and pill streaming firm boss reveals the future of tv could be a matrixstyle hallucinatory drug

in a previous article i discussed stretchingnamely why stretching is important for the masculine man and several stretches that you should use in your training to maximize your physical fitness and while that advice is still valid i neglected a very important concept in that first article the techniques that detail how to stretch i am not referring to a specific stretch or some sort of hypothetical stretching mindset but rather a set of techniques that can be utilized for any stretch to increase ones flexibility immediately but before i can discuss those i have to discuss the incorrect way of stretching that many people still use how not to stretch many people believe that stretching is a literal act of forcing the muscles and connective tissue to stretch avoid this at all costs first and foremost as i have discussed previously in these pages you should never apply any stretching pressure to the connective tissue they evolved solely to hold fast and keep things in one piece they should never be stretched at all the muscles are the anatomical feature that stretches as they evolved to do when stretching your body should always be positioned in a way where the connective tissues are stable and the muscles are moving even when you are positioned properly no part of stretching should involve the athlete forcing his muscles to stretch as that risks muscular tearing which is a nagging injury that never truly goes away this is because the human body has naturally evolved what is referred to as the antistretch reflex to prevent muscular tearingstretching the muscles increases in difficulty the farther and deeper the stretch is and your body responds to this stress with pain this is a biological sign telling you that if you go further youll be risking muscle tears and should normally be a heeded warning however if you want to do advanced stretching such as that nighimpossible benchmark of fitness the splits you will have to find a way to overcome this reflex without hurting yourself and as luck would have it there is relax into stretching reflexes can be overcome with gradual and repeated practicejust ask your friendly neighborhood hooker about how she overcame her gag reflex similarly your antistretch reflex that keeps your joints actually your muscles stiff and immobile can be overcome with a few techniques the most basic of these techniques is the one that i have had the best results with as usual the simple but difficult answer is usually the correct one and that is the titular concept of relaxing into a stretchwith thanks to pavel tsatsouline for naming the concept to use this technique take an easy form of the stretch you want to do using the splits as an example you would do a seated groin stretch engage the stretch just to the point where you feel tension in the target muscle and thensit and wait yes paradoxically relaxation is the key to increasing your physical fitness in this context you are literally going to sit there and wait for your muscles to stop fighting the stretchin other words youre going to exhaust your reflex until it stops being reflexive this is not something that happens quicklyfrom my experience it will take minutes per stretch so it is perfectly acceptable for you to get a book or watch tv while doing this as a side note this is literally the only time where its acceptable to have a visual distraction during exercise in my opinion as you might expect once your muscles have relaxed and the pain has melted away you can increase the stretch a little bit more and hold it for another minutes repeat this process until your muscles are in pain and you judge that you cant go any furtherthis is a personal call that you will have to decide for yourself as i cant judge when your muscles are demanding you to stop this technique can be utilized for any stretch and in many cases will give you the progress that you so desire however there are other methods in the relax into stretch family of exercises that can be utilized as well such as meditationmentally relaxing will lead to muscular relaxation or you can try forced relaxation where you flex the muscle simultaneously while stretching forcing the muscle to relax either way you slice it dont just brute force your stretching utilize these techniques for better results read more why stretching is essential for the body with beginner stretches to get you started

Title: netflix and pill streaming firm boss reveals the future of tv could be a matrixstyle hallucinatory drug. Text: in a previous article i discussed stretchingnamely why stretching is important for the masculine man and several stretches that you should use in your training to maximize your physical fitness and while that advice is still valid i neglected a very important concept in that first article the techniques that detail how to stretch i am not referring to a specific stretch or some sort of hypothetical stretching mindset but rather a set of techniques that can be utilized for any stretch to increase ones flexibility immediately but before i can discuss those i have to discuss the incorrect way of stretching that many people still use how not to stretch many people believe that stretching is a literal act of forcing the muscles and connective tissue to stretch avoid this at all costs first and foremost as i have discussed previously in these pages you should never apply any stretching pressure to the connective tissue they evolved solely to hold fast and keep things in one piece they should never be stretched at all the muscles are the anatomical feature that stretches as they evolved to do when stretching your body should always be positioned in a way where the connective tissues are stable and the muscles are moving even when you are positioned properly no part of stretching should involve the athlete forcing his muscles to stretch as that risks muscular tearing which is a nagging injury that never truly goes away this is because the human body has naturally evolved what is referred to as the antistretch reflex to prevent muscular tearingstretching the muscles increases in difficulty the farther and deeper the stretch is and your body responds to this stress with pain this is a biological sign telling you that if you go further youll be risking muscle tears and should normally be a heeded warning however if you want to do advanced stretching such as that nighimpossible benchmark of fitness the splits you will have to find a way to overcome this reflex without hurting yourself and as luck would have it there is relax into stretching reflexes can be overcome with gradual and repeated practicejust ask your friendly neighborhood hooker about how she overcame her gag reflex similarly your antistretch reflex that keeps your joints actually your muscles stiff and immobile can be overcome with a few techniques the most basic of these techniques is the one that i have had the best results with as usual the simple but difficult answer is usually the correct one and that is the titular concept of relaxing into a stretchwith thanks to pavel tsatsouline for naming the concept to use this technique take an easy form of the stretch you want to do using the splits as an example you would do a seated groin stretch engage the stretch just to the point where you feel tension in the target muscle and thensit and wait yes paradoxically relaxation is the key to increasing your physical fitness in this context you are literally going to sit there and wait for your muscles to stop fighting the stretchin other words youre going to exhaust your reflex until it stops being reflexive this is not something that happens quicklyfrom my experience it will take minutes per stretch so it is perfectly acceptable for you to get a book or watch tv while doing this as a side note this is literally the only time where its acceptable to have a visual distraction during exercise in my opinion as you might expect once your muscles have relaxed and the pain has melted away you can increase the stretch a little bit more and hold it for another minutes repeat this process until your muscles are in pain and you judge that you cant go any furtherthis is a personal call that you will have to decide for yourself as i cant judge when your muscles are demanding you to stop this technique can be utilized for any stretch and in many cases will give you the progress that you so desire however there are other methods in the relax into stretch family of exercises that can be utilized as well such as meditationmentally relaxing will lead to muscular relaxation or you can try forced relaxation where you flex the muscle simultaneously while stretching forcing the muscle to relax either way you slice it dont just brute force your stretching utilize these techniques for better results read more why stretching is essential for the body with beginner stretches to get you started

not fake

Kenya's repeat presidential poll was free, fair: commission

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya s repeat presidential poll was free and fair, the election commission said on Monday, despite opposition complaints over the vote that led to it boycotting the process. I m satisfied that we were able to meet these conditions that have enabled the commission to deliver ... a free, fair and credible election, Wafula Chebukati, chairman of the commission, said.

Title: Kenya's repeat presidential poll was free, fair: commission. Text: NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya s repeat presidential poll was free and fair, the election commission said on Monday, despite opposition complaints over the vote that led to it boycotting the process. I m satisfied that we were able to meet these conditions that have enabled the commission to deliver ... a free, fair and credible election, Wafula Chebukati, chairman of the commission, said.

fake

Trumpkins Seriously Think Their Hero Will Return From Mexico With A Check For His Wall (TWEETS)

This is so horribly amazing that it defies description. Conservatives who have a bone up their asses about a southern border that s not nearly as porous as they insist actually believe that Donald Trump will come back from Mexico with a check for his border wall. Or, at least, a solid agreement for payment.They re on Twitter saying it. Even former members of Congress are saying it. Joe Walsh, who s a nitwit as it is, said that it would be game, set and match if Trump was able to accomplish that:You know, if @realDonaldTrump comes back from Mexico tomorrow with a big check from Mexico to pay for the wall that s game, set, match. Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) August 31, 2016Okay, so it s common knowledge that Walsh is delusional. But so are others, apparently: Even Mexico s President knows #Trump will be our President; hence the invite! Thinking #1 will be cost of the Wall! https://t.co/e80TzXqr8M NaniofTwo (@naniof_two) August 31, 2016Trump meeting with the president of Mexico tomorrow. I sense a wall is getting paid for pic.twitter.com/T54dxz58mn Liberty New England (@LibertyNEblog) August 31, 2016 If Trump comes back from Mexico with a cheque for the Wall, then this election is OVER! #TrumpWins FitAussieForTrump (@SmurfBoobs) August 31, 2016That s a checkmate on #progressives if #Trump gets any reconciliation w Mexico s President. Any agrmnt to build or fund the wall it s over! Mudbone (@MGMiles76) August 31, 2016 @realDonaldTrump when your in #Mexico tomorrow don t forget to pick up the check for the wall. #MAGA #BuildTheWall Trump Fan Minnesota (@Buildthewallcha) August 31, 2016While #SickHillary pops pills & slumbers, I ll bet #Trump returns from Mexico with a down payment on that wall <grin> NightStar (@NightStar44) August 31, 2016 Tomorrow Trump is going to demonstrate statesmanship by bringing a price quote for the wall directly to the rapists! https://t.co/Dpk5SekYwg Hunter Bradley (@trainwreckgawkr) August 31, 2016 Mr Trump is headed over to Mexico ?? tomorrow to go pick up the check for the WALL! LoL! #MAGA #AmericaFirst #buildthewall #TrumpTrain ? ? Jerry for TRUMP (@123jerryv123) August 31, 2016 @HillaryClinton All Mexicans? Really? hum? The President of Mexico is meeting with Trump tomorrow to work out a deal on the WALL! #MAGA Trent R. (@trex554) August 31, 2016That s an astonishing level of gullibility right there, but Trump is a demagogue and his loyal followers eat up every single one of his words. Even some conservative websites are peddling a lie that Mexico already agreed to pay for the wall: Because what s not written in this story is the Mexican political leadership arguing about the viability of the Southern Security Wall being built. They have conceded the most important aspect.The argument has moved beyond will the wall be built, and now is focusing on who is going to pay for it. The media will skip noticing that little nuance. The answer is that, if a President Trump even manages to get authorization for the wall, we will end up paying for it. Oh, sure, he ll claim that Mexico s paying for it with heavy tariffs and by ending NAFTA, and possibly other ways too, but the truth is that we will pay for it, since most of what he s saying about trade isn t likely to happen without him disbanding Congress.This would be hilarious if it wasn t so sad.Featured image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Title: Trumpkins Seriously Think Their Hero Will Return From Mexico With A Check For His Wall (TWEETS). Text: This is so horribly amazing that it defies description. Conservatives who have a bone up their asses about a southern border that s not nearly as porous as they insist actually believe that Donald Trump will come back from Mexico with a check for his border wall. Or, at least, a solid agreement for payment.They re on Twitter saying it. Even former members of Congress are saying it. Joe Walsh, who s a nitwit as it is, said that it would be game, set and match if Trump was able to accomplish that:You know, if @realDonaldTrump comes back from Mexico tomorrow with a big check from Mexico to pay for the wall that s game, set, match. Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) August 31, 2016Okay, so it s common knowledge that Walsh is delusional. But so are others, apparently: Even Mexico s President knows #Trump will be our President; hence the invite! Thinking #1 will be cost of the Wall! https://t.co/e80TzXqr8M NaniofTwo (@naniof_two) August 31, 2016Trump meeting with the president of Mexico tomorrow. I sense a wall is getting paid for pic.twitter.com/T54dxz58mn Liberty New England (@LibertyNEblog) August 31, 2016 If Trump comes back from Mexico with a cheque for the Wall, then this election is OVER! #TrumpWins FitAussieForTrump (@SmurfBoobs) August 31, 2016That s a checkmate on #progressives if #Trump gets any reconciliation w Mexico s President. Any agrmnt to build or fund the wall it s over! Mudbone (@MGMiles76) August 31, 2016 @realDonaldTrump when your in #Mexico tomorrow don t forget to pick up the check for the wall. #MAGA #BuildTheWall Trump Fan Minnesota (@Buildthewallcha) August 31, 2016While #SickHillary pops pills & slumbers, I ll bet #Trump returns from Mexico with a down payment on that wall <grin> NightStar (@NightStar44) August 31, 2016 Tomorrow Trump is going to demonstrate statesmanship by bringing a price quote for the wall directly to the rapists! https://t.co/Dpk5SekYwg Hunter Bradley (@trainwreckgawkr) August 31, 2016 Mr Trump is headed over to Mexico ?? tomorrow to go pick up the check for the WALL! LoL! #MAGA #AmericaFirst #buildthewall #TrumpTrain ? ? Jerry for TRUMP (@123jerryv123) August 31, 2016 @HillaryClinton All Mexicans? Really? hum? The President of Mexico is meeting with Trump tomorrow to work out a deal on the WALL! #MAGA Trent R. (@trex554) August 31, 2016That s an astonishing level of gullibility right there, but Trump is a demagogue and his loyal followers eat up every single one of his words. Even some conservative websites are peddling a lie that Mexico already agreed to pay for the wall: Because what s not written in this story is the Mexican political leadership arguing about the viability of the Southern Security Wall being built. They have conceded the most important aspect.The argument has moved beyond will the wall be built, and now is focusing on who is going to pay for it. The media will skip noticing that little nuance. The answer is that, if a President Trump even manages to get authorization for the wall, we will end up paying for it. Oh, sure, he ll claim that Mexico s paying for it with heavy tariffs and by ending NAFTA, and possibly other ways too, but the truth is that we will pay for it, since most of what he s saying about trade isn t likely to happen without him disbanding Congress.This would be hilarious if it wasn t so sad.Featured image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

not fake

France's move to raise minimum food prices, limit promotions

PARIS (Reuters) - France, the European Union s largest farm producer, plans to raise regulated minimum food prices and limit bargain sales in supermarkets in a bid to increase farmers income, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday. The move is part of a wider field-to-fork review that closed on Thursday. Farmers, an important constituency in French politics, have long complained of being hit by a price war between retailers, which has benefited consumers but hurt producers down the chain. The measures will be put in place for a trial period of two years, Philippe said. Selling at a loss is forbidden in France. To determine the minimum level at which retailers are allowed to sell a product, France has set a Resale Below Cost (RBC) threshold. The RBC threshold is currently defined by the product s basic purchase price, minus discounts, plus transport costs to the retailer s warehouse. The government will propose to raise the RBC threshold by 10 percent, Philippe said at the close of the food review. The aim is to rebalance trade relations for the benefit of farmers income, he said when describing the proposal. The rise would include some of the additional costs already supported by retailers, such as the cost of logistics and staff needed to bring products from warehouses to the shelves, food industry group Ania said. This will increase the end-price of all products sold between the current RBC threshold and the new one - but not necessarily more expensive ones. The government will propose limiting discounts on food products to 34 percent of a product s price and to 25 percent of available volumes, Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert said. This means that retailers will be able to do promotion offers such as three products for the price of two but only for a fourth of their supplies for that product. The war in prices had led to rebates of up to 70 percent, which are most often supported by food producers. The aim of the measure is to avoid consumers losing the sense of prices. It would now be promotions, not sell-offs, Christiane Lambert, head of France s largest farm union FNSEA, said. Analysts say the measures would reduce aggressive price competition among French retailers and accelerate food inflation, potentially benefiting retailers profit margins in the short-term. This should calm down the (price) game a bit but the most aggressive players on prices may be tempted to parry an attack, Raymond James analyst Cedric Lecasble said. A softer competitive climate could come as a relief for retailers like Carrefour (CARR.PA) and Auchan [AUCH.UL], whose profitability is under pressure and whose hypermarkets sales suffer from aggressive price discounting from the market s dominant player, Leclerc, Barclays analyst Nicolas Champ said. Leclerc is now the leading retailer in France with a national market share of 21 percent against 20.5 percent for Carrefour, the latest Kantar data show. Accelerated food inflation could also lead some consumers to trade down, which could benefit hard discounters like Lidl. The limitation of promotions could also benefit discounters who have mostly Every Day Low prices strategies and reduce the attractiveness of the hypermarket stores, which are more focused on promotions. The government s aim is to present draft legislation to Parliament early next year, Philippe said. Analysts say the measures are unlikely to have an impact on the food chain before the second half of 2018. Ania had estimated that a rise of 15 percent in the RBC threshold would cost consumers an average of 30 cents ($0.36) per person and per week. Prices of products currently sold lower than the new RBC floor level - mostly products used to attract consumers such as Ferrero s Nutella or Coca Cola (KO.N) soft drinks - would rise mechanically. The government hopes that the measures will prompt retailers to loosen pressure on suppliers and food makers who would then pass at least part of the rise onto farmers. But some are doubtful that this will happen. We will increase some products prices by 10 percent, promising that miraculously this money, taken from consumers, will go down to the agri-food industry and that industry will give this money back to farmers. By what miracle, we do not know, there are no tools, Olivier Andrault from consumer rights group UFC-Que choisir told Europe 1 radio. The government will also reinforce the so-called renegotiation clause that allows parties to ask that contracts - concluded on an annual basis in France - be reviewed if there is a large swing in production prices. To ensure that farmers are not paid below their costs, France also plans to reverse the process of determining prices by taking farmers production costs as the starting point. ($1 = 0.8432 euros)

Title: France's move to raise minimum food prices, limit promotions. Text: PARIS (Reuters) - France, the European Union s largest farm producer, plans to raise regulated minimum food prices and limit bargain sales in supermarkets in a bid to increase farmers income, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday. The move is part of a wider field-to-fork review that closed on Thursday. Farmers, an important constituency in French politics, have long complained of being hit by a price war between retailers, which has benefited consumers but hurt producers down the chain. The measures will be put in place for a trial period of two years, Philippe said. Selling at a loss is forbidden in France. To determine the minimum level at which retailers are allowed to sell a product, France has set a Resale Below Cost (RBC) threshold. The RBC threshold is currently defined by the product s basic purchase price, minus discounts, plus transport costs to the retailer s warehouse. The government will propose to raise the RBC threshold by 10 percent, Philippe said at the close of the food review. The aim is to rebalance trade relations for the benefit of farmers income, he said when describing the proposal. The rise would include some of the additional costs already supported by retailers, such as the cost of logistics and staff needed to bring products from warehouses to the shelves, food industry group Ania said. This will increase the end-price of all products sold between the current RBC threshold and the new one - but not necessarily more expensive ones. The government will propose limiting discounts on food products to 34 percent of a product s price and to 25 percent of available volumes, Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert said. This means that retailers will be able to do promotion offers such as three products for the price of two but only for a fourth of their supplies for that product. The war in prices had led to rebates of up to 70 percent, which are most often supported by food producers. The aim of the measure is to avoid consumers losing the sense of prices. It would now be promotions, not sell-offs, Christiane Lambert, head of France s largest farm union FNSEA, said. Analysts say the measures would reduce aggressive price competition among French retailers and accelerate food inflation, potentially benefiting retailers profit margins in the short-term. This should calm down the (price) game a bit but the most aggressive players on prices may be tempted to parry an attack, Raymond James analyst Cedric Lecasble said. A softer competitive climate could come as a relief for retailers like Carrefour (CARR.PA) and Auchan [AUCH.UL], whose profitability is under pressure and whose hypermarkets sales suffer from aggressive price discounting from the market s dominant player, Leclerc, Barclays analyst Nicolas Champ said. Leclerc is now the leading retailer in France with a national market share of 21 percent against 20.5 percent for Carrefour, the latest Kantar data show. Accelerated food inflation could also lead some consumers to trade down, which could benefit hard discounters like Lidl. The limitation of promotions could also benefit discounters who have mostly Every Day Low prices strategies and reduce the attractiveness of the hypermarket stores, which are more focused on promotions. The government s aim is to present draft legislation to Parliament early next year, Philippe said. Analysts say the measures are unlikely to have an impact on the food chain before the second half of 2018. Ania had estimated that a rise of 15 percent in the RBC threshold would cost consumers an average of 30 cents ($0.36) per person and per week. Prices of products currently sold lower than the new RBC floor level - mostly products used to attract consumers such as Ferrero s Nutella or Coca Cola (KO.N) soft drinks - would rise mechanically. The government hopes that the measures will prompt retailers to loosen pressure on suppliers and food makers who would then pass at least part of the rise onto farmers. But some are doubtful that this will happen. We will increase some products prices by 10 percent, promising that miraculously this money, taken from consumers, will go down to the agri-food industry and that industry will give this money back to farmers. By what miracle, we do not know, there are no tools, Olivier Andrault from consumer rights group UFC-Que choisir told Europe 1 radio. The government will also reinforce the so-called renegotiation clause that allows parties to ask that contracts - concluded on an annual basis in France - be reviewed if there is a large swing in production prices. To ensure that farmers are not paid below their costs, France also plans to reverse the process of determining prices by taking farmers production costs as the starting point. ($1 = 0.8432 euros)

fake

East Congo militia attacks U.N. base, two rebels killed

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Militia fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo attacked a U.N. peacekeeping base on Friday, triggering clashes that left two of the fighters dead and two peacekeepers slightly wounded, the U.N. mission said. Thirty-four rebels from a Mai-Mai militia have been killed in fighting with Congo s army in the past week, local army spokesman Jules Ngongo said, a spike in violence he attributed to an army crackdown on the militia s harassment of local residents. Friday s attack, in which two rebels were also wounded, was a rare frontal assault on U.N. forces charged with protecting civilians in Congo s east, where dozens of armed groups exploit mineral resources and prey on local residents. Very early this morning, about 30 Mai-Mai attacked, mission spokeswoman Florence Marchal told Reuters, adding that U.N. forces drove off the assailants. It was not immediately clear which Mai-Mai group attacked nor what their objective was. The Mai-Mai comprise a number of armed bands that originally formed to resist Rwandan invasions in the 1990s. They have since morphed into a wide variety of ethnic-based militia, smuggling networks and protection rackets. Congo s mineral-rich eastern borderlands are a tinderbox of ethnic tensions and for more than two decades have been racked by violence that has often spilled across the country s borders. President Joseph Kabila s refusal to step down at the end of his constitutional mandate last December has fueled further unrest in the country s east, where wars between 1996-2003 killed millions, and center, where an insurgency against the central government has killed thousands since last August. Last week, U.N. forces in east Congo s South Kivu province intervened with helicopters and heavy machine guns to help beat back an advance by a separate rebel group on the strategic city of Uvira. The U.N. mission in Congo, known as MONUSCO, is the world s largest with some 18,000 uniformed personnel and a more than $1 billion annual budget.

Title: East Congo militia attacks U.N. base, two rebels killed. Text: GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Militia fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo attacked a U.N. peacekeeping base on Friday, triggering clashes that left two of the fighters dead and two peacekeepers slightly wounded, the U.N. mission said. Thirty-four rebels from a Mai-Mai militia have been killed in fighting with Congo s army in the past week, local army spokesman Jules Ngongo said, a spike in violence he attributed to an army crackdown on the militia s harassment of local residents. Friday s attack, in which two rebels were also wounded, was a rare frontal assault on U.N. forces charged with protecting civilians in Congo s east, where dozens of armed groups exploit mineral resources and prey on local residents. Very early this morning, about 30 Mai-Mai attacked, mission spokeswoman Florence Marchal told Reuters, adding that U.N. forces drove off the assailants. It was not immediately clear which Mai-Mai group attacked nor what their objective was. The Mai-Mai comprise a number of armed bands that originally formed to resist Rwandan invasions in the 1990s. They have since morphed into a wide variety of ethnic-based militia, smuggling networks and protection rackets. Congo s mineral-rich eastern borderlands are a tinderbox of ethnic tensions and for more than two decades have been racked by violence that has often spilled across the country s borders. President Joseph Kabila s refusal to step down at the end of his constitutional mandate last December has fueled further unrest in the country s east, where wars between 1996-2003 killed millions, and center, where an insurgency against the central government has killed thousands since last August. Last week, U.N. forces in east Congo s South Kivu province intervened with helicopters and heavy machine guns to help beat back an advance by a separate rebel group on the strategic city of Uvira. The U.N. mission in Congo, known as MONUSCO, is the world s largest with some 18,000 uniformed personnel and a more than $1 billion annual budget.

fake

Climate Change Deniers Get A PERFECT New Name From Dan Rather That Applies To Trump Supporters

Legendary news anchor Dan Rather just gave us a new name to use when referring to those who deny climate change and facts in general.As we all know, Trump supporters and conservatives now think science and anything the media reports is a hoax. Instead, they live in their own little echo chamber where they will only believe what right-wing media tells them to believe.But Dan Rather has come up with a new name to call them.In a Facebook post, Rather talks about how he once visited the Northwest Passage to report on climate change and how warming temperatures are going to one day melt all of the ice and open it up. Well, the New York Times now reports that temperatures are spiking in the Arctic, and Rather s report is actually happening with his lifetime. I think at this point, we can stop calling them climate change deniers, Rather wrote. Reality Deniers is closer to the truth. A few years back, I traveled to the famed Northwest Passage, to report on how climate change might eventually melt the icy blockades which had thwarted explorers for centuries. Well later seems to have become much sooner than scientists expected.And the leader of the Reality Deniers is about to take over the White House. Indeed, Donald Trump is the king of denying reality and he apparently intends to pretend that climate change is not real and wants to purge the government of employees who research it, which is why he sent a letter to the Energy Department demanding the names of people who work on climate change and the labs where climate change research is taking place.This is dangerous to our country considering that sea level rise will likely wipe out the coastline if we continue to deny reality and do nothing to prevent these impending disasters.Climate change is real and those who refuse to believe the scientists are going to pay the price for their ignorance.Featured Image: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for IFP

Title: Climate Change Deniers Get A PERFECT New Name From Dan Rather That Applies To Trump Supporters. Text: Legendary news anchor Dan Rather just gave us a new name to use when referring to those who deny climate change and facts in general.As we all know, Trump supporters and conservatives now think science and anything the media reports is a hoax. Instead, they live in their own little echo chamber where they will only believe what right-wing media tells them to believe.But Dan Rather has come up with a new name to call them.In a Facebook post, Rather talks about how he once visited the Northwest Passage to report on climate change and how warming temperatures are going to one day melt all of the ice and open it up. Well, the New York Times now reports that temperatures are spiking in the Arctic, and Rather s report is actually happening with his lifetime. I think at this point, we can stop calling them climate change deniers, Rather wrote. Reality Deniers is closer to the truth. A few years back, I traveled to the famed Northwest Passage, to report on how climate change might eventually melt the icy blockades which had thwarted explorers for centuries. Well later seems to have become much sooner than scientists expected.And the leader of the Reality Deniers is about to take over the White House. Indeed, Donald Trump is the king of denying reality and he apparently intends to pretend that climate change is not real and wants to purge the government of employees who research it, which is why he sent a letter to the Energy Department demanding the names of people who work on climate change and the labs where climate change research is taking place.This is dangerous to our country considering that sea level rise will likely wipe out the coastline if we continue to deny reality and do nothing to prevent these impending disasters.Climate change is real and those who refuse to believe the scientists are going to pay the price for their ignorance.Featured Image: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for IFP

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Trump’s Lawyers Never Talked To Him Without A Corroborating Witness Because He Lies So Much

Wow. That s a lot of lying.Apparently, Donald Trump is such a serial liar with a terrible memory that his own attorneys admitted that they always had to meet with him in pairs.According to a deposition released by Buzzfeed, bankruptcy attorney Patrick McGahn testified during the Trump Plaza bankruptcy case that his client lied so much that the firm made it a policy that a second attorney, identified as George Miller, had to be present as a corroborating witness. It s always been our practice to make sure that two people are present, and we don t have a problem of people lying He s an expert at interpreting things. Let s put it that way, McGahn said,When asked if it was necessary for both of them to meet with Trump, McGahn said that it was. We tried to do it with Donald always if we could because Donald says certain things and then has a lack of memory. In other words, the Republican nominee says a lot of bullshit and has a memory like Ten Second Tom in Adam Sandler s 50 First Dates film.Here are images of the documents via Twitter.In depo for Trump Plaza bankruptcy case, Trump s own lawyer testifies they often met with him in pairs because Trump lies so much. pic.twitter.com/TdEkdf4ZiB southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) October 6, 2016And Twitter users are having a field day with this.@nycsouthpaw @gmarie55 A sociopath lies incessantly to get their way, is often goal oriented and does so with little concern for others. Rebecca Yeates (@yeatesgreats) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw I mean if you need to bring a corroborating witness to every meeting with YOUR OWN CLIENT hoo boy delrayser (@delrayser) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw I know a venture capitalist who has tried to work out deals with Trump. He says that Trump is a pathological liar. Dan s Monkey Shack (@Yathoon) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw @ddale8 Wow, @realDonaldTrump, even your own lawyers admit you are a habitual liar. You have no honesty in you, nor integrity. Harry Meridian (@hmeridian2) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw @erinmcnll Seems his brain has as many rooms as his hotels. Not all of them occupied. Dr. Alan T (@kinowords) October 6, 2016Donald Trump is totally unfit to be president and this deposition proves it. Trump will do nothing but lie to the American people and transparency and personal responsibility would be non-existent in his administration.It s time for the American people to end this charade once and for all by electing Hillary Clinton by a landslide.Featured image via Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Title: Trump’s Lawyers Never Talked To Him Without A Corroborating Witness Because He Lies So Much. Text: Wow. That s a lot of lying.Apparently, Donald Trump is such a serial liar with a terrible memory that his own attorneys admitted that they always had to meet with him in pairs.According to a deposition released by Buzzfeed, bankruptcy attorney Patrick McGahn testified during the Trump Plaza bankruptcy case that his client lied so much that the firm made it a policy that a second attorney, identified as George Miller, had to be present as a corroborating witness. It s always been our practice to make sure that two people are present, and we don t have a problem of people lying He s an expert at interpreting things. Let s put it that way, McGahn said,When asked if it was necessary for both of them to meet with Trump, McGahn said that it was. We tried to do it with Donald always if we could because Donald says certain things and then has a lack of memory. In other words, the Republican nominee says a lot of bullshit and has a memory like Ten Second Tom in Adam Sandler s 50 First Dates film.Here are images of the documents via Twitter.In depo for Trump Plaza bankruptcy case, Trump s own lawyer testifies they often met with him in pairs because Trump lies so much. pic.twitter.com/TdEkdf4ZiB southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) October 6, 2016And Twitter users are having a field day with this.@nycsouthpaw @gmarie55 A sociopath lies incessantly to get their way, is often goal oriented and does so with little concern for others. Rebecca Yeates (@yeatesgreats) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw I mean if you need to bring a corroborating witness to every meeting with YOUR OWN CLIENT hoo boy delrayser (@delrayser) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw I know a venture capitalist who has tried to work out deals with Trump. He says that Trump is a pathological liar. Dan s Monkey Shack (@Yathoon) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw @ddale8 Wow, @realDonaldTrump, even your own lawyers admit you are a habitual liar. You have no honesty in you, nor integrity. Harry Meridian (@hmeridian2) October 6, 2016@nycsouthpaw @erinmcnll Seems his brain has as many rooms as his hotels. Not all of them occupied. Dr. Alan T (@kinowords) October 6, 2016Donald Trump is totally unfit to be president and this deposition proves it. Trump will do nothing but lie to the American people and transparency and personal responsibility would be non-existent in his administration.It s time for the American people to end this charade once and for all by electing Hillary Clinton by a landslide.Featured image via Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

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Funding to combat Zika fails to advance in Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Funding to battle the Zika virus failed to advance in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, as Democrats blocked a Republican proposal that they said would short-change the challenge posed by the mosquito-borne virus as well as other health priorities. The proposal to provide $1.1 billion in funding, which has already passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, got 52 votes, well short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate to clear a procedural hurdle. It was unclear when Congress would revisit the issue.

Title: Funding to combat Zika fails to advance in Senate. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Funding to battle the Zika virus failed to advance in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, as Democrats blocked a Republican proposal that they said would short-change the challenge posed by the mosquito-borne virus as well as other health priorities. The proposal to provide $1.1 billion in funding, which has already passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, got 52 votes, well short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate to clear a procedural hurdle. It was unclear when Congress would revisit the issue.

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Senate blocks bill that would override state GMO labeling laws

(Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill that would nullify state and local efforts to require food makers to label products made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, as the industry races to stop Vermont’s law from taking effect on July 1. The proposed legislation from Republican Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas comes amid growing calls for transparency in the U.S. food supply. Labeling advocates have criticized the bill as toothless because it leaves the decision to disclose GMO ingredients to the companies whose products contain them. Senate Bill 2609 is known as the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act by supporters and the Deny Americans the Right to Know, or DARK, Act by opponents. A procedural vote on Wednesday failed to reach the necessary 60 votes to advance the bill in the Senate, with 49 yes votes and 48 no votes. Roberts vowed to keep fighting as the July 1 deadline looms for Vermont’s labeling requirement to take effect. “I remain at the ready to work on a solution,” Roberts said. The United States is the world’s largest market for foods made with genetically altered ingredients. Many popular processed foods are made with soybeans, corn and other biotech crops whose genetic traits have been manipulated, often to make them resistant to insects and pesticides. Major food, farm and biotech seed companies spent more than $100 million in the United States last year to battle labeling efforts, according to a lobbying disclosure analysis from the Environmental Working Group, which opposes the Senate measure. Opponents to GMO labeling efforts include trade groups such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, whose members have included PepsiCo Inc and Kellogg Co, and BIO, which counts Monsanto Co, Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical Co, and other companies that sell seeds that produce GMO crops among its members. They say labeling would impose speech restrictions on food sellers, burden consumers with higher costs and create a patchwork of state GMO labeling policies that have “no basis in health, safety or science.” But companies such as Whole Foods Market Inc, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc and Campbell Soup Co already have begun labeling or abandoning GMOs rather than waiting for government action.

Title: Senate blocks bill that would override state GMO labeling laws. Text: (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill that would nullify state and local efforts to require food makers to label products made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, as the industry races to stop Vermont’s law from taking effect on July 1. The proposed legislation from Republican Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas comes amid growing calls for transparency in the U.S. food supply. Labeling advocates have criticized the bill as toothless because it leaves the decision to disclose GMO ingredients to the companies whose products contain them. Senate Bill 2609 is known as the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act by supporters and the Deny Americans the Right to Know, or DARK, Act by opponents. A procedural vote on Wednesday failed to reach the necessary 60 votes to advance the bill in the Senate, with 49 yes votes and 48 no votes. Roberts vowed to keep fighting as the July 1 deadline looms for Vermont’s labeling requirement to take effect. “I remain at the ready to work on a solution,” Roberts said. The United States is the world’s largest market for foods made with genetically altered ingredients. Many popular processed foods are made with soybeans, corn and other biotech crops whose genetic traits have been manipulated, often to make them resistant to insects and pesticides. Major food, farm and biotech seed companies spent more than $100 million in the United States last year to battle labeling efforts, according to a lobbying disclosure analysis from the Environmental Working Group, which opposes the Senate measure. Opponents to GMO labeling efforts include trade groups such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, whose members have included PepsiCo Inc and Kellogg Co, and BIO, which counts Monsanto Co, Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical Co, and other companies that sell seeds that produce GMO crops among its members. They say labeling would impose speech restrictions on food sellers, burden consumers with higher costs and create a patchwork of state GMO labeling policies that have “no basis in health, safety or science.” But companies such as Whole Foods Market Inc, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc and Campbell Soup Co already have begun labeling or abandoning GMOs rather than waiting for government action.

fake

PRESIDENT TRUMP Receives Patriots Jersey From Close Friend In White House Ceremony [VIDEO]

In an outdoor ceremony to celebrate the super Bowl champ New england patriots, president Trump received a football jersey with the number 45 on it. It s no secret that Trump is close with Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots (see below). This was a special moment!Patriots owner Robert Kraft tells Brian Kilmeade of Fox and Friends about the special friend that Trump was to him and how he went out of his way to help him after his beloved wife died, I m loyal to my friends, I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me. "I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me." -Robert Kraft on his friendship with Pres Trump pic.twitter.com/pQiBWDYCtF FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) February 3, 2017

Title: PRESIDENT TRUMP Receives Patriots Jersey From Close Friend In White House Ceremony [VIDEO]. Text: In an outdoor ceremony to celebrate the super Bowl champ New england patriots, president Trump received a football jersey with the number 45 on it. It s no secret that Trump is close with Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots (see below). This was a special moment!Patriots owner Robert Kraft tells Brian Kilmeade of Fox and Friends about the special friend that Trump was to him and how he went out of his way to help him after his beloved wife died, I m loyal to my friends, I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me. "I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me." -Robert Kraft on his friendship with Pres Trump pic.twitter.com/pQiBWDYCtF FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) February 3, 2017

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Scott Baio Emerges From 1940s Mob Film To Tell Fox News Why He Wants Trump (VIDEO)

One of the great mysteries of the universe is trying to figure out what makes people who otherwise may seem rational like and support Donald Trump for president. Appearing on Fox News, actor Scott Baio let us in on why he supports the real estate mogul, and why others should as well. Although, he seems to just be emerging from the set of a 1940s mob themed movie.When asked why he likes Trump, Baio said: What do I like about Trump? There s no BS. I understand him when he talks. Whomever the Democrat nominee is, he s gonna beat the crap out of em. Which is what we need. Instead of the crap beat out of us, and I like his policy proposals. What policy proposals? He s been all over the map on pretty much everything, except for his hatred of Muslims and that damn border wall.After being asked why people want Trump, he said: Well I think the thing is that Trump is not a typical Republican. He s sort of, you can t put a label on the guy, which I love. And because the media has stigmatized the Republican brand, he s smart to not cozy up to these guys, and he s unique. He s refreshing. He s exciting. I love to hear him talk, and I m excited about the guy. First of all, refreshing, really? Secondly, the media has not stigmatized the Republican brand, they did that to themselves by hating every minority group, the LGBT community, women s rights, and the poor. Blaming the media for reporting what they do is like blaming the guy who called 911 on the fire you set. Nah, it doesn t work that way.Baio clearly likes Trump, but also clearly doesn t understand anything of which he speaks.Check out the interview here:.@ScottBaio: Whomever the Democrat nominee is, [DJT s] going to beat the crap out of them. https://t.co/xQbQYNRVrJhttps://t.co/wmwgfpT70E Fox News (@FoxNews) May 14, 2016Featured image via video screen capture

Title: Scott Baio Emerges From 1940s Mob Film To Tell Fox News Why He Wants Trump (VIDEO). Text: One of the great mysteries of the universe is trying to figure out what makes people who otherwise may seem rational like and support Donald Trump for president. Appearing on Fox News, actor Scott Baio let us in on why he supports the real estate mogul, and why others should as well. Although, he seems to just be emerging from the set of a 1940s mob themed movie.When asked why he likes Trump, Baio said: What do I like about Trump? There s no BS. I understand him when he talks. Whomever the Democrat nominee is, he s gonna beat the crap out of em. Which is what we need. Instead of the crap beat out of us, and I like his policy proposals. What policy proposals? He s been all over the map on pretty much everything, except for his hatred of Muslims and that damn border wall.After being asked why people want Trump, he said: Well I think the thing is that Trump is not a typical Republican. He s sort of, you can t put a label on the guy, which I love. And because the media has stigmatized the Republican brand, he s smart to not cozy up to these guys, and he s unique. He s refreshing. He s exciting. I love to hear him talk, and I m excited about the guy. First of all, refreshing, really? Secondly, the media has not stigmatized the Republican brand, they did that to themselves by hating every minority group, the LGBT community, women s rights, and the poor. Blaming the media for reporting what they do is like blaming the guy who called 911 on the fire you set. Nah, it doesn t work that way.Baio clearly likes Trump, but also clearly doesn t understand anything of which he speaks.Check out the interview here:.@ScottBaio: Whomever the Democrat nominee is, [DJT s] going to beat the crap out of them. https://t.co/xQbQYNRVrJhttps://t.co/wmwgfpT70E Fox News (@FoxNews) May 14, 2016Featured image via video screen capture

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U.S. says it may not need Apple to open San Bernardino iPhone

(Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors said Monday that a “third party” had presented a possible method for opening an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, a development that could bring an abrupt end to the high-stakes legal showdown between the government and Apple Inc (AAPL.O). A federal judge in Riverside, California, late Monday agreed to the government’s request to postpone a hearing scheduled for Tuesday so that the FBI could try the newly discovered technique. The Justice Department said it would update the court on April 5. The government had insisted until Monday that it had no way to access the phone used by Rizwan Farook, one of the two killers in the December massacre in San Bernardino, California, except to force Apple to write new software that would disable the password protection. The Justice Department last month obtained a court order directing Apple to create that software, but Apple has fought back, arguing that the order is an overreach by the government and would undermine computer security for everyone. The announcement on Monday that an unnamed third party had presented a way of breaking into the phone on Sunday - just two days before the hearing and after weeks of heated back-and-forth in court filings - drew skepticism from many in the tech community who have insisted that there were other ways to get into the phone. “From a purely technical perspective, one of the most fragile parts of the government’s case is the claim that Apple’s help is required to unlock the phone,” said Matt Blaze, a professor and computer security expert at the University of Pennsylvania. “Many in the technical community have been skeptical that this is true, especially given the government’s considerable resources.” Former prosecutors and lawyers supporting Apple said the move suggested that the Justice Department feared it would lose the legal battle, or at minimum would be forced to admit that it had not tried every other way to get into the phone. In a statement, the Justice Department said its only interest has always been gaining access to the information on the phone and that it had continued to explore alternatives even as litigation began. It offered no details on the new technique except that it came from a non-governmental third party, but said it was “cautiously optimistic” it would work. “That is why we asked the court to give us some time to explore this option,” a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, Melanie R. Newman, said. “If this solution works, it will allow us to search the phone and continue our investigation into the terrorist attack that killed 14 people and wounded 22 people.” It would also likely end the case without a legal showdown that many had expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. An Apple executive told reporters on a press call that the company knew nothing about the Justice Department’s possible method for getting into the phone, and that the government never gave any indication that it was continuing to search for such solutions. The executive characterized the Justice Department’s admission Monday that it never stopped pursuing ways to open the phone as a sharp contrast with its insistence in court filings that only Apple possessed the means to do so. Nate Cardozo, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group backing Apple, said the San Bernardino case was the “hand-chosen test case” for the government to establish its authority to access electronic information by whatever means necessary. In that context, he said, the last-minute discovery of a possible solution and the cancellation of the hearing is “suspicious,” and suggests the government might be worried about losing and setting a bad precedent. But George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, a former Justice Department computer crime prosecutor, said the government was likely only postponing the fight. “The problem is not going away, it’s just been delayed for a year or two,” he said. Apple said that if the government was successful in getting into the phone, which might involve taking advantage of previously undiscovered vulnerabilities, it hoped officials would share information on how they did so. But if the government drops the case it would be under no obligation to provide information to Apple. In opposing the court order, Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, and his allies have argued that it would be unprecedented to force a company to develop a new product to assist a government investigation, and that other law enforcement agencies around the world would rapidly demand similar services. Law enforcement officials, led by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, have countered that access to phones and other devices is crucial for intelligence work and criminal investigations. The government and the tech industry have clashed for years over similar issues, and Congress has been unable to pass legislation to address the impasse.

Title: U.S. says it may not need Apple to open San Bernardino iPhone. Text: (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors said Monday that a “third party” had presented a possible method for opening an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, a development that could bring an abrupt end to the high-stakes legal showdown between the government and Apple Inc (AAPL.O). A federal judge in Riverside, California, late Monday agreed to the government’s request to postpone a hearing scheduled for Tuesday so that the FBI could try the newly discovered technique. The Justice Department said it would update the court on April 5. The government had insisted until Monday that it had no way to access the phone used by Rizwan Farook, one of the two killers in the December massacre in San Bernardino, California, except to force Apple to write new software that would disable the password protection. The Justice Department last month obtained a court order directing Apple to create that software, but Apple has fought back, arguing that the order is an overreach by the government and would undermine computer security for everyone. The announcement on Monday that an unnamed third party had presented a way of breaking into the phone on Sunday - just two days before the hearing and after weeks of heated back-and-forth in court filings - drew skepticism from many in the tech community who have insisted that there were other ways to get into the phone. “From a purely technical perspective, one of the most fragile parts of the government’s case is the claim that Apple’s help is required to unlock the phone,” said Matt Blaze, a professor and computer security expert at the University of Pennsylvania. “Many in the technical community have been skeptical that this is true, especially given the government’s considerable resources.” Former prosecutors and lawyers supporting Apple said the move suggested that the Justice Department feared it would lose the legal battle, or at minimum would be forced to admit that it had not tried every other way to get into the phone. In a statement, the Justice Department said its only interest has always been gaining access to the information on the phone and that it had continued to explore alternatives even as litigation began. It offered no details on the new technique except that it came from a non-governmental third party, but said it was “cautiously optimistic” it would work. “That is why we asked the court to give us some time to explore this option,” a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, Melanie R. Newman, said. “If this solution works, it will allow us to search the phone and continue our investigation into the terrorist attack that killed 14 people and wounded 22 people.” It would also likely end the case without a legal showdown that many had expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. An Apple executive told reporters on a press call that the company knew nothing about the Justice Department’s possible method for getting into the phone, and that the government never gave any indication that it was continuing to search for such solutions. The executive characterized the Justice Department’s admission Monday that it never stopped pursuing ways to open the phone as a sharp contrast with its insistence in court filings that only Apple possessed the means to do so. Nate Cardozo, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group backing Apple, said the San Bernardino case was the “hand-chosen test case” for the government to establish its authority to access electronic information by whatever means necessary. In that context, he said, the last-minute discovery of a possible solution and the cancellation of the hearing is “suspicious,” and suggests the government might be worried about losing and setting a bad precedent. But George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, a former Justice Department computer crime prosecutor, said the government was likely only postponing the fight. “The problem is not going away, it’s just been delayed for a year or two,” he said. Apple said that if the government was successful in getting into the phone, which might involve taking advantage of previously undiscovered vulnerabilities, it hoped officials would share information on how they did so. But if the government drops the case it would be under no obligation to provide information to Apple. In opposing the court order, Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, and his allies have argued that it would be unprecedented to force a company to develop a new product to assist a government investigation, and that other law enforcement agencies around the world would rapidly demand similar services. Law enforcement officials, led by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, have countered that access to phones and other devices is crucial for intelligence work and criminal investigations. The government and the tech industry have clashed for years over similar issues, and Congress has been unable to pass legislation to address the impasse.

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As Syrian couples say 'I do,' Lebanon says 'No, not quite'

BEKAA, Lebanon (Reuters) - In a tent in Lebanon surrounded by snow, Syrian refugees Ammar and Khadija were married by a tribal leader from their homeland in a wedding they would soon come to regret. What they had hoped would be a milestone on the path back to normal life became the start of a bureaucratic nightmare. One year on, it shows no sign of ending for them, their newly born son or for many other refugees from Syria, whose misery at losing their homes has been compounded by a new fear they may never be able to return. It is a dilemma with knock-on effects for stability in Lebanon, sheltering more than a million Syrian refugees, and potentially for other countries in the Middle East and Europe they may flee to if tension spills over. After they had agreed their union with the sheikh in the insulated tent that had become home to Khadija s family, the newlyweds both spent months digging potatoes in the Bekaa valley, one of Lebanon s poorest districts, to make ends meet. Only after they had a baby boy, Khalaf, did they realize the wedding had been a mistake. When the couple went to register his birth at the local registry, they were told they could not because they had no official marriage certificate. Without registration, Khalaf is not entitled to a Syrian passport or other ID enabling him to go there. Without proper paperwork, he also risks future detention in Lebanon. Asked why they did not get married by an approved religious authority, Ammar and Khadija looked at each other before answering: We didn t know. Laws and legislation seem very remote from the informal settlements in the northern Bekaa Valley, where Syrian refugee tents sit on the rocky ground amongst rural tobacco fields. Marriages by unregistered sheikhs are common but hard to quantify because authorities often never hear of them. For whereas in Syria, verbal tribal or religious marriages are easy to register, Lebanon has complex and costly procedures. You first need to be married by a sheikh approved by one of the various religious courts that deal with family matters, who gives you a contract. Then you have to get a marriage certificate from a local notary, transfer it to the local civil registry and register it at the Foreigners Registry. Most Syrians do not complete the process, as it requires legal residency in the country, which must be renewed annually and costs $200, although the fee was waived for some refugees this year. Now they have had a child, Ammar and Khadija also need to go through an expensive court case. The casual work Ammar depends on picking potatoes, onions or cucumbers in five hour shifts starting at 6 am pays 6,000 LBP ($4) a day, not enough to live on, let alone put aside. One bag of diapers costs 10,000 liras, he said. Sally Abi Khalil, Country Director in Lebanon for UK-based charity Oxfam, said 80 percent of Syrian refugees do not have valid residency, one of the main reasons why they do not register their marriages, alongside the issue of the sheikhs. Babies born to couples who didn t register their marriage risk becoming stateless, she said. D-REUTERSNEWS-T004/I41a553a0111811e6b2f6d9823502ce72 Refugees can only legally make money if they have a work permit, which requires legal residency, a Catch 22 situation partially tackled in February when the fee was waived for those registered with the UNHCR prior to 2015 and without a previous Lebanese sponsor. Lebanon s Directorate General of Personal Status took another step to help the refugees on September 12, when it issued a memo which waived the parents and child s residency prerequisite for birth registration, it said. But if you are married by an unauthorized sheikh, which includes all Syrian sheikhs, the process is more complicated, made worse by a clock ticking over the fate of your offspring, whose birth has to be registered within a year. In registering marriages, the biggest problem we faced was the sheikh, said Rajeh, a Syrian refugee, speaking for his community in a village in southern Lebanon. In Syria, the child would be ten years old and you can register him in one day. If the one-year deadline is missed in Lebanon, parents have to open a civil court case estimated to cost more than one hundred dollars and still requiring legal residency, which Ammar and Khadija, who met in the informal settlement, do not have. Legal residency becomes a requirement in Lebanon at the age of 15. At that point, many Syrians pull their children from school and do not let them stray far from the house or neighborhood for fear they will be stopped and detained. More than half of those who escaped the Syrian conflict that began in 2011 are under 18 years old, and around one in six are babies and toddlers, said Tina Gewis, a legal specialist from the Norwegian Refugee Council. Politicians pressured by some Lebanese saying the country has carried too much of the burden of the refugee crisis are pushing harder for the return of the displaced to Syria, raising the stakes since documentation is required for repatriation. If they have used an unauthorized sheikh, couples are encouraged to redo their marriages, said Sheikh Wassim Yousef al-Falah, Beirut s sharia (Islamic law) judge, who said the court s case load had tripled with the influx of Syrian refugees. But that is not an option for Ammar and Khadija because a pregnancy or the birth of a child rules that option out. Gewis said that in any case new marriages risked complicating future inheritance or other legal issues and costs were prohibitive, with courts charging up to $110 to register even straightforward marriages by an approved sheikh. Ziad al Sayegh, a senior advisor in Lebanon s newly-formed Ministry of State for Displaced Affairs said Beirut was keen to help the refugees overcome their difficulties. We don t want them to be stateless, because if you re stateless you have a legal problem that will affect the child and affect the host country, he said.

Title: As Syrian couples say 'I do,' Lebanon says 'No, not quite'. Text: BEKAA, Lebanon (Reuters) - In a tent in Lebanon surrounded by snow, Syrian refugees Ammar and Khadija were married by a tribal leader from their homeland in a wedding they would soon come to regret. What they had hoped would be a milestone on the path back to normal life became the start of a bureaucratic nightmare. One year on, it shows no sign of ending for them, their newly born son or for many other refugees from Syria, whose misery at losing their homes has been compounded by a new fear they may never be able to return. It is a dilemma with knock-on effects for stability in Lebanon, sheltering more than a million Syrian refugees, and potentially for other countries in the Middle East and Europe they may flee to if tension spills over. After they had agreed their union with the sheikh in the insulated tent that had become home to Khadija s family, the newlyweds both spent months digging potatoes in the Bekaa valley, one of Lebanon s poorest districts, to make ends meet. Only after they had a baby boy, Khalaf, did they realize the wedding had been a mistake. When the couple went to register his birth at the local registry, they were told they could not because they had no official marriage certificate. Without registration, Khalaf is not entitled to a Syrian passport or other ID enabling him to go there. Without proper paperwork, he also risks future detention in Lebanon. Asked why they did not get married by an approved religious authority, Ammar and Khadija looked at each other before answering: We didn t know. Laws and legislation seem very remote from the informal settlements in the northern Bekaa Valley, where Syrian refugee tents sit on the rocky ground amongst rural tobacco fields. Marriages by unregistered sheikhs are common but hard to quantify because authorities often never hear of them. For whereas in Syria, verbal tribal or religious marriages are easy to register, Lebanon has complex and costly procedures. You first need to be married by a sheikh approved by one of the various religious courts that deal with family matters, who gives you a contract. Then you have to get a marriage certificate from a local notary, transfer it to the local civil registry and register it at the Foreigners Registry. Most Syrians do not complete the process, as it requires legal residency in the country, which must be renewed annually and costs $200, although the fee was waived for some refugees this year. Now they have had a child, Ammar and Khadija also need to go through an expensive court case. The casual work Ammar depends on picking potatoes, onions or cucumbers in five hour shifts starting at 6 am pays 6,000 LBP ($4) a day, not enough to live on, let alone put aside. One bag of diapers costs 10,000 liras, he said. Sally Abi Khalil, Country Director in Lebanon for UK-based charity Oxfam, said 80 percent of Syrian refugees do not have valid residency, one of the main reasons why they do not register their marriages, alongside the issue of the sheikhs. Babies born to couples who didn t register their marriage risk becoming stateless, she said. D-REUTERSNEWS-T004/I41a553a0111811e6b2f6d9823502ce72 Refugees can only legally make money if they have a work permit, which requires legal residency, a Catch 22 situation partially tackled in February when the fee was waived for those registered with the UNHCR prior to 2015 and without a previous Lebanese sponsor. Lebanon s Directorate General of Personal Status took another step to help the refugees on September 12, when it issued a memo which waived the parents and child s residency prerequisite for birth registration, it said. But if you are married by an unauthorized sheikh, which includes all Syrian sheikhs, the process is more complicated, made worse by a clock ticking over the fate of your offspring, whose birth has to be registered within a year. In registering marriages, the biggest problem we faced was the sheikh, said Rajeh, a Syrian refugee, speaking for his community in a village in southern Lebanon. In Syria, the child would be ten years old and you can register him in one day. If the one-year deadline is missed in Lebanon, parents have to open a civil court case estimated to cost more than one hundred dollars and still requiring legal residency, which Ammar and Khadija, who met in the informal settlement, do not have. Legal residency becomes a requirement in Lebanon at the age of 15. At that point, many Syrians pull their children from school and do not let them stray far from the house or neighborhood for fear they will be stopped and detained. More than half of those who escaped the Syrian conflict that began in 2011 are under 18 years old, and around one in six are babies and toddlers, said Tina Gewis, a legal specialist from the Norwegian Refugee Council. Politicians pressured by some Lebanese saying the country has carried too much of the burden of the refugee crisis are pushing harder for the return of the displaced to Syria, raising the stakes since documentation is required for repatriation. If they have used an unauthorized sheikh, couples are encouraged to redo their marriages, said Sheikh Wassim Yousef al-Falah, Beirut s sharia (Islamic law) judge, who said the court s case load had tripled with the influx of Syrian refugees. But that is not an option for Ammar and Khadija because a pregnancy or the birth of a child rules that option out. Gewis said that in any case new marriages risked complicating future inheritance or other legal issues and costs were prohibitive, with courts charging up to $110 to register even straightforward marriages by an approved sheikh. Ziad al Sayegh, a senior advisor in Lebanon s newly-formed Ministry of State for Displaced Affairs said Beirut was keen to help the refugees overcome their difficulties. We don t want them to be stateless, because if you re stateless you have a legal problem that will affect the child and affect the host country, he said.

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GUESS WHERE THE BALTIMORE SCHOOL SYSTEM RANKS AMONG THE NATION’S 100 LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS?

Holy smokes! Could someone tell Obama he doesn t need to dump more money into the Baltimore school system. I think they need to point the finger somewhere else The Baltimore school system ranked second among the nation s 100 largest school districts in how much it spent per pupil in fiscal year 2011, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.The city s $15,483 per-pupil expenditure was second to New York City s $19,770. Rounding out the top five were Montgomery County, which spent $15,421; Milwaukee public schools at $14,244; and Prince George s County public schools, which spent $13,775.The Census Bureau also noted the first decrease in per-pupil spending nationally since 1977, the year the figures were first tracked.The per-pupil expenditures were calculated based on taking the districts current spending on day-to-day operations and deducting payments to charter schools and capital funding. The remaining money was divided by the number of students enrolled in traditional schools. The amounts were not adjusted for inflation.Baltimore schools CEO Andr s Alonso said the city s total could have reflected large infusions of cash to the district, including millions in federal stimulus dollars and federal Race to the Top funds.He also credited state lawmakers for maintaining funding. As many states pulled back on spending, with many districts losing funding, Maryland held the line on education, which is why you see three districts at or near the top, he said.On Monday, the school board passed a $1.2 billion budget that includes per-pupil funding of $5,190. That amount is different from what the Census Bureau reported because the school system takes out other expenses, such as transportation costs and special-education services, before allocating money to individual schools. In addition, the school system provides extra funding for certain groups of students, such as those in special education and dropout-prevention programs.Via: Baltimore Sun

Title: GUESS WHERE THE BALTIMORE SCHOOL SYSTEM RANKS AMONG THE NATION’S 100 LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS?. Text: Holy smokes! Could someone tell Obama he doesn t need to dump more money into the Baltimore school system. I think they need to point the finger somewhere else The Baltimore school system ranked second among the nation s 100 largest school districts in how much it spent per pupil in fiscal year 2011, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.The city s $15,483 per-pupil expenditure was second to New York City s $19,770. Rounding out the top five were Montgomery County, which spent $15,421; Milwaukee public schools at $14,244; and Prince George s County public schools, which spent $13,775.The Census Bureau also noted the first decrease in per-pupil spending nationally since 1977, the year the figures were first tracked.The per-pupil expenditures were calculated based on taking the districts current spending on day-to-day operations and deducting payments to charter schools and capital funding. The remaining money was divided by the number of students enrolled in traditional schools. The amounts were not adjusted for inflation.Baltimore schools CEO Andr s Alonso said the city s total could have reflected large infusions of cash to the district, including millions in federal stimulus dollars and federal Race to the Top funds.He also credited state lawmakers for maintaining funding. As many states pulled back on spending, with many districts losing funding, Maryland held the line on education, which is why you see three districts at or near the top, he said.On Monday, the school board passed a $1.2 billion budget that includes per-pupil funding of $5,190. That amount is different from what the Census Bureau reported because the school system takes out other expenses, such as transportation costs and special-education services, before allocating money to individual schools. In addition, the school system provides extra funding for certain groups of students, such as those in special education and dropout-prevention programs.Via: Baltimore Sun

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Fatah, Hamas to discuss security in Gaza under unity deal

GAZA/RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Negotiators from rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Islamist group Hamas will discuss security in the Gaza Strip at unity talks in Cairo on Tuesday, including a proposal that would see Fatah security personnel deployed to Hamas-dominated territory. The plan for 3,000 Fatah security officers to join a Gaza police force over the course of a year, part of a unity deal mediated by Egypt in 2011, would restore much of the influence of Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza and further loosen Hamas grip. The deal was never implemented. The Western-backed mainstream Fatah party lost control of the enclave to Hamas, considered a terrorist group by the West and Israel, in fighting in 2007. The loss damaged Abbas credibility in the eyes of the West and Israel, after years of being their main Palestinian diplomatic counterpart. But under Egypt s mediation, major steps have been made toward narrowing rifts since Hamas handed administrative powers in Gaza to a Fatah-backed government last month. The move was a major reversal for Hamas and was partially prompted by the group s fears of potential financial and political isolation after its main donor Qatar suffered a major diplomatic crisis with key allies. The sides will discuss the security issue, especially in Gaza, in the way that serves the home front, enforces the rule of law in a professional and national way and is not factional, said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. Under the deal, Hamas would still have the most powerful armed Palestinian faction, whose estimated 25,000 well-equipped fighters have fought three wars with Israel since 2008. The issue of arms of resistance is not up for discussion, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. Israel s enmity with Hamas means greater unity with Fatah is unlikely to help any future efforts for a peace deal with Israel. But both sides hope that the deal s proposed deployment of security personnel from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority to Gaza s borders will encourage Egypt and Israel to ease their tight restrictions at border crossings, a badly needed step to help Gaza revive its economy and improve the living standards of its two million residents. Officials said that apart from the implementation of the 2011 agreement and security, the Cairo talks would also cover issues such as setting a date for presidential and legislative elections and reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is in charge of long-stalled peace efforts with Israel. What happened in the past days is something like a declaration of principles while the two sides have postponed final status issues to the talks in Cairo, said Gaza political analyst Akram Attallah. Abbas has pledged there would be one authority, one law, one administration, one weapon in the Gaza Strip, a statement seeming to challenge Hamas continued security dominance. But Tayseer Nasrallah, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, told Reuters: There are difficult challenges and it will take time to overcome them. Outstanding issues include the fate of 40,000 to 50,000 employees hired by Hamas over the past 10 years and its demand Abbas lift economic sanctions he imposed in recent months to try to pressure the group to compromise. (This refiled version of the story inserts dropped words in paragraph eight).

Title: Fatah, Hamas to discuss security in Gaza under unity deal. Text: GAZA/RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Negotiators from rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Islamist group Hamas will discuss security in the Gaza Strip at unity talks in Cairo on Tuesday, including a proposal that would see Fatah security personnel deployed to Hamas-dominated territory. The plan for 3,000 Fatah security officers to join a Gaza police force over the course of a year, part of a unity deal mediated by Egypt in 2011, would restore much of the influence of Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza and further loosen Hamas grip. The deal was never implemented. The Western-backed mainstream Fatah party lost control of the enclave to Hamas, considered a terrorist group by the West and Israel, in fighting in 2007. The loss damaged Abbas credibility in the eyes of the West and Israel, after years of being their main Palestinian diplomatic counterpart. But under Egypt s mediation, major steps have been made toward narrowing rifts since Hamas handed administrative powers in Gaza to a Fatah-backed government last month. The move was a major reversal for Hamas and was partially prompted by the group s fears of potential financial and political isolation after its main donor Qatar suffered a major diplomatic crisis with key allies. The sides will discuss the security issue, especially in Gaza, in the way that serves the home front, enforces the rule of law in a professional and national way and is not factional, said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. Under the deal, Hamas would still have the most powerful armed Palestinian faction, whose estimated 25,000 well-equipped fighters have fought three wars with Israel since 2008. The issue of arms of resistance is not up for discussion, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. Israel s enmity with Hamas means greater unity with Fatah is unlikely to help any future efforts for a peace deal with Israel. But both sides hope that the deal s proposed deployment of security personnel from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority to Gaza s borders will encourage Egypt and Israel to ease their tight restrictions at border crossings, a badly needed step to help Gaza revive its economy and improve the living standards of its two million residents. Officials said that apart from the implementation of the 2011 agreement and security, the Cairo talks would also cover issues such as setting a date for presidential and legislative elections and reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is in charge of long-stalled peace efforts with Israel. What happened in the past days is something like a declaration of principles while the two sides have postponed final status issues to the talks in Cairo, said Gaza political analyst Akram Attallah. Abbas has pledged there would be one authority, one law, one administration, one weapon in the Gaza Strip, a statement seeming to challenge Hamas continued security dominance. But Tayseer Nasrallah, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, told Reuters: There are difficult challenges and it will take time to overcome them. Outstanding issues include the fate of 40,000 to 50,000 employees hired by Hamas over the past 10 years and its demand Abbas lift economic sanctions he imposed in recent months to try to pressure the group to compromise. (This refiled version of the story inserts dropped words in paragraph eight).

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U.S. lawmakers press Mylan on EpiPen price increases

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior lawmakers on the U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee on Monday pushed for information regarding sharp price increases for EpiPens, drug-filled injectable devices used by people to counter potentially deadly allergic reactions. Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Mylan Chief Executive Heather Bresch on Monday to ask how Mylan determined the price of EpiPens and what changes had been made to the product to account for the higher price. The top Democrat on the committee’s antitrust subcommittee, Senator Amy Klobuchar, urged the Federal Trade Commission on Monday to investigate the prices, citing news reports showing that the price of a pack of two EpiPens had gone from $100 in 2008 to $500 this year. Mylan acquired the product in 2007. “Although the antitrust laws do not prohibit price gouging, regardless of how unseemly it may be, they do prohibit the use of unreasonable restraints of trade to facilitate or protect a price increase,” wrote Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who said her daughter relies on an EpiPen. “The FTC should investigate whether Mylan Pharmaceuticals engaged in activity, such as using incentives or exclusionary contracts with insurers, distributors, or pharmacies, to deny an alternative product access to the market.” An EpiPen injects a pre-measured dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) that people use if they are having a dangerous allergic reaction. The FTC did not say whether an investigation was under way. “The commission takes seriously its obligation to take action where pharmaceutical companies have violated the antitrust laws,” a spokesman said. Mylan did not immediately comment on the letters but noted in an email that nearly 80 percent of people with commercial insurance who use a savings card can get the medicine for free. “With changes in the healthcare insurance landscape, an increasing number of people and families are enrolled in high deductible health plans, and deductible amounts continue to rise. This shift has presented new challenges for consumers, and they are bearing more of the cost,” Mylan also said. The FTC opened a probe into Turing Pharmaceuticals for possible antitrust violations in connection with the company’s decision to sharply raise the price of a life-saving drug. Turing had raised the price of Daraprim to $750 a tablet from $13.50.

Title: U.S. lawmakers press Mylan on EpiPen price increases. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior lawmakers on the U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee on Monday pushed for information regarding sharp price increases for EpiPens, drug-filled injectable devices used by people to counter potentially deadly allergic reactions. Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Mylan Chief Executive Heather Bresch on Monday to ask how Mylan determined the price of EpiPens and what changes had been made to the product to account for the higher price. The top Democrat on the committee’s antitrust subcommittee, Senator Amy Klobuchar, urged the Federal Trade Commission on Monday to investigate the prices, citing news reports showing that the price of a pack of two EpiPens had gone from $100 in 2008 to $500 this year. Mylan acquired the product in 2007. “Although the antitrust laws do not prohibit price gouging, regardless of how unseemly it may be, they do prohibit the use of unreasonable restraints of trade to facilitate or protect a price increase,” wrote Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who said her daughter relies on an EpiPen. “The FTC should investigate whether Mylan Pharmaceuticals engaged in activity, such as using incentives or exclusionary contracts with insurers, distributors, or pharmacies, to deny an alternative product access to the market.” An EpiPen injects a pre-measured dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) that people use if they are having a dangerous allergic reaction. The FTC did not say whether an investigation was under way. “The commission takes seriously its obligation to take action where pharmaceutical companies have violated the antitrust laws,” a spokesman said. Mylan did not immediately comment on the letters but noted in an email that nearly 80 percent of people with commercial insurance who use a savings card can get the medicine for free. “With changes in the healthcare insurance landscape, an increasing number of people and families are enrolled in high deductible health plans, and deductible amounts continue to rise. This shift has presented new challenges for consumers, and they are bearing more of the cost,” Mylan also said. The FTC opened a probe into Turing Pharmaceuticals for possible antitrust violations in connection with the company’s decision to sharply raise the price of a life-saving drug. Turing had raised the price of Daraprim to $750 a tablet from $13.50.

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'One China' principle must be maintained, China's Xi says

BEIJING (Reuters) - The One China principle must be maintained, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, referring to a core Chinese government policy that states Taiwan is part of China.

Title: 'One China' principle must be maintained, China's Xi says. Text: BEIJING (Reuters) - The One China principle must be maintained, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, referring to a core Chinese government policy that states Taiwan is part of China.

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PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOCKS PRESS CORP…Makes Unannounced Trip With Ivanka Trump

President Trump bolted from the White House Wednesday afternoon aboard Marine One to make a trip that was unannounced, and shocked the Press Corps but turns out it s be a very somber occasion. The President was with Ivanka Trump when he left, and reporters had no idea where he was going.The trip was not on Trump s public schedule. A small group of journalists traveled with Trump on the condition that the visit was not reported in advanceAbout 20 minutes after he lifted off in the chopper the White House revealed he was flying to Dover Air Force Base to greet the plane bringing back the remains of U.S. Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens.Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, a 36-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, was the first known U.S. combat casualty since Trump took office less than two weeks ago. Three other Americans were wounded in the operation, which was planned by former President Barack Obama s administration but approved by Trump.The White House says the ceremony will be held in private.

Title: PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOCKS PRESS CORP…Makes Unannounced Trip With Ivanka Trump. Text: President Trump bolted from the White House Wednesday afternoon aboard Marine One to make a trip that was unannounced, and shocked the Press Corps but turns out it s be a very somber occasion. The President was with Ivanka Trump when he left, and reporters had no idea where he was going.The trip was not on Trump s public schedule. A small group of journalists traveled with Trump on the condition that the visit was not reported in advanceAbout 20 minutes after he lifted off in the chopper the White House revealed he was flying to Dover Air Force Base to greet the plane bringing back the remains of U.S. Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens.Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, a 36-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, was the first known U.S. combat casualty since Trump took office less than two weeks ago. Three other Americans were wounded in the operation, which was planned by former President Barack Obama s administration but approved by Trump.The White House says the ceremony will be held in private.

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Trump Backers Go Full Birther And Slam Ted Cruz With Lawsuit (IMAGE/TWEETS)

Donald Trump supporters have taken it upon themselves to try and throw Texas senator Ted Cruz out of the presidential race by filing a lawsuit against him.The lawsuit, which was filed on February 3rd at a district court in Alabama, questions if Cruz is even eligible to run for president, considering that he was born in Canada. The lawsuit cites Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, which states that no person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president. The plaintiffs of the lawsuit are Sebastian Green, Shannon Duncan, Kathryn Spears, Kyle Spears and Jerry Parker, all residents of Cullman County as well as loyal fans of The Donald. In the suit, the plaintiffs declared that Rafael Edward Cruz is ineligible to qualify/run/seek and be elected to the Office of the President of the United States of America. Thomas Drake, the attorney representing the group, explained: Mr. Cruz was born in Canada, and obviously Canada is not a territory or protectorate of the United States, it s not dominion of the United States. And as such, when he was born, at the moment of his birth, location determined his status, and his status was that of a natural-born Canadian citizen. You cannot be a natural-born or native-born citizen of two countries. Birther lawsuit against Ted CruzTwitterTrump has long been raising concern about Cruz s natural born status before, in almost the same way he did in 2011 when he went after President Barack Obama s birth certificate, claiming that that Barack wasn t a United States citizen.TwitterTed and Cruz will face each other again on Saturday, and the air between them will surely be even more tense, as the Trump has won the New Hampshire primary and Cruz took the Iowa caucuses. Featured image via Gage Skidmore

Title: Trump Backers Go Full Birther And Slam Ted Cruz With Lawsuit (IMAGE/TWEETS). Text: Donald Trump supporters have taken it upon themselves to try and throw Texas senator Ted Cruz out of the presidential race by filing a lawsuit against him.The lawsuit, which was filed on February 3rd at a district court in Alabama, questions if Cruz is even eligible to run for president, considering that he was born in Canada. The lawsuit cites Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, which states that no person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president. The plaintiffs of the lawsuit are Sebastian Green, Shannon Duncan, Kathryn Spears, Kyle Spears and Jerry Parker, all residents of Cullman County as well as loyal fans of The Donald. In the suit, the plaintiffs declared that Rafael Edward Cruz is ineligible to qualify/run/seek and be elected to the Office of the President of the United States of America. Thomas Drake, the attorney representing the group, explained: Mr. Cruz was born in Canada, and obviously Canada is not a territory or protectorate of the United States, it s not dominion of the United States. And as such, when he was born, at the moment of his birth, location determined his status, and his status was that of a natural-born Canadian citizen. You cannot be a natural-born or native-born citizen of two countries. Birther lawsuit against Ted CruzTwitterTrump has long been raising concern about Cruz s natural born status before, in almost the same way he did in 2011 when he went after President Barack Obama s birth certificate, claiming that that Barack wasn t a United States citizen.TwitterTed and Cruz will face each other again on Saturday, and the air between them will surely be even more tense, as the Trump has won the New Hampshire primary and Cruz took the Iowa caucuses. Featured image via Gage Skidmore

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Weakened dam looms as latest threat to Puerto Rico after hurricane

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - A dam in Puerto Rico weakened by heavy rains from Hurricane Maria was in danger of failing on Sunday, posing a flood threat to thousands of homes downstream as the storm-battered U.S. island territory struggled through a fifth day with virtually no electricity. Some 70,000 people who inhabit a river valley below the Guajataca Dam in the northwestern corner of the island have been under evacuation orders since Friday afternoon, when authorities first warned that the earthen structure was in danger of imminent collapse. The fear of a potentially catastrophic dam break added to the pandemonium facing disaster relief authorities in the aftermath of Maria, which has claimed at least 29 lives across the Caribbean, according to officials and media reports. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello personally urged residents of the area to heed evacuation orders after surveying damage to the dam on Saturday, telling reporters that a fissure in the structure has become a significant rupture. The dam, which stands about 120 feet (37 meters) tall, was built in 1929 and supplies the surrounding region with hydropower, drinking water and irrigation supplies. The National Weather Service in San Juan, the island s capital, extended a flash flood watch for communities along the rain-swollen Guajataca River below the dam through midday Sunday. If the dam were to fail, flooding would be life-threatening, the Weather Service warned. Stay away or be swept away, it said. Maria, the second major hurricane to savage the Caribbean this month and the most powerful to strike Puerto Rico in nearly a century, carved a path of destruction through the island after plowing ashore early on Wednesday. Arriving as a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, with top winds of up to 155 mph (249.5 kph), Maria ripped roofs from buildings, turned roads into gushing debris-strewn rivers and knocked out power across the entire island, home to 3.4 million people. We lost our house, it was completely flooded, said resident Carmen Gloria Lamb, a resident near the rain-swollen Guajataca. We lost everything; cars, clothes, everything. Puerto Rico officials have officially confirmed 10 storm-related fatalities on the island, and the hurricane was blamed for at least 19 other deaths across the Caribbean, the bulk of them on the devastated island nation of Dominica. Severe flooding, structural damage to homes and the loss of all electricity, except from backup generators, were three of the most pressing problems facing Puerto Ricans, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose state is home to many of Puerto Rican descent, said during a tour of the island. It s a terrible immediate situation that requires assistance from the federal government, not just financial assistance, he said on CNN on Saturday. Even the island s medical facilities have been left in precarious shape, with many hospitals flooded, strewn with rubble and running critically low on diesel fuel needed to keep generators operating. Evacuation to the U.S. mainland is the only option for some patients. Signs of the strain on Puerto Ricans were evident throughout San Juan, the capital. Drivers had to wait up to seven hours at the few filling stations open on Saturday, according to news reports. Water rationing also began on Saturday. Signs posted throughout San Juan s Old Town informed residents that service would return for two hours until further notice. Telephone service also was unreliable, with many of the island s cell towers damaged or destroyed. On Sunday morning, the governor told reporters that officials would continue to clear roads and bridges blocked by the storm and that he would be joining a supply delivery mission to Caguas, a small city in the mountains south of San Juan. The storm caused an estimated $45 billion of damage and lost economic activity across the Caribbean, with at least $30 billion of that in Puerto Rico, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler at Enki Research in Savannah, Georgia. Maria, which was hundreds of miles (km) east of Florida over the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm and was expected to weaken further as it moves north in the Atlantic off the East Coast over the next two days. Maria hit Puerto Rico about two weeks after Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean and the United States. The two storms followed Hurricane Harvey, which also killed more than 80 people when it struck Texas in late August and caused flooding in Houston.

Title: Weakened dam looms as latest threat to Puerto Rico after hurricane. Text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - A dam in Puerto Rico weakened by heavy rains from Hurricane Maria was in danger of failing on Sunday, posing a flood threat to thousands of homes downstream as the storm-battered U.S. island territory struggled through a fifth day with virtually no electricity. Some 70,000 people who inhabit a river valley below the Guajataca Dam in the northwestern corner of the island have been under evacuation orders since Friday afternoon, when authorities first warned that the earthen structure was in danger of imminent collapse. The fear of a potentially catastrophic dam break added to the pandemonium facing disaster relief authorities in the aftermath of Maria, which has claimed at least 29 lives across the Caribbean, according to officials and media reports. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello personally urged residents of the area to heed evacuation orders after surveying damage to the dam on Saturday, telling reporters that a fissure in the structure has become a significant rupture. The dam, which stands about 120 feet (37 meters) tall, was built in 1929 and supplies the surrounding region with hydropower, drinking water and irrigation supplies. The National Weather Service in San Juan, the island s capital, extended a flash flood watch for communities along the rain-swollen Guajataca River below the dam through midday Sunday. If the dam were to fail, flooding would be life-threatening, the Weather Service warned. Stay away or be swept away, it said. Maria, the second major hurricane to savage the Caribbean this month and the most powerful to strike Puerto Rico in nearly a century, carved a path of destruction through the island after plowing ashore early on Wednesday. Arriving as a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, with top winds of up to 155 mph (249.5 kph), Maria ripped roofs from buildings, turned roads into gushing debris-strewn rivers and knocked out power across the entire island, home to 3.4 million people. We lost our house, it was completely flooded, said resident Carmen Gloria Lamb, a resident near the rain-swollen Guajataca. We lost everything; cars, clothes, everything. Puerto Rico officials have officially confirmed 10 storm-related fatalities on the island, and the hurricane was blamed for at least 19 other deaths across the Caribbean, the bulk of them on the devastated island nation of Dominica. Severe flooding, structural damage to homes and the loss of all electricity, except from backup generators, were three of the most pressing problems facing Puerto Ricans, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose state is home to many of Puerto Rican descent, said during a tour of the island. It s a terrible immediate situation that requires assistance from the federal government, not just financial assistance, he said on CNN on Saturday. Even the island s medical facilities have been left in precarious shape, with many hospitals flooded, strewn with rubble and running critically low on diesel fuel needed to keep generators operating. Evacuation to the U.S. mainland is the only option for some patients. Signs of the strain on Puerto Ricans were evident throughout San Juan, the capital. Drivers had to wait up to seven hours at the few filling stations open on Saturday, according to news reports. Water rationing also began on Saturday. Signs posted throughout San Juan s Old Town informed residents that service would return for two hours until further notice. Telephone service also was unreliable, with many of the island s cell towers damaged or destroyed. On Sunday morning, the governor told reporters that officials would continue to clear roads and bridges blocked by the storm and that he would be joining a supply delivery mission to Caguas, a small city in the mountains south of San Juan. The storm caused an estimated $45 billion of damage and lost economic activity across the Caribbean, with at least $30 billion of that in Puerto Rico, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler at Enki Research in Savannah, Georgia. Maria, which was hundreds of miles (km) east of Florida over the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm and was expected to weaken further as it moves north in the Atlantic off the East Coast over the next two days. Maria hit Puerto Rico about two weeks after Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean and the United States. The two storms followed Hurricane Harvey, which also killed more than 80 people when it struck Texas in late August and caused flooding in Houston.

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Trump's Commerce pick Wilbur Ross is no stranger to protectionism

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When billionaire investor Wilbur Ross salvaged two North Carolina textile mills from bankruptcy in 2003 and 2004, one of the first things he did was head to Washington to immerse himself in trade law and policy. China’s accession to the World Trade Organization had unleashed a flood of textile imports across U.S. borders, and Ross - now President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for commerce secretary - took an unusual hands-on approach, advocating for “safeguard” tariffs to help the ravaged domestic industry. “He was not the first outside investor to come into the industry and buy a major asset. He was the first and to my knowledge only major outside investor who took on that same sort of attitude that the more home-grown CEOs had,” said Auggie Tantillo, who has lobbied for textile makers in Washington for almost 40 years. Ross’ history owning and defending embattled steel and textile manufacturing companies that have relied on border duties to protect their industries means he will bring a unique approach to the commerce secretary job, departing from the traditional role of cheerleading for free trade and big business. In a questionnaire ahead of a U.S. Senate hearing to review his nomination - which had been slated for Thursday - Ross said he had owned or had a significant stake in more than 100 businesses over 55 years. Forbes has estimated his fortune at $2.9 billion. Ross has not yet provided the Senate with financial disclosures or an ethics agreement to prevent conflicts of interest. Late on Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee said it would postpone Ross’ hearing until Jan. 18 to give more time to ethics officials to do their work. Ross is one of three wealthy Trump picks to run into delays with the vetting process. Education nominee Betsy DeVos and Labor pick Andrew Pudzer have also had their Senate hearings pushed back. The Economist has called Ross “Mr. Protectionism,” a term Ross told CNBC he saw as “pejorative” and inaccurate because he said the threat of tariffs would be a used as a negotiating tool. If confirmed, Ross, 79, who is personally close to Trump, will be a lead player shaping U.S. trade policy, working alongside Robert Lighthizer, a lawyer known for his work with beleaguered U.S. manufacturers whom Trump has tapped as U.S. trade representative, and Peter Navarro, an economist and China hawk who will serve as a White House adviser. Free trade advocates worry the Trump trade triumvirate will be too quick to use tariffs to keep imports out, raising costs for manufacturers that rely on imported parts - or even sparking retaliatory trade wars. “The three of them - those guys put together - can create a lot of mischief,” said Dan Ikenson, a longtime trade policy economist now with the Cato Institute think tank. Ross did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Trump’s transition team said Ross would draw on his experience “saving and creating” manufacturing jobs if confirmed, and would push to expand exports and reduce imports. Ross has worked with allies in labor unions and other industry groups hurt by imports to push for tariffs and quotas, even starting his own coalition in 2003. Although the coalition was short-lived, Ross’s trade rhetoric about the trade deficit and currency manipulation has remained consistent - and was echoed on the campaign trail by Trump. Ross called the 20-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada the “poster child for unbalanced trade and investment,” in a letter to The Wall Street Journal. He has accused Mexico of importing auto parts from China for vehicles it shipped duty-free into the United States. But his companies have also produced goods in Mexico. The 2007 annual report for his International Textile Group called NAFTA “advantageous to the company” because of its factories there. Ross supported the Central America Free Trade Agreement, saying he believed it fixed some of what he saw as loopholes in NAFTA. Ross has drawn an unusual endorsement - from the United Steelworkers union, which backed Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the election. Leo Gerard, president of the USW, said in an interview last month that Trump’s team understood that trade remedy laws themselves needed to be modernized to make it easier to impose sanctions and duties before industries are hurt and jobs are lost. “We have a lot of suggestions for when there’s a new trade team,” Gerard told Reuters.

Title: Trump's Commerce pick Wilbur Ross is no stranger to protectionism. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When billionaire investor Wilbur Ross salvaged two North Carolina textile mills from bankruptcy in 2003 and 2004, one of the first things he did was head to Washington to immerse himself in trade law and policy. China’s accession to the World Trade Organization had unleashed a flood of textile imports across U.S. borders, and Ross - now President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for commerce secretary - took an unusual hands-on approach, advocating for “safeguard” tariffs to help the ravaged domestic industry. “He was not the first outside investor to come into the industry and buy a major asset. He was the first and to my knowledge only major outside investor who took on that same sort of attitude that the more home-grown CEOs had,” said Auggie Tantillo, who has lobbied for textile makers in Washington for almost 40 years. Ross’ history owning and defending embattled steel and textile manufacturing companies that have relied on border duties to protect their industries means he will bring a unique approach to the commerce secretary job, departing from the traditional role of cheerleading for free trade and big business. In a questionnaire ahead of a U.S. Senate hearing to review his nomination - which had been slated for Thursday - Ross said he had owned or had a significant stake in more than 100 businesses over 55 years. Forbes has estimated his fortune at $2.9 billion. Ross has not yet provided the Senate with financial disclosures or an ethics agreement to prevent conflicts of interest. Late on Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee said it would postpone Ross’ hearing until Jan. 18 to give more time to ethics officials to do their work. Ross is one of three wealthy Trump picks to run into delays with the vetting process. Education nominee Betsy DeVos and Labor pick Andrew Pudzer have also had their Senate hearings pushed back. The Economist has called Ross “Mr. Protectionism,” a term Ross told CNBC he saw as “pejorative” and inaccurate because he said the threat of tariffs would be a used as a negotiating tool. If confirmed, Ross, 79, who is personally close to Trump, will be a lead player shaping U.S. trade policy, working alongside Robert Lighthizer, a lawyer known for his work with beleaguered U.S. manufacturers whom Trump has tapped as U.S. trade representative, and Peter Navarro, an economist and China hawk who will serve as a White House adviser. Free trade advocates worry the Trump trade triumvirate will be too quick to use tariffs to keep imports out, raising costs for manufacturers that rely on imported parts - or even sparking retaliatory trade wars. “The three of them - those guys put together - can create a lot of mischief,” said Dan Ikenson, a longtime trade policy economist now with the Cato Institute think tank. Ross did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Trump’s transition team said Ross would draw on his experience “saving and creating” manufacturing jobs if confirmed, and would push to expand exports and reduce imports. Ross has worked with allies in labor unions and other industry groups hurt by imports to push for tariffs and quotas, even starting his own coalition in 2003. Although the coalition was short-lived, Ross’s trade rhetoric about the trade deficit and currency manipulation has remained consistent - and was echoed on the campaign trail by Trump. Ross called the 20-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada the “poster child for unbalanced trade and investment,” in a letter to The Wall Street Journal. He has accused Mexico of importing auto parts from China for vehicles it shipped duty-free into the United States. But his companies have also produced goods in Mexico. The 2007 annual report for his International Textile Group called NAFTA “advantageous to the company” because of its factories there. Ross supported the Central America Free Trade Agreement, saying he believed it fixed some of what he saw as loopholes in NAFTA. Ross has drawn an unusual endorsement - from the United Steelworkers union, which backed Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the election. Leo Gerard, president of the USW, said in an interview last month that Trump’s team understood that trade remedy laws themselves needed to be modernized to make it easier to impose sanctions and duties before industries are hurt and jobs are lost. “We have a lot of suggestions for when there’s a new trade team,” Gerard told Reuters.

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SHOULD THIS RACIST GIRL BE FIRED FOR BEHAVING LIKE OUR FIRST LADY?

Perhaps this young girl aspires to be the First Lady someday. Is it really fair to fire her for making racist remarks on social media when our President and First Lady have been on a hate/blame the white man media tour since they entered the White House? Meet Illinois resident Shana Poohpooh Latrice, a Brookfield Zoo employee who made the mistake of sharing an Instagram photo on Facebook with the caption, At work serving these rude ass white people :She made the even bigger mistake of tagging the photo as having been taken at the zoo.As a result, Brookfield Zoo got bombarded with a litany of complaints from pissed-off zoo visitors who found her comments to be clearly hateful and racist. Some even demanded that Latrice be fired for her mistake, and judging by what spokeswoman Sondra Katzen told reporters, that s exactly what s going to happen. This employee s statements in social media are in violation of our policies and do not reflect our institution s values, she said. We have zero tolerance for these kinds of divisive behaviors. We treat all employment matters confidentially, but rest assured that we have taken prompt action to remedy the situation. Via: DownTrend

Title: SHOULD THIS RACIST GIRL BE FIRED FOR BEHAVING LIKE OUR FIRST LADY?. Text: Perhaps this young girl aspires to be the First Lady someday. Is it really fair to fire her for making racist remarks on social media when our President and First Lady have been on a hate/blame the white man media tour since they entered the White House? Meet Illinois resident Shana Poohpooh Latrice, a Brookfield Zoo employee who made the mistake of sharing an Instagram photo on Facebook with the caption, At work serving these rude ass white people :She made the even bigger mistake of tagging the photo as having been taken at the zoo.As a result, Brookfield Zoo got bombarded with a litany of complaints from pissed-off zoo visitors who found her comments to be clearly hateful and racist. Some even demanded that Latrice be fired for her mistake, and judging by what spokeswoman Sondra Katzen told reporters, that s exactly what s going to happen. This employee s statements in social media are in violation of our policies and do not reflect our institution s values, she said. We have zero tolerance for these kinds of divisive behaviors. We treat all employment matters confidentially, but rest assured that we have taken prompt action to remedy the situation. Via: DownTrend

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BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Killer Dead…Here Are The Details [VIDEO]

MI, PA, OH and NY residents were all warned he could be anywhere in their state. Thank God he was caught and is no longer a danger to innocent people who may have encountered him Kudos to the PA State Police Department!The man who posted a Facebook Live video showing him fatally shooting an elderly man in Cleveland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday morning, authorities in Pennsylvania said.Steve Stephens had been on the run since Sunday. State police found Stephens s body in a white Ford Fusion after a brief pursuit in Erie, Pa., Tuesday morning.Steve Stephens was spotted this morning by PSP members in Erie County. After a brief pursuit, Stephens shot and killed himself. PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) April 18, 2017In a Facebook Live video, Stephens, 37, could be seen fatally shooting Robert Godwin, 74, in Cleveland. The episode sparked a nationwide search for Stephens, who fled soon after the shooting.In the video, Stephens claimed that he had killed 15 people that same day, though only Godwin s murder could be confirmed. The HillStephens mom, Maggie Green, told Fox News on Tuesday she heard the news of her son s death on the radio. She said she believed he would commit suicide because he visited her house before the murder to say goodbye. Momma this will be the last time you see me I just wanted to see you for the last time,' Green said that Stephens told her.Green said Stephens had an issue with gambling. Steve was a good Christian person he just snapped he had a gambling problem, she said.At a press conference earlier this morning, Cleveland police said they did not know where Stephens was. FOX News

Title: BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Killer Dead…Here Are The Details [VIDEO]. Text: MI, PA, OH and NY residents were all warned he could be anywhere in their state. Thank God he was caught and is no longer a danger to innocent people who may have encountered him Kudos to the PA State Police Department!The man who posted a Facebook Live video showing him fatally shooting an elderly man in Cleveland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday morning, authorities in Pennsylvania said.Steve Stephens had been on the run since Sunday. State police found Stephens s body in a white Ford Fusion after a brief pursuit in Erie, Pa., Tuesday morning.Steve Stephens was spotted this morning by PSP members in Erie County. After a brief pursuit, Stephens shot and killed himself. PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) April 18, 2017In a Facebook Live video, Stephens, 37, could be seen fatally shooting Robert Godwin, 74, in Cleveland. The episode sparked a nationwide search for Stephens, who fled soon after the shooting.In the video, Stephens claimed that he had killed 15 people that same day, though only Godwin s murder could be confirmed. The HillStephens mom, Maggie Green, told Fox News on Tuesday she heard the news of her son s death on the radio. She said she believed he would commit suicide because he visited her house before the murder to say goodbye. Momma this will be the last time you see me I just wanted to see you for the last time,' Green said that Stephens told her.Green said Stephens had an issue with gambling. Steve was a good Christian person he just snapped he had a gambling problem, she said.At a press conference earlier this morning, Cleveland police said they did not know where Stephens was. FOX News

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U.S. belatedly begins to comply with Russia sanctions law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it had belatedly begun informing Congress and others about groups associated with the Russian intelligence and defense sectors as required under a 2017 law tightening sanctions on Russia. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which became law on Aug. 2, among other things imposes sanctions on Russia to punish Moscow because U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia carried out a hacking and propaganda campaign to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the allegations. The law calls on the president to impose sanctions on anyone he identifies as having engaged “in a significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors” of the Russian government. The law required the Trump administration to “specify the persons that are part of, or operate for or on behalf of, the defense and intelligence sectors” of the Russian government by Oct. 1, a deadline the administration missed. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has now authorized the State Department to identify such people or entities, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. She said notification to Congress, as well as to industry, allies and partners, had begun and that public guidance on the matter would posted on the agency’s website soon, although she suggested this would not happen on Thursday. “We expect to post the full public guidance on state.gov shortly ... a lot of these conversations are still ongoing between Congress, industry, allies and also partners,” Nauert said at a briefing. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker this week said he wanted administration answers about why it failed to meet the deadline for implementing the sanctions on Russia. However, he said he spoke to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan by phone on Thursday and afterward said in a statement that the department’s guidance “is a good first step in responsibly implementing a very complex piece of legislation.”

Title: U.S. belatedly begins to comply with Russia sanctions law. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it had belatedly begun informing Congress and others about groups associated with the Russian intelligence and defense sectors as required under a 2017 law tightening sanctions on Russia. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which became law on Aug. 2, among other things imposes sanctions on Russia to punish Moscow because U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia carried out a hacking and propaganda campaign to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the allegations. The law calls on the president to impose sanctions on anyone he identifies as having engaged “in a significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors” of the Russian government. The law required the Trump administration to “specify the persons that are part of, or operate for or on behalf of, the defense and intelligence sectors” of the Russian government by Oct. 1, a deadline the administration missed. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has now authorized the State Department to identify such people or entities, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. She said notification to Congress, as well as to industry, allies and partners, had begun and that public guidance on the matter would posted on the agency’s website soon, although she suggested this would not happen on Thursday. “We expect to post the full public guidance on state.gov shortly ... a lot of these conversations are still ongoing between Congress, industry, allies and also partners,” Nauert said at a briefing. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker this week said he wanted administration answers about why it failed to meet the deadline for implementing the sanctions on Russia. However, he said he spoke to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan by phone on Thursday and afterward said in a statement that the department’s guidance “is a good first step in responsibly implementing a very complex piece of legislation.”

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Former Republican presidential hopeful Graham: won't back Trump or Clinton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator and former presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham said on Friday he could not in “good conscience” support Donald Trump for the presidency, but that he also would not back Democrat Hillary Clinton. “I absolutely will NOT support Hillary Clinton for President,” Graham said in a post on Twitter. “I also cannot in good conscience support Donald Trump because I do not believe he is a reliable Republican conservative.”

Title: Former Republican presidential hopeful Graham: won't back Trump or Clinton. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator and former presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham said on Friday he could not in “good conscience” support Donald Trump for the presidency, but that he also would not back Democrat Hillary Clinton. “I absolutely will NOT support Hillary Clinton for President,” Graham said in a post on Twitter. “I also cannot in good conscience support Donald Trump because I do not believe he is a reliable Republican conservative.”

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Hollywood moves from words to action in Trump era

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood is gearing up for a concerted response to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, planning a pre-Oscar rally and a political action group as the show business world moves beyond angry speeches. Talent agency WME-IMG, which represents actors, musicians, writers and sports figures, said it was forming a national political action committee (PAC). In a memo to employees on Tuesday, WME-IMG, one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood, said it also planned to develop “actionable public policy solutions,” connect clients with politicians from both political parties, and support donations of time and money by employees. The memo, seen by Reuters, does not mention Trump and avoids taking a direct political stance. But it adds “this company’s greatest asset is the diversity of our backgrounds and beliefs. Please know that we will do everything in our power to support and protect this diversity now and in the months and years ahead.” United Talent Agency (UTA) on Wednesday canceled its annual Oscars party and said it will instead hold a rally in Beverly Hills two days before the Feb. 26 Oscar ceremony to protest “anti-immigrant sentiment” in the United States. “If our nation ceases to be the place where artists the world over can come to express themselves freely, then we cease, in my opinion, to be America,” UTA chief executive Jeremy Zimmer said in a statement. UTA said it will also donate $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union and the International Rescue Committee. The twin moves follow widespread opposition by celebrities to Trump during the 2016 election campaign, and fiery speeches at recent awards shows and rallies condemning Trump’s travel restrictions on seven predominantly Muslim nations. On Monday, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said that barriers to artistic freedom have “made Academy artists activists.” Trump’s attempts to temporarily ban travel have hit Hollywood hard ahead of the movie industry’s most prestigious night. Oscar-nominated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and actress Taraneh Alidoosti have said they will boycott the Academy Awards to protest Trump’s actions. Syrian civilian rescue workers featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “The White Helmets,” will be unable to attend, producers said this week. UTA represents Farhadi. The agency said the Tehran-based director said he felt “honored and in tears” when he heard about the announcement.

Title: Hollywood moves from words to action in Trump era. Text: LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood is gearing up for a concerted response to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, planning a pre-Oscar rally and a political action group as the show business world moves beyond angry speeches. Talent agency WME-IMG, which represents actors, musicians, writers and sports figures, said it was forming a national political action committee (PAC). In a memo to employees on Tuesday, WME-IMG, one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood, said it also planned to develop “actionable public policy solutions,” connect clients with politicians from both political parties, and support donations of time and money by employees. The memo, seen by Reuters, does not mention Trump and avoids taking a direct political stance. But it adds “this company’s greatest asset is the diversity of our backgrounds and beliefs. Please know that we will do everything in our power to support and protect this diversity now and in the months and years ahead.” United Talent Agency (UTA) on Wednesday canceled its annual Oscars party and said it will instead hold a rally in Beverly Hills two days before the Feb. 26 Oscar ceremony to protest “anti-immigrant sentiment” in the United States. “If our nation ceases to be the place where artists the world over can come to express themselves freely, then we cease, in my opinion, to be America,” UTA chief executive Jeremy Zimmer said in a statement. UTA said it will also donate $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union and the International Rescue Committee. The twin moves follow widespread opposition by celebrities to Trump during the 2016 election campaign, and fiery speeches at recent awards shows and rallies condemning Trump’s travel restrictions on seven predominantly Muslim nations. On Monday, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said that barriers to artistic freedom have “made Academy artists activists.” Trump’s attempts to temporarily ban travel have hit Hollywood hard ahead of the movie industry’s most prestigious night. Oscar-nominated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and actress Taraneh Alidoosti have said they will boycott the Academy Awards to protest Trump’s actions. Syrian civilian rescue workers featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “The White Helmets,” will be unable to attend, producers said this week. UTA represents Farhadi. The agency said the Tehran-based director said he felt “honored and in tears” when he heard about the announcement.

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Italian government gets economy bill through Senate despite friction

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian parliament approved the government s latest economic forecasts on Wednesday, but the Senate vote exposed deep divisions on the political left that could complicate the drafting of the 2018 budget. Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni s coalition won two votes in the upper house on the Treasury s Economic and Financial Document (DEF), even though parliamentarians with the leftist Mdp party walked out of one of the ballots. The Mdp was formed earlier this year following a schism in the Democratic Party (PD), with a small group of left-wingers accusing PD leader Matteo Renzi of shifting the ruling party too far to the right and shunning its Socialist roots. National elections are due in early 2018, and political jockeying is on the increase as Italy s myriad parties seek to establish clearly defined identities ahead of the vote. The Mdp, backed by former prime minister Massimo D Alema, is particularly anxious to put clear water between itself and Renzi s PD, seizing on the DEF to push its demands for more money to be spent on health care and job creation. We have sent a political signal, said Mdp senator Federico Fornaro. Gentiloni, who does not have a clearly defined majority in the upper house, was saved any embarrassment thanks to the backing of 12 Senators from the center-right ALA group, which is headed by Denis Verdini, previously close to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Centre-left politicians said the Mdp was trying to smear Renzi by portraying him as a rightwinger. The question of relations between the Mdp and the government is tied to its competition with the PD ahead of the elections, said senior centrist politician Mario Catania. The point is that the Mdp is following D Alema s line and pushing for the downfall of Renzi. The government has to present its budget by Oct. 20, giving parliament until the end of the year to approve the package in what could be the last major act of the legislature. Gentiloni hopes to get the backing of the Mdp to guarantee smooth passage through both houses. The DEF hiked the 2018 growth forecast to 1.5 percent from a previous target of 1.0 percent, giving the Treasury room to present a more expansive budget than originally expected. The health system is an area where we will weigh up measures to improve it and make it more efficient, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told the Senate on Wednesday in an apparent nod to Mdp demands.

Title: Italian government gets economy bill through Senate despite friction. Text: ROME (Reuters) - The Italian parliament approved the government s latest economic forecasts on Wednesday, but the Senate vote exposed deep divisions on the political left that could complicate the drafting of the 2018 budget. Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni s coalition won two votes in the upper house on the Treasury s Economic and Financial Document (DEF), even though parliamentarians with the leftist Mdp party walked out of one of the ballots. The Mdp was formed earlier this year following a schism in the Democratic Party (PD), with a small group of left-wingers accusing PD leader Matteo Renzi of shifting the ruling party too far to the right and shunning its Socialist roots. National elections are due in early 2018, and political jockeying is on the increase as Italy s myriad parties seek to establish clearly defined identities ahead of the vote. The Mdp, backed by former prime minister Massimo D Alema, is particularly anxious to put clear water between itself and Renzi s PD, seizing on the DEF to push its demands for more money to be spent on health care and job creation. We have sent a political signal, said Mdp senator Federico Fornaro. Gentiloni, who does not have a clearly defined majority in the upper house, was saved any embarrassment thanks to the backing of 12 Senators from the center-right ALA group, which is headed by Denis Verdini, previously close to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Centre-left politicians said the Mdp was trying to smear Renzi by portraying him as a rightwinger. The question of relations between the Mdp and the government is tied to its competition with the PD ahead of the elections, said senior centrist politician Mario Catania. The point is that the Mdp is following D Alema s line and pushing for the downfall of Renzi. The government has to present its budget by Oct. 20, giving parliament until the end of the year to approve the package in what could be the last major act of the legislature. Gentiloni hopes to get the backing of the Mdp to guarantee smooth passage through both houses. The DEF hiked the 2018 growth forecast to 1.5 percent from a previous target of 1.0 percent, giving the Treasury room to present a more expansive budget than originally expected. The health system is an area where we will weigh up measures to improve it and make it more efficient, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told the Senate on Wednesday in an apparent nod to Mdp demands.

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Republican leaders condemn bigotry, but won't talk about Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress condemned white supremacist groups on Tuesday after their party’s front-runner in the presidential contest, Donald Trump, failed to disavow support for an ex-Ku Klux Klan leader, but the leaders declined further comment on Trump’s controversial White House bid. The comments from the two top Republicans in the U.S. Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, came as many of the party’s lawmakers struggle to come to terms with the growing possibility that Trump will be their nominee. Trump’s policies are often at odds with those of conservatives, and his comments on the campaign trail have often been both incendiary and crude. He has racked up victories in three of the four states that have already held their nominating contests. The comments from Ryan and McConnell coincided with “Super Tuesday,” the biggest voting day in the race to pick the 2016 presidential nominees for the November election. Ryan said any Republican nominee must reject any group “built on bigotry” while McConnell said Senate Republicans condemned groups such as the Klan and “everything they stand for.” The Klan, whose roots reach back to the Civil War, is known for its segregationist, racist views. In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump did not immediately repudiate support from David Duke, a former Klan leader who is also a former Louisiana state representative. Trump later said he had not heard the questions well because of a bad earpiece. Both Ryan and McConnell said they did not want to weigh in further on the presidential race, something they have declined to do for months. Ryan, a former vice presidential candidate who will chair the Republicans’ national convention in July, reiterated on Tuesday he would support whomever is his party’s nominee. A number of Southern states are among the 11 states holding Republican nominating contests on Tuesday, including Virginia, and opinion polls show Trump is likely to consolidate his status as the favorite to win the nomination. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid scoffed at Ryan’s remark a few hours later. Reid said Republicans were afraid to withdraw their support publicly because the Trump “millions” might turn on them. “Republicans say they’ll support a man who refuses to denounce the Ku Klux Klan. So until they withdraw their support, talk is really cheap,” Reid said. McConnell sidestepped a question on whether it was true, as reported over the weekend by The New York Times, that he had told fellow Republicans in private that they could drop Trump “like a hot rock” if he becomes the party’s presidential nominee. McConnell said he did not recall saying anything like that to reporters. In recent days other lawmakers on Capitol Hill have become more outspoken on Trump. A handful of lawmakers have endorsed him, including Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a conservative. On Sunday evening, Senator Ben Sasse, a conservative Republican from Nebraska, announced on Facebook that he could not support Trump because his “relentless focus is on dividing Americans and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation. “If Donald Trump ends up as the GOP nominee, conservatives will need to find a third option,” Sasse wrote. But in the halls of Congress on Tuesday, there appeared to be few lawmakers prepared to distance themselves from Trump who had not done so already. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who gave up his own presidential quest in December, said, “The party’s been burned and the country’s going to get burned” by Trump. To avoid this, he said, the party should consolidate around an opponent to Trump instead of diffusing the opposition among so many candidates. Trump is now one of five remaining Republican contenders. The others are Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who had endorsed Jeb Bush before he dropped out, said lawmakers have not shied away from criticizing Trump. “That has happened continually. Many of us did it when he made comments about John McCain many months ago,” she said, referring to how Trump had mocked the military record of McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona. As a Navy pilot, McCain was shot down over Vietnam. Trump said he liked people who weren’t captured.

Title: Republican leaders condemn bigotry, but won't talk about Trump. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress condemned white supremacist groups on Tuesday after their party’s front-runner in the presidential contest, Donald Trump, failed to disavow support for an ex-Ku Klux Klan leader, but the leaders declined further comment on Trump’s controversial White House bid. The comments from the two top Republicans in the U.S. Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, came as many of the party’s lawmakers struggle to come to terms with the growing possibility that Trump will be their nominee. Trump’s policies are often at odds with those of conservatives, and his comments on the campaign trail have often been both incendiary and crude. He has racked up victories in three of the four states that have already held their nominating contests. The comments from Ryan and McConnell coincided with “Super Tuesday,” the biggest voting day in the race to pick the 2016 presidential nominees for the November election. Ryan said any Republican nominee must reject any group “built on bigotry” while McConnell said Senate Republicans condemned groups such as the Klan and “everything they stand for.” The Klan, whose roots reach back to the Civil War, is known for its segregationist, racist views. In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump did not immediately repudiate support from David Duke, a former Klan leader who is also a former Louisiana state representative. Trump later said he had not heard the questions well because of a bad earpiece. Both Ryan and McConnell said they did not want to weigh in further on the presidential race, something they have declined to do for months. Ryan, a former vice presidential candidate who will chair the Republicans’ national convention in July, reiterated on Tuesday he would support whomever is his party’s nominee. A number of Southern states are among the 11 states holding Republican nominating contests on Tuesday, including Virginia, and opinion polls show Trump is likely to consolidate his status as the favorite to win the nomination. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid scoffed at Ryan’s remark a few hours later. Reid said Republicans were afraid to withdraw their support publicly because the Trump “millions” might turn on them. “Republicans say they’ll support a man who refuses to denounce the Ku Klux Klan. So until they withdraw their support, talk is really cheap,” Reid said. McConnell sidestepped a question on whether it was true, as reported over the weekend by The New York Times, that he had told fellow Republicans in private that they could drop Trump “like a hot rock” if he becomes the party’s presidential nominee. McConnell said he did not recall saying anything like that to reporters. In recent days other lawmakers on Capitol Hill have become more outspoken on Trump. A handful of lawmakers have endorsed him, including Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a conservative. On Sunday evening, Senator Ben Sasse, a conservative Republican from Nebraska, announced on Facebook that he could not support Trump because his “relentless focus is on dividing Americans and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation. “If Donald Trump ends up as the GOP nominee, conservatives will need to find a third option,” Sasse wrote. But in the halls of Congress on Tuesday, there appeared to be few lawmakers prepared to distance themselves from Trump who had not done so already. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who gave up his own presidential quest in December, said, “The party’s been burned and the country’s going to get burned” by Trump. To avoid this, he said, the party should consolidate around an opponent to Trump instead of diffusing the opposition among so many candidates. Trump is now one of five remaining Republican contenders. The others are Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who had endorsed Jeb Bush before he dropped out, said lawmakers have not shied away from criticizing Trump. “That has happened continually. Many of us did it when he made comments about John McCain many months ago,” she said, referring to how Trump had mocked the military record of McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona. As a Navy pilot, McCain was shot down over Vietnam. Trump said he liked people who weren’t captured.

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Sarah Palin Cheers On Trump’s Persecution Of The Free Press And Gets HUMILIATED For It

America s village idiot got her ass handed to her for applauding Donald Trump s effort to destroy our free press.When Trump held his first press conference in six months on Wednesday and used it to declare that CNN and Buzzfeed are fake news sources that will suffer consequences under his tyrannical rule, Palin crowed about it on Facebook. Thank God really, literally thank God we re not facing a third Obama term. If you caught PE-Trump s first presser today, you saw it, she began.Palin went on to accuse the media of lying and even accused them of disrespecting our veterans before bragging about how Trump is decimating the press.For one, when PE-Trump takes on corrupt lying lapdog media it is vindication and validation for those without a microphone who ve been shot by reporters engaged in politics of personal destruction.These journalists bad characters that they are hurt our nation tremendously; they disrespect those who fought and died to protect America s freedom of the press; they spit upon the graves of our veterans. We deem those reporters and their publications irrelevant now.HOPE in this arena soars upon seeing a fearless leader take on injustice.APPRECIATION fills our heart when our new President exudes our collective red, white and blue courage in the face of purveyors of yellow journalism. Press members have worked as a herd of lost little lazy sheep. The herd is now decimated.America s challenges can now be tackled with seriousness.The impossible burden of dealing with unethical mediums is off our shoulder and that s one less excuse leaders will have as we ask them to finally do the job we send them to do in Washington.Here s the full post via Facebook.Of course Sarah Palin would cheer on the persecution of the press, because answering questions is hard for her. We re talking about a woman who couldn t even answer a simple question about what newspaper she reads. Apparently, she still blames the media for her inability to give a simple answer.But Americans did not appreciate Palin s attack on our free press and promptly humiliated her for it on Twitter.@SarahPalinUSA I can Pee Russia from your house! I m President Trump (@DarthTaxEVader) January 11, 2017.@SarahPalinUSA In fact, we are thanking God that you have not been appointed to any position in the new administration. A silver lining. John Zimmer (@ZimmerJohn) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA His two terms have come to an end. And now we re faced with someone as stupid as you. Desiree (@dwatson904) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA thank Jesus, Buddha, and Sponge Bob YOU didn t get into office Dredstone (@DavidRedstone2) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA remember in the Bible when God said, And be sure to grab them by the pussy. You aren t a Christian; you re a hypocrite. Trumpmares (@Trumpmares) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA you re the worst. Don t you have some snowmobiling to do? My Cuckabee (@mycuckabee) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA yep no Obama 3rd term. Just a Putin 1st term. You are such a fake patriot. You are dividing America. Put country over party Davy (@RealUSAPatriot2) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA #Obama and Biden whipped your sorry ass obviously America wanted them more than your hillbilly style AssAndElephant (@AssAndElephant) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA U mad? you lost to Obama hard, and are now a national monument to backwards GOP ignorance and hypocrisy My Cuckabee (@mycuckabee) January 11, 2017Featured image via Malia Litman s Blog

Title: Sarah Palin Cheers On Trump’s Persecution Of The Free Press And Gets HUMILIATED For It. Text: America s village idiot got her ass handed to her for applauding Donald Trump s effort to destroy our free press.When Trump held his first press conference in six months on Wednesday and used it to declare that CNN and Buzzfeed are fake news sources that will suffer consequences under his tyrannical rule, Palin crowed about it on Facebook. Thank God really, literally thank God we re not facing a third Obama term. If you caught PE-Trump s first presser today, you saw it, she began.Palin went on to accuse the media of lying and even accused them of disrespecting our veterans before bragging about how Trump is decimating the press.For one, when PE-Trump takes on corrupt lying lapdog media it is vindication and validation for those without a microphone who ve been shot by reporters engaged in politics of personal destruction.These journalists bad characters that they are hurt our nation tremendously; they disrespect those who fought and died to protect America s freedom of the press; they spit upon the graves of our veterans. We deem those reporters and their publications irrelevant now.HOPE in this arena soars upon seeing a fearless leader take on injustice.APPRECIATION fills our heart when our new President exudes our collective red, white and blue courage in the face of purveyors of yellow journalism. Press members have worked as a herd of lost little lazy sheep. The herd is now decimated.America s challenges can now be tackled with seriousness.The impossible burden of dealing with unethical mediums is off our shoulder and that s one less excuse leaders will have as we ask them to finally do the job we send them to do in Washington.Here s the full post via Facebook.Of course Sarah Palin would cheer on the persecution of the press, because answering questions is hard for her. We re talking about a woman who couldn t even answer a simple question about what newspaper she reads. Apparently, she still blames the media for her inability to give a simple answer.But Americans did not appreciate Palin s attack on our free press and promptly humiliated her for it on Twitter.@SarahPalinUSA I can Pee Russia from your house! I m President Trump (@DarthTaxEVader) January 11, 2017.@SarahPalinUSA In fact, we are thanking God that you have not been appointed to any position in the new administration. A silver lining. John Zimmer (@ZimmerJohn) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA His two terms have come to an end. And now we re faced with someone as stupid as you. Desiree (@dwatson904) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA thank Jesus, Buddha, and Sponge Bob YOU didn t get into office Dredstone (@DavidRedstone2) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA remember in the Bible when God said, And be sure to grab them by the pussy. You aren t a Christian; you re a hypocrite. Trumpmares (@Trumpmares) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA you re the worst. Don t you have some snowmobiling to do? My Cuckabee (@mycuckabee) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA yep no Obama 3rd term. Just a Putin 1st term. You are such a fake patriot. You are dividing America. Put country over party Davy (@RealUSAPatriot2) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA #Obama and Biden whipped your sorry ass obviously America wanted them more than your hillbilly style AssAndElephant (@AssAndElephant) January 11, 2017@SarahPalinUSA U mad? you lost to Obama hard, and are now a national monument to backwards GOP ignorance and hypocrisy My Cuckabee (@mycuckabee) January 11, 2017Featured image via Malia Litman s Blog

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Joe Biden Just SKEWERED Donald Trump For Bragging About Sexual Assault (VIDEO)

Vice President Joe Biden has been a strong advocate for sexual assault victims and he is letting it be known exactly where he stands when it comes to Donald Trump bragging about being a sexual predator.During the interview on Meet The Press, Biden told NBC s Chuck Todd that when Trump boasted that he could grab em by the p*ssy, the GOP nominee was giving a textbook definition of sexual assault. Todd asked the vice president why Trump didn t deserve to get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the sexual assault allegations against him that have been piling up. Biden s answer was simple: His own words. His own words, I don t even have to go to the accusers, Biden explained. When a man says what he said, that is a textbook definition of sexual assault. I mean, it s a textbook definition. But what makes it believable that he engaged in that kind of activity, it s not that just that he said it, but sort of his instinctive abuse of power. He acts like that in private sector and he acts in the way he treats employees, he continued. You know, I live in the penthouse. I m a billionaire, I m a star and I can do what I want. That s the most disturbing piece! You know, my father used to say, The greatest abuse is the abuse of power. Economic power, political power, physical power. And this is not a guy who should be representing the United States in anyway. Watch Biden skewer Trump for bragging about being a sexual predator, here:Featured image via video screen capture

Title: Joe Biden Just SKEWERED Donald Trump For Bragging About Sexual Assault (VIDEO). Text: Vice President Joe Biden has been a strong advocate for sexual assault victims and he is letting it be known exactly where he stands when it comes to Donald Trump bragging about being a sexual predator.During the interview on Meet The Press, Biden told NBC s Chuck Todd that when Trump boasted that he could grab em by the p*ssy, the GOP nominee was giving a textbook definition of sexual assault. Todd asked the vice president why Trump didn t deserve to get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the sexual assault allegations against him that have been piling up. Biden s answer was simple: His own words. His own words, I don t even have to go to the accusers, Biden explained. When a man says what he said, that is a textbook definition of sexual assault. I mean, it s a textbook definition. But what makes it believable that he engaged in that kind of activity, it s not that just that he said it, but sort of his instinctive abuse of power. He acts like that in private sector and he acts in the way he treats employees, he continued. You know, I live in the penthouse. I m a billionaire, I m a star and I can do what I want. That s the most disturbing piece! You know, my father used to say, The greatest abuse is the abuse of power. Economic power, political power, physical power. And this is not a guy who should be representing the United States in anyway. Watch Biden skewer Trump for bragging about being a sexual predator, here:Featured image via video screen capture

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Saudi king receives ex-Lebanon PM Hariri in Riyadh

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi King Salman received former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in Riyadh on Monday following his resignation, Saudi media reported. Hariri announced his resignation on Saturday from Riyadh, saying he believed there was an assassination plot against him and accusing Iran, Saudi Arabia s arch-rival, and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of sowing strife in the Arab world. King Salman met the resigned Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri a short while ago, a presenter on Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said. Hariri s resignation toppled a coalition government that included Shi ite Muslim group Hezbollah, thrusting Lebanon back into the frontline of the Saudi-Iranian regional rivalry and risking an open-ended political crisis. State news agency SPA carried pictures of Hariri and King Salman greeting each other and then sitting together in a palatial setting. Hariri s surprise resignation in a televised speech aired on al-Arabiya TV had drawn criticism and was met with controversy in Beirut. Some have even questioned whether Hariri s resignation was voluntary. Lebanese Justice Minister Salim Jreissati said on Monday that Lebanon s president would not take any steps regarding Hariri s resignation before Hariri returns from abroad, stressing that the resignation must be voluntary. President Michel Aoun said earlier on Monday that political leaders had been responsive to calls for calm, strengthening security and national unity after Hariri s shock resignation.

Title: Saudi king receives ex-Lebanon PM Hariri in Riyadh. Text: RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi King Salman received former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in Riyadh on Monday following his resignation, Saudi media reported. Hariri announced his resignation on Saturday from Riyadh, saying he believed there was an assassination plot against him and accusing Iran, Saudi Arabia s arch-rival, and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of sowing strife in the Arab world. King Salman met the resigned Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri a short while ago, a presenter on Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said. Hariri s resignation toppled a coalition government that included Shi ite Muslim group Hezbollah, thrusting Lebanon back into the frontline of the Saudi-Iranian regional rivalry and risking an open-ended political crisis. State news agency SPA carried pictures of Hariri and King Salman greeting each other and then sitting together in a palatial setting. Hariri s surprise resignation in a televised speech aired on al-Arabiya TV had drawn criticism and was met with controversy in Beirut. Some have even questioned whether Hariri s resignation was voluntary. Lebanese Justice Minister Salim Jreissati said on Monday that Lebanon s president would not take any steps regarding Hariri s resignation before Hariri returns from abroad, stressing that the resignation must be voluntary. President Michel Aoun said earlier on Monday that political leaders had been responsive to calls for calm, strengthening security and national unity after Hariri s shock resignation.

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United Nations chief 'very worried' by Saudi-Lebanon tensions

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday he had serious concerns over escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, and that it was essential to avert new conflict in the region. We are indeed very worried, and we hope we won t see an escalation, the United Nations chief told reporters. It is essential that no new conflict erupts in the region, it could have devastating consequences. Guterres said he had very intense contacts yesterday with Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and other countries in the region. His comments come amid a deepening crisis between the two Middle Eastern nations that has thrust tiny Lebanon between Saudi Arabia and the region s other powerhouse, Iran. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon of declaring war against it, citing aggression by the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi ite group Hezbollah. On Friday, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of declaring war on Lebanon and Hezbollah. In the midst of the conflict is Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon s former prime minister, who unexpectedly resigned his post over the weekend. Lebanese authorities have said he is being held against his will in Saudi Arabia, a charge that Riyadh has denied.

Title: United Nations chief 'very worried' by Saudi-Lebanon tensions. Text: UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday he had serious concerns over escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, and that it was essential to avert new conflict in the region. We are indeed very worried, and we hope we won t see an escalation, the United Nations chief told reporters. It is essential that no new conflict erupts in the region, it could have devastating consequences. Guterres said he had very intense contacts yesterday with Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and other countries in the region. His comments come amid a deepening crisis between the two Middle Eastern nations that has thrust tiny Lebanon between Saudi Arabia and the region s other powerhouse, Iran. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon of declaring war against it, citing aggression by the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi ite group Hezbollah. On Friday, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of declaring war on Lebanon and Hezbollah. In the midst of the conflict is Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon s former prime minister, who unexpectedly resigned his post over the weekend. Lebanese authorities have said he is being held against his will in Saudi Arabia, a charge that Riyadh has denied.

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Beirut activists hold vigil in tribute to murdered women

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dozens of people gathered outside Beirut s national museum on Saturday evening to light candles for a British woman and three Arab women murdered in the past week in Lebanon. The killing of the British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes last week has sparked extensive media coverage in Lebanon, prompting activists to press for more attention to be given to widespread violence against women. Lebanese women s rights activists held the vigil to mourn the victims, demand better laws, and to protest against the violence - including the three reported murders in northern Lebanon alone over the past week. Society refuses to listen to us or see us until our blood is spilled, Leen Hashem, an organizer, told the crowd from the steps of the museum. This violence is structural and systematic. Justice is not only arresting the criminal. Justice is for all this not to happen to us in the first place, she said. Don t tell me to cover up. Tell him not to rape me, one woman chanted through a megaphone, a demand repeated by people in the crowd. Participants laid white roses over pictures of the four women, and lined the steps with candles. Wafaa al-Kabbout stood on the sidelines, holding a framed photo of her 21-year-old daughter Zahraa, whose ex-husband shot her dead last year. Now my daughter is gone, she s not coming back, she said. But all these young women are our daughters. And there is still fear for the young women after them. The United Nations says a third of women worldwide have suffered sexual or physical violence. A 2017 national study by the Beirut-based women s rights group ABAAD said that one in four women have been raped in Lebanon. Less than a quarter of women who faced sexual assault reported it, the survey said. Little by little, we are breaking the silence ... for women to come forward and talk about the violence they are facing, said Saja Michael, program manager at ABAAD. In the past five years, women have become more likely to report violence and seek help, she said, though sexual assault remains a bit more taboo. Part of the reason is that NGOs have set up new shelters and community centers, with psychological, legal, medical, and other services, Michael added. It s becoming more of a public discourse, she said. It s no longer what s happening behind closed doors. Lebanon s parliament passed a long-awaited law in 2014 that penalized domestic violence for the first time. But rights groups were outraged that authorities watered it down, and it fell short of criminalizing marital rape. Child marriage also remains legal in Lebanon. In August, parliament abolished a law that absolved rapists if they married their victims, joining other Arab states that repealed similar laws this year. Activists welcomed it as a major step, but said there was a long way to go on Lebanese legislation to protect women. Every day we are subjected to harassment, in college, on the street, everywhere, said Ramona Abdallah, a university student at the vigil. It really could be any one of us. Rebecca Dykes, 30, who worked at the British embassy in Lebanon, was found strangled beside a highway outside Beirut last weekend. A Lebanese Uber driver picked her up before assaulting and killing her, state media said. A security official said the suspect had confessed. Earlier in the same week, a Lebanese man killed his mother-in-law and wounded his wife by shooting them inside their home in the northern Akkar region, state news agency NNA said. Authorities have arrested him, it said. In another incident, Nazira al-Tartousi, a 15-year-old pregnant Syrian, was found dead with a bullet in her neck in the north, security sources said. Her husband, the suspect, has denied killing her, they said. And Yaman Darwish, 22, died after sustaining a broken chin and gunshot wounds in another northern village, the security sources said. The investigation showed the Lebanese woman had also been hit on the head with a vase, and choked.

Title: Beirut activists hold vigil in tribute to murdered women. Text: BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dozens of people gathered outside Beirut s national museum on Saturday evening to light candles for a British woman and three Arab women murdered in the past week in Lebanon. The killing of the British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes last week has sparked extensive media coverage in Lebanon, prompting activists to press for more attention to be given to widespread violence against women. Lebanese women s rights activists held the vigil to mourn the victims, demand better laws, and to protest against the violence - including the three reported murders in northern Lebanon alone over the past week. Society refuses to listen to us or see us until our blood is spilled, Leen Hashem, an organizer, told the crowd from the steps of the museum. This violence is structural and systematic. Justice is not only arresting the criminal. Justice is for all this not to happen to us in the first place, she said. Don t tell me to cover up. Tell him not to rape me, one woman chanted through a megaphone, a demand repeated by people in the crowd. Participants laid white roses over pictures of the four women, and lined the steps with candles. Wafaa al-Kabbout stood on the sidelines, holding a framed photo of her 21-year-old daughter Zahraa, whose ex-husband shot her dead last year. Now my daughter is gone, she s not coming back, she said. But all these young women are our daughters. And there is still fear for the young women after them. The United Nations says a third of women worldwide have suffered sexual or physical violence. A 2017 national study by the Beirut-based women s rights group ABAAD said that one in four women have been raped in Lebanon. Less than a quarter of women who faced sexual assault reported it, the survey said. Little by little, we are breaking the silence ... for women to come forward and talk about the violence they are facing, said Saja Michael, program manager at ABAAD. In the past five years, women have become more likely to report violence and seek help, she said, though sexual assault remains a bit more taboo. Part of the reason is that NGOs have set up new shelters and community centers, with psychological, legal, medical, and other services, Michael added. It s becoming more of a public discourse, she said. It s no longer what s happening behind closed doors. Lebanon s parliament passed a long-awaited law in 2014 that penalized domestic violence for the first time. But rights groups were outraged that authorities watered it down, and it fell short of criminalizing marital rape. Child marriage also remains legal in Lebanon. In August, parliament abolished a law that absolved rapists if they married their victims, joining other Arab states that repealed similar laws this year. Activists welcomed it as a major step, but said there was a long way to go on Lebanese legislation to protect women. Every day we are subjected to harassment, in college, on the street, everywhere, said Ramona Abdallah, a university student at the vigil. It really could be any one of us. Rebecca Dykes, 30, who worked at the British embassy in Lebanon, was found strangled beside a highway outside Beirut last weekend. A Lebanese Uber driver picked her up before assaulting and killing her, state media said. A security official said the suspect had confessed. Earlier in the same week, a Lebanese man killed his mother-in-law and wounded his wife by shooting them inside their home in the northern Akkar region, state news agency NNA said. Authorities have arrested him, it said. In another incident, Nazira al-Tartousi, a 15-year-old pregnant Syrian, was found dead with a bullet in her neck in the north, security sources said. Her husband, the suspect, has denied killing her, they said. And Yaman Darwish, 22, died after sustaining a broken chin and gunshot wounds in another northern village, the security sources said. The investigation showed the Lebanese woman had also been hit on the head with a vase, and choked.

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Fmr. DNI James Clapper: Trump’s Russia Scandal Is Worse Than Watergate (VIDEO)

James Clapper was the Director of National Intelligence during the Obama Administration. He has been interviewed many times over the Trump Administration s troubles with Russia and his latest statement is sure to make the Trump White House furious that s to say nothing of how Donald Trump himself will react when he gets wind of these comments.During remarks he was making at Australia s National Press Club, Clapper said of Trump s scandal-ridden White House: I lived through Watergate. It was a scary time, I have to say though that I think, you know, compare the two, that Watergate pales in my view compared to what we re confronting now. Apparently, Clapper continued to go all in on Trump, as Australian reporter Paul Karp tweeted out the contents of what Clapper was saying:Clapper is absolutely shirtfronting Trump at #NPC #auspol pic.twitter.com/avN2VxKlOR Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) June 7, 2017This is not the first time Clapper has openly spoken of Trump with contempt; in fact, he recently suggested to Jake Tapper, host of the CNN news shows The Lead and State of the Union, that Trump is a threat to the very fabric of the republic, saying: I think in many ways our institutions are under assault both externally and that s the big news here is the Russian interference in our election system and I think as well our institutions are under assault internally. When Tapper pressed Clapper about what he meant about the institutional danger from the inside, Clapper said he meant Trump.Of course, Clapper is correct. Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon look like a boy scout. There has never been such an assault on our Republic from within the very top levels of government, and certainly we ve never had a president who was in the pocket of the Russians the way Trump is. No, this is far, far worse than Watergate, and that is why we must find a way to remove the entire Trump Administration from office as soon as possible.Watch Clapper s remarks below:Featured image via Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images

Title: Fmr. DNI James Clapper: Trump’s Russia Scandal Is Worse Than Watergate (VIDEO). Text: James Clapper was the Director of National Intelligence during the Obama Administration. He has been interviewed many times over the Trump Administration s troubles with Russia and his latest statement is sure to make the Trump White House furious that s to say nothing of how Donald Trump himself will react when he gets wind of these comments.During remarks he was making at Australia s National Press Club, Clapper said of Trump s scandal-ridden White House: I lived through Watergate. It was a scary time, I have to say though that I think, you know, compare the two, that Watergate pales in my view compared to what we re confronting now. Apparently, Clapper continued to go all in on Trump, as Australian reporter Paul Karp tweeted out the contents of what Clapper was saying:Clapper is absolutely shirtfronting Trump at #NPC #auspol pic.twitter.com/avN2VxKlOR Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) June 7, 2017This is not the first time Clapper has openly spoken of Trump with contempt; in fact, he recently suggested to Jake Tapper, host of the CNN news shows The Lead and State of the Union, that Trump is a threat to the very fabric of the republic, saying: I think in many ways our institutions are under assault both externally and that s the big news here is the Russian interference in our election system and I think as well our institutions are under assault internally. When Tapper pressed Clapper about what he meant about the institutional danger from the inside, Clapper said he meant Trump.Of course, Clapper is correct. Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon look like a boy scout. There has never been such an assault on our Republic from within the very top levels of government, and certainly we ve never had a president who was in the pocket of the Russians the way Trump is. No, this is far, far worse than Watergate, and that is why we must find a way to remove the entire Trump Administration from office as soon as possible.Watch Clapper s remarks below:Featured image via Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images

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Russia's Putin says ex-Soviet countries threatened by militants: RIA

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that former Soviet countries were being threatened by militants using Central Asia and the Middle East as a springboard for expansion, the RIA news agency reported.

Title: Russia's Putin says ex-Soviet countries threatened by militants: RIA. Text: MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that former Soviet countries were being threatened by militants using Central Asia and the Middle East as a springboard for expansion, the RIA news agency reported.

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Puerto Rico debt bill cleared for Thursday U.S. House vote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation helping Puerto Rico dig out of its $70 billion debt crisis is set for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday after a House panel fended off attempts to open the bill to a series of controversial amendments. By voice vote on Wednesday, the Rules Committee, the gatekeeper for bills moving through the House, sent the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) to the full House for debate and a likely vote on Thursday. The legislation, the result of months of negotiations between Congress and the Obama administration, would create a federal oversight board to work with investors to determine how much they would recover of the island territory’s $70 billion in loans. Republicans have stressed that no taxpayer money would be used to bail out Puerto Rico from a crisis that has left nearly half of the population in poverty amid closings of schools and hospitals and a contracting economy. During a Rules panel debate that stretched into the night, the committee rejected pleas to allow amendments that would have changed the basic structure of the legislation and the operation of the oversight board. If the bill passes the House, action would move to the Senate, where some leading Democrats have said they would seek significant changes. Earlier on Wednesday, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, who ushered the bill through his committee on May 25, told reporters he expected the full House to pass it on Thursday. Bishop, a Utah Republican, said a strong vote for passage in the House would help propel it through the Senate. “The bottom line is the better the vote here (in the House), the less likely it’s going to come back in a significantly altered form” from the Senate, Bishop said. Supporters hope to get it enacted into law before July 1, when Puerto Rico faces a deadline for making a $1.9 billion debt payment that it might not be able to fulfill. The House Rules Committee voted to allow debate on a limited number of amendments, including one giving priority to protecting federal taxpayer investments in Puerto Rico, such as mass transportation assets. Another amendment expected to be debated would expand a federal program aimed at encouraging economic development in Puerto Rico’s “under-utilized” business zones. Representative Raul Grijalva, a senior Democrat who worked on the bill, said Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, if unaddressed, could grow into a humanitarian crisis. Stabilization measures contained in the bill, he said, “would be the first step toward getting the situation under control.” But his fellow Democrat, Puerto Rican-born Representative Luis Gutierrez, warned, “I don’t think many of my colleagues in this body appreciate just how deeply offensive the bill before us is regarded in Puerto Rico.” He was particularly concerned with the way control board members would be chosen, with most not having to have any ties to the island. But Gutierrez failed to convince the committee to allow amendments to be offered making changes to the board and its operations.

Title: Puerto Rico debt bill cleared for Thursday U.S. House vote. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation helping Puerto Rico dig out of its $70 billion debt crisis is set for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday after a House panel fended off attempts to open the bill to a series of controversial amendments. By voice vote on Wednesday, the Rules Committee, the gatekeeper for bills moving through the House, sent the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) to the full House for debate and a likely vote on Thursday. The legislation, the result of months of negotiations between Congress and the Obama administration, would create a federal oversight board to work with investors to determine how much they would recover of the island territory’s $70 billion in loans. Republicans have stressed that no taxpayer money would be used to bail out Puerto Rico from a crisis that has left nearly half of the population in poverty amid closings of schools and hospitals and a contracting economy. During a Rules panel debate that stretched into the night, the committee rejected pleas to allow amendments that would have changed the basic structure of the legislation and the operation of the oversight board. If the bill passes the House, action would move to the Senate, where some leading Democrats have said they would seek significant changes. Earlier on Wednesday, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, who ushered the bill through his committee on May 25, told reporters he expected the full House to pass it on Thursday. Bishop, a Utah Republican, said a strong vote for passage in the House would help propel it through the Senate. “The bottom line is the better the vote here (in the House), the less likely it’s going to come back in a significantly altered form” from the Senate, Bishop said. Supporters hope to get it enacted into law before July 1, when Puerto Rico faces a deadline for making a $1.9 billion debt payment that it might not be able to fulfill. The House Rules Committee voted to allow debate on a limited number of amendments, including one giving priority to protecting federal taxpayer investments in Puerto Rico, such as mass transportation assets. Another amendment expected to be debated would expand a federal program aimed at encouraging economic development in Puerto Rico’s “under-utilized” business zones. Representative Raul Grijalva, a senior Democrat who worked on the bill, said Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, if unaddressed, could grow into a humanitarian crisis. Stabilization measures contained in the bill, he said, “would be the first step toward getting the situation under control.” But his fellow Democrat, Puerto Rican-born Representative Luis Gutierrez, warned, “I don’t think many of my colleagues in this body appreciate just how deeply offensive the bill before us is regarded in Puerto Rico.” He was particularly concerned with the way control board members would be chosen, with most not having to have any ties to the island. But Gutierrez failed to convince the committee to allow amendments to be offered making changes to the board and its operations.

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Backlash among German MPs against parliamentary Twitter ban

BERLIN (Reuters) - German lawmakers have protested after Wolfgang Schaeuble, the new president of the Bundestag, announced a ban on sending tweets from inside the parliament chamber. In a letter published in German media on Thursday, the former finance minister told lawmakers that using devices to photograph, tweet or send messages from the plenary chamber is inappropriate to the proceedings of the Bundestag . German politicians are far behind other countries in addressing voters via Twitter s short messaging service, and none comes close to U.S. President Donald Trump - but the measure has not gone unprotested. This is not going to be the last word on the matter, tweeted conservative lawmaker Dorothee B r, who with more than 64,000 followers is among the biggest Twitter stars of German politics, proving her adeptness with a winking smiley and a string of hashtags. You can watch parliamentary sessions live, but we can t tweet from it, tweeted her liberal colleague Frank Sitta. Would a handwritten letter from inside be ok? It makes no sense! It was not clear if either of those tweets had been sent from the parliament chamber. The backlash comes after an election which heard promises to address Germany s relative slowness in adopting the latest digital technologies. Politicians fear the industrial and export titan s strength risks being undermined by more nimble digital upstarts from Silicon Valley. During his decade at the finance ministry, Schaeuble earned a reputation for ruthlessly policing indebted euro zone states budgets. Lawmakers chose him for his new job in the hope he would ably discipline a parliament that since September s national election is more fragmented than ever before.

Title: Backlash among German MPs against parliamentary Twitter ban. Text: BERLIN (Reuters) - German lawmakers have protested after Wolfgang Schaeuble, the new president of the Bundestag, announced a ban on sending tweets from inside the parliament chamber. In a letter published in German media on Thursday, the former finance minister told lawmakers that using devices to photograph, tweet or send messages from the plenary chamber is inappropriate to the proceedings of the Bundestag . German politicians are far behind other countries in addressing voters via Twitter s short messaging service, and none comes close to U.S. President Donald Trump - but the measure has not gone unprotested. This is not going to be the last word on the matter, tweeted conservative lawmaker Dorothee B r, who with more than 64,000 followers is among the biggest Twitter stars of German politics, proving her adeptness with a winking smiley and a string of hashtags. You can watch parliamentary sessions live, but we can t tweet from it, tweeted her liberal colleague Frank Sitta. Would a handwritten letter from inside be ok? It makes no sense! It was not clear if either of those tweets had been sent from the parliament chamber. The backlash comes after an election which heard promises to address Germany s relative slowness in adopting the latest digital technologies. Politicians fear the industrial and export titan s strength risks being undermined by more nimble digital upstarts from Silicon Valley. During his decade at the finance ministry, Schaeuble earned a reputation for ruthlessly policing indebted euro zone states budgets. Lawmakers chose him for his new job in the hope he would ably discipline a parliament that since September s national election is more fragmented than ever before.

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Trump immigration order may require legislation: U.S. lawmakers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After days of chaos at airports and confusion over details of President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order, some of his fellow Republicans joined Democrats in saying Congress might need to consider legislation to address his new policies. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was too early to know all the implications of Trump’s order banning travel into the United States by citizens of seven majority-Muslim nations, but lawmakers might eventually need to step in to modify it. “Seriously, we still don’t know all the implications of what happened. I don’t think they (the Trump administration) know all the implications of what happened,” he told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. “There may well need to be a legislative fix.” Under the executive order Trump released on Friday, travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen may not enter the United States for at least 90 days while Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and others determine whether there is enough information available to screen them. Democrats in both the Senate and House of Representatives have introduced bills to rescind Trump’s order, but those measures are not expected to go anywhere in the Republican-led Congress. Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has criticized the order, saying it could weaken U.S. counterterrorism efforts. He blasted barring Iraqis who risked their lives to work as interpreters for U.S. forces, who have already undergone extensive screening. McCain and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen led a push to pass legislation last year to provide visas to those Iraqis. McCain said he thought Iraq should not be on Trump’s list. He said it could invite retaliation by Baghdad and said that Iraq should not be lumped in with frequent U.S. nemesis Iran. “There’s no comparison. There’s thousands of Americans fighting in Iraq as we speak. And what if the Iraqis decided, OK, we’re not going to let all these contractors (working with U.S. forces) ... have visas to come into our country?” McCain asked. Iraq’s prime minister on Tuesday said the country would not retaliate to Trump’s travel ban against Iraqi nationals because it did not want to lose Washington’s cooperation in the war on Islamic State. McCain said whether legislation was needed would depend on how the executive order was implemented over time. “Let’s see what they do,” McCain said. “General Kelly today made some very significant changes to what was initially publicized. So let’s see what they do.”

Title: Trump immigration order may require legislation: U.S. lawmakers. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After days of chaos at airports and confusion over details of President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order, some of his fellow Republicans joined Democrats in saying Congress might need to consider legislation to address his new policies. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was too early to know all the implications of Trump’s order banning travel into the United States by citizens of seven majority-Muslim nations, but lawmakers might eventually need to step in to modify it. “Seriously, we still don’t know all the implications of what happened. I don’t think they (the Trump administration) know all the implications of what happened,” he told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. “There may well need to be a legislative fix.” Under the executive order Trump released on Friday, travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen may not enter the United States for at least 90 days while Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and others determine whether there is enough information available to screen them. Democrats in both the Senate and House of Representatives have introduced bills to rescind Trump’s order, but those measures are not expected to go anywhere in the Republican-led Congress. Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has criticized the order, saying it could weaken U.S. counterterrorism efforts. He blasted barring Iraqis who risked their lives to work as interpreters for U.S. forces, who have already undergone extensive screening. McCain and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen led a push to pass legislation last year to provide visas to those Iraqis. McCain said he thought Iraq should not be on Trump’s list. He said it could invite retaliation by Baghdad and said that Iraq should not be lumped in with frequent U.S. nemesis Iran. “There’s no comparison. There’s thousands of Americans fighting in Iraq as we speak. And what if the Iraqis decided, OK, we’re not going to let all these contractors (working with U.S. forces) ... have visas to come into our country?” McCain asked. Iraq’s prime minister on Tuesday said the country would not retaliate to Trump’s travel ban against Iraqi nationals because it did not want to lose Washington’s cooperation in the war on Islamic State. McCain said whether legislation was needed would depend on how the executive order was implemented over time. “Let’s see what they do,” McCain said. “General Kelly today made some very significant changes to what was initially publicized. So let’s see what they do.”

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TRUMP TELLS THOUSANDS At FL Rally “Barack Hussein Obama Is Founder of ISIS…Hillary Is Co-Founder” [VIDEO]

For anyone who thinks Trump s comments have crossed over the line, perhaps they ve forgotten about the Obama supported Arab Spring in Egypt that resulted in the violent overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak who was replaced by the radical Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi. And that s just one example Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama on Wednesday of founding the Islamic State group that is wreaking havoc from the Middle East to European cities. A moment later, on another topic, he referred to the president by his full legal name: Barack Hussein Obama. In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama, Trump said during a raucous campaign rally outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is the founder of ISIS. He repeated the allegation three more times for emphasis.The Republican presidential nominee in the past has accused his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, of founding the militant group. As he shifted the blame to Obama on Wednesday, he said crooked Hillary Clinton was actually the group s co-founder.Trump has long blamed Obama and his former secretary of state Clinton for pursuing Mideast policies that created a power vacuum in Iraq that was exploited by IS, another acronym for the group. He s sharply criticized Obama for announcing he would pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, a decision that many Obama critics say created the kind of instability in which extremist groups like IS thrive.The White House declined to comment on Trump s accusation.The Islamic State group began as Iraq s local affiliate of al-Qaida, the group that attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. The group carried out massive attacks against Iraq s Shiite Muslim majority, fueling tensions with al-Qaida s central leadership. The local group s then-leader, Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in 2006 in a U.S. airstrike but is still seen as the Islamic State group s founder.Trump s accusation and his use of the president s middle name, Hussein echoed previous instances where he s questioned Obama s loyalties.In June, when a shooter who claimed allegiance to IS killed 49 people in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub, Trump seemed to suggest Obama was sympathetic to the group when he said Obama doesn t get it, or he gets it better than anybody understands. In the past, Trump has also falsely suggested Obama is a Muslim or was born in Kenya, where Obama s father was from. Via: AP

Title: TRUMP TELLS THOUSANDS At FL Rally “Barack Hussein Obama Is Founder of ISIS…Hillary Is Co-Founder” [VIDEO]. Text: For anyone who thinks Trump s comments have crossed over the line, perhaps they ve forgotten about the Obama supported Arab Spring in Egypt that resulted in the violent overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak who was replaced by the radical Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi. And that s just one example Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama on Wednesday of founding the Islamic State group that is wreaking havoc from the Middle East to European cities. A moment later, on another topic, he referred to the president by his full legal name: Barack Hussein Obama. In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama, Trump said during a raucous campaign rally outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is the founder of ISIS. He repeated the allegation three more times for emphasis.The Republican presidential nominee in the past has accused his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, of founding the militant group. As he shifted the blame to Obama on Wednesday, he said crooked Hillary Clinton was actually the group s co-founder.Trump has long blamed Obama and his former secretary of state Clinton for pursuing Mideast policies that created a power vacuum in Iraq that was exploited by IS, another acronym for the group. He s sharply criticized Obama for announcing he would pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, a decision that many Obama critics say created the kind of instability in which extremist groups like IS thrive.The White House declined to comment on Trump s accusation.The Islamic State group began as Iraq s local affiliate of al-Qaida, the group that attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. The group carried out massive attacks against Iraq s Shiite Muslim majority, fueling tensions with al-Qaida s central leadership. The local group s then-leader, Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in 2006 in a U.S. airstrike but is still seen as the Islamic State group s founder.Trump s accusation and his use of the president s middle name, Hussein echoed previous instances where he s questioned Obama s loyalties.In June, when a shooter who claimed allegiance to IS killed 49 people in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub, Trump seemed to suggest Obama was sympathetic to the group when he said Obama doesn t get it, or he gets it better than anybody understands. In the past, Trump has also falsely suggested Obama is a Muslim or was born in Kenya, where Obama s father was from. Via: AP

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Key Senate committee chairman wants briefing on Flynn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday to send the committee documents and provide a briefing on the resignation of President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. Citing reports that both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department were involved in events leading to Michael Flynn’s departure, Senators Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein said they raised “substantial questions” about Flynn’s discussion with Russian officials.

Title: Key Senate committee chairman wants briefing on Flynn. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday to send the committee documents and provide a briefing on the resignation of President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. Citing reports that both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department were involved in events leading to Michael Flynn’s departure, Senators Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein said they raised “substantial questions” about Flynn’s discussion with Russian officials.

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U.S. healthcare bill's collapse escalates Republican infighting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The failure by President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans to dismantle Obamacare has infuriated the party’s conservative flank and is intensifying intra-party warfare ahead of the 2018 U.S. congressional elections. Donors and activists upset by the collapse of the latest Senate healthcare bill said it hardened their determination to back conservative candidates in next year’s elections, even if that means ousting Republican incumbents. “I am fed up. I’m beyond frustrated,” said Mica Mosbacher, a Houston-based Republican fundraiser, who added she was “extremely disappointed in Ted Cruz,” a Republican U.S. senator from Texas who had threatened to oppose the latest healthcare bill because he wanted to see changes. Texas is scheduled to hold the first nominating primary of the midterm elections in March 2018. Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to scrap the 2010 Affordable Care Act, former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which Republicans see as a costly government overreach. Democrats say it has extended health insurance to millions. The latest bill to overturn Obamacare failed on Tuesday after three Senate Republicans, including moderate Susan Collins and conservative Rand Paul, said they could not support it. Republicans narrowly control the chamber by 52-48. In November 2018, all 435 seats of the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate will be up for election. In the Senate, that includes 23 Democrats and eight Republicans, with several in both parties in fights expected to be competitive. If a large number of Republicans are forced to defend their seats against challengers from their own party in primary fights, Democrats will seek to exploit weakened candidates in the general election in their effort to wrest control of the House and Senate from Republicans. A shift of either chamber into Democratic hands would make it even more difficult for Trump to pass his agenda of tax reform, toughening immigration laws and rolling back Obamacare. Republicans have not delivered a significant legislative win on any topic since Trump took office in January. Mosbacher said she was “leaning toward supporting” Cruz’s primary opponent, Stefano de Stefano, even though she served as fundraiser for the incumbent’s 2012 campaign. Whoever prevails in that fight would likely face Beto O’Rourke, a well-funded Democrat, in the general election. Texas last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1988. The conservative group Club For Growth has already begun interviewing Republican primary challengers it will consider backing next year. “We’ll continue to push for full repeal of Obamacare, and we’re disappointed Republicans have been unable to deliver on their seven-year promise,” said Rachael Slobodien, a spokeswoman for Club for Growth. Club for Growth is not alone in its frustration over the defeat of the Obamacare repeal effort. David Bozell, president of ForAmerica, a conservative grassroots organization, said incumbents who failed to line up solidly behind repeal had “shown some true colors” and in doing so, were inviting primary fights for their party’s nomination. Republican Senators Jeff Flake of Arizona and Dean Heller of Nevada are top targets for conservative groups. Conservative Kelli Ward has already announced her candidacy challenging Flake, and is seeking to amass support as a more conservative option. Dave Tamasi, a Republican lobbyist and fundraiser, said he thought it was too soon to know if the healthcare failure would hurt Republicans. “Opponents may try to use today or the failure to pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act to give their candidacy a little bit of a push. The question is can that fuel today sustain itself over the long term of an election cycle,” he said. So far, Trump has been hedging his bets on the Republican primaries. But many of his allies are already backing conservative primary challengers. Trump has blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over Congress’ inaction. Such criticisms could help turn next year’s elections into a referendum on congressional incumbents, rather than on the president himself. “I think we are entering an era of more primary challenges in general, The disappointment by activists over the inability for Republicans to repeal Obamacare only adds fuel to this fire,” said Craig Robinson, former political director of the Iowa Republican Party.

Title: U.S. healthcare bill's collapse escalates Republican infighting. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The failure by President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans to dismantle Obamacare has infuriated the party’s conservative flank and is intensifying intra-party warfare ahead of the 2018 U.S. congressional elections. Donors and activists upset by the collapse of the latest Senate healthcare bill said it hardened their determination to back conservative candidates in next year’s elections, even if that means ousting Republican incumbents. “I am fed up. I’m beyond frustrated,” said Mica Mosbacher, a Houston-based Republican fundraiser, who added she was “extremely disappointed in Ted Cruz,” a Republican U.S. senator from Texas who had threatened to oppose the latest healthcare bill because he wanted to see changes. Texas is scheduled to hold the first nominating primary of the midterm elections in March 2018. Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to scrap the 2010 Affordable Care Act, former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which Republicans see as a costly government overreach. Democrats say it has extended health insurance to millions. The latest bill to overturn Obamacare failed on Tuesday after three Senate Republicans, including moderate Susan Collins and conservative Rand Paul, said they could not support it. Republicans narrowly control the chamber by 52-48. In November 2018, all 435 seats of the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate will be up for election. In the Senate, that includes 23 Democrats and eight Republicans, with several in both parties in fights expected to be competitive. If a large number of Republicans are forced to defend their seats against challengers from their own party in primary fights, Democrats will seek to exploit weakened candidates in the general election in their effort to wrest control of the House and Senate from Republicans. A shift of either chamber into Democratic hands would make it even more difficult for Trump to pass his agenda of tax reform, toughening immigration laws and rolling back Obamacare. Republicans have not delivered a significant legislative win on any topic since Trump took office in January. Mosbacher said she was “leaning toward supporting” Cruz’s primary opponent, Stefano de Stefano, even though she served as fundraiser for the incumbent’s 2012 campaign. Whoever prevails in that fight would likely face Beto O’Rourke, a well-funded Democrat, in the general election. Texas last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1988. The conservative group Club For Growth has already begun interviewing Republican primary challengers it will consider backing next year. “We’ll continue to push for full repeal of Obamacare, and we’re disappointed Republicans have been unable to deliver on their seven-year promise,” said Rachael Slobodien, a spokeswoman for Club for Growth. Club for Growth is not alone in its frustration over the defeat of the Obamacare repeal effort. David Bozell, president of ForAmerica, a conservative grassroots organization, said incumbents who failed to line up solidly behind repeal had “shown some true colors” and in doing so, were inviting primary fights for their party’s nomination. Republican Senators Jeff Flake of Arizona and Dean Heller of Nevada are top targets for conservative groups. Conservative Kelli Ward has already announced her candidacy challenging Flake, and is seeking to amass support as a more conservative option. Dave Tamasi, a Republican lobbyist and fundraiser, said he thought it was too soon to know if the healthcare failure would hurt Republicans. “Opponents may try to use today or the failure to pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act to give their candidacy a little bit of a push. The question is can that fuel today sustain itself over the long term of an election cycle,” he said. So far, Trump has been hedging his bets on the Republican primaries. But many of his allies are already backing conservative primary challengers. Trump has blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over Congress’ inaction. Such criticisms could help turn next year’s elections into a referendum on congressional incumbents, rather than on the president himself. “I think we are entering an era of more primary challenges in general, The disappointment by activists over the inability for Republicans to repeal Obamacare only adds fuel to this fire,” said Craig Robinson, former political director of the Iowa Republican Party.

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U.S. House and Senate leaders reach agreement 'in principle' on tax plan: AP

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have reached an agreement in principle on tax reform legislation, the Associated Press reported on Twitter on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. The AP gave no further details and Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report.

Title: U.S. House and Senate leaders reach agreement 'in principle' on tax plan: AP. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have reached an agreement in principle on tax reform legislation, the Associated Press reported on Twitter on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. The AP gave no further details and Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report.

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FOX NEWS Chooses Muslim “Victim” To Question GOP Debate Candidates…You’ll Love Who She’s Supporting For President

Islamic terrorism is the #1 issue with most Americans, so why would FOX News choose to make the debate about Muslims who believe they are victims in America? Shouldn t they have addressed how Americans are becoming victims of violence by followers of Islam instead?The Islamic advocate and fashion-blogger invited by Google and Fox to question the GOP s 2016 candidates at the Jan. 28 debate is also a supporter of far-left 2016 candidate, Democrat Sen. [score]Bernie Sanders (I-VT)[/score]Noor, who describes herself as an advocate for Islam, earlier posted a video portraying Adolf Hitler in agreement with Trump.Noor s affiliation with far-left Sanders showcases the post-1960s radical political shift among America s far-left advocacy groups.Before the 1960s, these left-wing groups pushed for Marxist-style economic policies they thought would aid poorer, working-class Americans, regardless of color, by transferring wealth and power from industry and factory-owners.But after the 1960s, the far-left leaders gradually shifted their focus away from economics and towards cultural policies. Under this cultural Marxism, progressives believed they would aid racial and sexual minorities and now Islamic minorities by transferring cultural power and status from ordinary Americans, especially from white working-class Americans and away from individualistic-minded Christian churches.Many large business groups and very wealthy individuals have welcomed and funded this shift from Economic Marxism to Cultural Marxism. Since then, the left s culture-war against ordinary Americans long-evolved, equality-promoting and pro-ideal culture has forcibly imposed diversity on society, which has divided Americans into angry factions and sharply reduced the pre-1970s political pressure for higher taxes on very wealthy individuals.The shift has also caused the Democratic Party to fight for increased immigration, much to the delight of business groups and Wall Street, who make enormous financial gains from an increased inflow of cheap workers and welfare-supported immigrant customers. Those economic gains flow to many major companies, including Google and Fox, who are producing the Jan. 28 debate.Because of this divide-and-rule diversity strategy, progressive Democrats including President Barack Obama are also encouraging the migration of devout Muslims and their theocratic political leaders into the United States.The resulting spike in jihad attacks, the migrants high use of welfare and the spread of their religious ideology which stigmatizes woman and sexual minorities and ordinary non-Muslim Americans that are the base of the Democrats disparate political coalition and progressives increasingly shrill contempt for Americans who dislike of Islamic ideology, are just the costly civic side-effects imposed on Americans by progressives reach for political power and social status.Muslim advocates are useful for progressives because they rally immigrant Muslim voters and they help to spike American social conflicts, which boosts the civic conflict, or diversity, that benefits business groups and far-left, secular, anti-Christian, progressive leaders. For example, Noor s anti-Trump video initially displayed a fake twitter image claiming that Trump tweeted Muslims should be treated no differently than sex offenders. Via: Breitbart News

Title: FOX NEWS Chooses Muslim “Victim” To Question GOP Debate Candidates…You’ll Love Who She’s Supporting For President. Text: Islamic terrorism is the #1 issue with most Americans, so why would FOX News choose to make the debate about Muslims who believe they are victims in America? Shouldn t they have addressed how Americans are becoming victims of violence by followers of Islam instead?The Islamic advocate and fashion-blogger invited by Google and Fox to question the GOP s 2016 candidates at the Jan. 28 debate is also a supporter of far-left 2016 candidate, Democrat Sen. [score]Bernie Sanders (I-VT)[/score]Noor, who describes herself as an advocate for Islam, earlier posted a video portraying Adolf Hitler in agreement with Trump.Noor s affiliation with far-left Sanders showcases the post-1960s radical political shift among America s far-left advocacy groups.Before the 1960s, these left-wing groups pushed for Marxist-style economic policies they thought would aid poorer, working-class Americans, regardless of color, by transferring wealth and power from industry and factory-owners.But after the 1960s, the far-left leaders gradually shifted their focus away from economics and towards cultural policies. Under this cultural Marxism, progressives believed they would aid racial and sexual minorities and now Islamic minorities by transferring cultural power and status from ordinary Americans, especially from white working-class Americans and away from individualistic-minded Christian churches.Many large business groups and very wealthy individuals have welcomed and funded this shift from Economic Marxism to Cultural Marxism. Since then, the left s culture-war against ordinary Americans long-evolved, equality-promoting and pro-ideal culture has forcibly imposed diversity on society, which has divided Americans into angry factions and sharply reduced the pre-1970s political pressure for higher taxes on very wealthy individuals.The shift has also caused the Democratic Party to fight for increased immigration, much to the delight of business groups and Wall Street, who make enormous financial gains from an increased inflow of cheap workers and welfare-supported immigrant customers. Those economic gains flow to many major companies, including Google and Fox, who are producing the Jan. 28 debate.Because of this divide-and-rule diversity strategy, progressive Democrats including President Barack Obama are also encouraging the migration of devout Muslims and their theocratic political leaders into the United States.The resulting spike in jihad attacks, the migrants high use of welfare and the spread of their religious ideology which stigmatizes woman and sexual minorities and ordinary non-Muslim Americans that are the base of the Democrats disparate political coalition and progressives increasingly shrill contempt for Americans who dislike of Islamic ideology, are just the costly civic side-effects imposed on Americans by progressives reach for political power and social status.Muslim advocates are useful for progressives because they rally immigrant Muslim voters and they help to spike American social conflicts, which boosts the civic conflict, or diversity, that benefits business groups and far-left, secular, anti-Christian, progressive leaders. For example, Noor s anti-Trump video initially displayed a fake twitter image claiming that Trump tweeted Muslims should be treated no differently than sex offenders. Via: Breitbart News

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TED CRUZ: Vilification of Law Enforcement Coming From Top…All The Way To President Of United States

Ferguson was the a launching pad for Obama s war against law enforcement Following the shooting of a sheriff in Houston, Texas by a black man as well as chants from Black Lives Matter protesters advocating violence against police, GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a statement saying he is proud to stand with law enforcement.While campaigning in New Hampshire, Cruz addressed the attacks. both physical and verbal, which have been made against police officers across America.Cruz is calling for leadership to act against this assault on all law enforcement officers, in light of the killing of Harris Country deputy sheriff Darren Goforth, which took place in Cruz s hometown. We stand with our police officers, we stand with our fire fighters, with our EMS, with our first responders, Cruz s statement began. These are brave humans who risk their lives keeping us safe. We are seeing a manifestation of the rhetoric and vilification of law enforcement that is coming form the top all the way to the President of the United States and senior administration officials. Cruz continued:Cops across this country are feeling the assault. They re feeling the assault from the President, from the top on down as we see, whether it s in Ferguson or Baltimore, the response of senior officials of the President, of the Attorney General, is to vilify law enforcement. That is fundamentally wrong, and it is endangering the safety and security of us all.I m proud to stand with law enforcement, to stand with the police and fire fighters and first responders. They are American heroes. And they need a President who doesn t attack and vilify them and who doesn t seek to tear us apart along racial lines to inflame racial divisions. Instead we need a President who works to bring us together and unify us behind shared American values. Via: Breitbart News

Title: TED CRUZ: Vilification of Law Enforcement Coming From Top…All The Way To President Of United States. Text: Ferguson was the a launching pad for Obama s war against law enforcement Following the shooting of a sheriff in Houston, Texas by a black man as well as chants from Black Lives Matter protesters advocating violence against police, GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a statement saying he is proud to stand with law enforcement.While campaigning in New Hampshire, Cruz addressed the attacks. both physical and verbal, which have been made against police officers across America.Cruz is calling for leadership to act against this assault on all law enforcement officers, in light of the killing of Harris Country deputy sheriff Darren Goforth, which took place in Cruz s hometown. We stand with our police officers, we stand with our fire fighters, with our EMS, with our first responders, Cruz s statement began. These are brave humans who risk their lives keeping us safe. We are seeing a manifestation of the rhetoric and vilification of law enforcement that is coming form the top all the way to the President of the United States and senior administration officials. Cruz continued:Cops across this country are feeling the assault. They re feeling the assault from the President, from the top on down as we see, whether it s in Ferguson or Baltimore, the response of senior officials of the President, of the Attorney General, is to vilify law enforcement. That is fundamentally wrong, and it is endangering the safety and security of us all.I m proud to stand with law enforcement, to stand with the police and fire fighters and first responders. They are American heroes. And they need a President who doesn t attack and vilify them and who doesn t seek to tear us apart along racial lines to inflame racial divisions. Instead we need a President who works to bring us together and unify us behind shared American values. Via: Breitbart News

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IRONIC: WHITE SOUTHERNER BILL CLINTON Just Told Black Audience White Southerners Are “Racists” [Video]

OOPS! IN 2008 BILL CLINTON SAID THE SAME THING MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN :

Title: IRONIC: WHITE SOUTHERNER BILL CLINTON Just Told Black Audience White Southerners Are “Racists” [Video]. Text: OOPS! IN 2008 BILL CLINTON SAID THE SAME THING MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN :

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Xi says China has zero tolerance for corruption within the party

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has zero tolerance for corruption within the ruling Communist Party, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday in a speech at the opening of a key party congress. Having warned that rampant graft threatened the legitimacy of the party, Xi has overseen a sweeping crackdown on corruption that has felled numerous high-ranking officials within the party, government and military.

Title: Xi says China has zero tolerance for corruption within the party. Text: BEIJING (Reuters) - China has zero tolerance for corruption within the ruling Communist Party, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday in a speech at the opening of a key party congress. Having warned that rampant graft threatened the legitimacy of the party, Xi has overseen a sweeping crackdown on corruption that has felled numerous high-ranking officials within the party, government and military.

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‘We Know Where You Live’: Trump-Loving Terrorist Threatens All Who Attack ‘The White Race’ (VIDEO)

Meet James Stachowiak. If he looks familiar, you may remember him as the guy who made headlines for telling his fellow patriots to shoot black women and children in the heads if they were seen simply exiting a store during the Ferguson protests. If you re unfamiliar well boy are you in for a treat!Stachowiak has by now cemented himself as one of the dumbest human beings on the internet, on par with right-wing agitator Charles Johnson and alt-right fake news creator Jim Hoft. In his latest video, the self-described leader of the patriot movement (a phrase synonymous with right-wing terrorist groups) has a threat to issue to those he perceives to be an-tee-fa (Antifa in English): if you f*ck with the white race you re dead. Since we the patriot movement don t see color, I am now going to pull this mask over my face, Stachowiak tells his fellow patriots as he pulls a red white and blue mask down. The sheepdogs are watching you. 200 million weapons in this country possessed by We the People,' Stachowiak says. 12 trillion rounds of ammunition and you people don t even know which bathroom to use? We grow stronger and more outraged every day. You want to destroy this country and the white race, Stachowiak adds. We have news for you. The sheepdogs have one mind. We love our country and we want it back. You will never know who we are, Stachowiak, who posted the video to Facebook under his real name, says. You will never know where we are. He then lays out a plan the patriot movement has to lure people they don t like into dark alleys and abandoned buildings to kill them.According to Stachowiak, members of the patriot movement are stalking those they think are planning insurrection and gathering intel to use against them. We will use it against you, Stachowiak says. We will create panic in your ranks, fear in your hearts, we will cause you to turn on each other like animals. We know where you live, where you work, where you go to school, Stachowiak says. We are looking over your shoulder. The sheepdogs are always watching. We are patriots. We are the new Minutemen. We will defend the flock. We will come for you. There will be no rules of combat or as the military says rules of engagement, Stachowiak says. There will be nowhere for you to run, nowhere for you to hide You will lie upon the earth until you are buried in it. Don t worry, though. He s not a terrorist. Just loves his country and stuff.Watch it below:Featured image via screenshot

Title: ‘We Know Where You Live’: Trump-Loving Terrorist Threatens All Who Attack ‘The White Race’ (VIDEO). Text: Meet James Stachowiak. If he looks familiar, you may remember him as the guy who made headlines for telling his fellow patriots to shoot black women and children in the heads if they were seen simply exiting a store during the Ferguson protests. If you re unfamiliar well boy are you in for a treat!Stachowiak has by now cemented himself as one of the dumbest human beings on the internet, on par with right-wing agitator Charles Johnson and alt-right fake news creator Jim Hoft. In his latest video, the self-described leader of the patriot movement (a phrase synonymous with right-wing terrorist groups) has a threat to issue to those he perceives to be an-tee-fa (Antifa in English): if you f*ck with the white race you re dead. Since we the patriot movement don t see color, I am now going to pull this mask over my face, Stachowiak tells his fellow patriots as he pulls a red white and blue mask down. The sheepdogs are watching you. 200 million weapons in this country possessed by We the People,' Stachowiak says. 12 trillion rounds of ammunition and you people don t even know which bathroom to use? We grow stronger and more outraged every day. You want to destroy this country and the white race, Stachowiak adds. We have news for you. The sheepdogs have one mind. We love our country and we want it back. You will never know who we are, Stachowiak, who posted the video to Facebook under his real name, says. You will never know where we are. He then lays out a plan the patriot movement has to lure people they don t like into dark alleys and abandoned buildings to kill them.According to Stachowiak, members of the patriot movement are stalking those they think are planning insurrection and gathering intel to use against them. We will use it against you, Stachowiak says. We will create panic in your ranks, fear in your hearts, we will cause you to turn on each other like animals. We know where you live, where you work, where you go to school, Stachowiak says. We are looking over your shoulder. The sheepdogs are always watching. We are patriots. We are the new Minutemen. We will defend the flock. We will come for you. There will be no rules of combat or as the military says rules of engagement, Stachowiak says. There will be nowhere for you to run, nowhere for you to hide You will lie upon the earth until you are buried in it. Don t worry, though. He s not a terrorist. Just loves his country and stuff.Watch it below:Featured image via screenshot

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HAS ESPN’S “Arthur Ashe Courage Award” BECOME THE GAY-TRANSGENDER AWARD?

The last three recipients of the highly coveted Arthur Ashe award for courage were gay: GMA host, Robin Roberts (2013), First openly gay NFL player,Michael Sam (2014), and now America s transgender darling, Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner. Why are we celebrating the demasculinization of America s men? Has ESPN s sports coverage taken backseat to their obvious progressive agenda?At the 1976 summer Olympics in Montr al, Bruce Jenner won the gold medal for the men s decathlon, setting a world record with 8616 points.In July, Jenner will be honored with another award, this time for a much different achievement. On Monday, Time reported that at ESPN s ESPY Awards, the former world s greatest male athlete will receive the acclaimed Arthur Ashe Award for coming out as a transgender.In an interview with Diane Sawyer back in April, Jenner stated that he was a woman trapped in a man s body and had struggled with this conundrum since childhood.Jenner explained in an interview with Vanity Fair that his cover photo shoot with legendary photo-journalist Annie Leibovitz was a good day. This shoot was about my life and who I am as a person. It s not about the fanfare, it s not about people cheering in the stadium, it s not about going down the street and everybody giving you that a boy, Bruce, pat on the back, O.K. This is about your life. Jenner told VF, If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, You just blew your entire life. You never dealt with yourself, and I don t want that to happen. The transition hasn t been entirely smooth for Jenner. He admits that he had some second thoughts about becoming a woman. In a passage from the VF interview, Jenner tells reporter Buzz Bissinger that he suffered a panic attack the day after undergoing 10-hour facial feminization surgery in March.Jenner remembers thinking, What did I just do? What did I just do to myself? Bissinger reveals in the interview that Jenner has not removed his penis.The Ashe Award, which Jenner will be receiving alongside his family at the ESPY award show in July, is one of the most prestigious in sports. According to ESPN, the recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. Via: Breitbart News

Title: HAS ESPN’S “Arthur Ashe Courage Award” BECOME THE GAY-TRANSGENDER AWARD?. Text: The last three recipients of the highly coveted Arthur Ashe award for courage were gay: GMA host, Robin Roberts (2013), First openly gay NFL player,Michael Sam (2014), and now America s transgender darling, Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner. Why are we celebrating the demasculinization of America s men? Has ESPN s sports coverage taken backseat to their obvious progressive agenda?At the 1976 summer Olympics in Montr al, Bruce Jenner won the gold medal for the men s decathlon, setting a world record with 8616 points.In July, Jenner will be honored with another award, this time for a much different achievement. On Monday, Time reported that at ESPN s ESPY Awards, the former world s greatest male athlete will receive the acclaimed Arthur Ashe Award for coming out as a transgender.In an interview with Diane Sawyer back in April, Jenner stated that he was a woman trapped in a man s body and had struggled with this conundrum since childhood.Jenner explained in an interview with Vanity Fair that his cover photo shoot with legendary photo-journalist Annie Leibovitz was a good day. This shoot was about my life and who I am as a person. It s not about the fanfare, it s not about people cheering in the stadium, it s not about going down the street and everybody giving you that a boy, Bruce, pat on the back, O.K. This is about your life. Jenner told VF, If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, You just blew your entire life. You never dealt with yourself, and I don t want that to happen. The transition hasn t been entirely smooth for Jenner. He admits that he had some second thoughts about becoming a woman. In a passage from the VF interview, Jenner tells reporter Buzz Bissinger that he suffered a panic attack the day after undergoing 10-hour facial feminization surgery in March.Jenner remembers thinking, What did I just do? What did I just do to myself? Bissinger reveals in the interview that Jenner has not removed his penis.The Ashe Award, which Jenner will be receiving alongside his family at the ESPY award show in July, is one of the most prestigious in sports. According to ESPN, the recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. Via: Breitbart News

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Catholic University Replaces Bathroom Signage To Be More “Gender Inclusive”

Diversity first Fordham University recently approved the removal of common restroom signage indicating use for either the male or female sex at one building on the Lincoln Center campus, embracing part of a student-led campaign to make the University more gender inclusive. According to The Fordham Observer, the changes to signs in the Leon Lowenstein building were pushed by The Positive, a student activist group. The restroom signage initiative started during the 2015 spring semester when The Positive reportedly entered into dialogue with Fordham s administration and student government.The Positive s student leader, who identifies as a transgender male (a woman living as a man), told the Observer, Having a restroom I could use without fear was definitely something I wanted. But the student readily noted that this was never about bathrooms this was always about more than that. The Observer reported that new signs were installed in single stall restrooms in the Leon Lowenstein building s third floor. The new signs are void of gender icons, include braille, the latest New York State handicap symbol and simply say restroom. The Positive s goal is not to convert multi-stall bathrooms to gender neutral, but to establish already single stall restrooms as gender inclusive spaces, the Observer reported in April. Our strategy for attaining them right now, in the short-run, includes changing the signage of all single stall bathrooms on campus to be gender inclusive and to work to publicize those spaces. The Positive told the Observer, later adding, This is a proactive and conscientious effort to be gender inclusive. The Cardinal Newman Society reached out to Fordham University to inquire whether the restroom initiative could pose a conflict with Fordham s Catholic identity, but no response was received by time of publication.The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following about the sexes:Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman. Being man or being woman is a reality which is good and willed by God In their being-man and being-woman, they reflect the Creator s wisdom and goodness.The Observer noted that Fordham s assistant dean and director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Juan Carlos Matos, researched what Fordham s peer Jesuit institutions offer in terms of all gender restrooms. They found that the University of San Francisco uses all gender bathroom labeling on single stalled restrooms and Georgetown University has all gender signage on single-stalled bathrooms accompanied by both male and female gender icons and a handicap sign. Of the nation s 28 Jesuit colleges, only six offer gender-neutral bathrooms on their campuses. Five more are rumored to be considering making the change, the Observer reported. The six Jesuit colleges with gender-neutral bathrooms are reportedly Boston College, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco and the University of Scranton.The University of San Francisco lists gender-neutral bathrooms under the Gender Identity/Expression policy of its Residential Life website. Moreover, the University recently implemented gender-inclusive housing for the 2015-16 school year. It is intended that the gender-inclusive housing option will support S.H.a.R.E. s [Student Housing and Residential Education] mission to create safe, affirming, and inclusive communities by providing options for students of varying identities and preferences, the University housing website reads. Students may apply for the gender-inclusive housing for a variety of reasons, including if they identify as transgender, do not wish to be identified by any sex or gender identity, [or] prefer to live with a roommate of a different gender. The five Jesuit colleges reportedly considering gender-neutral bathrooms are Creighton University, Gonzaga University, Loyola University New Orleans, Marquette University, and St. Joseph s University. The Newman Society has also reported on mounting pressure for gender-neutral bathrooms at Loyola University Chicago.An online PDF of a proposal from Creighton University s Gay-Straight Alliance and Swanson Residence Hall Council claims that incorporating gender-neutral restrooms on campus maintains the Jesuit value of cura personalis and helps to maintain a safe environment for the support, education, and assistance of all students. Via: EAG News

Title: Catholic University Replaces Bathroom Signage To Be More “Gender Inclusive”. Text: Diversity first Fordham University recently approved the removal of common restroom signage indicating use for either the male or female sex at one building on the Lincoln Center campus, embracing part of a student-led campaign to make the University more gender inclusive. According to The Fordham Observer, the changes to signs in the Leon Lowenstein building were pushed by The Positive, a student activist group. The restroom signage initiative started during the 2015 spring semester when The Positive reportedly entered into dialogue with Fordham s administration and student government.The Positive s student leader, who identifies as a transgender male (a woman living as a man), told the Observer, Having a restroom I could use without fear was definitely something I wanted. But the student readily noted that this was never about bathrooms this was always about more than that. The Observer reported that new signs were installed in single stall restrooms in the Leon Lowenstein building s third floor. The new signs are void of gender icons, include braille, the latest New York State handicap symbol and simply say restroom. The Positive s goal is not to convert multi-stall bathrooms to gender neutral, but to establish already single stall restrooms as gender inclusive spaces, the Observer reported in April. Our strategy for attaining them right now, in the short-run, includes changing the signage of all single stall bathrooms on campus to be gender inclusive and to work to publicize those spaces. The Positive told the Observer, later adding, This is a proactive and conscientious effort to be gender inclusive. The Cardinal Newman Society reached out to Fordham University to inquire whether the restroom initiative could pose a conflict with Fordham s Catholic identity, but no response was received by time of publication.The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following about the sexes:Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman. Being man or being woman is a reality which is good and willed by God In their being-man and being-woman, they reflect the Creator s wisdom and goodness.The Observer noted that Fordham s assistant dean and director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Juan Carlos Matos, researched what Fordham s peer Jesuit institutions offer in terms of all gender restrooms. They found that the University of San Francisco uses all gender bathroom labeling on single stalled restrooms and Georgetown University has all gender signage on single-stalled bathrooms accompanied by both male and female gender icons and a handicap sign. Of the nation s 28 Jesuit colleges, only six offer gender-neutral bathrooms on their campuses. Five more are rumored to be considering making the change, the Observer reported. The six Jesuit colleges with gender-neutral bathrooms are reportedly Boston College, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco and the University of Scranton.The University of San Francisco lists gender-neutral bathrooms under the Gender Identity/Expression policy of its Residential Life website. Moreover, the University recently implemented gender-inclusive housing for the 2015-16 school year. It is intended that the gender-inclusive housing option will support S.H.a.R.E. s [Student Housing and Residential Education] mission to create safe, affirming, and inclusive communities by providing options for students of varying identities and preferences, the University housing website reads. Students may apply for the gender-inclusive housing for a variety of reasons, including if they identify as transgender, do not wish to be identified by any sex or gender identity, [or] prefer to live with a roommate of a different gender. The five Jesuit colleges reportedly considering gender-neutral bathrooms are Creighton University, Gonzaga University, Loyola University New Orleans, Marquette University, and St. Joseph s University. The Newman Society has also reported on mounting pressure for gender-neutral bathrooms at Loyola University Chicago.An online PDF of a proposal from Creighton University s Gay-Straight Alliance and Swanson Residence Hall Council claims that incorporating gender-neutral restrooms on campus maintains the Jesuit value of cura personalis and helps to maintain a safe environment for the support, education, and assistance of all students. Via: EAG News

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Exclusive: U.S. document certifies Honduras as supporting rights amid vote crisis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has certified that the Honduran government has been fighting corruption and supporting human rights, clearing the way for Honduras to receive millions of dollars in U.S. aid, a document seen by Reuters showed. The document, dated Nov. 28, which was seen by Reuters on Monday, showed that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson certified Honduras for the assistance, two days after a controversial presidential election that has been claimed by an ally of Washington. Honduras has faced violent protests over the disputed results of the election, which has still not produced a clear winner over a week after the vote ended. The decision to issue the certification prompted concern from some congressional Democrats that Republican President Donald Trump s administration could be seen to be taking sides. What kind of message does that send? one congressional aide asked. State Department officials did not have an immediate response when questioned about the timing of the certification. Honduras is required to fulfill about a dozen requirements in order to receive its share of $644 million appropriated by the U.S. Congress under a program to assist Central American governments. Among those requirements are combating corruption - including investigating and prosecuting current and former government officials alleged to be corrupt - and protecting the rights of political opposition parties. Honduras struggles with violent drug gangs, one of the world s highest murder rates and endemic poverty. In recent years, many Hondurans - including children - have attempted to migrate to the United States. In hopes of stemming this migration, former President Barack Obama s administration in 2015 came up with a plan that included sending hundreds of millions of dollars in additional aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Congress agreed to provide the money, if the governments were found to be taking steps to fight crime and corruption. A preliminary ballot count in Honduras on Monday pointed to a narrow victory for President Juan Orlando Hernandez over opposition challenger Salvador Nasralla, although the electoral tribunal has not declared a winner. Early last week, Nasralla, a former sportscaster and game show host, appeared set for an upset victory over Hernandez. The counting process suddenly halted for more than a day and began leaning in favor of Hernandez after resuming. Opposition leaders said they wanted a recount and have accused the government of stealing the election. Hernandez, 49, implemented a military-led crackdown on gang violence after taking office in 2014. He has been supported by Trump s chief of staff, John Kelly. Nasralla, 64, is one of Honduras best-known faces and is backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist ousted in a coup in 2009.

Title: Exclusive: U.S. document certifies Honduras as supporting rights amid vote crisis. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has certified that the Honduran government has been fighting corruption and supporting human rights, clearing the way for Honduras to receive millions of dollars in U.S. aid, a document seen by Reuters showed. The document, dated Nov. 28, which was seen by Reuters on Monday, showed that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson certified Honduras for the assistance, two days after a controversial presidential election that has been claimed by an ally of Washington. Honduras has faced violent protests over the disputed results of the election, which has still not produced a clear winner over a week after the vote ended. The decision to issue the certification prompted concern from some congressional Democrats that Republican President Donald Trump s administration could be seen to be taking sides. What kind of message does that send? one congressional aide asked. State Department officials did not have an immediate response when questioned about the timing of the certification. Honduras is required to fulfill about a dozen requirements in order to receive its share of $644 million appropriated by the U.S. Congress under a program to assist Central American governments. Among those requirements are combating corruption - including investigating and prosecuting current and former government officials alleged to be corrupt - and protecting the rights of political opposition parties. Honduras struggles with violent drug gangs, one of the world s highest murder rates and endemic poverty. In recent years, many Hondurans - including children - have attempted to migrate to the United States. In hopes of stemming this migration, former President Barack Obama s administration in 2015 came up with a plan that included sending hundreds of millions of dollars in additional aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Congress agreed to provide the money, if the governments were found to be taking steps to fight crime and corruption. A preliminary ballot count in Honduras on Monday pointed to a narrow victory for President Juan Orlando Hernandez over opposition challenger Salvador Nasralla, although the electoral tribunal has not declared a winner. Early last week, Nasralla, a former sportscaster and game show host, appeared set for an upset victory over Hernandez. The counting process suddenly halted for more than a day and began leaning in favor of Hernandez after resuming. Opposition leaders said they wanted a recount and have accused the government of stealing the election. Hernandez, 49, implemented a military-led crackdown on gang violence after taking office in 2014. He has been supported by Trump s chief of staff, John Kelly. Nasralla, 64, is one of Honduras best-known faces and is backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist ousted in a coup in 2009.

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Two arrested after French counter-terrorism raid near Paris

VILLEJUIF, France (Reuters) - Two people were arrested after police found products that can be used to make explosives in a flat south of Paris on Wednesday, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said. Some of the products found in the flat in Villejuif could be used to make the unstable explosive TATP, one source close to the investigation said. TATP has been used by militants in several attacks in western Europe in recent years, including Manchester in May, Brussels in 2016 and Paris in 2015. Gas bottles were also found in the flat, other sources said. The police raid followed a tip from a craftsman, Collomb said in a statement. One source said it was a locksmith who saw chemical products and tools when looking into the flat. The two people arrested were driving a small van that belongs to the flat s tenant, a police source said. France s counter-terrorism prosecutor is in charge of the investigation, a judicial source said. (This story has been refiled to correct typo in paragraph 2)

Title: Two arrested after French counter-terrorism raid near Paris. Text: VILLEJUIF, France (Reuters) - Two people were arrested after police found products that can be used to make explosives in a flat south of Paris on Wednesday, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said. Some of the products found in the flat in Villejuif could be used to make the unstable explosive TATP, one source close to the investigation said. TATP has been used by militants in several attacks in western Europe in recent years, including Manchester in May, Brussels in 2016 and Paris in 2015. Gas bottles were also found in the flat, other sources said. The police raid followed a tip from a craftsman, Collomb said in a statement. One source said it was a locksmith who saw chemical products and tools when looking into the flat. The two people arrested were driving a small van that belongs to the flat s tenant, a police source said. France s counter-terrorism prosecutor is in charge of the investigation, a judicial source said. (This story has been refiled to correct typo in paragraph 2)

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Clinton Team Takes Aim At Trump For His Full-Blown Hysterics Over Recount (TWEETS)

When Donald Trump heard the news that Hillary Clinton was going to back Jill Stein s recount efforts in three separate states, he didn t take it too well. Trump proceeded to flaunt his rage by having a full-blown meltdown on Twitter, because of course he did. What remains of Clinton s campaign team is finally responding to Trump s hysterics.Christina Reynolds, who was the Clinton campaign s deputy communications director, addressed Trump s Twitter rant in a few tweets of her own. She specifically took on Trump s claim that he had lost the popular vote only because of millions of people who voted illegally. Winning the electoral college won him the presidency, so Trump s excuses on why he lost the popular vote by millions are just small and sad. Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) November 28, 2016To my knowledge, the very very rare cases of people voting illegally found so far were Trump voters. https://t.co/Bc7AEFEFbU Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) November 28, 2016Marc Elias, Clinton s campaign lawyer,was responsible for writing the post on Medium which announced Clinton s support for Stein s recount efforts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. He also took to Twitter regarding Trump s attacks.We are getting attacked for participating in a recount that we didn t ask for by the man who won election but thinks there was massive fraud Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 28, 2016So far, Clinton herself has not addressed the recounts at all. Stein, who was the candidate of the Green Party, has lead the efforts and has raised over $6 million to cover the cost of the recounts. Clinton s team has been cautious, making sure it is understood that they are merely responding to the requests of voters and are just trying to be helpful to Stein. Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves, but now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides, Elias wrote.Neera Tanden is the head of the Center for American Progress. She was not part of the campaign but was a top Clinton ally, she pointed out that Trump s claims of voter fraud only strengthened the argument for recounts and questioned what is making Trump so nervous.Let s do recounts across the country to check this. Then we can see how sure you are of EC. https://t.co/L2zbhQ7Ntt Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 27, 2016I think this is Trump s way of asking to #AuditTheVote https://t.co/L2zbhQ7Ntt Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 27, 2016Given what Trump has said, shouldn t we audit the vote in all close states? Just to be sure. Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 27, 2016Standing back:Between his statement attacking Stein & then his numerous twitter meltdowns, isn t Trump acting like something is wrong in WI? Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 28, 2016I m pretty sure that the Electors were created to stop a madman from becoming president. #alwaystrustHamilton Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 28, 2016It is important to note that so far, no one associated with the Clinton campaign has claimed that election was rigged.Featured image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Title: Clinton Team Takes Aim At Trump For His Full-Blown Hysterics Over Recount (TWEETS). Text: When Donald Trump heard the news that Hillary Clinton was going to back Jill Stein s recount efforts in three separate states, he didn t take it too well. Trump proceeded to flaunt his rage by having a full-blown meltdown on Twitter, because of course he did. What remains of Clinton s campaign team is finally responding to Trump s hysterics.Christina Reynolds, who was the Clinton campaign s deputy communications director, addressed Trump s Twitter rant in a few tweets of her own. She specifically took on Trump s claim that he had lost the popular vote only because of millions of people who voted illegally. Winning the electoral college won him the presidency, so Trump s excuses on why he lost the popular vote by millions are just small and sad. Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) November 28, 2016To my knowledge, the very very rare cases of people voting illegally found so far were Trump voters. https://t.co/Bc7AEFEFbU Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) November 28, 2016Marc Elias, Clinton s campaign lawyer,was responsible for writing the post on Medium which announced Clinton s support for Stein s recount efforts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. He also took to Twitter regarding Trump s attacks.We are getting attacked for participating in a recount that we didn t ask for by the man who won election but thinks there was massive fraud Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 28, 2016So far, Clinton herself has not addressed the recounts at all. Stein, who was the candidate of the Green Party, has lead the efforts and has raised over $6 million to cover the cost of the recounts. Clinton s team has been cautious, making sure it is understood that they are merely responding to the requests of voters and are just trying to be helpful to Stein. Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves, but now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides, Elias wrote.Neera Tanden is the head of the Center for American Progress. She was not part of the campaign but was a top Clinton ally, she pointed out that Trump s claims of voter fraud only strengthened the argument for recounts and questioned what is making Trump so nervous.Let s do recounts across the country to check this. Then we can see how sure you are of EC. https://t.co/L2zbhQ7Ntt Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 27, 2016I think this is Trump s way of asking to #AuditTheVote https://t.co/L2zbhQ7Ntt Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 27, 2016Given what Trump has said, shouldn t we audit the vote in all close states? Just to be sure. Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 27, 2016Standing back:Between his statement attacking Stein & then his numerous twitter meltdowns, isn t Trump acting like something is wrong in WI? Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 28, 2016I m pretty sure that the Electors were created to stop a madman from becoming president. #alwaystrustHamilton Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) November 28, 2016It is important to note that so far, no one associated with the Clinton campaign has claimed that election was rigged.Featured image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Hypocrites: Republican National Convention Will Be Designated A Gun-Free Zone

As Republicans stand firm about doing nothing to curtail gun violence even if that means letting terrorist suspects on watchlists purchase firearms they are sending a strong massage to the public at their 2016 convention in Cleveland: while your sons and daughters are being killed everyday, we will be safe and sound.The Republican National Committee will be banning firearms (and anything resembling such) from the grounds of their convention. So while they go on and on about how dangerous, unconstitutional, stupid and lawless gun-free zones are, they are instituting just that.Here s a full list of what the RNC will be banning. Not only are guns banned, but so are: whistles, noisemakers, strollers (sorry moms with children), umbrellas, flashlights, backpacks, binoculars, alcohol, drones, Wi-Fi signal grabbers, mace, tasers and so forth.So while Republicans (at the behest of the NRA) stall the conversation about curtailing the dangers of guns in society, they will be conducting business with armed guards while no one, not even the most ardent gun rights supporters, will be allowed to bring their precious weapons.If there is ever any evidence that the Republican Party is full of rank hypocrites, this certainly takes the cake. Conservatives love to chide liberal politicians who have armed security but can t see what s going on right in front of their faces: Republicans don t care about their lives, only their own. If that wasn t the case, Republicans would be supporting every gun measure by the Democrats while keeping their convention gun-free.So it shows that the NRA, which has dolled out tens of millions of dollars to the Republicans, really calls the shots. Their donations stall progress for all Americans. Republicans continue to protect themselves in their cozy arena. No doubt the issue of gun control will be uttered by their speakers, and the crowds will cheer and boo. But while those cheers and boos echo on primetime, they can rest assured they will be safe. But the 96 people who die everyday of gun violence? Not so much.Thanks for showing us your true colors, Republicans.Featured image via Scott Olson/Getty Images

Title: Hypocrites: Republican National Convention Will Be Designated A Gun-Free Zone. Text: As Republicans stand firm about doing nothing to curtail gun violence even if that means letting terrorist suspects on watchlists purchase firearms they are sending a strong massage to the public at their 2016 convention in Cleveland: while your sons and daughters are being killed everyday, we will be safe and sound.The Republican National Committee will be banning firearms (and anything resembling such) from the grounds of their convention. So while they go on and on about how dangerous, unconstitutional, stupid and lawless gun-free zones are, they are instituting just that.Here s a full list of what the RNC will be banning. Not only are guns banned, but so are: whistles, noisemakers, strollers (sorry moms with children), umbrellas, flashlights, backpacks, binoculars, alcohol, drones, Wi-Fi signal grabbers, mace, tasers and so forth.So while Republicans (at the behest of the NRA) stall the conversation about curtailing the dangers of guns in society, they will be conducting business with armed guards while no one, not even the most ardent gun rights supporters, will be allowed to bring their precious weapons.If there is ever any evidence that the Republican Party is full of rank hypocrites, this certainly takes the cake. Conservatives love to chide liberal politicians who have armed security but can t see what s going on right in front of their faces: Republicans don t care about their lives, only their own. If that wasn t the case, Republicans would be supporting every gun measure by the Democrats while keeping their convention gun-free.So it shows that the NRA, which has dolled out tens of millions of dollars to the Republicans, really calls the shots. Their donations stall progress for all Americans. Republicans continue to protect themselves in their cozy arena. No doubt the issue of gun control will be uttered by their speakers, and the crowds will cheer and boo. But while those cheers and boos echo on primetime, they can rest assured they will be safe. But the 96 people who die everyday of gun violence? Not so much.Thanks for showing us your true colors, Republicans.Featured image via Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Twitter TEARS Paul Ryan To BLOODY RIBBONS For Praising CBO Review Of GOP Healthcare Plan (TWEETS)

The Congressional Budget Office s review of the Republicans replacement plan for the ACA is out, and it s not good news. Under the plan, 24 million people will lose their healthcare coverage by 2026. 14 million of those people will see their insurance ripped from them just in the next two years. In total, this plan will result in 52 million uninsured people in 2026. Over the next four years, premiums are expected to rise by as much as 20 percent more than they would under the ACA. Premiums might fall for younger people after 2020 but would continue to rise for older people.And on it goes.Paul Ryan, however, sees the report as a resounding endorsement of the plan because it will reduce the deficit by a whole $336 billion over a decade and is supposed to maybe lower premiums at some point in the future.CBO report confirms it American Health Care Act will lower premiums & improve access to quality, affordable care. https://t.co/jNzmYFPe9H pic.twitter.com/f0NGuLiztl Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) March 13, 2017And Twitter is throwing a livid fit with him for that tweet, as well they should. The GOP s first priority should be the uninsured and the risk of people becoming uninsured. Instead, they re worried about deficits and getting lower premiums at some point for some demographics. Twitter is being merciless in their evaluation of his response.@SpeakerRyan Delete your account. David Podhaskie (@davidpodhaskie) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan it literally says 24 million will lose coverage pic.twitter.com/iDDTerO77X Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? TALK ABOUT THE 24,000,000 AMERICANS LOSING COVERAGE! Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Goal achieved. You ve given Americans the freedom to die bankrupt. Erich McElroy (@erichmcelroy) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan This tweet isn t a misrepresentation it s a straight up lie. Seth Grahame-Smith (@sethgs) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Quick question: When you sell your soul, whose blood do you sign with? Your own, right? Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Why don t you just tell the truth about the new law? You believe the gov t shouldn t be providing health care, right? Say so Jeremy Greenfield (@jdgreenfield) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan it literally says 24 million people will be uninsured by 2026, how fucking evil are you dude? Jeremy M (@thismyshow) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan that s not what the report says. You re a dumb liar and your selfish actions will kill people. Myles Tanzer (@mylestanzer) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan 24 million people will lose coverage, as per the CBO s report. _Your own guy_ is saying this bill is a healthcare disaster. Laura Anne Gilman (@LAGilman) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan the CBO report says literally the opposite. Specifically, how premiums will go up and will cause 24 million to lose insurance Emanuel Zbeda (@therealezway) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan You re a liar and I wish hell was real. BenDavid Grabinski (@bdgrabinski) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan It will. Take insurance. Away from. 24 million people. Who will die. And the blood. Will be on. Your hands. K. Thor Jensen (@kthorjensen) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan you re a disingenuous amoral shitstain Matthew Kory (@mattymatty2000) March 13, 2017@speakerryan You re a walking pile of horseshit shaped like a man. Robot Chicken (@cyborgturkey) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan I wonder if @oreillyfactor still has that No Spin Zone segment cause this is some dressed up trash. 24 million w/o access! Sophia (@SophiaTesfaye) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan for real, what report are you reading that caused you to draw *this* conclusion? Jay Willis (@jaywillis) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan Did you even read it? Beth Elderkin (@BethElderkin) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Bruce Holsinger (@bruceholsinger) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan BRO seriously do even READ? AltUSCustoms (@alt_uscbp) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan By improve access do you mean making 24 million people lose coverage? Joe Hurwitz (@Joe_Hurwitz) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Facts : CBO confirmed 24 Million will lose their Health Care : You ve put us all in danger https://t.co/R7UTjARnVi pic.twitter.com/WqHckwAxAm Jolene Sugarbaker (@JolenesTrailer) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Your willingness to lie and let people die to save millionaires some money makes my skin crawl. Nerdista (@Nerdista) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan You are a pile of earwax in a suit. Dennis Perkins (@DennisPerkins5) March 13, 2017The CBO s report shows a bloodbath that Republicans are couching in pretty flowers, and Ryan is busy trying to convince us that the pretty flowers are all that exist here. Perhaps, in his mind, the scent of the flowers will cover the scent of blood in this if he just says it will enough times.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty Images

Title: Twitter TEARS Paul Ryan To BLOODY RIBBONS For Praising CBO Review Of GOP Healthcare Plan (TWEETS). Text: The Congressional Budget Office s review of the Republicans replacement plan for the ACA is out, and it s not good news. Under the plan, 24 million people will lose their healthcare coverage by 2026. 14 million of those people will see their insurance ripped from them just in the next two years. In total, this plan will result in 52 million uninsured people in 2026. Over the next four years, premiums are expected to rise by as much as 20 percent more than they would under the ACA. Premiums might fall for younger people after 2020 but would continue to rise for older people.And on it goes.Paul Ryan, however, sees the report as a resounding endorsement of the plan because it will reduce the deficit by a whole $336 billion over a decade and is supposed to maybe lower premiums at some point in the future.CBO report confirms it American Health Care Act will lower premiums & improve access to quality, affordable care. https://t.co/jNzmYFPe9H pic.twitter.com/f0NGuLiztl Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) March 13, 2017And Twitter is throwing a livid fit with him for that tweet, as well they should. The GOP s first priority should be the uninsured and the risk of people becoming uninsured. Instead, they re worried about deficits and getting lower premiums at some point for some demographics. Twitter is being merciless in their evaluation of his response.@SpeakerRyan Delete your account. David Podhaskie (@davidpodhaskie) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan it literally says 24 million will lose coverage pic.twitter.com/iDDTerO77X Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? TALK ABOUT THE 24,000,000 AMERICANS LOSING COVERAGE! Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Goal achieved. You ve given Americans the freedom to die bankrupt. Erich McElroy (@erichmcelroy) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan This tweet isn t a misrepresentation it s a straight up lie. Seth Grahame-Smith (@sethgs) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Quick question: When you sell your soul, whose blood do you sign with? Your own, right? Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Why don t you just tell the truth about the new law? You believe the gov t shouldn t be providing health care, right? Say so Jeremy Greenfield (@jdgreenfield) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan it literally says 24 million people will be uninsured by 2026, how fucking evil are you dude? Jeremy M (@thismyshow) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan that s not what the report says. You re a dumb liar and your selfish actions will kill people. Myles Tanzer (@mylestanzer) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan 24 million people will lose coverage, as per the CBO s report. _Your own guy_ is saying this bill is a healthcare disaster. Laura Anne Gilman (@LAGilman) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan the CBO report says literally the opposite. Specifically, how premiums will go up and will cause 24 million to lose insurance Emanuel Zbeda (@therealezway) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan You re a liar and I wish hell was real. BenDavid Grabinski (@bdgrabinski) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan It will. Take insurance. Away from. 24 million people. Who will die. And the blood. Will be on. Your hands. K. Thor Jensen (@kthorjensen) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan you re a disingenuous amoral shitstain Matthew Kory (@mattymatty2000) March 13, 2017@speakerryan You re a walking pile of horseshit shaped like a man. Robot Chicken (@cyborgturkey) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan I wonder if @oreillyfactor still has that No Spin Zone segment cause this is some dressed up trash. 24 million w/o access! Sophia (@SophiaTesfaye) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan for real, what report are you reading that caused you to draw *this* conclusion? Jay Willis (@jaywillis) March 13, 2017.@SpeakerRyan Did you even read it? Beth Elderkin (@BethElderkin) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Bruce Holsinger (@bruceholsinger) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan BRO seriously do even READ? AltUSCustoms (@alt_uscbp) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan By improve access do you mean making 24 million people lose coverage? Joe Hurwitz (@Joe_Hurwitz) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Facts : CBO confirmed 24 Million will lose their Health Care : You ve put us all in danger https://t.co/R7UTjARnVi pic.twitter.com/WqHckwAxAm Jolene Sugarbaker (@JolenesTrailer) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan Your willingness to lie and let people die to save millionaires some money makes my skin crawl. Nerdista (@Nerdista) March 13, 2017@SpeakerRyan You are a pile of earwax in a suit. Dennis Perkins (@DennisPerkins5) March 13, 2017The CBO s report shows a bloodbath that Republicans are couching in pretty flowers, and Ryan is busy trying to convince us that the pretty flowers are all that exist here. Perhaps, in his mind, the scent of the flowers will cover the scent of blood in this if he just says it will enough times.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty Images

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Tech firms' encryption foe struggles for U.S. Senate re-election

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. senator seen by Silicon Valley as one of the technology industry’s main foes in Congress is fighting for his political life as Donald Trump’s slumping poll numbers threaten to damage Republican candidates across the board. Senator Richard Burr from North Carolina, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is facing a strong and unexpected challenge from Democrat Deborah Ross. Though tech policy is unlikely to decide the race, a Burr defeat would remove from the scene a lawmaker who has feuded with U.S. tech companies over digital privacy and encryption. Ross, a former head of the state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, is fighting an uphill battle. North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential election from 1980 until 2008, when it backed Barack Obama by a thin margin. The state went for Republican Mitt Romney in 2012. Burr, 60, was not expected to face a challenge this year, in what he has said will be his last congressional campaign. But Republican presidential candidate Trump’s numbers have slumped nationwide and in North Carolina, a battleground state in the Nov. 8 presidential election. Declining support for Trump, a property developer and television personality who has never held elected office, has put Burr, who endorsed Trump, and other Republicans in jeopardy, said Carter Wrenn, a Republican consultant in North Carolina. “We’re not sure it’s a wave here for Democrats, but it’s beginning to look that way,” Wrenn said. “Any Republican running down here ought to be very concerned about Trump’s impact.” A poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist in early August showed Ross leading Burr 46 percent to 44 percent, though other polls have given Burr a narrow edge. Burr has been in Congress for more than 20 years and is distantly related to Aaron Burr, U.S. vice president in the early 1800s. If Burr were to lose, Democrats would be one seat closer to reclaiming a Senate majority from Republicans. The concerns of companies such as Apple Inc, Google and Facebook are not a key issue for North Carolina voters, but the race’s outcome could affect future handling of data encryption and privacy matters. For a year, Burr has been crafting legislation that would force Apple and other companies to weaken the security of their products in a way that would give U.S. law enforcement access to encrypted devices and communications. [uL2N18L28M] The FBI has said that the growth of strong default encryption makes it more difficult for investigators to access communications of criminal suspects, even with a warrant. Silicon Valley, cyber security experts and civil liberties advocates say strong encryption is essential to ward off hackers and maintain the overall security of the Internet. The encryption debate is decades old, but it boiled over earlier this year due to a dispute between Apple and the FBI over unlocking an iPhone linked to one of the shooters in a San Bernardino, Calif., rampage in 2015. Several U.S. tech companies and privacy groups, asking not to be named because they do not typically take public positions on candidates, told Reuters they are eager to see Burr lose. His efforts to require encryption backdoors in U.S. technology products are the main reason. While other lawmakers have been critical of Silicon Valley in the encryption debate, none has been as antagonistic as Burr, the sources said. Andrew McLaughlin, a former White House technology official who now is head of content at the publishing site Medium, tweeted in May: “Trump’s win endangers GOP Senators. America’s tech community should rally to defeat Richard Burr, for his idiotic war on Internet security.” McLaughlin declined an interview request from Reuters. Burr spokeswoman Becca Glover Watkins said the senator had worked closely with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel on the encryption issue. She said the two had worked on a “number of bipartisan national security issues including their encryption proposal” and Burr planned to continue engaging with tech companies “on the challenges posed by encryption and cyber threats.” Ross, a lawyer and former state legislator, has not clarified whether she sides with Apple in its dispute with the FBI. In a statement to Reuters, she said that “protecting our law abiding citizens’ privacy doesn’t mean sacrificing our security.” Tech interests, so far, have not donated sizeable amounts of money to Ross, according to a review of contributions. However, Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in June made an unspecified donation to Ross, according to U.S. Federal Election Commission records. The political action committee that supports Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, vocal defender of encryption and frequent opponent of Burr, gave $5,000 to Ross this year. Burr’s PAC later gave $5,000 to Wyden’s Republican challenger in Oregon. At a national level, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other tech executives have helped raise money for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Silicon Valley has almost universally shunned Trump, troubled largely by his rhetoric on immigration and his stated desire to shut down the Internet to fight extremists.

Title: Tech firms' encryption foe struggles for U.S. Senate re-election. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. senator seen by Silicon Valley as one of the technology industry’s main foes in Congress is fighting for his political life as Donald Trump’s slumping poll numbers threaten to damage Republican candidates across the board. Senator Richard Burr from North Carolina, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is facing a strong and unexpected challenge from Democrat Deborah Ross. Though tech policy is unlikely to decide the race, a Burr defeat would remove from the scene a lawmaker who has feuded with U.S. tech companies over digital privacy and encryption. Ross, a former head of the state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, is fighting an uphill battle. North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential election from 1980 until 2008, when it backed Barack Obama by a thin margin. The state went for Republican Mitt Romney in 2012. Burr, 60, was not expected to face a challenge this year, in what he has said will be his last congressional campaign. But Republican presidential candidate Trump’s numbers have slumped nationwide and in North Carolina, a battleground state in the Nov. 8 presidential election. Declining support for Trump, a property developer and television personality who has never held elected office, has put Burr, who endorsed Trump, and other Republicans in jeopardy, said Carter Wrenn, a Republican consultant in North Carolina. “We’re not sure it’s a wave here for Democrats, but it’s beginning to look that way,” Wrenn said. “Any Republican running down here ought to be very concerned about Trump’s impact.” A poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist in early August showed Ross leading Burr 46 percent to 44 percent, though other polls have given Burr a narrow edge. Burr has been in Congress for more than 20 years and is distantly related to Aaron Burr, U.S. vice president in the early 1800s. If Burr were to lose, Democrats would be one seat closer to reclaiming a Senate majority from Republicans. The concerns of companies such as Apple Inc, Google and Facebook are not a key issue for North Carolina voters, but the race’s outcome could affect future handling of data encryption and privacy matters. For a year, Burr has been crafting legislation that would force Apple and other companies to weaken the security of their products in a way that would give U.S. law enforcement access to encrypted devices and communications. [uL2N18L28M] The FBI has said that the growth of strong default encryption makes it more difficult for investigators to access communications of criminal suspects, even with a warrant. Silicon Valley, cyber security experts and civil liberties advocates say strong encryption is essential to ward off hackers and maintain the overall security of the Internet. The encryption debate is decades old, but it boiled over earlier this year due to a dispute between Apple and the FBI over unlocking an iPhone linked to one of the shooters in a San Bernardino, Calif., rampage in 2015. Several U.S. tech companies and privacy groups, asking not to be named because they do not typically take public positions on candidates, told Reuters they are eager to see Burr lose. His efforts to require encryption backdoors in U.S. technology products are the main reason. While other lawmakers have been critical of Silicon Valley in the encryption debate, none has been as antagonistic as Burr, the sources said. Andrew McLaughlin, a former White House technology official who now is head of content at the publishing site Medium, tweeted in May: “Trump’s win endangers GOP Senators. America’s tech community should rally to defeat Richard Burr, for his idiotic war on Internet security.” McLaughlin declined an interview request from Reuters. Burr spokeswoman Becca Glover Watkins said the senator had worked closely with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel on the encryption issue. She said the two had worked on a “number of bipartisan national security issues including their encryption proposal” and Burr planned to continue engaging with tech companies “on the challenges posed by encryption and cyber threats.” Ross, a lawyer and former state legislator, has not clarified whether she sides with Apple in its dispute with the FBI. In a statement to Reuters, she said that “protecting our law abiding citizens’ privacy doesn’t mean sacrificing our security.” Tech interests, so far, have not donated sizeable amounts of money to Ross, according to a review of contributions. However, Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in June made an unspecified donation to Ross, according to U.S. Federal Election Commission records. The political action committee that supports Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, vocal defender of encryption and frequent opponent of Burr, gave $5,000 to Ross this year. Burr’s PAC later gave $5,000 to Wyden’s Republican challenger in Oregon. At a national level, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other tech executives have helped raise money for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Silicon Valley has almost universally shunned Trump, troubled largely by his rhetoric on immigration and his stated desire to shut down the Internet to fight extremists.

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Merkel's conservatives warned not to close off coalition options

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservative alliance should avoid making big policy commitments before they start coalition negotiations, potential junior government partners said on Thursday. Germany is set for months of uncertainty after Merkel s CDU/CSU alliance won a fourth term in Sunday s election but bled support to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The Christian Social Union (CSU), Merkel s party s Bavarian ally, has signaled it wants a rightward shift, to focus on security and setting a limit on immigration numbers to dampen the appeal of the AfD, a policy firmly opposed by the Greens. This could complicate Merkel s hopes of building a three-way coalition between the conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the pro-immigration, environmentalist Greens. Nobody should set out maximal demands that could already be seen as ruling it (such a coalition) out, Greens leader Cem Ozdemir told the Funke newspaper group. Merkel s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and will meet with the CSU on Oct. 8 to seek a common position ahead of negotiations with the other parties. The FDP also warned against making commitments that would undermine coalition prospects. Even if there s no guarantee of success, it would be wrong to pull down the shutters this early, party general secretary Nicola Beer told the RND newspaper alliance. Little movement on a coalition is expected before an Oct. 15 vote in the western state of Lower Saxony, currently ruled by the Social Democrats (SPD) - who have said they will go into opposition at the national level - and the Greens. Leading economic institutes said on Thursday that the next government can count on record budget surpluses over the next two years due to a solid upswing, potentially facilitating Merkel s task of building a coalition.

Title: Merkel's conservatives warned not to close off coalition options. Text: MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservative alliance should avoid making big policy commitments before they start coalition negotiations, potential junior government partners said on Thursday. Germany is set for months of uncertainty after Merkel s CDU/CSU alliance won a fourth term in Sunday s election but bled support to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The Christian Social Union (CSU), Merkel s party s Bavarian ally, has signaled it wants a rightward shift, to focus on security and setting a limit on immigration numbers to dampen the appeal of the AfD, a policy firmly opposed by the Greens. This could complicate Merkel s hopes of building a three-way coalition between the conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the pro-immigration, environmentalist Greens. Nobody should set out maximal demands that could already be seen as ruling it (such a coalition) out, Greens leader Cem Ozdemir told the Funke newspaper group. Merkel s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and will meet with the CSU on Oct. 8 to seek a common position ahead of negotiations with the other parties. The FDP also warned against making commitments that would undermine coalition prospects. Even if there s no guarantee of success, it would be wrong to pull down the shutters this early, party general secretary Nicola Beer told the RND newspaper alliance. Little movement on a coalition is expected before an Oct. 15 vote in the western state of Lower Saxony, currently ruled by the Social Democrats (SPD) - who have said they will go into opposition at the national level - and the Greens. Leading economic institutes said on Thursday that the next government can count on record budget surpluses over the next two years due to a solid upswing, potentially facilitating Merkel s task of building a coalition.

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WATCH: Hillary CRUSHES Trump On Kimmel, Will Draw On Elementary School Experience To Debate Him

Hillary Clinton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday night and absolutely killed it.Jimmy Kimmel has spent a lot of time on his show mocking Donald Trump, so it was only natural for him to talk to the Democratic nominee about him.The first segment of the interview was dedicated entirely to discussing the imploding Republican nominee.Right after Hillary sat down Kimmel remarked that the crowd was cheering quite enthusiastically for the co-founder of ISIS, which drew laughter from the former Secretary of State, who replied that the claim was one of the crazier things that Trump has said during his campaign.And with all the ridiculous things Trump has said on the campaign trail, Kimmel asked if she gets upset. I don t get upset anymore, Clinton said, because I d be upset all the time. Hillary pointed out that Trump s rhetoric is music to the terrorists ears because they would love to influence our elections in any way they can. It also gives them advertising material to use to draw new recruits.Considering Trump s unpredictability and insanity throughout his run for the presidency, Kimmel wondered how Hillary is preparing to debate him, which drew a very interesting and hilarious response. I watched a lot of his debates during the primaries and he insulted all of his opponents, he insulted all the moderators, he insulted, I guess about 80 percent of the American people and the rest of the world You gotta be prepared for all the wacky stuff that comes at you. I am drawing on my experience in elementary school. Kimmel also asked Hillary about her health and the claims of Trump and his team that she is unfit to serve because she is not well. Hillary compared Trump s attack to a tabloid story, remarking that the National Enquirer once said she would be dead in six months, but that was a long time ago and she s still full of life. I don t know why they are saying this, Clinton said. I think on the one hand, it s part of the wacky strategy. Just say all these crazy things and maybe you can get some people to believe you. On the other hand, it just absolutely makes no sense. I don t go around questioning Donald Trump s health. Kimmel then challenged her to open a pickle jar to prove her fitness, and she opened it.Hillary then admitted that she had hoped to be running against someone more serious and qualified to do the job of President of the United States. I would prefer to be running against somebody who I thought was qualified to be president and temperamentally fit to be commander-in-chief I don t think we ve ever been confronted with somebody who we see right now in the midst of this election is unqualified and temperamentally unfit. Hillary went on to name three Republicans who have endorsed her and praised their decision to put country first.And at the end of the interview, she read some mean quotes uttered by Donald Trump. But she refused to read the one of Trump saying he would date his own daughter.This was an excellent interview for Hillary Clinton. She dispelled the rampant falsehoods being pushed by Trump and his minions while at the same time showing the American people that she is a positive person who is qualified for the office she seeks. Now it s just a matter of waiting for the thin-skinned Trump to throw a hissy fit about on Twitter.Featured image via Screenshot

Title: WATCH: Hillary CRUSHES Trump On Kimmel, Will Draw On Elementary School Experience To Debate Him. Text: Hillary Clinton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday night and absolutely killed it.Jimmy Kimmel has spent a lot of time on his show mocking Donald Trump, so it was only natural for him to talk to the Democratic nominee about him.The first segment of the interview was dedicated entirely to discussing the imploding Republican nominee.Right after Hillary sat down Kimmel remarked that the crowd was cheering quite enthusiastically for the co-founder of ISIS, which drew laughter from the former Secretary of State, who replied that the claim was one of the crazier things that Trump has said during his campaign.And with all the ridiculous things Trump has said on the campaign trail, Kimmel asked if she gets upset. I don t get upset anymore, Clinton said, because I d be upset all the time. Hillary pointed out that Trump s rhetoric is music to the terrorists ears because they would love to influence our elections in any way they can. It also gives them advertising material to use to draw new recruits.Considering Trump s unpredictability and insanity throughout his run for the presidency, Kimmel wondered how Hillary is preparing to debate him, which drew a very interesting and hilarious response. I watched a lot of his debates during the primaries and he insulted all of his opponents, he insulted all the moderators, he insulted, I guess about 80 percent of the American people and the rest of the world You gotta be prepared for all the wacky stuff that comes at you. I am drawing on my experience in elementary school. Kimmel also asked Hillary about her health and the claims of Trump and his team that she is unfit to serve because she is not well. Hillary compared Trump s attack to a tabloid story, remarking that the National Enquirer once said she would be dead in six months, but that was a long time ago and she s still full of life. I don t know why they are saying this, Clinton said. I think on the one hand, it s part of the wacky strategy. Just say all these crazy things and maybe you can get some people to believe you. On the other hand, it just absolutely makes no sense. I don t go around questioning Donald Trump s health. Kimmel then challenged her to open a pickle jar to prove her fitness, and she opened it.Hillary then admitted that she had hoped to be running against someone more serious and qualified to do the job of President of the United States. I would prefer to be running against somebody who I thought was qualified to be president and temperamentally fit to be commander-in-chief I don t think we ve ever been confronted with somebody who we see right now in the midst of this election is unqualified and temperamentally unfit. Hillary went on to name three Republicans who have endorsed her and praised their decision to put country first.And at the end of the interview, she read some mean quotes uttered by Donald Trump. But she refused to read the one of Trump saying he would date his own daughter.This was an excellent interview for Hillary Clinton. She dispelled the rampant falsehoods being pushed by Trump and his minions while at the same time showing the American people that she is a positive person who is qualified for the office she seeks. Now it s just a matter of waiting for the thin-skinned Trump to throw a hissy fit about on Twitter.Featured image via Screenshot

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PATRIOTS OWNER On Trump: “In The Toughest Time In My Life, He Was There For Me When My Beloved Wife Died, He Called Me Once A Week For About A Year, ‘How ya doing?'” [VIDEO]

Patriots owner Robert Kraft tells Brian Kilmeade of Fox and Friends about the special friend that Trump was to him and how he went out of his way to help him after his beloved wife died, I m loyal to my friends, I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me. "I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me." -Robert Kraft on his friendship with Pres Trump pic.twitter.com/pQiBWDYCtF FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) February 3, 2017

Title: PATRIOTS OWNER On Trump: “In The Toughest Time In My Life, He Was There For Me When My Beloved Wife Died, He Called Me Once A Week For About A Year, ‘How ya doing?'” [VIDEO]. Text: Patriots owner Robert Kraft tells Brian Kilmeade of Fox and Friends about the special friend that Trump was to him and how he went out of his way to help him after his beloved wife died, I m loyal to my friends, I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me. "I remember who the people are there when the tough times are there and he did that for me." -Robert Kraft on his friendship with Pres Trump pic.twitter.com/pQiBWDYCtF FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) February 3, 2017

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Hungary dismisses Estonian compromise offer on asylum-seekers

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary remains firmly opposed to illegal immigration and the European Union should focus efforts on protecting its external borders, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said about an Estonian compromise proposal on asylum-seekers. Hungary s view on migration is clear and rock steady: We think illegal immigration is dangerous. Because of illegal immigration, Europe has never had to face the kind of terror threat it faces now, Szijjarto told a news conference with ministers and officials from eastern and southern Europe, in response to a question. Under the Estonian plan, the executive European Commission would determine fair shares of asylum-seekers that countries would be expected to take in at their own borders - largely based on their population and wealth. But it would trigger an early warning if arrivals looked about to test such levels. Szijjarto said any encouragement for further migrant arrivals was against Europe s interests, adding that the only solution acceptable to Budapest was that illegal immigration should be stopped, preferably as far outside the EU s borders as possible.

Title: Hungary dismisses Estonian compromise offer on asylum-seekers. Text: BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary remains firmly opposed to illegal immigration and the European Union should focus efforts on protecting its external borders, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said about an Estonian compromise proposal on asylum-seekers. Hungary s view on migration is clear and rock steady: We think illegal immigration is dangerous. Because of illegal immigration, Europe has never had to face the kind of terror threat it faces now, Szijjarto told a news conference with ministers and officials from eastern and southern Europe, in response to a question. Under the Estonian plan, the executive European Commission would determine fair shares of asylum-seekers that countries would be expected to take in at their own borders - largely based on their population and wealth. But it would trigger an early warning if arrivals looked about to test such levels. Szijjarto said any encouragement for further migrant arrivals was against Europe s interests, adding that the only solution acceptable to Budapest was that illegal immigration should be stopped, preferably as far outside the EU s borders as possible.

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Clinton accuses Trump of scapegoating Muslim soldier's parents

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump on Sunday of scapegoating the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq, after the Republican nominee took issue with remarks the soldier’s father made at the Democratic National Convention. Trump, in an ABC interview that aired on Sunday, questioned why Ghazala Khan, mother of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, stood quietly by her husband, Khizr Khan, as he took the stage at last week’s Democratic convention in Philadelphia. Trump suggested the mother might not have been “allowed” to speak. Speaking at a church service, Clinton said Trump had been insulting to a family who had sacrificed so much. She also used the episode to contrast her own religious faith with that of Trump, who has spoken of religion on the campaign trail infrequently. “I don’t begrudge anyone of any other faith or of no faith at all, but I do tremble before those who would scapegoat other Americans, who would insult people because of their religion, their ethnicity, their disability,” Clinton said in remarks at the Imani Temple Ministries, an African-American church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. “It’s just not how I was raised, that’s not how I was taught in my church,” said Clinton, who grew up as a Methodist. “Tim Kaine and I are people of faith,” she said, referring to her vice presidential running mate, who is a Catholic. Top Republican lawmakers House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also condemned Trump’s remarks in separate statements, although they did not mention their presidential candidate by name. “Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example,” Ryan said. “His sacrifice - and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan - should always be honored. Period.” he said. Earlier on Sunday, Ghazala Khan took up her own defense in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, saying her husband had asked her in advance whether she would want to speak at the convention but that she had decided she would be unable to do so on stage because of her pain over the 2004 death of her son. “Donald Trump said that maybe I wasn’t allowed to say anything. That is not true,” she wrote. “When Donald Trump is talking about Islam, he is ignorant.” In a statement issued on Sunday evening by the Trump campaign, Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, said that he and the Republican nominee “believe that Captain Humayun Khan is an American hero” that his family, like other families of fallen soldiers, “should be cherished by every American.” But Pence added that Captain Khan had died defending the country against terrorism and that Trump’s policies would reduce the likelihood that other families would face the kind of heartbreak the Khans had. Khizr Khan, a U.S. citizen of Pakistani origin and a Muslim, spoke about his war hero son at the Democratic convention and took issue with Trump’s call for a temporary ban on the entry of Muslims into the United States. Khizr Khan invited the Republican nominee to read the U.S. Constitution and visit the graves of American soldiers from many backgrounds at Arlington National Cemetery. In the interview aired on Sunday morning on ABC’s “This Week,” Trump cast doubt on why Khan’s wife did not speak. “She was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me,” Trump said. Trump on Sunday tweeted that Khan’s son had died 12 years ago: “Captain Khan, killed 12 years ago, was a hero, but this is about RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR and the weakness of our “leaders” to eradicate it!” Trump also tweeted that he had been “viciously attacked” by Khan at the convention. “Am I not allowed to respond?” he asked. The candidate also tried to change the subject to the war itself: “Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!” On Twitter, Republican strategist Ana Navarro called Trump’s comments about the Khans “gross” and labeled him a “jerk.” Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, said he sympathizes with the Khan family but that their loss is not the issue at hand. “The issue really is radical Islamic jihad and the risk to the American homeland,” he said on CBS, defending Trump’s proposal to suspend immigration from some geographic regions.

Title: Clinton accuses Trump of scapegoating Muslim soldier's parents. Text: CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump on Sunday of scapegoating the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq, after the Republican nominee took issue with remarks the soldier’s father made at the Democratic National Convention. Trump, in an ABC interview that aired on Sunday, questioned why Ghazala Khan, mother of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, stood quietly by her husband, Khizr Khan, as he took the stage at last week’s Democratic convention in Philadelphia. Trump suggested the mother might not have been “allowed” to speak. Speaking at a church service, Clinton said Trump had been insulting to a family who had sacrificed so much. She also used the episode to contrast her own religious faith with that of Trump, who has spoken of religion on the campaign trail infrequently. “I don’t begrudge anyone of any other faith or of no faith at all, but I do tremble before those who would scapegoat other Americans, who would insult people because of their religion, their ethnicity, their disability,” Clinton said in remarks at the Imani Temple Ministries, an African-American church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. “It’s just not how I was raised, that’s not how I was taught in my church,” said Clinton, who grew up as a Methodist. “Tim Kaine and I are people of faith,” she said, referring to her vice presidential running mate, who is a Catholic. Top Republican lawmakers House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also condemned Trump’s remarks in separate statements, although they did not mention their presidential candidate by name. “Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example,” Ryan said. “His sacrifice - and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan - should always be honored. Period.” he said. Earlier on Sunday, Ghazala Khan took up her own defense in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, saying her husband had asked her in advance whether she would want to speak at the convention but that she had decided she would be unable to do so on stage because of her pain over the 2004 death of her son. “Donald Trump said that maybe I wasn’t allowed to say anything. That is not true,” she wrote. “When Donald Trump is talking about Islam, he is ignorant.” In a statement issued on Sunday evening by the Trump campaign, Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, said that he and the Republican nominee “believe that Captain Humayun Khan is an American hero” that his family, like other families of fallen soldiers, “should be cherished by every American.” But Pence added that Captain Khan had died defending the country against terrorism and that Trump’s policies would reduce the likelihood that other families would face the kind of heartbreak the Khans had. Khizr Khan, a U.S. citizen of Pakistani origin and a Muslim, spoke about his war hero son at the Democratic convention and took issue with Trump’s call for a temporary ban on the entry of Muslims into the United States. Khizr Khan invited the Republican nominee to read the U.S. Constitution and visit the graves of American soldiers from many backgrounds at Arlington National Cemetery. In the interview aired on Sunday morning on ABC’s “This Week,” Trump cast doubt on why Khan’s wife did not speak. “She was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me,” Trump said. Trump on Sunday tweeted that Khan’s son had died 12 years ago: “Captain Khan, killed 12 years ago, was a hero, but this is about RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR and the weakness of our “leaders” to eradicate it!” Trump also tweeted that he had been “viciously attacked” by Khan at the convention. “Am I not allowed to respond?” he asked. The candidate also tried to change the subject to the war itself: “Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!” On Twitter, Republican strategist Ana Navarro called Trump’s comments about the Khans “gross” and labeled him a “jerk.” Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, said he sympathizes with the Khan family but that their loss is not the issue at hand. “The issue really is radical Islamic jihad and the risk to the American homeland,” he said on CBS, defending Trump’s proposal to suspend immigration from some geographic regions.

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Russia, Saudi Arabia close to sign S-400 missile deal: Ifax cites Putin aide

MOSCOW, MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Saudi Arabia are on track to sign a contract on supplies of Russia s advanced S-400 air defense missiles to Riyadh, the Interfax news agency cited an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying on Friday. The talks are ongoing now, the terms are being agreed, the agency cited Vladimir Kozhin as saying. He said the contract could be signed in the nearest time, giving no further detail.

Title: Russia, Saudi Arabia close to sign S-400 missile deal: Ifax cites Putin aide. Text: MOSCOW, MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Saudi Arabia are on track to sign a contract on supplies of Russia s advanced S-400 air defense missiles to Riyadh, the Interfax news agency cited an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying on Friday. The talks are ongoing now, the terms are being agreed, the agency cited Vladimir Kozhin as saying. He said the contract could be signed in the nearest time, giving no further detail.

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RUSSIAN HACKERS? No, We Found What Lost The Election For Hillary [Video]

It wasn t a #russianhack that lost the election for Hillary. It was this. pic.twitter.com/yzT2Dzb1zp Rep. Steven Smith (@RepStevenSmith) December 12, 2016

Title: RUSSIAN HACKERS? No, We Found What Lost The Election For Hillary [Video]. Text: It wasn t a #russianhack that lost the election for Hillary. It was this. pic.twitter.com/yzT2Dzb1zp Rep. Steven Smith (@RepStevenSmith) December 12, 2016

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EU talks going well, but there's too much gloom: UK's foreign minister

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday negotiations to leave the European Union were going well but there was too much gloom attached to Brexit. At the Conservative Party s annual conference, Johnson said that, while trade deals with other countries might take time to negotiate, there would be loads of them done before the next British election, due in 2022. Johnson also told a meeting on the sidelines of the conference that Britain would want to do things differently to the EU in certain areas, such as data and bio-science.

Title: EU talks going well, but there's too much gloom: UK's foreign minister. Text: MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday negotiations to leave the European Union were going well but there was too much gloom attached to Brexit. At the Conservative Party s annual conference, Johnson said that, while trade deals with other countries might take time to negotiate, there would be loads of them done before the next British election, due in 2022. Johnson also told a meeting on the sidelines of the conference that Britain would want to do things differently to the EU in certain areas, such as data and bio-science.

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Trump intelligence nominee supports probes on Russian interference

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the director of national intelligence pledged on Tuesday to support thorough investigation of any Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, seeking to reassure lawmakers worried that partisan politics might interfere with a probe. “I think this is something that needs to be investigated and addressed,” former Republican Senator Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the top U.S. intelligence official. Coats, 73, a former member of the intelligence panel, also promised that it would have full access to all of the documents and other materials needed for an investigation. “I have no intention of holding anything back from this committee,” Coats said. Trump denounced intelligence agencies for their assessment that Russia sought to influence the election on his behalf, prompting concerns about his support for them. Trump has also repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some in Washington worry that he might not take a hard enough line in dealings with Moscow. In his opening statement, Coats addressed that concern by listing activity by Russia, along with that of China and North Korea, as among the main challenges faced by the United States. “Russia’s assertiveness in global affairs is something I look upon with great concern, which we need to address with eyes wide open and a healthy degree of skepticism,” Coats said. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11 attacks to oversee all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and improve communications among them. One concern about Coats was his record on the U.S. use after the 2001 attacks of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, which are widely seen as torture. In 2015, he was one of the few lawmakers who opposed legislation sponsored by Republican Senator John McCain that made the use of such techniques illegal. Coats promised that he would follow the law, saying he voted against that legislation because he wanted “to at least have a discussion” about the best way to proceed if intelligence agencies wanted to obtain crucial information quickly. Coats also strongly defended U.S. government surveillance programs, though he said he would “do everything I can” to publicly disclose an estimate of the number of Americans caught in the crosshairs of internet surveillance programs intended to target foreigners. But he stopped short of guaranteeing such a disclosure, which privacy advocates in Congress have requested for years and said is necessary to properly debate possible reforms to a surveillance law that expires at the end of 2017. Although he was ambassador to Germany under President George W. Bush, Coats would be the first director of national intelligence who has not spent most of his career in the military, in intelligence agencies or as a diplomat. Coats, who is popular with Democrats and his fellow Republicans, is expected to be easily confirmed.

Title: Trump intelligence nominee supports probes on Russian interference. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the director of national intelligence pledged on Tuesday to support thorough investigation of any Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, seeking to reassure lawmakers worried that partisan politics might interfere with a probe. “I think this is something that needs to be investigated and addressed,” former Republican Senator Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the top U.S. intelligence official. Coats, 73, a former member of the intelligence panel, also promised that it would have full access to all of the documents and other materials needed for an investigation. “I have no intention of holding anything back from this committee,” Coats said. Trump denounced intelligence agencies for their assessment that Russia sought to influence the election on his behalf, prompting concerns about his support for them. Trump has also repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some in Washington worry that he might not take a hard enough line in dealings with Moscow. In his opening statement, Coats addressed that concern by listing activity by Russia, along with that of China and North Korea, as among the main challenges faced by the United States. “Russia’s assertiveness in global affairs is something I look upon with great concern, which we need to address with eyes wide open and a healthy degree of skepticism,” Coats said. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11 attacks to oversee all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and improve communications among them. One concern about Coats was his record on the U.S. use after the 2001 attacks of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, which are widely seen as torture. In 2015, he was one of the few lawmakers who opposed legislation sponsored by Republican Senator John McCain that made the use of such techniques illegal. Coats promised that he would follow the law, saying he voted against that legislation because he wanted “to at least have a discussion” about the best way to proceed if intelligence agencies wanted to obtain crucial information quickly. Coats also strongly defended U.S. government surveillance programs, though he said he would “do everything I can” to publicly disclose an estimate of the number of Americans caught in the crosshairs of internet surveillance programs intended to target foreigners. But he stopped short of guaranteeing such a disclosure, which privacy advocates in Congress have requested for years and said is necessary to properly debate possible reforms to a surveillance law that expires at the end of 2017. Although he was ambassador to Germany under President George W. Bush, Coats would be the first director of national intelligence who has not spent most of his career in the military, in intelligence agencies or as a diplomat. Coats, who is popular with Democrats and his fellow Republicans, is expected to be easily confirmed.

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Lawmakers urge U.S. to craft targeted sanctions on Myanmar military

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 40 lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to reimpose U.S. travel bans on Myanmar’s military leaders and prepare targeted sanctions against those responsible for a crackdown on the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a group of Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives called for “meaningful steps” against Myanmar’s military and others who have committed human rights abuses in an offensive that has driven more than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims out of the Southeast Asian nation. “Burma’s authorities appear to be in denial of what has happened,” stated the letter. “We urge you to do everything possible to ensure protection and security for those trapped inside Burma or willing to return, as well as oppose forcible returns from neighboring countries.”

Title: Lawmakers urge U.S. to craft targeted sanctions on Myanmar military. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 40 lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to reimpose U.S. travel bans on Myanmar’s military leaders and prepare targeted sanctions against those responsible for a crackdown on the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a group of Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives called for “meaningful steps” against Myanmar’s military and others who have committed human rights abuses in an offensive that has driven more than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims out of the Southeast Asian nation. “Burma’s authorities appear to be in denial of what has happened,” stated the letter. “We urge you to do everything possible to ensure protection and security for those trapped inside Burma or willing to return, as well as oppose forcible returns from neighboring countries.”

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EU lawmakers see little progress in Sri Lanka rights reforms

COLOMBO (Reuters) - European lawmakers said on Thursday they were disappointed about Sri Lanka s slow roll-out of human rights reforms that the island nation had promised in exchange for trade concessions. The European Union reinstated concessions on a series of products in May - after Sri Lanka said it would ratify 27 international conventions on rights, labor conditions, the environment and governance. The island s key garments industry benefited the most from the duty reductions and other allowances offered by the EU s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus scheme. But a European Parliament delegation said they had seen little progress more than five months after the agreement. There was no immediate comment from the government. It was noted that a number of important issues remain pending, in particular the revision of the Prevention of Terrorism Act on which the Prime Minister and other senior figures had given their personal assurances, the EU delegation said in a statement. The United Nations has said Sri Lanka s current terrorism legislation allows the torture of detainees. Sri Lanka originally lost the EU concession in 2010 after then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected demands from the international community to address human rights abuses allegedly committed during a 2009 offensive to crush a Tamil insurgency. Rajapaksa was ousted in January last year, and the EU agreed to reinstate the concessions after a new administration, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, promised to make changes. The garments industry is Sri Lanka s second biggest hard currency earner after remittances. It boasts annual exports of around $5 billion and produces goods for Victoria s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Marks & Spencer and other well known brands.

Title: EU lawmakers see little progress in Sri Lanka rights reforms. Text: COLOMBO (Reuters) - European lawmakers said on Thursday they were disappointed about Sri Lanka s slow roll-out of human rights reforms that the island nation had promised in exchange for trade concessions. The European Union reinstated concessions on a series of products in May - after Sri Lanka said it would ratify 27 international conventions on rights, labor conditions, the environment and governance. The island s key garments industry benefited the most from the duty reductions and other allowances offered by the EU s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus scheme. But a European Parliament delegation said they had seen little progress more than five months after the agreement. There was no immediate comment from the government. It was noted that a number of important issues remain pending, in particular the revision of the Prevention of Terrorism Act on which the Prime Minister and other senior figures had given their personal assurances, the EU delegation said in a statement. The United Nations has said Sri Lanka s current terrorism legislation allows the torture of detainees. Sri Lanka originally lost the EU concession in 2010 after then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected demands from the international community to address human rights abuses allegedly committed during a 2009 offensive to crush a Tamil insurgency. Rajapaksa was ousted in January last year, and the EU agreed to reinstate the concessions after a new administration, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, promised to make changes. The garments industry is Sri Lanka s second biggest hard currency earner after remittances. It boasts annual exports of around $5 billion and produces goods for Victoria s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Marks & Spencer and other well known brands.

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White House adviser Rhodes to meet with Cuban Americans in Miami next week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes will travel to Miami next week to meet with leaders from the Cuban-American community to allay concerns about Obama’s historic trip to Cuba later this month, a White House official told Reuters. “Miami has long been at the heart of the Cuban-American community, and this trip will provide an opportunity to continue the important dialogue about the president’s efforts to normalize relations with Cuba,” the official said. Rhodes, who helped negotiate the thaw in Washington’s relations with the island nation, will meet with human rights advocates, religious leaders, and private sector representatives during his March 11 trip. Obama goes to Havana in mid-March in what will be the first visit by a U.S. president to the Caribbean nation since 1928. Republicans and some leaders in the Cuban-American community oppose the trip, believing it will give legitimacy to the island’s Communist government. Rhodes will seek to allay those concerns and discuss what the president hopes to achieve by going to Havana, the official said. Obama plans to meet with dissidents as well as President Raul Castro during his stay in Cuba.

Title: White House adviser Rhodes to meet with Cuban Americans in Miami next week. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes will travel to Miami next week to meet with leaders from the Cuban-American community to allay concerns about Obama’s historic trip to Cuba later this month, a White House official told Reuters. “Miami has long been at the heart of the Cuban-American community, and this trip will provide an opportunity to continue the important dialogue about the president’s efforts to normalize relations with Cuba,” the official said. Rhodes, who helped negotiate the thaw in Washington’s relations with the island nation, will meet with human rights advocates, religious leaders, and private sector representatives during his March 11 trip. Obama goes to Havana in mid-March in what will be the first visit by a U.S. president to the Caribbean nation since 1928. Republicans and some leaders in the Cuban-American community oppose the trip, believing it will give legitimacy to the island’s Communist government. Rhodes will seek to allay those concerns and discuss what the president hopes to achieve by going to Havana, the official said. Obama plans to meet with dissidents as well as President Raul Castro during his stay in Cuba.

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Former CIA Chief DESTROYS Trump For Going 2nd Amendment On Hillary (VIDEO)

Just when you thought Donald Trump s constant stream of offensive comments had died down, he goes and calls for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to be shot.Trump s specific advice to his followers was, in the event that Clinton wins the election and can choose her own liberal Supreme Court Justices, that they should perhaps shoot her: Hillary wants to abolish essentially abolish the Second Amendment. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Though the second amendment folks, maybe there is If a citizen had made a death threat like this against a government official, they would receive criminal charges and Trump should be no different. Soon after those shocking words left Trump s mouth, the former head of the CIA went on CNN to drive the point home that Trump should not be given a free pass on this.In an interview with Jack Tapper, retired four-star general Michael Hayden made it perfectly clear that if anyone else had said this about the Second Amendment, they d be in hot water. Hayden said: If someone else had said that outside the hall, he d be in the back of a police wagon now with the Secret Service questioning him. Hayden recalled the advice that he used to give his seniors at the CIA: You re not just responsible for what you say. You are responsible for what people hear. Then, he tore Trump a new one: That was more than a speed bump. That is actually a very arresting comment. It suggests either a very bad taste with reference to political assassination and an attempt at humor or an incredible insensitivity it maybe the latter an incredible insensitivity to the prevalence of political assassination inside of American history. That is a topic that we don t ever come close to, even when we think we are trying to be lighthearted. You can watch Hayden rip Trump apart in the segment below:Featured image via Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Title: Former CIA Chief DESTROYS Trump For Going 2nd Amendment On Hillary (VIDEO). Text: Just when you thought Donald Trump s constant stream of offensive comments had died down, he goes and calls for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to be shot.Trump s specific advice to his followers was, in the event that Clinton wins the election and can choose her own liberal Supreme Court Justices, that they should perhaps shoot her: Hillary wants to abolish essentially abolish the Second Amendment. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Though the second amendment folks, maybe there is If a citizen had made a death threat like this against a government official, they would receive criminal charges and Trump should be no different. Soon after those shocking words left Trump s mouth, the former head of the CIA went on CNN to drive the point home that Trump should not be given a free pass on this.In an interview with Jack Tapper, retired four-star general Michael Hayden made it perfectly clear that if anyone else had said this about the Second Amendment, they d be in hot water. Hayden said: If someone else had said that outside the hall, he d be in the back of a police wagon now with the Secret Service questioning him. Hayden recalled the advice that he used to give his seniors at the CIA: You re not just responsible for what you say. You are responsible for what people hear. Then, he tore Trump a new one: That was more than a speed bump. That is actually a very arresting comment. It suggests either a very bad taste with reference to political assassination and an attempt at humor or an incredible insensitivity it maybe the latter an incredible insensitivity to the prevalence of political assassination inside of American history. That is a topic that we don t ever come close to, even when we think we are trying to be lighthearted. You can watch Hayden rip Trump apart in the segment below:Featured image via Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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When Asked What His Favorite Bible Lesson Is, Trump Settles On The One With Facial Mutilation

Of all the biblical teachings Donald Trump could choose from, the Republican front-runner landed on the one best known for telling people to be vindictive.Donald Trump was a guest on WHAM 1180 AM when he got a question that by now he should have prepared for and somehow still clearly hasn t: What s your favorite Bible verse? Trump s flailing response speaks volumes.When host Bob Lonsberry asked him what passage particularly informed his character, Trump stumbled around before finally landing on eye for an eye. Well, I think many. I mean, when we get into the Bible, I think many, so many. And some people, look, an eye for an eye, you can almost say that. That s not a particularly nice thing. The adage goes that crimes should be punished by committing an equally severe punishment on the transgressor. If a victim loses an eye, then the assailant should have his ripped out. Notably, the New Testament is steadfastly against this form of justice. Even worse, Trump may very well think the founder of Christianity was weak for not agreeing with him. Jesus Christ famously condemned the practice and instead suggested people learn to turn the other cheek. You have heard that it was said, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH. But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. The eye for an eye model isn t even unique to Judeo-Christian tenets. Long before Judaism, the Sumerians were doing the same. Needless to say, in the intervening thousands of years, legal codes and moral philosophers have evolved beyond this crude form of punishment. It seems part of Making America Great Again means rewinding ethical progress by about 4,000 years.During his interview he pivoted from the Bible to saying America is an embarrassment for not being more vengeful. If you look at what s happening to our country, I mean, when you see what s going on with our country, how people are taking advantage of us, and how they scoff at us and laugh at us. And they laugh at our face, and they re taking our jobs; they re taking our money; they re taking the health of our country.And we have to be firm and have to be very strong. And we can learn a lot from the Bible, that I can tell you. Astonishingly, this isn t even the first time Trump has gotten a softball religious question and managed to strike out. Earlier, he said his favorite quote from the Bible was never bend to envy a line which does not appear in the Bible. In this respect, Trump is getting a bit better. At least the things he s citing now actually exist even if they are the values Jesus deliberately spoke out against.But then who can blame Trump for being biblically illiterate, isn t there something in there about Heaven, camels, eyes of needles, and billionaire real estate tycoons?Featured image by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

Title: When Asked What His Favorite Bible Lesson Is, Trump Settles On The One With Facial Mutilation. Text: Of all the biblical teachings Donald Trump could choose from, the Republican front-runner landed on the one best known for telling people to be vindictive.Donald Trump was a guest on WHAM 1180 AM when he got a question that by now he should have prepared for and somehow still clearly hasn t: What s your favorite Bible verse? Trump s flailing response speaks volumes.When host Bob Lonsberry asked him what passage particularly informed his character, Trump stumbled around before finally landing on eye for an eye. Well, I think many. I mean, when we get into the Bible, I think many, so many. And some people, look, an eye for an eye, you can almost say that. That s not a particularly nice thing. The adage goes that crimes should be punished by committing an equally severe punishment on the transgressor. If a victim loses an eye, then the assailant should have his ripped out. Notably, the New Testament is steadfastly against this form of justice. Even worse, Trump may very well think the founder of Christianity was weak for not agreeing with him. Jesus Christ famously condemned the practice and instead suggested people learn to turn the other cheek. You have heard that it was said, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH. But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. The eye for an eye model isn t even unique to Judeo-Christian tenets. Long before Judaism, the Sumerians were doing the same. Needless to say, in the intervening thousands of years, legal codes and moral philosophers have evolved beyond this crude form of punishment. It seems part of Making America Great Again means rewinding ethical progress by about 4,000 years.During his interview he pivoted from the Bible to saying America is an embarrassment for not being more vengeful. If you look at what s happening to our country, I mean, when you see what s going on with our country, how people are taking advantage of us, and how they scoff at us and laugh at us. And they laugh at our face, and they re taking our jobs; they re taking our money; they re taking the health of our country.And we have to be firm and have to be very strong. And we can learn a lot from the Bible, that I can tell you. Astonishingly, this isn t even the first time Trump has gotten a softball religious question and managed to strike out. Earlier, he said his favorite quote from the Bible was never bend to envy a line which does not appear in the Bible. In this respect, Trump is getting a bit better. At least the things he s citing now actually exist even if they are the values Jesus deliberately spoke out against.But then who can blame Trump for being biblically illiterate, isn t there something in there about Heaven, camels, eyes of needles, and billionaire real estate tycoons?Featured image by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

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Trump faces dilemma as U.S. oil reels from record biofuels targets

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Obama administration signed its final plan for renewable fuel use in the United States last week, leaving an oil industry reeling from the most aggressive biofuel targets yet as President-elect Donald Trump takes over. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, signed into law by President George W. Bush, is one of the country’s most controversial energy policies. It requires energy firms to blend ethanol and biodiesel into gasoline and diesel. The policy was designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce U.S. reliance on oil imports and boost rural economies that provide the crops for biofuels. It has pitted two of Trump’s support bases against each other: Big Oil and Big Corn. The farming sector has lobbied hard for the maximum biofuel volumes laid out in the law to be blended into gasoline motor fuels, while the oil industry argues that the program creates additional costs. Balancing oil and farm interests is likely to prove a challenge for Trump, who has promised to curtail regulations on the oil industry but is already being reminded by biofuels advocates of the importance of the program to the American Midwest, where he received strong support from voters on Nov. 8. Oil groups are renewing their calls to change or repeal the program following Wednesday’s announcement, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set record mandates for renewable fuels - for the first time hitting levels targeted by Congress nearly a decade ago.. The EPA plan is “completely detached from market realities and confirms once again that Congress must take immediate action to remedy this broken program,” said Chet Thompson, President of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, in a statement. It is unclear what Trump’s plans for the program will be and his transition team did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Both camps are expecting an administration receptive to their demands, though both have expressed concern and uncertainty over Trump’s plans for the program, according to experts, industry and political sources. The installation of climate change skeptic Myron Ebell as head of the transition at the EPA bolstered oil industry confidence Trump will swing their way. In September, Trump appeared to briefly echo the views of his supporter, billionaire Carl Icahn, who expressed concern about the program. Icahn, who owns a stake in an oil refiner, renewed those criticisms last week, saying the ethanol credit market generated by the program is susceptible to manipulation and harming independent refiners. PRO-ETHANOL CAMPAIGNING The president-elect campaigned on a pro-ethanol platform when he visited America’s farm states and biofuels advocates expect he will keep the RFS strong, maintaining annual targets at the minimum set forth by Congress. “Mr. Trump will not turn his back on the American heartland, we believe in him,” said Annette Sweeney, a former state representative from Iowa who was a member of the Trump’s agricultural advisory committee during his candidacy. “To a certain extent, we are on higher ground. You always want to be on higher ground,” said Bob Dinneen, head of the Renewable Fuels Association, referring to the increase. “We’ll be able to demonstrate the marketplace can absorb 15 billion gallons of ethanol. We can put this all behind us. As we look to 2018... there’s no reason to go back,” he said. The renewables industries have already started to emphasize their place among American-made fuels, something experts expect will appeal to Trump. “There are a lot of good things to be said about second-generation fuels, even from the new administration’s perspective,” said Harvard University professor and former Obama administration advisor James Stock. “All the new administration needs to do is embrace the original ... vision of the RFS,” he said.

Title: Trump faces dilemma as U.S. oil reels from record biofuels targets. Text: NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Obama administration signed its final plan for renewable fuel use in the United States last week, leaving an oil industry reeling from the most aggressive biofuel targets yet as President-elect Donald Trump takes over. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, signed into law by President George W. Bush, is one of the country’s most controversial energy policies. It requires energy firms to blend ethanol and biodiesel into gasoline and diesel. The policy was designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce U.S. reliance on oil imports and boost rural economies that provide the crops for biofuels. It has pitted two of Trump’s support bases against each other: Big Oil and Big Corn. The farming sector has lobbied hard for the maximum biofuel volumes laid out in the law to be blended into gasoline motor fuels, while the oil industry argues that the program creates additional costs. Balancing oil and farm interests is likely to prove a challenge for Trump, who has promised to curtail regulations on the oil industry but is already being reminded by biofuels advocates of the importance of the program to the American Midwest, where he received strong support from voters on Nov. 8. Oil groups are renewing their calls to change or repeal the program following Wednesday’s announcement, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set record mandates for renewable fuels - for the first time hitting levels targeted by Congress nearly a decade ago.. The EPA plan is “completely detached from market realities and confirms once again that Congress must take immediate action to remedy this broken program,” said Chet Thompson, President of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, in a statement. It is unclear what Trump’s plans for the program will be and his transition team did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Both camps are expecting an administration receptive to their demands, though both have expressed concern and uncertainty over Trump’s plans for the program, according to experts, industry and political sources. The installation of climate change skeptic Myron Ebell as head of the transition at the EPA bolstered oil industry confidence Trump will swing their way. In September, Trump appeared to briefly echo the views of his supporter, billionaire Carl Icahn, who expressed concern about the program. Icahn, who owns a stake in an oil refiner, renewed those criticisms last week, saying the ethanol credit market generated by the program is susceptible to manipulation and harming independent refiners. PRO-ETHANOL CAMPAIGNING The president-elect campaigned on a pro-ethanol platform when he visited America’s farm states and biofuels advocates expect he will keep the RFS strong, maintaining annual targets at the minimum set forth by Congress. “Mr. Trump will not turn his back on the American heartland, we believe in him,” said Annette Sweeney, a former state representative from Iowa who was a member of the Trump’s agricultural advisory committee during his candidacy. “To a certain extent, we are on higher ground. You always want to be on higher ground,” said Bob Dinneen, head of the Renewable Fuels Association, referring to the increase. “We’ll be able to demonstrate the marketplace can absorb 15 billion gallons of ethanol. We can put this all behind us. As we look to 2018... there’s no reason to go back,” he said. The renewables industries have already started to emphasize their place among American-made fuels, something experts expect will appeal to Trump. “There are a lot of good things to be said about second-generation fuels, even from the new administration’s perspective,” said Harvard University professor and former Obama administration advisor James Stock. “All the new administration needs to do is embrace the original ... vision of the RFS,” he said.

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Forever Bitter Michelle Obama Tries To Shame Women Who Voted For Trump [Video]

Michelle Obama just can t stop digging at President Trump but she s now going after female voters for voting for him in the 2016 election! Video below is of Michelle Obama on finding your voice , Hillary Clinton, and women who voted for Trump from INBOUND17 HATE TO TELL THESE WOMEN BUT WE VE ALREADY FOUND OUR VOICE-ELECTION 2016!Vid of Michelle Obama on finding your voice, Hillary Clinton, and women who voted for Trump #INBOUND17 pic.twitter.com/GBnzbAufxo Allyanna Anglim (@AllyannaAnglim) September 27, 2017 OBAMA S STATEMENT REEKS OF BITTERNESS: Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice, she said at the Inbound 2017 conference in Boston, according to video from inside the event. What does it mean for us as women that we look at those two candidates, as women, and many of us said, that guy, he s better for me, his voice is more true to me, Obama said. Well, to me that just says you don t like your voice. You like the thing you re told to like. ANOTHER VIDEO FROM INBOUND17 MichelleObama s message to women: Find & use your voice. Your words don t need to be perfect. Don t be silenced. WHO IS TRYING TO SILENCE WOMEN? THE ANSWER IS NO ONE!!!#INBOUND17 @MichelleObama's message to women: Find & use your voice. Your words don't need to be perfect. Don't be silenced. #wow #yes pic.twitter.com/V5a1WeIT3t Amanda (@MandyGasse) September 27, 2017 Michelle is the eternal victim who always speaks of the shtruggle The problem is there is no struggle! She lives in America where there are great opportunities for EVERYONE!It s interesting that Michelle Obama criticized Hillary Clinton yet she s now flip flopping on how she feels. Hillary also tried to shame women who voted for Trump: When I see women, and look, it s predominantly white women, let s just be clear about that. I won women, I lost white women although I got more white women s votes than president Obama did in 2012 so this is an ongoing challenge, Hillary said. But when I see women doing that, I think why are they publicly disrespecting themselves? , Hillary continued.Note to Hillary and Michelle: WOMEN CAN THINK FOR THEMSELVES! WE DON T BLINDLY FOLLOW A CANDIDATE JUST BECAUSE SHE S A WOMAN!

Title: Forever Bitter Michelle Obama Tries To Shame Women Who Voted For Trump [Video]. Text: Michelle Obama just can t stop digging at President Trump but she s now going after female voters for voting for him in the 2016 election! Video below is of Michelle Obama on finding your voice , Hillary Clinton, and women who voted for Trump from INBOUND17 HATE TO TELL THESE WOMEN BUT WE VE ALREADY FOUND OUR VOICE-ELECTION 2016!Vid of Michelle Obama on finding your voice, Hillary Clinton, and women who voted for Trump #INBOUND17 pic.twitter.com/GBnzbAufxo Allyanna Anglim (@AllyannaAnglim) September 27, 2017 OBAMA S STATEMENT REEKS OF BITTERNESS: Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice, she said at the Inbound 2017 conference in Boston, according to video from inside the event. What does it mean for us as women that we look at those two candidates, as women, and many of us said, that guy, he s better for me, his voice is more true to me, Obama said. Well, to me that just says you don t like your voice. You like the thing you re told to like. ANOTHER VIDEO FROM INBOUND17 MichelleObama s message to women: Find & use your voice. Your words don t need to be perfect. Don t be silenced. WHO IS TRYING TO SILENCE WOMEN? THE ANSWER IS NO ONE!!!#INBOUND17 @MichelleObama's message to women: Find & use your voice. Your words don't need to be perfect. Don't be silenced. #wow #yes pic.twitter.com/V5a1WeIT3t Amanda (@MandyGasse) September 27, 2017 Michelle is the eternal victim who always speaks of the shtruggle The problem is there is no struggle! She lives in America where there are great opportunities for EVERYONE!It s interesting that Michelle Obama criticized Hillary Clinton yet she s now flip flopping on how she feels. Hillary also tried to shame women who voted for Trump: When I see women, and look, it s predominantly white women, let s just be clear about that. I won women, I lost white women although I got more white women s votes than president Obama did in 2012 so this is an ongoing challenge, Hillary said. But when I see women doing that, I think why are they publicly disrespecting themselves? , Hillary continued.Note to Hillary and Michelle: WOMEN CAN THINK FOR THEMSELVES! WE DON T BLINDLY FOLLOW A CANDIDATE JUST BECAUSE SHE S A WOMAN!

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88-Yr Old DEMOCRAT Congressman and Accused SEXUAL PREDATOR Reluctantly Steps Down From House Judiciary Committee…REFUSES To Resign

John Conyers, the 88-year old Democrat Congressman and Black Caucus member who used taxpayer dollars from one of the most impoverished districts in Michigan, to pay off accusers of sexual assault, is refusing to give up the power he s become accustomed to, as the longest sitting House member in America s history. The corrupt Congressman has, however, agreed to step down from his role on the House Judiciary Committee, pending an investigation into the multiple allegations of sexual harassment that have been levied against him.In a statement released through Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi s office on Sunday, Conyers said he would like to keep his leadership position but realized that he may undermine the committee s work if he stays at the helm. I have come to believe that my presence as Ranking Member on the Committee would not serve these efforts while the Ethics Committee investigation is pending, Conyers (D-Detroit) said in the statement. I cannot in good conscience allow these charges to undermine my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus, and my friends on both sides of the aisle in the Judiciary Committee and the House of Representatives. Conyers, 88, is the longest-serving House member. BuzzFeed reported last week the contents of the secret $27,000 settlement Conyers paid with taxpayer funds to a former staffer who said she was fired for rejecting Conyers sexual advances.Conyers has admitted to the payment but denied any wrongdoing. I deny these allegations, many of which were raised by documents reportedly paid for by a partisan alt-right blogger, Conyers said, referring to the settlement papers obtained by Mike Cernovich and passed along to the news site. I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics. With Conyers stepping aside, the next most senior Democrat New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler will become acting Ranking Member of the powerful committee. Even under these unfortunate circumstances, the important work of the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee must move forward, Nadler said in a Sunday statement. I will do everything in my power to continue to press on the important issues facing our committee, including criminal justice reform, workplace equality, and holding the Trump Administration accountable. Nadler added: Ranking Member Conyers has a 50 year legacy of advancing the cause of justice, and my job moving forward is to continue that critical work. New York Rep. Kathleen Rice was the first House Democrat last week to call for Conyers resignation from Congress, and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens) said Conyers should at least give up his perch as the House Judiciary Committee s ranking member, pending the outcome of the ethics probe.Earlier Sunday, Pelosi defended Conyers on NBC s Meet the Press by not calling for his resignation and insisting the icon deserves due process. NYP

Title: 88-Yr Old DEMOCRAT Congressman and Accused SEXUAL PREDATOR Reluctantly Steps Down From House Judiciary Committee…REFUSES To Resign. Text: John Conyers, the 88-year old Democrat Congressman and Black Caucus member who used taxpayer dollars from one of the most impoverished districts in Michigan, to pay off accusers of sexual assault, is refusing to give up the power he s become accustomed to, as the longest sitting House member in America s history. The corrupt Congressman has, however, agreed to step down from his role on the House Judiciary Committee, pending an investigation into the multiple allegations of sexual harassment that have been levied against him.In a statement released through Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi s office on Sunday, Conyers said he would like to keep his leadership position but realized that he may undermine the committee s work if he stays at the helm. I have come to believe that my presence as Ranking Member on the Committee would not serve these efforts while the Ethics Committee investigation is pending, Conyers (D-Detroit) said in the statement. I cannot in good conscience allow these charges to undermine my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus, and my friends on both sides of the aisle in the Judiciary Committee and the House of Representatives. Conyers, 88, is the longest-serving House member. BuzzFeed reported last week the contents of the secret $27,000 settlement Conyers paid with taxpayer funds to a former staffer who said she was fired for rejecting Conyers sexual advances.Conyers has admitted to the payment but denied any wrongdoing. I deny these allegations, many of which were raised by documents reportedly paid for by a partisan alt-right blogger, Conyers said, referring to the settlement papers obtained by Mike Cernovich and passed along to the news site. I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics. With Conyers stepping aside, the next most senior Democrat New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler will become acting Ranking Member of the powerful committee. Even under these unfortunate circumstances, the important work of the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee must move forward, Nadler said in a Sunday statement. I will do everything in my power to continue to press on the important issues facing our committee, including criminal justice reform, workplace equality, and holding the Trump Administration accountable. Nadler added: Ranking Member Conyers has a 50 year legacy of advancing the cause of justice, and my job moving forward is to continue that critical work. New York Rep. Kathleen Rice was the first House Democrat last week to call for Conyers resignation from Congress, and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens) said Conyers should at least give up his perch as the House Judiciary Committee s ranking member, pending the outcome of the ethics probe.Earlier Sunday, Pelosi defended Conyers on NBC s Meet the Press by not calling for his resignation and insisting the icon deserves due process. NYP

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Chile's divided center-left pledges unity for presidential runoff

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Center-left lawmakers in Chile pledged on Wednesday to unify and support a single candidate in any eventual runoff against conservative candidate Sebastian Pinera, who is leading in polls for this year s presidential race. While Pinera has consolidated support among the country s political right, six left-of-center candidates will be competing in the Nov. 19 first round vote, amid fissures within socialist President Michelle Bachelet s coalition and the emergence of new left-wing leaders. Polls show Pinera, a wealthy businessman who previously governed Chile between 2010 and 2014, has around 40 percent of voter intentions. That would not be enough to win an absolute majority in the first round. A December runoff is expected to be closer, meaning the left s ability to unite around a single candidate could be critical. After the first round in which each of us will give our best effort for the candidate we most support, we promise that in the second round we will support the candidate that represents the forces of the left and center-left, some 300 politicians said on Wednesday in a letter. Senator Alejandro Guillier, an ally of Bachelet who is polling second, has previously said he would seek links with other progressive candidates to ultimately defeat Pinera. Bachelet is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a second consecutive term. The Christian Democrat party, a large centrist and socially conservative party that is putting forward its own candidate, has been hesitant to pledge unity to date, following deep divisions with the governing Nueva Mayoria bloc over elements of Bachelet s policies in recent months. But one of the party s lawmakers said on Wednesday that it would support the best-performing Nueva Mayoria candidate. The night of the 19th we are going to get behind the candidate who moves on to the second round, Christian Democrat Congresswoman Yasna Provoste told journalists on Wednesday.

Title: Chile's divided center-left pledges unity for presidential runoff. Text: SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Center-left lawmakers in Chile pledged on Wednesday to unify and support a single candidate in any eventual runoff against conservative candidate Sebastian Pinera, who is leading in polls for this year s presidential race. While Pinera has consolidated support among the country s political right, six left-of-center candidates will be competing in the Nov. 19 first round vote, amid fissures within socialist President Michelle Bachelet s coalition and the emergence of new left-wing leaders. Polls show Pinera, a wealthy businessman who previously governed Chile between 2010 and 2014, has around 40 percent of voter intentions. That would not be enough to win an absolute majority in the first round. A December runoff is expected to be closer, meaning the left s ability to unite around a single candidate could be critical. After the first round in which each of us will give our best effort for the candidate we most support, we promise that in the second round we will support the candidate that represents the forces of the left and center-left, some 300 politicians said on Wednesday in a letter. Senator Alejandro Guillier, an ally of Bachelet who is polling second, has previously said he would seek links with other progressive candidates to ultimately defeat Pinera. Bachelet is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a second consecutive term. The Christian Democrat party, a large centrist and socially conservative party that is putting forward its own candidate, has been hesitant to pledge unity to date, following deep divisions with the governing Nueva Mayoria bloc over elements of Bachelet s policies in recent months. But one of the party s lawmakers said on Wednesday that it would support the best-performing Nueva Mayoria candidate. The night of the 19th we are going to get behind the candidate who moves on to the second round, Christian Democrat Congresswoman Yasna Provoste told journalists on Wednesday.

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Exclusive: Australia-U.S. refugee swap again in doubt as officials exit Nauru

SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials interviewing refugees held in an Australian-run offshore detention center left the facility abruptly, three detainees told Reuters on Saturday, throwing further doubt over a plan to resettle many of the detainees in America. U.S. officials halted screening interviews and departed the Pacific island of Nauru on Friday, two weeks short of their scheduled timetable and a day after Washington said the United States had reached its annual refugee intake cap. “U.S. (officials) were scheduled to be on Nauru until July 26 but they left on Friday,” one refugee told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he did not want to jeopardize his application for U.S. resettlement. In the United States, a senior member of the union that represents refugee officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Department of Homeland Security agency, told Reuters his own trip to Nauru was not going forward as scheduled. Jason Marks, chief steward of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1924, told Reuters his trip has now been pushed back and it was unclear whether it will actually happen. The USCIS said on Saturday that the program would continue but offered no details. “We do not discuss the exact dates of USCIS’ circuit rides to adjudicate refugees’ applications. However, we are planning return trips,” the agency said in a statement.  “It is not uncommon for the dates of tentatively planned refugee circuit ride trips worldwide to change due to a wide variety of factors.” The Australian Immigration Department declined to comment on the whereabouts of the U.S. officials or the future of a refugee swap agreement between Australia and the United States that President Donald Trump earlier this year branded a “dumb deal”. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Sunday the deal was progressing as expected, reiterating the government had assurances from the Trump administration. “The quota will roll over again on October 1 as I said, and I expect that the United States will adhere to this agreement, as the president promised,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. An indefinite postponement of the deal would have significant repercussions for Australia’s pledge to close a second detention center on Papua New Guinea’s Manus island on Oct 31. Only 70 refugees, less than 10 percent of the total detainees held in the camp, have completed U.S. processing. Bishop said she did not believe it was the case only 10 percent of refugees had been processed. “The U.S. deal looks more and more doubtful,” Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition said. “The U.S. deal was never the solution the Australian government pretended it to be.” Former U.S. President Barack Obama agreed a deal with Australia late last year to offer refuge to up to 1,250 asylum seekers, a deal the Trump administration said it would only honor to maintain a strong relationship with Australia and then only on condition that refugees satisfied strict checks. In exchange, Australia has pledged to take Central American refugees from a center in Costa Rica, where the United States has taken in a larger number of people in recent years. The swap is designed, in part, to help Australia close both Manus and Nauru, which are expensive to run and have been widely criticized by the United Nations and others over treatment of detainees. The U.S. government confirmed on Thursday that its refugee intake cap of 50,000 people had been reached with the new intake year not due to begin until Oct. 1. Exemptions could be made for those who have a “credible claim to a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States,” following a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court last month reviving elements of Trump’s travel ban while it considers the legality of the order. Given the risky boat journey the refugees in Manus and Nauru undertook to reach Australia, it is unlikely many of them have strong family ties to the United States, experts said. The majority of the detainees interviewed on both Manus and Nauru by U.S. officials in April are from Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan. Australia’s hardline immigration policy requires asylum seekers intercepted at sea trying to reach Australia to be sent for processing to camps at Manus and on Nauru. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. Trump’s resistance to the refugee deal had strained relations with a key Asia Pacific ally, triggering a fractious phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year. Trump’s concession and a series of high-level visits by U.S. dignities have since help mend connections between the two countries. Australia has already offered detainees up to $25,000 to voluntarily return to their home countries, an offer few have taken up.

Title: Exclusive: Australia-U.S. refugee swap again in doubt as officials exit Nauru. Text: SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials interviewing refugees held in an Australian-run offshore detention center left the facility abruptly, three detainees told Reuters on Saturday, throwing further doubt over a plan to resettle many of the detainees in America. U.S. officials halted screening interviews and departed the Pacific island of Nauru on Friday, two weeks short of their scheduled timetable and a day after Washington said the United States had reached its annual refugee intake cap. “U.S. (officials) were scheduled to be on Nauru until July 26 but they left on Friday,” one refugee told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he did not want to jeopardize his application for U.S. resettlement. In the United States, a senior member of the union that represents refugee officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Department of Homeland Security agency, told Reuters his own trip to Nauru was not going forward as scheduled. Jason Marks, chief steward of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1924, told Reuters his trip has now been pushed back and it was unclear whether it will actually happen. The USCIS said on Saturday that the program would continue but offered no details. “We do not discuss the exact dates of USCIS’ circuit rides to adjudicate refugees’ applications. However, we are planning return trips,” the agency said in a statement.  “It is not uncommon for the dates of tentatively planned refugee circuit ride trips worldwide to change due to a wide variety of factors.” The Australian Immigration Department declined to comment on the whereabouts of the U.S. officials or the future of a refugee swap agreement between Australia and the United States that President Donald Trump earlier this year branded a “dumb deal”. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Sunday the deal was progressing as expected, reiterating the government had assurances from the Trump administration. “The quota will roll over again on October 1 as I said, and I expect that the United States will adhere to this agreement, as the president promised,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. An indefinite postponement of the deal would have significant repercussions for Australia’s pledge to close a second detention center on Papua New Guinea’s Manus island on Oct 31. Only 70 refugees, less than 10 percent of the total detainees held in the camp, have completed U.S. processing. Bishop said she did not believe it was the case only 10 percent of refugees had been processed. “The U.S. deal looks more and more doubtful,” Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition said. “The U.S. deal was never the solution the Australian government pretended it to be.” Former U.S. President Barack Obama agreed a deal with Australia late last year to offer refuge to up to 1,250 asylum seekers, a deal the Trump administration said it would only honor to maintain a strong relationship with Australia and then only on condition that refugees satisfied strict checks. In exchange, Australia has pledged to take Central American refugees from a center in Costa Rica, where the United States has taken in a larger number of people in recent years. The swap is designed, in part, to help Australia close both Manus and Nauru, which are expensive to run and have been widely criticized by the United Nations and others over treatment of detainees. The U.S. government confirmed on Thursday that its refugee intake cap of 50,000 people had been reached with the new intake year not due to begin until Oct. 1. Exemptions could be made for those who have a “credible claim to a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States,” following a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court last month reviving elements of Trump’s travel ban while it considers the legality of the order. Given the risky boat journey the refugees in Manus and Nauru undertook to reach Australia, it is unlikely many of them have strong family ties to the United States, experts said. The majority of the detainees interviewed on both Manus and Nauru by U.S. officials in April are from Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan. Australia’s hardline immigration policy requires asylum seekers intercepted at sea trying to reach Australia to be sent for processing to camps at Manus and on Nauru. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. Trump’s resistance to the refugee deal had strained relations with a key Asia Pacific ally, triggering a fractious phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year. Trump’s concession and a series of high-level visits by U.S. dignities have since help mend connections between the two countries. Australia has already offered detainees up to $25,000 to voluntarily return to their home countries, an offer few have taken up.

fake

HILLARY TO OBAMA: “call off your f–king dogs”

According to insider, and author Edward Klein, Hillary took on Barack Obama over his involvement in exposing her email scandal several months ago. Many Americans are wondering if Obama is stonewalling the FBI s investigation, or if in fact, he is encouraging the investigation, hoping it will take her down. This isn t the first report of Hillary behaving in a manner that is, shall we say, un-presidential? According to White House insiders, it seems that Bill has been on the receiving end of Hillary s rage more than once as well An enraged Hillary Rodham Clinton blew up at President Obama, demanding he call off your f king dogs looking into her emails during a tense Oval Office meeting, according to a new book.The book, Unlikeable: The Problem with Hillary, says the former first lady was furious at what she believed were damaging leaks by Obama aides that led to investigations of her use of a private email server as secretary of state. So she went right to the top to settle the matter.Clinton requested a meeting with Obama, against the advice of hubby Bill Clinton, believing she was being persecuted for minor, meaningless violations, author Edward Klein writes.Clinton initially took a friendly approach during the meeting and Obama reacted as if he didn t know what she was talking about, the book claims. He was almost being deliberately dense, a Clinton source said. It really angered her. Clinton lost her temper and called the president by his first name in an emotionally driven break with White House decorum, according to the book. What I want for you to do is call off your f king dogs, Barack! Clinton allegedly barked at Obama, according to Klein s account, which cited sources close to Clinton and Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.The president was so stunned by Clinton s disrespectful demands, he needed a moment to compose himself, the book claims.Obama then responded, There is nothing I can do for you one way or another. Things have been set in motion, and I can t and won t interfere. Your problems are, frankly, of your own making. If you had been honest . . . Klein reports Clinton interrupted, There are always haters out there to get the Clintons. The Democratic 2016 front-runner is said to have later regretted her tirade against the president not for the disrespect she showed, but for the weakness she displayed.Nick Merrill, Clinton s spokesman, called Klein s account bulls t. Another book? Someone should do a book about Ed, said Merrill. They could call it Bulls t: The Problem with Anything Ed Klein Writes. The only true thing about him is his consistent and utter lack of a relationship with the facts, Merrill said. He has more hair than credibility, and the man is bald. So we re not going to get down in the gutter with him and his outrageous fabrications. Via: NYPHillary s on a mission to be a softer, warmer, funnier candidate but according to a new book, the real Hillary Clinton is so volatile and prone to violent outbursts that she terrorizes staff, Secret Service agents and even her own husband. Hillary Clinton has a long history of being domestically violent with Bill, Stone writes. Hillary has beaten Bill, hit him with hard objects, scratched and clawed him, and made him bleed.

Title: HILLARY TO OBAMA: “call off your f–king dogs”. Text: According to insider, and author Edward Klein, Hillary took on Barack Obama over his involvement in exposing her email scandal several months ago. Many Americans are wondering if Obama is stonewalling the FBI s investigation, or if in fact, he is encouraging the investigation, hoping it will take her down. This isn t the first report of Hillary behaving in a manner that is, shall we say, un-presidential? According to White House insiders, it seems that Bill has been on the receiving end of Hillary s rage more than once as well An enraged Hillary Rodham Clinton blew up at President Obama, demanding he call off your f king dogs looking into her emails during a tense Oval Office meeting, according to a new book.The book, Unlikeable: The Problem with Hillary, says the former first lady was furious at what she believed were damaging leaks by Obama aides that led to investigations of her use of a private email server as secretary of state. So she went right to the top to settle the matter.Clinton requested a meeting with Obama, against the advice of hubby Bill Clinton, believing she was being persecuted for minor, meaningless violations, author Edward Klein writes.Clinton initially took a friendly approach during the meeting and Obama reacted as if he didn t know what she was talking about, the book claims. He was almost being deliberately dense, a Clinton source said. It really angered her. Clinton lost her temper and called the president by his first name in an emotionally driven break with White House decorum, according to the book. What I want for you to do is call off your f king dogs, Barack! Clinton allegedly barked at Obama, according to Klein s account, which cited sources close to Clinton and Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.The president was so stunned by Clinton s disrespectful demands, he needed a moment to compose himself, the book claims.Obama then responded, There is nothing I can do for you one way or another. Things have been set in motion, and I can t and won t interfere. Your problems are, frankly, of your own making. If you had been honest . . . Klein reports Clinton interrupted, There are always haters out there to get the Clintons. The Democratic 2016 front-runner is said to have later regretted her tirade against the president not for the disrespect she showed, but for the weakness she displayed.Nick Merrill, Clinton s spokesman, called Klein s account bulls t. Another book? Someone should do a book about Ed, said Merrill. They could call it Bulls t: The Problem with Anything Ed Klein Writes. The only true thing about him is his consistent and utter lack of a relationship with the facts, Merrill said. He has more hair than credibility, and the man is bald. So we re not going to get down in the gutter with him and his outrageous fabrications. Via: NYPHillary s on a mission to be a softer, warmer, funnier candidate but according to a new book, the real Hillary Clinton is so volatile and prone to violent outbursts that she terrorizes staff, Secret Service agents and even her own husband. Hillary Clinton has a long history of being domestically violent with Bill, Stone writes. Hillary has beaten Bill, hit him with hard objects, scratched and clawed him, and made him bleed.

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us hacking hysteria aimed at distracting voters putin

prison planetcom october infowars reporter owen shroyer speaks to a trump supporter that was attacked by hillary zombies at a polling station in austin texas this article was posted wednesday october at am share this article

Title: us hacking hysteria aimed at distracting voters putin. Text: prison planetcom october infowars reporter owen shroyer speaks to a trump supporter that was attacked by hillary zombies at a polling station in austin texas this article was posted wednesday october at am share this article

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Ivanka Trump Legally BARRED From Participating In Any Trump Businesses

The Office of Government Ethics has said that Ivanka Trump must file financial disclosure forms, and that she s barred from participating in anything related to the Trump family s businesses because she s an adviser to her father in the White House. The ethics office was never contacted about her role, revealing yet another area in which the White House is either sorely ignorant or sorely corrupt (most likely both).Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tom Carper asked the ethics office about the rules that Ivanka is supposed to follow. At the time they asked, Ivanka was in the process of getting her government-issued devices and a security clearance, and her lawyer had already said she would stick to the same ethics rules applied to every other government employee.This is what the ethics office told Warren and Carper about the ethics rules applying to her: [T]he primary criminal conflict of interest statue prohibits senior White House appointees and other executive branch employees from participating personally and substantially in particular matters directly and predictably affecting their financial interests. Among other things, this prohibition extends to the financial interests of companies in which they have ownership interests the primary criminal conflict of interest statute prohibits Ms. Trump from participating in particular matters affecting her financial interests, including the financial interests of Trump family businesses and other companies in which she has an ownership interest. That conflict of interest statute also covers her spouse s financial interests, which are imputed to her. So even if her husband, Jared Kushner, didn t have his own White House office, he still couldn t participate in the Trump Organization either.Ivanka s company was granted trademarks in China the same day she had dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The company said that the new trademarks are normal for the business that they do, and she did place her company in a trust and resigned from her position in the Trump Organization to accept her White House role. The Trump Organization, however, has likewise received a number of trademarks in China since Trump took office.She maintains financial control of her own company, though, as well as an interest in Washington s Trump International Hotel, according to The New York Times. These ethics rules apply to financial interests, even for employees and executives who ve formally resigned from their positions in their businesses. And those Chinese trademarks, granted after she took her post in the White House, could violate the ethics rules to which she s bound. Her ability to approve or deny certain deals through her trust may violate those rules as well.Unfortunately, ethics compliance is under the purview of the White House, and the White House is pretty loyal to Donald Trump and has shown zero interest in ensuring ethical compliance. The ethics office doesn t have enforcement power they just issue guidance. Congressional Democrats now have a powerful case against Ivanka should it come to light that she s violating these rules, though.There s word for this if she doesn t bring herself into full compliance: Corruption.Featured image by Sean Gallup via Getty Images

Title: Ivanka Trump Legally BARRED From Participating In Any Trump Businesses. Text: The Office of Government Ethics has said that Ivanka Trump must file financial disclosure forms, and that she s barred from participating in anything related to the Trump family s businesses because she s an adviser to her father in the White House. The ethics office was never contacted about her role, revealing yet another area in which the White House is either sorely ignorant or sorely corrupt (most likely both).Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tom Carper asked the ethics office about the rules that Ivanka is supposed to follow. At the time they asked, Ivanka was in the process of getting her government-issued devices and a security clearance, and her lawyer had already said she would stick to the same ethics rules applied to every other government employee.This is what the ethics office told Warren and Carper about the ethics rules applying to her: [T]he primary criminal conflict of interest statue prohibits senior White House appointees and other executive branch employees from participating personally and substantially in particular matters directly and predictably affecting their financial interests. Among other things, this prohibition extends to the financial interests of companies in which they have ownership interests the primary criminal conflict of interest statute prohibits Ms. Trump from participating in particular matters affecting her financial interests, including the financial interests of Trump family businesses and other companies in which she has an ownership interest. That conflict of interest statute also covers her spouse s financial interests, which are imputed to her. So even if her husband, Jared Kushner, didn t have his own White House office, he still couldn t participate in the Trump Organization either.Ivanka s company was granted trademarks in China the same day she had dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The company said that the new trademarks are normal for the business that they do, and she did place her company in a trust and resigned from her position in the Trump Organization to accept her White House role. The Trump Organization, however, has likewise received a number of trademarks in China since Trump took office.She maintains financial control of her own company, though, as well as an interest in Washington s Trump International Hotel, according to The New York Times. These ethics rules apply to financial interests, even for employees and executives who ve formally resigned from their positions in their businesses. And those Chinese trademarks, granted after she took her post in the White House, could violate the ethics rules to which she s bound. Her ability to approve or deny certain deals through her trust may violate those rules as well.Unfortunately, ethics compliance is under the purview of the White House, and the White House is pretty loyal to Donald Trump and has shown zero interest in ensuring ethical compliance. The ethics office doesn t have enforcement power they just issue guidance. Congressional Democrats now have a powerful case against Ivanka should it come to light that she s violating these rules, though.There s word for this if she doesn t bring herself into full compliance: Corruption.Featured image by Sean Gallup via Getty Images

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Russia becomes Iraq Kurds' top funder, quiet about independence vote

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia, the only major power that has not called on Iraq s Kurds to cancel a referendum on independence next week, has swiftly become the top funder of Kurdish oil and gas deals, with as much as $4 billion pledged in less than a year, industry sources say. Washington, European countries, Turkey and Iran have all lined up to oppose a move by Iraq s Kurds to hold a Sept. 25 independence referendum, which the Kurds consider the culmination of decades of struggle for a state of their own, but Iraq calls a violation of its constitution. This week, the White House issued a statement calling the planned vote provocative and destabilizing , noting that it will take place not only within the autonomous Kurdish region itself but on territory that is disputed. But Moscow has issued no such call to cancel the vote. Instead, with the planned referendum just days away, Russian state oil giant Rosneft announced its latest investment last week, to help Iraqi Kurdistan develop its natural gas industry, for domestic supplies and eventual export. The full value of the deal has not been disclosed officially, but according to industry sources familiar with it, it is worth more than $1 billion. It is Rosneft s third giant venture in the Kurdish region since February, transforming Moscow from an outsider with little profile in Kurdistan into the region s biggest source of cash. According to the industry sources, Rosneft s deals since it first arrived in Kurdistan last December are worth around $4 billion in total. That exceeds the $2 billion in financing the Kurdish region has previously received for oil sales from international trading firms that pre-pay for its exports, and $1.5 billion it has received from neighbor Turkey. It also marks a big change in focus for the Iraqi Kurds, who have had close ties with Washington since 1991 when the United States offered them protection from Saddam Hussein, the dictator later toppled by U.S. forces in 2003. Moscow has been effectively filling the gap as the United States has been pulling back from Iraq, said a senior source in Erbil, capital of the Iraqi Kurdish region. Publicly, Moscow says it supports Iraq s territorial integrity while also recognizing the aspirations of the Kurds for a homeland. The 35 million Kurds are spread over Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. We are interested that the Kurdish people like any other nation on the planet can fulfill its hopes and aspirations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in July. We start from the fact that the legitimate aspirations of the Kurds, like other peoples, need to be fulfilled within the framework of existing international legal norms. But unlike other powers, Moscow has avoided giving a verdict on the legality or wisdom of holding the referendum itself. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said it had nothing to add to Lavrov s comments on the matter from July. The Russian position is: Let s wait and see the outcome of the referendum, said Hoshiyar Zebari, one of Iraq s pre-eminent Kurdish politicians, who served as foreign minister, deputy prime minister and finance minister in Baghdad from 2003 until last year and now advises Kurdistan s regional government. They seem to understand our situation, Zebari told Reuters, adding that Moscow expected the Kurds would use the outcome of the referendum as part of a process of negotiation with Baghdad. According to a diplomatic source, the Kurds took notice in June when Lavrov signaled to a Kurdish delegation at a meeting in St Petersburg that Russia would not oppose the referendum. During previous meetings, Lavrov always focused on Iraq s territorial integrity, said the source, who was present at the meeting on the sidelines of Russia s economic forum in St Petersburg. This time, he said that Russia understands the ambitions of Kurdish people for independence. And even though he added that it needed to be done carefully, it was a big signal. At around the same time as that meeting took place, Rosneft was signing its second of this year s three major oil investment deals with Kurdish officials. Days later, the Kurds announced the date of their referendum. The Russians are not the first foreigners to come to Kurdistan looking for oil. The Kurds have long argued that as an autonomous region of Iraq they have the authority to make agreements with foreign companies about pumping the oil on their territory. Iraq s central government, meanwhile, says any deals to export oil from Kurdistan are illegal without Baghdad s blessing. For several years, American companies were at the forefront of negotiating deals with the Kurds, on the assumption that Baghdad would eventually authorize them. The highest-profile deal was announced by Exxon Mobil, then under the leadership of CEO Rex Tillerson, now U.S. Secretary of State. But after signing a landmark deal to develop Kurdish oil fields in 2011, Exxon did little exploration, and has since handed some of the blocs back to the Kurdish government. While Washington remains friendly with the Kurds and sees them as a bulwark against Islamic State, it is concerned about their independence bid leading to the breakup of Iraq or a rupture with Turkey. The United States has long encouraged the Kurds to avoid unilateral steps, such as the referendum, that might destabilize the Baghdad government or antagonize Ankara. Russia, meanwhile, is looking for more friends in the Middle East after returning in force to the region with a decisive military intervention in Syria. Its main regional allies are Iran and the Syria of President Bashar al-Assad, and having friends in Kurdish territory, located between Syria, Iran and Turkey, would be geopolitically useful. Kurdistan has estimated recoverable reserves at 45 billion barrels of oil and 5.66 trillion cubic meters of gas, which could rise further with exploration. For Rosneft, run by Igor Sechin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, it potentially offers a cheap source of crude supplies to refineries in Europe, and a big boost to Rosneft s gas ambitions. In 2014, Erbil started oil sales via a pipeline through Turkey. It has generally conducted those deals with pre-financing, obtaining money in advance from international trading firms and Turkey before the oil is delivered. Rosneft began its involvement with a small pre-finance deal at the end of last year along the lines of deals the Kurds had previously reached with global traders. The Russian firm loaned the Kurds around $280 million, guaranteed by future oil sales, according to industry sources. In February 2017, Rosneft ramped up its cooperation by agreeing to lend the semi-autonomous region $1.2 billion, becoming the first big foreign oil company to publicly commit to pre-financing Kurdish exports. Kurdistan s minister of natural resources Ashti Hawrami called the deal a ground-breaker for the region that would help its economic independence - a crucial condition for seeking political independence. By that point, Turkey had invested some $1.5 billion and international trading houses such as Vitol, Petraco, Trafigura and Glencore had collectively loaned the Kurds some $2 billion. Russia became the Kurds single biggest financer with its next deal in June this year to lend money and help search for more oil, bringing its total investments close to $2.8 billion. This week s Russian pledge to invest more than $1 billion in Kurdistan s gas infrastructure could help the region become a major gas exporter to Turkey and Europe one day, Rosneft says. The independence referendum won t be a problem. Holding the referendum will not affect our work. We are doing business in an autonomous region in Iraq that has been recognized by law, Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontev said this week. This place is run by Iraqi Kurdistan s nation and it is the people of Iraqi Kurdistan who live there. That is why we don t think we are embarking on an adventure.

Title: Russia becomes Iraq Kurds' top funder, quiet about independence vote. Text: LONDON (Reuters) - Russia, the only major power that has not called on Iraq s Kurds to cancel a referendum on independence next week, has swiftly become the top funder of Kurdish oil and gas deals, with as much as $4 billion pledged in less than a year, industry sources say. Washington, European countries, Turkey and Iran have all lined up to oppose a move by Iraq s Kurds to hold a Sept. 25 independence referendum, which the Kurds consider the culmination of decades of struggle for a state of their own, but Iraq calls a violation of its constitution. This week, the White House issued a statement calling the planned vote provocative and destabilizing , noting that it will take place not only within the autonomous Kurdish region itself but on territory that is disputed. But Moscow has issued no such call to cancel the vote. Instead, with the planned referendum just days away, Russian state oil giant Rosneft announced its latest investment last week, to help Iraqi Kurdistan develop its natural gas industry, for domestic supplies and eventual export. The full value of the deal has not been disclosed officially, but according to industry sources familiar with it, it is worth more than $1 billion. It is Rosneft s third giant venture in the Kurdish region since February, transforming Moscow from an outsider with little profile in Kurdistan into the region s biggest source of cash. According to the industry sources, Rosneft s deals since it first arrived in Kurdistan last December are worth around $4 billion in total. That exceeds the $2 billion in financing the Kurdish region has previously received for oil sales from international trading firms that pre-pay for its exports, and $1.5 billion it has received from neighbor Turkey. It also marks a big change in focus for the Iraqi Kurds, who have had close ties with Washington since 1991 when the United States offered them protection from Saddam Hussein, the dictator later toppled by U.S. forces in 2003. Moscow has been effectively filling the gap as the United States has been pulling back from Iraq, said a senior source in Erbil, capital of the Iraqi Kurdish region. Publicly, Moscow says it supports Iraq s territorial integrity while also recognizing the aspirations of the Kurds for a homeland. The 35 million Kurds are spread over Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. We are interested that the Kurdish people like any other nation on the planet can fulfill its hopes and aspirations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in July. We start from the fact that the legitimate aspirations of the Kurds, like other peoples, need to be fulfilled within the framework of existing international legal norms. But unlike other powers, Moscow has avoided giving a verdict on the legality or wisdom of holding the referendum itself. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said it had nothing to add to Lavrov s comments on the matter from July. The Russian position is: Let s wait and see the outcome of the referendum, said Hoshiyar Zebari, one of Iraq s pre-eminent Kurdish politicians, who served as foreign minister, deputy prime minister and finance minister in Baghdad from 2003 until last year and now advises Kurdistan s regional government. They seem to understand our situation, Zebari told Reuters, adding that Moscow expected the Kurds would use the outcome of the referendum as part of a process of negotiation with Baghdad. According to a diplomatic source, the Kurds took notice in June when Lavrov signaled to a Kurdish delegation at a meeting in St Petersburg that Russia would not oppose the referendum. During previous meetings, Lavrov always focused on Iraq s territorial integrity, said the source, who was present at the meeting on the sidelines of Russia s economic forum in St Petersburg. This time, he said that Russia understands the ambitions of Kurdish people for independence. And even though he added that it needed to be done carefully, it was a big signal. At around the same time as that meeting took place, Rosneft was signing its second of this year s three major oil investment deals with Kurdish officials. Days later, the Kurds announced the date of their referendum. The Russians are not the first foreigners to come to Kurdistan looking for oil. The Kurds have long argued that as an autonomous region of Iraq they have the authority to make agreements with foreign companies about pumping the oil on their territory. Iraq s central government, meanwhile, says any deals to export oil from Kurdistan are illegal without Baghdad s blessing. For several years, American companies were at the forefront of negotiating deals with the Kurds, on the assumption that Baghdad would eventually authorize them. The highest-profile deal was announced by Exxon Mobil, then under the leadership of CEO Rex Tillerson, now U.S. Secretary of State. But after signing a landmark deal to develop Kurdish oil fields in 2011, Exxon did little exploration, and has since handed some of the blocs back to the Kurdish government. While Washington remains friendly with the Kurds and sees them as a bulwark against Islamic State, it is concerned about their independence bid leading to the breakup of Iraq or a rupture with Turkey. The United States has long encouraged the Kurds to avoid unilateral steps, such as the referendum, that might destabilize the Baghdad government or antagonize Ankara. Russia, meanwhile, is looking for more friends in the Middle East after returning in force to the region with a decisive military intervention in Syria. Its main regional allies are Iran and the Syria of President Bashar al-Assad, and having friends in Kurdish territory, located between Syria, Iran and Turkey, would be geopolitically useful. Kurdistan has estimated recoverable reserves at 45 billion barrels of oil and 5.66 trillion cubic meters of gas, which could rise further with exploration. For Rosneft, run by Igor Sechin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, it potentially offers a cheap source of crude supplies to refineries in Europe, and a big boost to Rosneft s gas ambitions. In 2014, Erbil started oil sales via a pipeline through Turkey. It has generally conducted those deals with pre-financing, obtaining money in advance from international trading firms and Turkey before the oil is delivered. Rosneft began its involvement with a small pre-finance deal at the end of last year along the lines of deals the Kurds had previously reached with global traders. The Russian firm loaned the Kurds around $280 million, guaranteed by future oil sales, according to industry sources. In February 2017, Rosneft ramped up its cooperation by agreeing to lend the semi-autonomous region $1.2 billion, becoming the first big foreign oil company to publicly commit to pre-financing Kurdish exports. Kurdistan s minister of natural resources Ashti Hawrami called the deal a ground-breaker for the region that would help its economic independence - a crucial condition for seeking political independence. By that point, Turkey had invested some $1.5 billion and international trading houses such as Vitol, Petraco, Trafigura and Glencore had collectively loaned the Kurds some $2 billion. Russia became the Kurds single biggest financer with its next deal in June this year to lend money and help search for more oil, bringing its total investments close to $2.8 billion. This week s Russian pledge to invest more than $1 billion in Kurdistan s gas infrastructure could help the region become a major gas exporter to Turkey and Europe one day, Rosneft says. The independence referendum won t be a problem. Holding the referendum will not affect our work. We are doing business in an autonomous region in Iraq that has been recognized by law, Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontev said this week. This place is run by Iraqi Kurdistan s nation and it is the people of Iraqi Kurdistan who live there. That is why we don t think we are embarking on an adventure.

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Exclusive: Clinton leads Trump in key swing states, would likely win election - poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the U.S. presidential election were held today, Democrat Hillary Clinton would win the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and Virginia and have a 95 percent chance of beating Republican Donald Trump to become America’s first female president, according to the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project. The project, which combines opinion polls with an analysis of voting patterns under different election scenarios, shows Clinton currently beating Trump in the popular vote by six percentage points and ahead in 19 states, including most of the larger-population ones that heavily influence the outcome of the election. At the moment, Clinton would win at least 268 votes in the Electoral College, the body that ultimately chooses the next president, just two shy of what she needs to win the White House. On average, the former secretary of state would win by 108 electoral college votes. Trump would win at least 21 states, many of them with smaller populations, giving him a minimum of 179 electoral votes. The election is still 10 weeks away, and a great deal could change prior to Nov 8. The candidates are running about even in eight states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina, and the polling sample is too small to determine the winner in Alaska, Wyoming and Washington D.C. But Trump would need to win the 21 states currently in his column and sweep all of the remaining “toss-up” states to win the presidency. That is a steep challenge for Trump, whose bare-knuckled, anti-establishment campaign helped him win the Republican Party’s nomination but has so far failed to build broad support with voters. If Trump cannot draw in far greater numbers of women, moderate Republican voters and minorities, he will almost surely lose the White House race, according to the polling project. Consider, for example, what would be an ideal scenario for Trump: white men with below-average incomes showing up in record numbers on Election Day. This group strongly favors the real-estate mogul, yet even if all of them vote it wouldn’t hand Trump any of the states currently slated for Clinton or any of the toss-up states. Clinton would still win the election. The Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project is driven by an online survey that gathers responses from about 16,000 people per week. Respondents answer questions about their demographic background, their party affiliation and their choice for president. Their responses are weighted according to the latest population estimates, and each respondent is ranked according to their likelihood to vote. Once the poll is complete, the project tallies the levels of support and estimated error for both candidates, and then runs multiple election simulations given their respective support. A separate set of simulations is run for each state and Washington D.C. The project runs more than 25 million simulations to determine the chances that one candidate would win. Representatives from the Clinton and Trump campaigns did not respond to requests for comment on the project. A polarizing candidate, Trump has called for a more extensive border wall with Mexico, a ban on Muslim immigrants and a rejection of international trade agreements. His personal attacks, including his criticism of the parents of a Muslim-American soldier killed in action, have undermined his support within the Republican establishment. Still, Clinton is far from guaranteed a victory in November. A majority of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of both Trump and Clinton, and nearly one out of four likely voters says they do not support either of them for president, according to a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll. The candidates are scheduled to square off in a series of televised debates, and a poor showing by either could quickly change the dynamic of the race. A strong showing by a third party candidate could also influence the outcome. Democratic Party operatives also fear there may be more revelations about ties between wealthy foreign donors to the Clinton family charity, the Clinton Foundation, and the State Department under her stewardship. Clinton has denied any impropriety but Trump has seized on the disclosures as a new line of attack against his rival. “There’s always a chance of an October surprise – something definitive and striking about Clinton – that could change the race,” said Tom Smith, who directs the Center for the Study of Politics and Society at the University of Chicago. “But, short of any scandals by the Clintons, I just don’t see any way that Trump catches up.” If Trump were to rely heavily on support from white voters, he would face an extremely narrow path to victory. Even if all male and female white voters showed up at the polls, and turnout among blacks and Hispanics was half of what it was in 2012, respectively, the project shows Clinton would still be favored to win. It appears that Trump’s best chance is to turn out Republican voters in huge numbers and hope that a lot of Democrats stay home. There’s only one problem with this: Republicans appear to have turned out as strongly as Democrats only once in presidential elections since at least 1976. That was in 2004, when the electorate was made up of 37 percent of Republicans, 37 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of Independents, according to exit poll data collected by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University. “There’s still a lot of this demolition derby of an election to go,” said Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia University. “A lot of people who support Trump don’t have a very good record of voter turnout, and who knows if they show up this time.

Title: Exclusive: Clinton leads Trump in key swing states, would likely win election - poll. Text: NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the U.S. presidential election were held today, Democrat Hillary Clinton would win the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and Virginia and have a 95 percent chance of beating Republican Donald Trump to become America’s first female president, according to the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project. The project, which combines opinion polls with an analysis of voting patterns under different election scenarios, shows Clinton currently beating Trump in the popular vote by six percentage points and ahead in 19 states, including most of the larger-population ones that heavily influence the outcome of the election. At the moment, Clinton would win at least 268 votes in the Electoral College, the body that ultimately chooses the next president, just two shy of what she needs to win the White House. On average, the former secretary of state would win by 108 electoral college votes. Trump would win at least 21 states, many of them with smaller populations, giving him a minimum of 179 electoral votes. The election is still 10 weeks away, and a great deal could change prior to Nov 8. The candidates are running about even in eight states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina, and the polling sample is too small to determine the winner in Alaska, Wyoming and Washington D.C. But Trump would need to win the 21 states currently in his column and sweep all of the remaining “toss-up” states to win the presidency. That is a steep challenge for Trump, whose bare-knuckled, anti-establishment campaign helped him win the Republican Party’s nomination but has so far failed to build broad support with voters. If Trump cannot draw in far greater numbers of women, moderate Republican voters and minorities, he will almost surely lose the White House race, according to the polling project. Consider, for example, what would be an ideal scenario for Trump: white men with below-average incomes showing up in record numbers on Election Day. This group strongly favors the real-estate mogul, yet even if all of them vote it wouldn’t hand Trump any of the states currently slated for Clinton or any of the toss-up states. Clinton would still win the election. The Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project is driven by an online survey that gathers responses from about 16,000 people per week. Respondents answer questions about their demographic background, their party affiliation and their choice for president. Their responses are weighted according to the latest population estimates, and each respondent is ranked according to their likelihood to vote. Once the poll is complete, the project tallies the levels of support and estimated error for both candidates, and then runs multiple election simulations given their respective support. A separate set of simulations is run for each state and Washington D.C. The project runs more than 25 million simulations to determine the chances that one candidate would win. Representatives from the Clinton and Trump campaigns did not respond to requests for comment on the project. A polarizing candidate, Trump has called for a more extensive border wall with Mexico, a ban on Muslim immigrants and a rejection of international trade agreements. His personal attacks, including his criticism of the parents of a Muslim-American soldier killed in action, have undermined his support within the Republican establishment. Still, Clinton is far from guaranteed a victory in November. A majority of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of both Trump and Clinton, and nearly one out of four likely voters says they do not support either of them for president, according to a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll. The candidates are scheduled to square off in a series of televised debates, and a poor showing by either could quickly change the dynamic of the race. A strong showing by a third party candidate could also influence the outcome. Democratic Party operatives also fear there may be more revelations about ties between wealthy foreign donors to the Clinton family charity, the Clinton Foundation, and the State Department under her stewardship. Clinton has denied any impropriety but Trump has seized on the disclosures as a new line of attack against his rival. “There’s always a chance of an October surprise – something definitive and striking about Clinton – that could change the race,” said Tom Smith, who directs the Center for the Study of Politics and Society at the University of Chicago. “But, short of any scandals by the Clintons, I just don’t see any way that Trump catches up.” If Trump were to rely heavily on support from white voters, he would face an extremely narrow path to victory. Even if all male and female white voters showed up at the polls, and turnout among blacks and Hispanics was half of what it was in 2012, respectively, the project shows Clinton would still be favored to win. It appears that Trump’s best chance is to turn out Republican voters in huge numbers and hope that a lot of Democrats stay home. There’s only one problem with this: Republicans appear to have turned out as strongly as Democrats only once in presidential elections since at least 1976. That was in 2004, when the electorate was made up of 37 percent of Republicans, 37 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of Independents, according to exit poll data collected by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University. “There’s still a lot of this demolition derby of an election to go,” said Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia University. “A lot of people who support Trump don’t have a very good record of voter turnout, and who knows if they show up this time.

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Billionaire's ANO party holding big lead in Czech election: partial results

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech billionaire businessman Andrej Babis s ANO party held a 20-point lead in a parliamentary election on Saturday, with over half of all voting stations reporting results, giving his party an unassailable position in talks to form the next government. Partial results gave ANO 31.3 percent of the vote and also showed a surprise surge for the far-right, anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy party, which at 11.4 percent was fighting for second position with two other parties.

Title: Billionaire's ANO party holding big lead in Czech election: partial results. Text: PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech billionaire businessman Andrej Babis s ANO party held a 20-point lead in a parliamentary election on Saturday, with over half of all voting stations reporting results, giving his party an unassailable position in talks to form the next government. Partial results gave ANO 31.3 percent of the vote and also showed a surprise surge for the far-right, anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy party, which at 11.4 percent was fighting for second position with two other parties.

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DON’T BELIEVE MEDIA LIES…Wildly Unpopular Hillary Gives Speech In NH…Here Are Uncensored Facebook Users Responses From Live Feed…LOL!

This Facebook user s comment about Donald Duck is in reference to new video that was just released today by Project Veritas, showing direct collision with Hillary Clinton and underground Dem group who admits to committing massive voter fraud: While you re at it Hillary, you may want to look into an assisted living arrangement. We re pretty sure neither one of you are in any shape to be without constant medical supervision

Title: DON’T BELIEVE MEDIA LIES…Wildly Unpopular Hillary Gives Speech In NH…Here Are Uncensored Facebook Users Responses From Live Feed…LOL!. Text: This Facebook user s comment about Donald Duck is in reference to new video that was just released today by Project Veritas, showing direct collision with Hillary Clinton and underground Dem group who admits to committing massive voter fraud: While you re at it Hillary, you may want to look into an assisted living arrangement. We re pretty sure neither one of you are in any shape to be without constant medical supervision

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Trump says hurricane does not look good, eyes debt ceiling debate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the hurricane moving toward Florida and Puerto Rico looks to be record-breaking and said a meeting with congressional leaders would show whether they could work out challenges the country faced. We have many many things that are on the plate. Hopefully we can solve them, he said during a meeting with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders. Maybe we won t be able to, he said. Asked if he would accept a three-month debt ceiling increase tied to disaster relief funding, Trump said: We ll see.

Title: Trump says hurricane does not look good, eyes debt ceiling debate. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the hurricane moving toward Florida and Puerto Rico looks to be record-breaking and said a meeting with congressional leaders would show whether they could work out challenges the country faced. We have many many things that are on the plate. Hopefully we can solve them, he said during a meeting with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders. Maybe we won t be able to, he said. Asked if he would accept a three-month debt ceiling increase tied to disaster relief funding, Trump said: We ll see.

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This Senator Has The PERFECT Response To Trump’s Remarks About Former Beauty Queen’s Weight

Anyone with a heart knows that Donald Trump s public humiliation of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado is simply beyond the pale. Trump called the poor girl Miss Piggy, and referred to her post-pageant weight gain as, quote, a real problem. Well, The Donald isn t that slim and trim himself, so those in glass houses and all that. He is getting a lot of richly deserved backlash to how he is treating this beautiful, intelligent woman, and we all know how Trump responds to criticism he can t take it all, and he lashes out.Well, we can soon look for him to be taking nasty shots at Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill on Twitter, because she had an absolutely brilliant response to the Miss Universe flap. Sen. McCaskill tweeted out that maybe Trump should have daily weigh-ins, and also snuck in a sly shot that referenced his health, seeing as how he keeps taking cheap shots at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton s health. Without further ado, here is the tweet:The D women Senators have talked & we're concerned about Donald's weight. Campaign stress? We think a public daily weigh-in is called for. Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) September 28, 2016This is sure to get under The Donald s notoriously thin skin. No way is he going to be able to let this go, and that will keep this unseemly story in the news cycle for days to come. Personal feuds are what Donald Trump trades in whether it s attacking a Gold Star family who dares to criticize him, a judge whose rulings he doesn t like, or a minister who refused to let him use her pulpit to attack a political opponent and they ve never done him any good in this election cycle.This particular personality trait is one of the more glaring demonstrations of what makes Donald Trump so manifestly unfit for the presidency. The more it s on display between now and election day, the better.Good going, Senator McCaskill! He ll definitely take the bait. All we have to do is pop our popcorn and wait.Featured image Grant Lamos IV/FilmMagic

Title: This Senator Has The PERFECT Response To Trump’s Remarks About Former Beauty Queen’s Weight. Text: Anyone with a heart knows that Donald Trump s public humiliation of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado is simply beyond the pale. Trump called the poor girl Miss Piggy, and referred to her post-pageant weight gain as, quote, a real problem. Well, The Donald isn t that slim and trim himself, so those in glass houses and all that. He is getting a lot of richly deserved backlash to how he is treating this beautiful, intelligent woman, and we all know how Trump responds to criticism he can t take it all, and he lashes out.Well, we can soon look for him to be taking nasty shots at Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill on Twitter, because she had an absolutely brilliant response to the Miss Universe flap. Sen. McCaskill tweeted out that maybe Trump should have daily weigh-ins, and also snuck in a sly shot that referenced his health, seeing as how he keeps taking cheap shots at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton s health. Without further ado, here is the tweet:The D women Senators have talked & we're concerned about Donald's weight. Campaign stress? We think a public daily weigh-in is called for. Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) September 28, 2016This is sure to get under The Donald s notoriously thin skin. No way is he going to be able to let this go, and that will keep this unseemly story in the news cycle for days to come. Personal feuds are what Donald Trump trades in whether it s attacking a Gold Star family who dares to criticize him, a judge whose rulings he doesn t like, or a minister who refused to let him use her pulpit to attack a political opponent and they ve never done him any good in this election cycle.This particular personality trait is one of the more glaring demonstrations of what makes Donald Trump so manifestly unfit for the presidency. The more it s on display between now and election day, the better.Good going, Senator McCaskill! He ll definitely take the bait. All we have to do is pop our popcorn and wait.Featured image Grant Lamos IV/FilmMagic

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PRO-REPARATIONS CNN “ANALYST”: Washington, Jefferson Statues “Need to Come Down” [Video]

CNN tries to pass off radical Angela Rye as a sane analyst but we know her history and believe her to be very far left. She just made that statement that statues and monuments to two of America s most prominent Founding Fathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, need to come down. CNN host Kate Bolduan asked Rye if the country s ongoing discussion about race and white supremacy, spurred by the violence in Charlottesville Va. last weekend, is really about Confederate statues and monuments.Rye, a former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the problem is people are taught American history incorrectly, because they are only told about the glories of the country s past, not darker issues like racism.She added that because George Washington and other great American historical figures owned slaves, they deserved to be called out and recognized not for their accomplishments, but for their title of slave owner. George Washington was a slave owner, and we need to call slave owners out for what they are, whether we think they were protecting American freedom or not, Rye said. He wasn t protecting my freedom. My ancestors weren t deemed human beings to him. So to me, I don t care if it s a George Washington statue or a Thomas Jefferson statue or a Robert E. Lee statue. They all need to come down, Rye said. Read more: WFBWHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ANGELA RYE: There is Nothing Un-American About Reparations Angela RyeAngela Rye, former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, is one angry woman! She spews racist talking points like crazy without much rebuke from Carl Higbie. Rye makes a claim that Trump achieved his success off of the backs of poor people : The very people who you re talking about who you think are looking for free gifts and handouts are people who have been disenfranchised since they got off the slave ship in this country. Angela RyeCNN NEEDS TO DITCH THIS ANGRY WOMAN FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN MAKE VALID POINTS:

Title: PRO-REPARATIONS CNN “ANALYST”: Washington, Jefferson Statues “Need to Come Down” [Video]. Text: CNN tries to pass off radical Angela Rye as a sane analyst but we know her history and believe her to be very far left. She just made that statement that statues and monuments to two of America s most prominent Founding Fathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, need to come down. CNN host Kate Bolduan asked Rye if the country s ongoing discussion about race and white supremacy, spurred by the violence in Charlottesville Va. last weekend, is really about Confederate statues and monuments.Rye, a former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the problem is people are taught American history incorrectly, because they are only told about the glories of the country s past, not darker issues like racism.She added that because George Washington and other great American historical figures owned slaves, they deserved to be called out and recognized not for their accomplishments, but for their title of slave owner. George Washington was a slave owner, and we need to call slave owners out for what they are, whether we think they were protecting American freedom or not, Rye said. He wasn t protecting my freedom. My ancestors weren t deemed human beings to him. So to me, I don t care if it s a George Washington statue or a Thomas Jefferson statue or a Robert E. Lee statue. They all need to come down, Rye said. Read more: WFBWHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ANGELA RYE: There is Nothing Un-American About Reparations Angela RyeAngela Rye, former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, is one angry woman! She spews racist talking points like crazy without much rebuke from Carl Higbie. Rye makes a claim that Trump achieved his success off of the backs of poor people : The very people who you re talking about who you think are looking for free gifts and handouts are people who have been disenfranchised since they got off the slave ship in this country. Angela RyeCNN NEEDS TO DITCH THIS ANGRY WOMAN FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN MAKE VALID POINTS:

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IS CONSERVATIVE NEWS BEING PUNISHED For Trump Win? FACEBOOK Developing Feature To Promote “Handpicked” News, Videos In Users News Feeds

Breitbart News is now reporting that Facebook is developing a feature that will promote content in people s news feeds from publishers specifically chosen by the company, according to a report from Business Insider.The feature, which will be known as Collections, will reportedly promote news stories, videos, and other content from publishers handpicked by Facebook.Business Insider, who say they have spoken to people involved in the project as well as seeing internal Facebook documentation, reports that Facebook are planning on approaching their preferred media companies in the coming weeks.As a result of the Collections system, partner companies chosen by Facebook will achieve a far greater reach to Facebook s 1.8 billion user base than they would normally.In the run up the election, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz gave over $35 million to left-wing causes in an attempt to defeat Donald Trump, whilst Hillary Clinton was the largest single beneficary of political donations from Facebook employees.The development comes following hysteria surrounding the rise of fake news, with many people blaming the role of social media, particularly Facebook, for the election of Donald Trump. The idea that fake news on Facebook, of which it s a very small amount of the content, influenced the election is a pretty crazy idea, Zuckerberg said at the time. Breitbart

Title: IS CONSERVATIVE NEWS BEING PUNISHED For Trump Win? FACEBOOK Developing Feature To Promote “Handpicked” News, Videos In Users News Feeds. Text: Breitbart News is now reporting that Facebook is developing a feature that will promote content in people s news feeds from publishers specifically chosen by the company, according to a report from Business Insider.The feature, which will be known as Collections, will reportedly promote news stories, videos, and other content from publishers handpicked by Facebook.Business Insider, who say they have spoken to people involved in the project as well as seeing internal Facebook documentation, reports that Facebook are planning on approaching their preferred media companies in the coming weeks.As a result of the Collections system, partner companies chosen by Facebook will achieve a far greater reach to Facebook s 1.8 billion user base than they would normally.In the run up the election, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz gave over $35 million to left-wing causes in an attempt to defeat Donald Trump, whilst Hillary Clinton was the largest single beneficary of political donations from Facebook employees.The development comes following hysteria surrounding the rise of fake news, with many people blaming the role of social media, particularly Facebook, for the election of Donald Trump. The idea that fake news on Facebook, of which it s a very small amount of the content, influenced the election is a pretty crazy idea, Zuckerberg said at the time. Breitbart

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Germany's FDP does not rule out renewed coalition talks: Beer

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany s pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) on Wednesday said they would not rule out renewed talks on a three-way coalition government if Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives and the Greens offered a completely new package of proposals. If it really was possible to build a modern republic in the coming years, then we are the last ones who would refuse to talk, FDP Secretary General Nicola Beer told ntv German television. But she added: I can t imagine that this will work.

Title: Germany's FDP does not rule out renewed coalition talks: Beer. Text: BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany s pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) on Wednesday said they would not rule out renewed talks on a three-way coalition government if Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives and the Greens offered a completely new package of proposals. If it really was possible to build a modern republic in the coming years, then we are the last ones who would refuse to talk, FDP Secretary General Nicola Beer told ntv German television. But she added: I can t imagine that this will work.

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Chagrined anti-Trump Republicans seek to recruit third-party candidate

(This version of the May 5, 2016 story has been corrected to make clear Ralph Nader ran as a Green Party candidate) By Ginger Gibson and Jonathan Allen WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump’s emergence as the last man standing in the Republican presidential race has prompted his critics inside the party to intensify their search for a candidate they could back as a serious third-party alternative. Political operatives are courting donors, calling potential candidates and developing legal contingency plans for overcoming onerous ballot qualification laws. “This is as much as anything a battle for the future of American party politics,” said Republican strategist Joel Searby, who is working with conservative writer Bill Kristol, among others, on an effort to identify a third-party candidate to run in the Nov. 8 presidential election. A separate group, Conservatives Against Trump, which includes blogger Erick Erickson, has been holding calls and meetings to discuss third-party candidates as well as other options to stop the New York billionaire from winning the White House. The hurdles to a third-party candidacy are immense. No independent candidate has ever won a presidential election, although some have played spoilers. But the efforts by the Republican groups underscore the unusual divisiveness of Trump’s candidacy within Republican ranks ahead of a likely general election fight with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Trump’s opposition to free trade is at odds with the views of many Republicans, especially in the party’s business wing. Many of Trump’s critics also find his rhetoric offensive, including his call to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the country and his comment describing Mexican immigrants to the United States as rapists and drug dealers. Some Republicans say they worry that any third-party candidate would only siphon votes away from Trump and help Clinton win the election. Ralph Nader’s Green Party presidential run has been blamed by some Democrats for the razor-thin defeat of Democratic nominee Al Gore in the 2000 election. Ross Perot’s independent candidacy in 1992 was seen by some Republicans as contributing to President George H.W. Bush’s loss to Democrat Bill Clinton. One outcome, though rare, may be that no candidate crosses the necessary threshold of 270 votes in the U.S. Electoral College. In that case, the vote for the next president would pass to the U.S. House of Representatives, currently controlled by Republicans. Deborah DeMoss Fonseca, who recruited donors for former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and is working with Conservatives Against Trump, said her group was trying to find a candidate who would be high-profile enough to compete with Trump and Clinton. But finding a candidate of that caliber who would be willing to run is no easy feat. Searby’s group has reached out to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and James Mattis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general, among others, but both declined after discussions. Republican U.S. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska has emerged as a favorite of the Republicans seeking a third-party candidate. Kristol has had warm words for him. Sasse, a freshman lawmaker and former Bush administration official, is a strong critic of Trump and has called for an alternative candidate to him. But he says that person should be someone other than him. On Wednesday, the morning after Trump emerged as the presumptive presidential nominee, phones at the office of Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson were ringing off the hook with calls from small-government Republicans who feel they cannot get behind Trump. But as a Libertarian, Johnson holds views on some issues, such as the legalization of marijuana, that are antithetical to the views of some Republicans. In March, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, said he had considered jumping into the race as a third-party candidate but opted against it, saying he feared it would only serve to help get Trump elected. One of the biggest hurdles to a third-party run is simply getting on the ballot in enough states to mount a viable campaign. Texas requires more than 79,000 signatures from voters who did not participate in either primary. Its deadline is Monday. Among other states, North Carolina’s deadline is the end of May, and Illinois and Florida in mid-July. “A third-party candidate is a pipe dream,” said Republican strategist Tony Fratto, who worked in Bush’s administration and strongly opposes Trump. “What’s going to happen is Hillary Clinton is going to win big. It won’t be close.”

Title: Chagrined anti-Trump Republicans seek to recruit third-party candidate. Text: (This version of the May 5, 2016 story has been corrected to make clear Ralph Nader ran as a Green Party candidate) By Ginger Gibson and Jonathan Allen WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump’s emergence as the last man standing in the Republican presidential race has prompted his critics inside the party to intensify their search for a candidate they could back as a serious third-party alternative. Political operatives are courting donors, calling potential candidates and developing legal contingency plans for overcoming onerous ballot qualification laws. “This is as much as anything a battle for the future of American party politics,” said Republican strategist Joel Searby, who is working with conservative writer Bill Kristol, among others, on an effort to identify a third-party candidate to run in the Nov. 8 presidential election. A separate group, Conservatives Against Trump, which includes blogger Erick Erickson, has been holding calls and meetings to discuss third-party candidates as well as other options to stop the New York billionaire from winning the White House. The hurdles to a third-party candidacy are immense. No independent candidate has ever won a presidential election, although some have played spoilers. But the efforts by the Republican groups underscore the unusual divisiveness of Trump’s candidacy within Republican ranks ahead of a likely general election fight with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Trump’s opposition to free trade is at odds with the views of many Republicans, especially in the party’s business wing. Many of Trump’s critics also find his rhetoric offensive, including his call to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the country and his comment describing Mexican immigrants to the United States as rapists and drug dealers. Some Republicans say they worry that any third-party candidate would only siphon votes away from Trump and help Clinton win the election. Ralph Nader’s Green Party presidential run has been blamed by some Democrats for the razor-thin defeat of Democratic nominee Al Gore in the 2000 election. Ross Perot’s independent candidacy in 1992 was seen by some Republicans as contributing to President George H.W. Bush’s loss to Democrat Bill Clinton. One outcome, though rare, may be that no candidate crosses the necessary threshold of 270 votes in the U.S. Electoral College. In that case, the vote for the next president would pass to the U.S. House of Representatives, currently controlled by Republicans. Deborah DeMoss Fonseca, who recruited donors for former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and is working with Conservatives Against Trump, said her group was trying to find a candidate who would be high-profile enough to compete with Trump and Clinton. But finding a candidate of that caliber who would be willing to run is no easy feat. Searby’s group has reached out to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and James Mattis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general, among others, but both declined after discussions. Republican U.S. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska has emerged as a favorite of the Republicans seeking a third-party candidate. Kristol has had warm words for him. Sasse, a freshman lawmaker and former Bush administration official, is a strong critic of Trump and has called for an alternative candidate to him. But he says that person should be someone other than him. On Wednesday, the morning after Trump emerged as the presumptive presidential nominee, phones at the office of Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson were ringing off the hook with calls from small-government Republicans who feel they cannot get behind Trump. But as a Libertarian, Johnson holds views on some issues, such as the legalization of marijuana, that are antithetical to the views of some Republicans. In March, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, said he had considered jumping into the race as a third-party candidate but opted against it, saying he feared it would only serve to help get Trump elected. One of the biggest hurdles to a third-party run is simply getting on the ballot in enough states to mount a viable campaign. Texas requires more than 79,000 signatures from voters who did not participate in either primary. Its deadline is Monday. Among other states, North Carolina’s deadline is the end of May, and Illinois and Florida in mid-July. “A third-party candidate is a pipe dream,” said Republican strategist Tony Fratto, who worked in Bush’s administration and strongly opposes Trump. “What’s going to happen is Hillary Clinton is going to win big. It won’t be close.”

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U.S. consumer agency defends student loan reforms from Republican attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. consumer financial watchdog on Thursday attempted to repel a Trump-administration attack on former President Barack Obama’s sweeping student loan reforms and defended itself against Republican attempts to weaken its powers. In a lengthy letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said it had complied with its remit, despite her department’s charges to the contrary. The Education Department announced last week it would no longer work with the bureau on resolving student loan complaints, saying it had complicated the lending process “with potentially inaccurate and inconsistent directives.” It said the consumer bureau, created after the 2007-09 financial crisis to protect individuals from predatory lending, was not honoring an agreement to promptly refer complaints to the department, but using the department’s data “to expand its jurisdiction into areas that Congress never envisioned.” The Obama-appointed head of the watchdog, Democrat Richard Cordray, said the bureau shares complaint information in “near real-time” through an on-line portal with the department. It has “not exceeded its authority,” and only fulfilled its mission under federal law to monitor and respond to individuals’ complaints about debts as well as enforce federal consumer law, Cordray wrote. Congress created the bureau in part to mediate between consumers and credit card companies, banks, mortgage providers and other lenders. The dispute goes beyond a mere territory fight. Republicans revile the CFPB, saying it reaches too far in its rules and enforcement and should be more accountable to lawmakers. Democrats have said it helps ensure fair treatment for middle-class people unable to fight fraud on their own. Republicans also disapprove of Obama’s attempt to make college more affordable by moving almost all of the $1.4 trillion student-loan industry into the federal government. Currently, only servicing is handled outside the Education Department. During last year’s elections, Trump and fellow Republicans promised to “get government out of the business of lending” and DeVos is now working to return much of the process to the private sector. She also wants to redo other Obama-era regulations, such as protections for sexual-assault victims on college campuses. DeVos critics consider the department’s split from the CFPB as a way to protect for-profit schools, debt collectors and servicers from government intervention. Earlier this year the bureau, which has received nearly 20,000 complaints about student loan servicers since February 2016, sued the country’s largest servicer Navient Corp for systematically failing borrowers. Navient disputes the allegations and is contesting them in court.

Title: U.S. consumer agency defends student loan reforms from Republican attacks. Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. consumer financial watchdog on Thursday attempted to repel a Trump-administration attack on former President Barack Obama’s sweeping student loan reforms and defended itself against Republican attempts to weaken its powers. In a lengthy letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said it had complied with its remit, despite her department’s charges to the contrary. The Education Department announced last week it would no longer work with the bureau on resolving student loan complaints, saying it had complicated the lending process “with potentially inaccurate and inconsistent directives.” It said the consumer bureau, created after the 2007-09 financial crisis to protect individuals from predatory lending, was not honoring an agreement to promptly refer complaints to the department, but using the department’s data “to expand its jurisdiction into areas that Congress never envisioned.” The Obama-appointed head of the watchdog, Democrat Richard Cordray, said the bureau shares complaint information in “near real-time” through an on-line portal with the department. It has “not exceeded its authority,” and only fulfilled its mission under federal law to monitor and respond to individuals’ complaints about debts as well as enforce federal consumer law, Cordray wrote. Congress created the bureau in part to mediate between consumers and credit card companies, banks, mortgage providers and other lenders. The dispute goes beyond a mere territory fight. Republicans revile the CFPB, saying it reaches too far in its rules and enforcement and should be more accountable to lawmakers. Democrats have said it helps ensure fair treatment for middle-class people unable to fight fraud on their own. Republicans also disapprove of Obama’s attempt to make college more affordable by moving almost all of the $1.4 trillion student-loan industry into the federal government. Currently, only servicing is handled outside the Education Department. During last year’s elections, Trump and fellow Republicans promised to “get government out of the business of lending” and DeVos is now working to return much of the process to the private sector. She also wants to redo other Obama-era regulations, such as protections for sexual-assault victims on college campuses. DeVos critics consider the department’s split from the CFPB as a way to protect for-profit schools, debt collectors and servicers from government intervention. Earlier this year the bureau, which has received nearly 20,000 complaints about student loan servicers since February 2016, sued the country’s largest servicer Navient Corp for systematically failing borrowers. Navient disputes the allegations and is contesting them in court.

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WOW! Dem Rep Keith Ellison BLAMES Obama For Huge Democrat Losses: He’s “Put His Legacy In Jeopardy” [VIDEO]

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) said that President Obama bore some of the blame for Democrats spectacular collapse in the 2016 election at an event at the University of Minnesota Wednesday.Ellison was quick to say that he voted for every radical piece of legislature that Barack Obama pushed for, but when it comes to uniting the party, it appears that the most narcissistic, self-serving president in history may have been much of a team player. Barack Obama could have been a better party leader, and I think that the fact that he wasn t has put his legacy in jeopardy, Ellison said. Given that we lost a lot of state house seats, governorships, secretaries of states, his true legacy is in danger, Ellison continued. And I don t think he can say that he wasn t part of those losses. NTKNetworkBarack Obama s not exactly a team player unless of course you re talking about the times that he worked with Al Sharpton and Eric Holder to divide our nation. When it came to promoting other Democrats however, Obama didn t have such a great track record. If you don t believe us, just ask Hillary These numbers don t lie:Republican strategist Rory Cooper pointed out in this blistering tweet that under President Obama, Democrats lost over 900 state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats.Under President Obama, Democrats have lost 900+ state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats. That's some legacy. Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) November 4, 2015

Title: WOW! Dem Rep Keith Ellison BLAMES Obama For Huge Democrat Losses: He’s “Put His Legacy In Jeopardy” [VIDEO]. Text: Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) said that President Obama bore some of the blame for Democrats spectacular collapse in the 2016 election at an event at the University of Minnesota Wednesday.Ellison was quick to say that he voted for every radical piece of legislature that Barack Obama pushed for, but when it comes to uniting the party, it appears that the most narcissistic, self-serving president in history may have been much of a team player. Barack Obama could have been a better party leader, and I think that the fact that he wasn t has put his legacy in jeopardy, Ellison said. Given that we lost a lot of state house seats, governorships, secretaries of states, his true legacy is in danger, Ellison continued. And I don t think he can say that he wasn t part of those losses. NTKNetworkBarack Obama s not exactly a team player unless of course you re talking about the times that he worked with Al Sharpton and Eric Holder to divide our nation. When it came to promoting other Democrats however, Obama didn t have such a great track record. If you don t believe us, just ask Hillary These numbers don t lie:Republican strategist Rory Cooper pointed out in this blistering tweet that under President Obama, Democrats lost over 900 state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats.Under President Obama, Democrats have lost 900+ state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats. That's some legacy. Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) November 4, 2015

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Spain makes largest cocaine bust in 18 years

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain has made its largest cocaine bust in 18 years, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, after more than 5,800 kg of the drug were discovered on a container ship traveling from Medellin in Colombia. The ship, stopped in the southern port of Algeciras, was carrying bananas from Colombia to El Prat de Llobregat, the location of the international airport in Catalonia, the ministry said. Three people had been arrested in relation to the haul, including the Spanish head of the import company using the container, and more arrests have not been ruled out with at least two more under investigation, it said. The cocaine, which was discovered Nov. 28 and had a street value of some 210 million euros ($250 million), was divided into 1 kg blocks and marked to identify its eventual distribution to a number of destinations and organizations, the ministry said. ($1 = 0.8430 euros)

Title: Spain makes largest cocaine bust in 18 years. Text: MADRID (Reuters) - Spain has made its largest cocaine bust in 18 years, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, after more than 5,800 kg of the drug were discovered on a container ship traveling from Medellin in Colombia. The ship, stopped in the southern port of Algeciras, was carrying bananas from Colombia to El Prat de Llobregat, the location of the international airport in Catalonia, the ministry said. Three people had been arrested in relation to the haul, including the Spanish head of the import company using the container, and more arrests have not been ruled out with at least two more under investigation, it said. The cocaine, which was discovered Nov. 28 and had a street value of some 210 million euros ($250 million), was divided into 1 kg blocks and marked to identify its eventual distribution to a number of destinations and organizations, the ministry said. ($1 = 0.8430 euros)

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