MELBOURNE, Australia — "So Ivan, are you calling Andy 'Sir'?" Ivan Lendl paused and then laughed, which would surely seem strange to those who know him only as Andy Murray's coach in the front row of the players' box. "Definitely not," Lendl said, chuckling some more before heading off down the crowded main hallway inside Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open. Clearly, not much has changed in the Murray camp since his remarkable stretch run to the No. 1 ranking and a knighthood in 2016. He is still tough on himself on court and on the changeovers. Still Andy — not Sir Andy — to his peers and mentor in chief, Lendl. Still deadpan and droll with his voice that sounds as if it emanates from a mine shaft. Asked on Monday by the interviewer John Fitzgerald how Murray's wife, Kim, was handling the transition to Lady Kim, Murray said, "No more swearing during my matches, for anyone who saw that a few years ago. " He was referring to Kim's courtside language during his semifinal victory over Tomas Berdych at the 2015 Australian Open. Her tirade did not go unnoticed, and she returned for the final cheekily wearing a shirt that read, "Parental advisory explicit content. " Presumably, Lady Kim won't be wearing that sort of thing in the players' box from here on, either (or at least she wasn't on Monday). "I haven't found it distracting really," Murray said of the knighthood. "I mean, I found out about it four or five weeks ago. Maybe if it happened a day or so, two days before the tournament. But I've had enough time to get my head around it. " Just as he has had plenty of time to prepare himself for the role of No. 1, however long it lasts. I asked him on Monday, after his stuttering (5) victory over Illya Marchenko, if there had been any downside to No. 1, thinking he might bring up extra demands or burdens. "No," he said. "It's been great. I think because it's taken me so long to get there, obviously I want to try to stay there. But also I feel like I'm mature enough now to handle it. Maybe if it happens when you're very young, you might feel extra pressures. The responsibilities might feel a bit much, but I think because I'm much older and more mature, it's been good. " The conventional tennis wisdom is that it is harder to hang on at the top than to reach the top. "I hope not," Murray said. But for anyone who believes that he now has nowhere to go but down, that is hardly true in Australia. He has reached five singles finals in Melbourne and lost all five. No man has done so well at any Grand Slam tournament without breaking through to win the title. Others have lost five finals in the same major event, including Lendl, who lost five at the United States Open. But he also won three. Bill Johnston lost six finals at the United States Championships, but won the event twice. John Bromwich lost five finals at the Australian Championships in the era, but won the title twice, too. Murray, at 29, is in unfortunately uncharted territory, all the more so because Novak Djokovic ended his own long run of frustration at the French Open last year by finally taking the title after reaching four semifinals and three finals. "Look, it's still a remarkable record, five Slam finals in Australia, and deep down I think it means an enormous amount to Andy to finally complete the puzzle," said Roger Rasheed, the Australian who once coached Lleyton Hewitt when Hewitt was chasing the title here without success. But Hewitt reached only one final in Melbourne. Murray is here and has a better winning percentage at the Australian Open than at any other Grand Slam tournament except Wimbledon. "Andy's been so close," Rasheed said. "What more does he have to do? Well, it's not a matter of big changes. It's just been a matter of points and the moments. " It's a matter of the opposition, too. The first of Murray's Australian Open defeats in the final came against Roger Federer in 2010. The last four came against Djokovic in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. "Andy played Roger in his prime and has been playing Novak in his prime," Rasheed said. "It's a handful of points changing the way the match falls. Andy's showing he's in his prime now. He just needs to get there and roll the dice again. " Murray's timing may still not be quite right. He played a great deal of tennis down the stretch in 2016 and was beaten by Djokovic in a final in Doha, Qatar, to start this season. Freshness just might be a factor down the stretch as well as Djokovic's eagerness to restore the pecking order. But it does not seem quite right in light of their abilities that Djokovic has six Australian Open titles and Murray has not even one. He broke down in tears after losing to Federer in 2010. He stared vacantly into space after losses to Djokovic and sportingly came up with the right words amid major disappointment. And yet he insisted on Monday that his emotions were not mixed when he thought about this tournament. "Honestly, they're totally positive," said Murray, who plays Andrey Rublev in the second round on Wednesday. "I've had a lot of tough losses here, for sure. But I love it here. Played some great matches as well, but just haven't managed to win the final. But, you know, I keep coming back to try. I'll keep doing that until I'm done, but I still feel like I've got a few years left to try and do it. " He is, by any measure, due for a change of fortune in Melbourne. And if you like your sports with foreshadowing, the only other top tennis player to receive a knighthood was Sir Norman Brookes, the Australian star of the early 20th century. Guess whose name has been given to the trophy awarded to the men's champion at the Australian Open?


Iceland s opposition leader Katrin Jakobsdottir will become the country s new prime minister, after her Left-Green Movement on Wednesday agreed to form a coalition government, state broadcaster RUV reported. Her party, which emerged as the second biggest party in snap parliamentary elections on Oct. 28, entered coalition talks with the Independence Party, the main partner in the current government coalition, and the Progressive Party two weeks ago. Current Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the right-wing Independence Party called the snap election in September, after less than a year in government, as a scandal involving his father prompted a government ally to drop out of his ruling coalition. The Nordic island of 340,000 people, one of the countries hit hardest by the 2008 financial crisis, has staged a remarkable economic rebound spurred by a tourism boom. The formation of a broad coalition government could bring an end to political instability triggered by a string of scandals. The previous snap election took place late in 2016, after the Panama Papers revelations showed several government figures involved in an offshore tax haven scandal. Still, some Left-Green members and voters have criticized the party s plan to enter a coalition with Benediktsson and his Independence Party. Two of Left-Green s mandates did not support the new coalition, giving the three parties a total of 33 of parliament s 63 seats. Jakobsd ttir, 41, campaigned on a platform of restoring trust in government and leveraging an economic boom to increase public spending. She failed to form a left-leaning government earlier this month, but said on election night she was open to forming a broad-based government. While both the Left-Greens and the Independence Party parties agree that investment is needed in areas like welfare, infrastructure and tourism, they disagree over how it should be financed. The Left-Greens want to finance spending by raising taxes on the wealthy, real estate and the powerful fishing industry, while the Independence Party has said it wants to fund infrastructure spending by taking money out of the banking sector. Benediktsson will become finance minister in the new government.


While many on the left continue to accuse President Trump and his administration of colluding with the Russians, one well-known progressive thinker said such actions hurt their cause. Author Max Blumenthal said he s skeptical of the Russia narrative, remarking that Rachel Maddow s dots may never connect. Blumenthal called Trump the apotheosis of a failed political establishment, saying the Russia story is simply a cover for establishment Republicans and progressive Democrats to be able to avoid do[ing] anything progressive. He accused both parties of scandal-mongering and criticized the left for abandoning their anti-war ideology just to attack the president. He and Tucker Carlson discussed how some Democrats have advocated supporting insurgent elements in Syria for the sake of irritating Vladimir Putin. Blumenthal, the son of former Clinton adviser Sid Blumenthal, warned such behavior on-the-whole will have long-term consequences for the left in this country. Max Blumenthal is a known progressive who s calling out his own party for the constant Russia-Trump bashing. He confronts Rep. Jamie Raskin on the Russia scandal:Max Blumenthal Grilled a Maryland Democrat on Lies About Russia Scam In Epic Interview: I think we should tell the people the truth [Video]This is hysterical! Blumenthal is awesome even though he s a leftist A rarity! Note at the end of the video that he calls out Raskin for saying Trump is a Russian hoax Earlier in July he proposed a panel to oust President Trump: Pointing to the outcry over President Donald Trump s latest controversial tweets, freshman Rep. Jamie Raskin is urging his colleagues to get behind a bill that could potentially oust the President if he was mentally or physically unfit.The Maryland Democrat wants to create an 11-member commission made up of mostly physicians and psychiatrists more formally called the Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity. The panel would carry out a medical examination and determine whether the President was physically or mentally able to do the job. Two of the commission s members would also be former high ranking officials, such as presidents, vice presidents, attorneys general or secretaries of state. It s a provocative and long-shot effort, but Raskin is citing as his legal backup the 25th Amendment of the Constitution, which was adopted in 1967 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to establish procedure in the case a president is incapacitated. About two dozen Democrats have signed on to the effort as of Thursday. Raskin is zeroing in on one section of that constitutional amendment, which allows the vice president to assume powers if either the majority of the Cabinet or such other body as Congress finds that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of office. (The vice president would also have to agree to the assessment of the President s abilities.) Raskin is proposing his commission to serve as that body. Raskin is a freshman in Congress Let s hope the people of Maryland kick him out after one term. It s obvious he s a liar and doesn t respect the office of POTUS.


President Obama, due to his unique position, is able to use the global stage to draw attention to issues unlike any other leader foreign or domestic. On Wednesday, speaking at a joint summit with the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico, the topic of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump came up.In the course of discussing Trump s foot-stamping about economic issues, the President took a second to dissect the media narrative that has described Trump as a populist for months on end.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdIiAO5Pdo Somebody who has never shown any regard for workers, has never fought on behalf of social justice issues or making sure that poor kids are getting a decent shot at life or have health care, does not meet the definition, Obama said. They don t suddenly become a populist because they say something controversial in order to win votes. That s not the measure of populism. That s nativism, or xenophobia. Or worse. Or it s just cynicism, he said.The media has used the reaction of white, blue collar audiences to Trump as evidence that he is a populist speaking to the masses. But the reality TV star is not a man of the people. He has actually made a lot of his money swindling some of those same sorts of people with his fraudulent enterprises like Trump University.As President Obama made clear in just a few seconds, Trump is simply posturing as if he were a populist, but a short glance at his language and his habit of practicing demagoguery destroys his posturing pretty quickly.Trump launched his campaign attacking Latinos as criminals and rapists, he has blamed all immigrants especially Muslims for terrorism, and he has also denigrated blacks and women throughout his career.A populist stands up for the little guy, he doesn t turn him upside down and try to suck the money out of his pockets.


Americans who are sick and tired of leftist CEO s using their public positions to attack President Trump and his efforts waged a huge boycott against Starbucks and the Starbucks brand: Kudos to this shareholder for standing up and confronting Schultz over his selfish decision to publicly shame President Trump in his efforts to keep terrorists from entering our country With Starbuck s stock underperforming, its about time someone questioned Starbucks s liberal agenda. Just don t expect the media to care.A conservative think tank, The National Center for Public Policy Research, confronted outgoing controversial Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. As an owner of Starbucks stock, the group sent its General Counsel Justin Danhof to Starbucks s annual shareholders meeting on March 22. There, he questioned Schultz for his public liberal opinions that may have hurt the company s stock price.In reference to Schultz s Jan. 29 decision that Starbucks would hire 10,000 refugees, Danhof asked Schultz How much will Starbucks investors have to spend so that the company can properly vet refugees that the federal government admits it can t afford to vet? He also asked Schultz why he condemned President Donald Trump s immigration order but lacked the courage to speak out against the Obama-Clinton travel ban? Watch:


It s certainly not a stretch to say that this is part of why we have Obama. The media has become the National Enquirer with reports on idiotic items like the one below that does nothing but dumb down Americans. Please make an effort to contact your local news station if they report on items like this. There are plenty of news items without this type of story even making it on the news. This is also a HUGE reason why Americans and people around the world are turning to the NEW MEDIA with Twitter, Facebook and blogs that report what the news doesn t or won t. If you d like to speak up against this particular news station here s the contact information to e-mail or call: WTKRNorfolk, VIRGINIA (Scroll down for video) A woman in Virginia was arrested Tuesday after having sex with her unconscious boyfriend in the parking lot of a shopping center.36-year-old Kimberly M. Jackson told WTKR: I was in the mood, and that s basically what happened. Once police arrived, they found Jackson and her boyfriend, Earl Palmer, in the parking lot. At the time, the man was unconscious and unresponsive. He was taken to Sentara Leigh Hospital for treatment. The alcohol made me think I wouldn t. I m not into erotic public sex or anything like that, says Jackson. Jackson was arrested and charged for being drunk in public. OUR MEDIA JUST CAN T SEEM TO FIND SOMETHING WORTHY TO REPORT ON SO THIS IS NEWS TO THEM:


President Donald Trump said in a statement on Friday that White House press secretary Sean Spicer was resigning as of August and that businessman Anthony Scaramucci, a long-time supporter, would become White House communications director. "I'm grateful for Sean's work on behalf of my administration and the American people. I wish him continued success as he moves on to pursue new opportunities. Just look at his great television ratings," Trump said in a statement read by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Scaramucci told a news briefing that Sanders would become Trump's new press secretary.


Donald Trump s plan to create a national registry of Muslims residing in the United States alarms people of good faith and decent character from coast to coast. But indications are that the Republican majority in Congress, afraid of his rabid right-wing base, could implement this dangerous idea.Despite major losses at the governor and state legislature level, there are still strong, progressive Democrats out there in America. Few have the sort of major platform available to them that the mayor of New York City does, and Bill de Blasio has just announced his plans if Trump choses to go forward with his Muslim registry scheme.New York City would sue to stop the federal government if the Trump administration went forward with a plan to require all Muslims to register in a database, Mayor de Blasio said Monday.De Blasio, in a speech before hundreds of supporters on Monday denouncing many of Trump s policies, said, We will sue to block it. We will use all the tools at our disposal to stand up for our people, he said.De Blasio already angered Republicans with his decision to curtail the discriminatory stop and frisk policy utilized by police, and they also freaked out when he pointed out the dangers young black men like his son face from too many police officers.The promise from de Blasio on the Muslim registry echoes public statements from other officials in diverse cities since Trump s victory. Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago has said that the city will remain a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, as have officials in Washington, D.C. and in Los Angeles, where the police department said public safety was their goal not immigration purges.Trump s surprise election shocked America, especially on the left, but it may also have renewed a sense of resiliency and unity in the face of blatant bigotry.


It is awfully ironic how the liberals are bashing President Trump for placing blame on both sides for the violence in the Charlottesville incident and not condemning just the white supremacists, considering they conveniently overlooked Hillary and Obama s close friendship with former KKK member, Robert Byrd.Following the Charlottesville incident involving a car crashing into a crowd of people, President Trump seemed to be one of the only figures in the country condemning both sides for their displays of violence and bigotry. It was not clear who, exactly, was behind the attack, or which group was responsible.Trump waited until the dust settled and condemned both sides, as both sides warrant condemnation in this situation: from the white supremacists to the black supremacists, to the Communists, to Antifa, the situation was hardly one-sided.David Duke attempted to link Trump to the bigotry and hatred that was present in Charlottesville, however, it would be a far cry to say that the President is in any way happy with or affiliated with Duke or those he associates with, and to say so is to insult the President and his supporters.However, President Trump, back when he was dropping out of the Reform Party primary in 2000, condemned David Duke.When pressed by Matt Lauer on why he saw the Reform Party as self-destructing, Trump commented: Well, you ve got David Duke just joined, a bigot, a racist, a problem, I mean, this is not exactly the people you want in your party. Gateway PunditWatch Trump s 2000 interview with Lauer here:Despite mounting criticism for Donald Trump s failure to disavow former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke s support, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton once heaped praise for late Klan leader Sen. Robert Byrd.In a video uploaded to the State Department s official YouTube page on June 28, 2010, Clinton commemorated late Sen. Byrd by saying, Today our country has lost a true American original, my friend and mentor Robert C. Byrd. And when the former KKK member, Senator Robert Byrd died, Barack Obama gave the eulogy:President Obama lauded the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd today for keeping faith with his family, his state of West Virginia and his beloved U.S. Constitution. He was a Senate icon, he was a party leader, he was an elder statesman, and he was my friend, Obama told thousands who gathered for Byrd s funeral on the steps of the golden-domed West Virginia statehouse. That s how I ll remember him.


Muhammad Ali, the world heavyweight boxing champion who helped define his turbulent times as the most charismatic and controversial sports figure of the 20th century, died on Friday in a hospital. He was 74. His death was confirmed by Bob Gunnell, a family spokesman. The cause was septic shock, a family spokeswoman said. Ali, who lived near Phoenix, had had Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years. He was admitted to the hospital on Monday with what Mr. Gunnell said was a respiratory problem. Ali was the most thrilling if not the best heavyweight ever, carrying into the ring a physically lyrical, unorthodox boxing style that fused speed, agility and power more seamlessly than that of any fighter before him. But he was more than the sum of his athletic gifts. An agile mind, a buoyant personality, a brash and an evolving set of personal convictions fostered a magnetism that the ring alone could not contain. He entertained as much with his mouth as with his fists, narrating his life with a patter of inventive doggerel. ("Me! Wheeeeee! ") Ali was as polarizing a superstar as the sports world has ever produced — both admired and vilified in the 1960s and '70s for his religious, political and social stances. His refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War, his rejection of racial integration at the height of the civil rights movement, his conversion from Christianity to Islam and the changing of his "slave" name, Cassius Clay, to one bestowed by the separatist black sect he joined, the Nation of Islam, were perceived as serious threats by the conservative establishment and noble acts of defiance by the liberal opposition. Loved or hated, he remained for 50 years one of the most recognizable people on the planet. In later life Ali became something of a secular saint, a legend in soft focus. He was respected for having sacrificed more than three years of his boxing prime and untold millions of dollars for his antiwar principles after being banished from the ring he was extolled for his gallantry in the face of incurable illness, and he was beloved for his accommodating sweetness in public. In 1996, he was trembling and nearly mute as he lit the Olympic caldron in Atlanta. That passive image was far removed from the exuberant, talkative, vainglorious who bounded out of Louisville, Ky. and onto the world stage in 1964 with an upset victory over Sonny Liston to become the world champion. The press called him the Louisville Lip. He called himself the Greatest. Ali also proved to be a — a public figure who kept reinventing his persona. As a bubbly teenage gold medalist at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, he parroted America's Cold War line, lecturing a Soviet reporter about the superiority of the United States. But he became a critic of his country and a government target in 1966 with his declaration "I ain't got nothing against them Vietcong. " "He lived a lot of lives for a lot of people," said the comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory. "He was able to tell white folks for us to go to hell. " But Ali had his hypocrisies, or at least inconsistencies. How could he consider himself a "race man" yet mock the skin color, hair and features of other most notably Joe Frazier, his rival and opponent in three classic matches? Ali called him "the gorilla," and long afterward Frazier continued to express hurt and bitterness. If there was a supertitle to Ali's operatic life, it was this: "I don't have to be who you want me to be I'm free to be who I want. " He made that statement the morning after he won his first heavyweight title. It informed every aspect of his life, including the way he boxed. The traditionalist fight crowd was appalled by his style he kept his hands too low, the critics said, and instead of allowing punches to "slip" past his head by bobbing and weaving, he leaned back from them. Eventually his approach prevailed. Over 21 years, he won 56 fights and lost five. His Ali Shuffle may have been pure showboating, but the " " — in which he rested on the ring's ropes and let an opponent punch himself out — was the stratagem that won the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman in 1974, the fight in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in which he regained his title. His personal life was paradoxical. Ali belonged to a sect that emphasized strong families, a subject on which he lectured, yet he had dalliances as casual as autograph sessions. A brief first marriage to Sonji Roi ended in divorce after she refused to dress and behave as a proper Nation wife. (She died in 2005.) While married to Belinda Boyd, his second wife, Ali traveled openly with Veronica Porche, whom he later married. That marriage, too, ended in divorce. Ali was politically and socially idiosyncratic as well. After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the television interviewer David Frost asked him if he considered Al Qaeda and the Taliban evil. He replied that terrorism was wrong but that he had to "dodge questions like that" because "I have people who love me. " He said he had "businesses around the country" and an image to consider. As a spokesman for the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum dedicated to "respect, hope and understanding," which opened in his hometown, Louisville, in 2005, he was known to interrupt a meeting with an ethnic joke. In one he said: "If a black man, a Mexican and a Puerto Rican are sitting in the back of a car, who's driving? Give up? The . " But Ali had generated so much good will by then that there was little he could say or do that would change the public's perception of him. "We forgive Muhammad Ali his excesses," an Ali biographer, Dave Kindred, wrote, "because we see in him the child in us, and if he is foolish or cruel, if he is arrogant, if he is outrageously in love with his reflection, we forgive him because we no more can condemn him than condemn a rainbow for dissolving into the dark. Rainbows are born of thunderstorms, and Muhammad Ali is both. " Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born in Louisville on Jan. 17, 1942, into a family of strivers that included teachers, musicians and craftsmen. Some of them traced their ancestry to Henry Clay, the representative, senator and secretary of state, and his cousin Cassius Marcellus Clay, a noted abolitionist. Ali's mother, Odessa, was a cook and a house cleaner, his father a sign painter and a church muralist who blamed discrimination for his failure to become a recognized artist. Violent and often drunk, Clay Sr. filled the heads of Cassius and his younger brother, Rudolph (later Rahman Ali) with the teachings of the black separatist Marcus Garvey and a refrain that would become Ali's — "I am the greatest. " Beyond his father's teachings, Ali traced his racial and political identity to the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, a black from Chicago who was believed to have flirted with a white woman on a visit to Mississippi. Clay was about the same age as Till, and the photographs of the brutalized dead youth haunted him, he said. Cassius started to box at 12, after his new $60 red Schwinn bicycle was stolen off a downtown street. He reported the theft to Joe Martin, a police officer who ran a boxing gym. When Cassius boasted what he would do to the thief when he caught him, Martin suggested that he first learn how to punch properly. Cassius was quick, dedicated and gifted at publicizing a youth boxing show, "Tomorrow's Champions," on local television. He was soon its star. For all his ambition and willingness to work hard, education — public and segregated — eluded him. The only subjects in which he received satisfactory grades were art and gym, his high school reported years later. Already an amateur boxing champion, he graduated 376th in a class of 391. He was never taught to read properly years later he confided that he had never read a book, neither the ones on which he collaborated nor even the Quran, although he said he had reread certain passages dozens of times. He memorized his poems and speeches, laboriously printing them out over and over. In boxing he found boundaries, discipline and stable guidance. Martin, who was white, trained him for six years, although historical revisionism later gave more credit to Fred Stoner, a black trainer in the Smoketown neighborhood. It was Martin who persuaded Clay to "gamble your life" and go to Rome with the 1960 Olympic team despite his almost pathological fear of flying. Clay won the Olympic title and came home a professional contender. In Rome, Clay was everything the sports diplomats could have hoped for — a handsome, charismatic and black . When a Russian reporter asked him about racial prejudice, Clay ordered him to "tell your readers we got qualified people working on that, and I'm not worried about the outcome. " "To me, the U. S. A. is still the best country in the world, counting yours," he added. "It may be hard to get something to eat sometimes, but anyhow I ain't fighting alligators and living in a mud hut. " Ali would later cringe at that quotation, especially when journalists harked back to it as proof that a merry had been misguided into becoming a hateful militant. Of course, after the Rome Games, few journalists followed Clay home to Louisville, where he was publicly referred to as "the Olympic nigger" and denied service at many downtown restaurants. After one such rejection, the story goes, he hurled his gold medal into the Ohio River. But Clay, and later Ali, gave different accounts of that act, and according to Thomas Hauser, author of the oral history "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times," Clay had simply lost the medal. Clay turned professional by signing a contract with 11 local white millionaires. ("They got the complexions and connections to give me good directions," he said.) The Louisville Sponsoring Group supported him while he was groomed by Angelo Dundee, a top trainer, in Miami. At a mosque there, Clay was introduced to the Nation of Islam, known to the news media as "Black Muslims. " Elijah Muhammad, the group's leader, taught that white people were devils genetically created by an evil scientist. On Allah's chosen day of retribution, the Mother of Planes would bomb all but the righteous, and the righteous would be spirited away. Years later, after leaving the group and converting to orthodox Islam, Ali gave the Nation of Islam credit for offering a message at a time of low and persecution. "Color doesn't make a man a devil," he said. "It's the heart and soul and mind that count. What's on the outside is only decoration. " Clay enjoyed early success against prudently chosen opponents. His outrageous predictions, usually in rhyme — "This is no jive, Cooper will go in five" — put off many older sportswriters, especially since most of the predictions came true. (His fight against the Englishman Henry Cooper did end in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium in 1963, although Cooper, who had knocked Clay down in the fourth, did not "go down. ") The reporters' beau ideal of a boxer was the laconic Joe Louis. But they still wrote about Clay. Younger sportswriters, raised in an age of Andy Warhol, happenings and the "put on," were delighted by the hype and by Clay's friendly accessibility. In 1963, at 21, after only 15 professional fights, he was on the cover of Time magazine. The winking quality of the prose — "Cassius Clay is Hercules, struggling through the twelve labors. He is Jason, chasing the Golden Fleece" — reinforced the assumption that he was just another boxer being sacrificed to the box office's lust for fresh meat. It was feared he would be seriously injured by the baleful slugger Liston, a betting favorite to retain his title in Miami Beach, Fla. on Feb. 25, 1964. But Clay was joyously comic. Encouraged by his assistant trainer and "spiritual adviser," Drew Brown, known as Bundini, Clay mocked Liston as the "big ugly bear" and chanted a battle cry: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, rumble, young man, rumble. " The Beatles, on their first American tour, were in town and showed up for a photo op at Clay's training gym. Malcolm X, a leading minister for the Nation of Islam and a worrisome presence to many white Americans, was there, too, with his family members as guests of Clay, whom they saw as a big brother. To the shock of the crowd, Clay, taller and broader than Liston at 6 feet 3 inches and 210 pounds and much faster, took immediate control of the fight. He danced away from Liston's vaunted left hook and peppered his face with jabs, opening a cut over his left eye. Clay was in trouble only once. Just before the start of the fifth round, his eyes began to sting. It was liniment, but he suspected poison. Dundee had to push him into the ring. Two rounds later, Liston, slumped on his stool, his left arm hanging uselessly, gave up. He had torn muscles swinging at Clay in vain. Clay, the new champion, capered along the ring apron, shouting at the press: "Eat your words! I shook up the world! I'm king of the world!" (More than a year later, in May 1965, he would retain his crown in fashion in a rematch with Liston in Lewiston, Me. Within two minutes of the first round, Ali threw what became known as the phantom punch, sending Liston sprawling and resulting in a disputed decision to end the fight.) The morning after the Miami Beach fight, a calm Clay affirmed his rumored membership in the Nation of Islam. He would be Cassius X. (A few weeks later he became Muhammad Ali, which he said meant "Worthy of all praise most high. ") That day he harangued his audience with a preview of what would, over the next few years, become a series of longer and more detailed lectures about religion and race. This one was about, as he put it, "staying with your own kind. " "In the jungle, lions are with lions and tigers with tigers," he said. "I don't want to go where I'm not wanted. " The only prominent leader to send Ali a telegram of congratulations was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "I remember when Ali joined the Nation of Islam," Julian Bond, the civil rights activist and politician, once said. "The act of joining was not something many of us particularly liked. But the notion he'd do it — that he'd jump out there, join this group that was so despised by mainstream America, and be proud of it — sent a little thrill through you. " The thrills gave way to darker thoughts. After Malcolm X left the Nation and was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965, by members of the group, there was talk that Ali had been tacitly complicit. Jack Newfield, a political journalist with an interest in boxing, wrote, "If Ali, as the new heavyweight champion, had remained loyal to his mentor, and continued to lend his public support to Malcolm, history might have gone in a different direction. " On Feb. 17, 1966, a day already roiled by the Senate's televised hearings on the war in Vietnam, Ali learned that he had been reclassified 1A by his Louisville selective service board. He had originally been disqualified by a substandard score on a mental aptitude test. But a subsequent lowering of criteria made him eligible to go to war. The timing, however, was suspicious to some the contract with the Louisville millionaires had run out, and Nation members were taking over as Ali's managers and promoters. "Why me?" Ali said when reporters swarmed around his rented Miami cottage to ask about his new draft status. "I buy a lot of bullets, at least three jet bombers a year, and pay the salary of 50, 000 fighting men with the money they take from me after my fights. " But as the reporters continued to press him with questions about the war, the geography of Asia and his thoughts about killing Vietcong, he snapped, "I ain't got nothing against them Vietcong. " The remark was news around the world. In America, the news media's response was mostly unfavorable, if not hostile. The sports columnist Red Smith of The New York Herald Tribune wrote, "Squealing over the possibility that the military may call him up, Cassius makes himself as sorry a spectacle as those unwashed punks who picket and demonstrate against the war. " Most of the press refused to refer to Ali by his new name. When two black contenders, Floyd Patterson and Ernie Terrell, insisted on calling him Cassius Clay, Ali taunted them in the ring as he delivered savage beatings. On April 28, 1967, Ali refused to be drafted and requested status. He was immediately stripped of his title by boxing commissions around the country. Several months later he was convicted of draft evasion, a verdict he appealed. He did not fight again until he was almost 29, losing three and a half years of his athletic prime. They were years of personal and intellectual growth, however, as Ali supported himself on the college lecture circuit, offering medleys of Muslim dogma and boxing verse. In the sessions that followed, Ali was forced to explain his religion, his Vietnam stand and his opposition (unpopular on most campuses) to marijuana and interracial dating. Now the "onliest boxer in history that people asked questions like a senator" developed coherent answers. During his exile from the ring, Ali starred in a Broadway musical, "Buck White," one of several commercial ventures. There was a chain called Champburger and a mock movie fight with the popular former champion Rocky Marciano in which Ali outboxed the slugger until being knocked out himself in the final round. The broadcaster Howard Cosell, one of Ali's most steadfast supporters in the news media, was responsible for keeping him on television, both as an interview subject and as a commentator on boxing matches. As Ali's case made its way to the United States Supreme Court, he returned to the ring on Oct. 26, 1970, through the efforts of black politicians in Atlanta. The fight, which ended with a quick knockout of the white contender Jerry Quarry, was only a tuneup for Ali's anticipated showdown with Frazier, the new champion. But it was a night of glamour and history as Coretta Scott King, Bill Cosby, Diana Ross, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Sidney Poitier turned out to honor Ali. The Rev. Ralph Abernathy presented him with the annual Dr. King award, calling him "the March on Washington all in two fists. " "The Fight," as the Madison Square Garden bout with Frazier on March 8, 1971, was billed, lived up to expectations as an epic match. With Norman Mailer ringside taking notes for a book and Frank Sinatra shooting pictures for Life magazine, Ali stood toe to toe with Frazier and slugged it out as if determined to prove that he had "heart," that he could stand up to punishment. Frazier won a decision. Both men suffered noticeable physical damage. To Ali's boosters, the money he had lost standing up for his principles and the beating he had taken from Frazier proved his sincerity. To his critics, the bloody redemption meant he had finally grown up. The Supreme Court also took a positive view. On June 28, 1971, it unanimously reversed a lower court decision and granted Ali his status. It was assumed now that Ali's time had passed and that he would become a "opponent," the fighter to beat for those establishing themselves. But his time had returned. Although he was slower, his artistry was even more refined. "He didn't have fights," wrote Jim Murray of The Los Angeles Times, "he gave recitals. " He won 13 of his next 14 fights, including a rematch with Frazier, who had lost his title to George Foreman, a bigger, more frightening version of Liston. Ali was the underdog, smaller and seven years older than Foreman, when they met on Oct. 30, 1974, in Zaire, then ruled by Mobutu Sese Seko. Each fighter was guaranteed $5 million, an extraordinary sum at the time. The fight also launched the career of the promoter Don King and was the subject of Leon Gast's documentary "When We Were Kings," which was released more than 20 years later. (Ali attended a special screening, along with performances, at Radio City Music Hall.) The film won a 1997 Academy Award. Ali reveled in the African setting, repeating an aphorism he had heard from Brown, his assistant trainer: "The world is a black shirt with a few white buttons. " As the fight progressed, the crowd chanted, "Ali, bomaye!" ("Ali, kill him! ") first out of concern as Ali leaned against the ropes and absorbed Foreman's sledgehammer blows on his arms and shoulders, and then in mounting excitement as Foreman wore himself out. In the eighth round, in a blur of punches, Ali knocked out Foreman to regain the title. He leaned down to reporters and said, "What did I tell you?" On Dec. 10, 1974, Ali was invited to the White House for the first time, by President Gerald R. Ford, an occasion that signified not only a turning point in the country's embrace of Ali but also a return of the Lip. Ali told the president, "You made a big mistake letting me come because now I'm going after your job. " Ali successfully defended his title 10 times over the next three years, at increasing physical cost. He knocked out Frazier in their third match, the Thrilla in Manila in 1975, but the punishment of their 14 rounds, Ali said, felt close to dying. In 1978 he lost and then regained his title in fights with Leon Spinks. Ali's longtime ring doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, urged him to quit, noting the slowing of his reflexes and the slurring of his speech as symptoms of damage. Ali refused. In 1980, he was battered in a loss to the champion Larry Holmes. A year later, he fought for the last time, losing to the journeyman Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas. Ali was soon told that he had Parkinson's syndrome. Several doctors have speculated that it was brought on by too many punches to the head. The diagnosis was later changed to Parkinson's disease, according to his wife, Lonnie. She said it had been brought on by Ali's exposure to pesticides and other toxic chemicals at his training camp in Deer Lake, Pa. After retiring from the ring, Ali made speeches emphasizing spirituality, peace and tolerance, and undertook missions to Africa and Iraq. Even as he lost mobility and speech, he traveled often from his home in Berrien Springs, Mich. Product and corporate endorsements brought him closer to the "show me the money" sensibilities of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, the heirs to his global celebrity. In 1999, Ali became the first boxer on a Wheaties box. On Dec. 31 that year, he rang out the millennium at the New York Stock Exchange. In 2003, a $7, 500 art book celebrating his life was published. His life was the subject of a television movie and a feature film directed by Michael Mann, with Will Smith as Ali. (Both productions sanitized his early religious and political viewpoints.) The same licensing firm that owned most of Elvis Presley's image purchased rights to Ali's. Thomas Hauser, his biographer, decried the new "commercialism" surrounding Ali and "the rounding off the rough edges of his journey. " In a book of essays published in 2005, "The Lost Legacy of Muhammad Ali," Hauser wrote, "We should cherish the memory of Ali as a warrior and as a gleaming symbol of defiance against an unjust social order when he was young. " In 2005, calling him the greatest boxer of all time, President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Freedom to Ali in a White House ceremony. In recent years, Parkinson's disease and spinal stenosis, which required surgery, limited Ali's mobility and ability to communicate. He spent most of his time at his home in Paradise Valley, Ariz. often watching Western movies and old TV shows. He ventured out mostly for physical therapy, movies and concerts. He rarely did TV interviews, his wife said, because he no longer liked the way he looked on camera. "But he loved the adoration of crowds," she said. "Even though he became vulnerable in ways he couldn't control, he never lost his childlike innocence, his sunny, positive nature. Jokes and pranks and magic tricks. He wanted to entertain people, to make them happy. "


PARIS (AP) — Human rights activists are gathered in Paris to draw attention to the situation of gays in Chechnya before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to France. [The activists want French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the issue with Putin at their Versailles palace meeting. They held a banner "Stop homophobia in Chechnya" at a square in front of the Eiffel Tower. Amnesty International France vice president Cecile Coudriou says "it's important that Mr. Putin is ready to hear, we hope, strong words coming from Mr. Macron, to say 'stop' to that homophobia which has lasted for too long. " Human Rights Watch said in a new report last week that officials in Russia's Chechnya humiliated inmates during visits to detention facilities where gay people were allegedly held and tortured. MOSCOW (AP) — On a trip that will likely shape ties for years to come, President Vladimir Putin is set to visit France for talks on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron after expressing sympathy for his rivals during the campaign. After Moscow lost its bets in the French vote, the visit offers the Russian leader a chance to turn the page and try to establish ties with Macron as the Kremlin has struggled to mend a bitter rift in relations with the West. The meeting comes in the wake of the Group of Seven's summit over the weekend where relations with Russia were part of the agenda, making Macron the first Western leader to speak to Putin after the talks. The Kremlin has hailed the visit as a chance for Putin and Macron to get to know each other and better understand their views on a range of disputed issues, including the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and Russia's ties with the European Union. Macron's invitation for Putin was a surprise after his tough stance on Russia during the presidential campaign that contrasted with the platforms of some of his rivals, including candidate Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon, who both have spoken for ending Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukrainian crisis. Amid the Congressional and FBI investigation into Russia's alleged meddling in the U. S. presidential vote, Macron's aides claimed in February that Russian groups were interfering with his campaign. Moscow has strongly denied all allegations of election meddling. Putin, however, made his preferences in the French presidential election clear by hosting Le Pen at the Kremlin in March — part of Russia's efforts to reach out to nationalist and forces in a hope of boosting their influence in the West. Over the years, Putin also has frequently met with Fillon, the French prime minister in and praised him as an experienced statesman. Analysts say the visit to Paris offers Putin an opportunity to improve ties with France that had steadily deteriorated in the closing months of Francois Hollande's presidency. "As a person who pays utmost attention to personal contacts, Putin believes that only a meeting could give answers to many questions about Macron as a person and president of France, as well as his future foreign policy course and his stance on Russia," Tatyana Stanovaya of the Center for Political Technologies, an independent wrote in a commentary. "Putin understands quite well that just one productive meeting could lead to a radical revamping of ties. It would be silly not to use that chance. " In October, Putin abruptly shelved a trip to Paris after Hollande alleged that Russia could face war crime charges over Syria. Hollande declared that he wouldn't take part in the opening of the newly built Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in the heart of the French capital and was only interested in talking about Syria. As part of his trip Monday, Putin is scheduled to visit the center near the Seine River that includes the Holy Trinity Cathedral along with a school and a book shop. The site was sold to Russia under former President Nicolas Sarkozy amid criticism from rights groups about France's outreach to Putin. Prior to that, Putin and Macron are set to have talks at Versailles and then tour an exhibition there marking the 300th anniversary of Russian Czar Peter the Great's trip to Paris that was prepared by St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum. With Peter the Great widely seen as a ruler who modernized Russia and sought to open it up to the West, the exhibition offers a symbolic backdrop for both parties to talk about the importance of ties, and, more broadly, rapport between Russia and the West. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Russia is dissatisfied with the current level of political contacts, adding that the talks will offer a chance to review them. "The meeting is very important for both Russia and France," he told reporters. Ushakov noted that he expects an "interesting discussion" on ways to implement a 2015 Minsk deal for eastern Ukraine, which was brokered by Germany and France. The U. S. and the EU have made the prospect of lifting economic and financial sanctions against Moscow contingent on fulfilling the peace agreement. The deal has helped reduce the scale of fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine, but clashes have continued and political elements of the agreement have stalled. Ukraine and Russia have blamed one another for the lack of progress. Ushakov said that the two leaders will also have a "frank" discussion on Syria, where Russia has backed President Bashar Assad and France has pushed strongly for his removal. He added that last week's suicide attack on Manchester Arena emphasized the need to pool efforts in the fight against international terrorism, so the talks will also touch on that.


Will it be representative government or thugocracy? Exclusive: Erik Rush envisions Clinton using high court 'as a bludgeon' against liberty Published: 43 mins ago About | | Archive Erik Rush is a columnist and author of sociopolitical fare. His latest book is "Negrophilia: From Slave Block to Pedestal - America's Racial Obsession." In 2007, he was the first to give national attention to the story of Sen. Barack Obama's ties to militant Chicago preacher Rev. Jeremiah Wright, initiating a media feeding frenzy. Erik has appeared on Fox News' "Hannity and Colmes," CNN, and is a veteran of numerous radio appearances. Print  " I feel strongly that the Supreme Court needs to stand on the side of the American people, not on the side of the powerful corporations and the wealthy. For me, that means that we need a Supreme Court that will stand up on behalf of women's rights, on behalf of the rights of the LGBT community, that will stand up and say no to Citizens United, a decision that has undermined the election system in our country because of the way it permits dark, unaccountable money to come into our electoral system. "  – Hillary Clinton  The first salvo from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (or rather, her answer to the first question posed by Fox News' Chris Wallace to her and Donald Trump at the third presidential debate) was as chilling as it was an exemplar of hypocrisy.  Those on the left are quite fond of leveling the accusation against conservatives of employing "dog whistle politics," rhetoric that allegedly contains hidden or esoteric derogatory messaging which targets a specific subgroup within the opposition. Ms. Clinton's response to Wallace's question (where they wanted to see the Supreme Court take the country, and their views on how the Constitution ought to be interpreted) however, was representative of this tactic.  While women's rights and those of the LGBT community may seem to be a curious focus for the high court (since objectively, women wouldn't appear to be particularly oppressed given that one has been nominated to run for president, and the LGBT community accounts for less than 5 percent of the American population), Clinton's answer revealed the focus she believes the court should have once she becomes empress.  "Women's rights" is of course "dog whistle" for unfettered abortion, even late-term abortion, which is essentially infanticide via dismemberment. "LGBT rights" is "dog whistle" for disenfranchising the majority of Americans who hold traditional values, primarily Christians. Leveraging a vocal minority of homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals whom the left has whipped into a froth against Christians is the methodology that was employed to negate the political power of Christians in Europe and Canada. A direct assault via legislation in this area would not work in the U.S. (at least not at present); however, judicial rulings could effectively bring about the same result.  Let us leave aside for a moment the fact that judicial activism is unethical and skirts the Constitution and that Clinton's overall objectives are manifestly evil. Hillary Clinton's stated priorities for the Supreme Court are a clear indicator of her desire to use the court as a bludgeon against the Constitution and individual liberties, rather than allowing it to perform its designated function. The hypocrisy attendant to Clinton citing the rights of women and homosexuals when she is beholden via financial contributions to nations that institutionally persecute and murder members of these groups remains plain for all to see, despite being conveniently ignored by the press.  Clinton's reference to "powerful corporations and the wealthy" and the malign influence of that sinister conservative organization, Citizens United, was of course another exercise in blatant hypocrisy. Clinton is quite wealthy, and corrupt or otherwise compromised powerful corporations have been instrumental in bringing about the designs of American socialists. Even if Citizens United were a vehicle for "dark, unaccountable money," the scope of its influence would pale next to the subversive designs of the Muslim Brotherhood, with which Bill and Hillary Clinton have been partnered for decades, or the myriad tentacles of organizations funded by George Soros, the former Nazi collaborator dedicated to advancing oligarchical collectivism in America, someone with whom the Clintons also have a long association.  One need not attempt to decipher the thinly veiled intent behind Clinton's debate rhetoric to discern what a Hillary Clinton presidency might look like. Her actions to date – and particularly those in the pursuit of seeking that office – should suffice quite nicely. Despite the craven complicity of the establishment press (mainstream media), there is ample evidence for even the most indolent news consumer to reach the conclusion that she and the Democratic leviathan supporting her, and which facilitated Barack Obama's rise to power, are fundamentally malignant.  In recent days, we've become aware of all manner of unethical conspiracies and outright criminality that's been brought to bear in getting Clinton elected, from Democratic officials tampering with the outcome of the illegal email server investigation, to the oversampling of key demographics in polling in order to enhance the public perception of Clinton's popularity, to the recent revelation of criminally prosecutable actions on the part of the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the White House.  The bottom line here is that Hillary Clinton represents a class of people who transcend even the loathed archetypal modern politician in their rapaciousness and amorality. What all Americans – not just voters, and not just Republicans – need to realize is that leaders at the highest levels in the Republican Party are every bit as culpable as the gutter operatives of the Democratic Party who pay miscreants to dress up as ducks, instigate fistfights at opposition rallies and, yes, even vote for their candidates.  The burning question is this: In the end, are we to be governed by the will of the people, or are we going to continue pretending that we have a representative government, when we are in effect being ruled by abject thugs operating behind a faux veneer of government?  Media wishing to interview Erik Rush, please contact . Receive Erik Rush's commentaries in your email BONUS: By signing up for Erik Rush's alerts, you will also be signed up for news and special offers from WND via email. Name *


Are we finally watching the end times for Hollywood celebrities, who have been worshipped like golden idols by Americans who believe them to be flawless and infallible human beings? Is the morally superior facade of Hollywood actors like Meryl Streep and Gwenyth Paltrow, who admonish and berate Americans that would dare to support President Trump, while sucking up to serial sexual abuser Harvey Weinstein? What about actress Ashley Judd who America watched while she wore her p*ssy hat, go off on an insane rant at the Women s March in DC, over Donald Trump s remarks about a woman, to another man, during a private conversation, while she hid the ACTUAL sexual assault that was allegedly committed against her by mega-Democrat donor Harvey Weinstein. Judd claims she was asked to meet Weinstein for a breakfast meeting at the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel some 20 years ago. She said the meeting turned into him inviting her up to his hotel room and claimed he asked to give her a massage and watch him shower. A disgusting audio of Weinstein begging an Italian model to watch him shower in his hotel room was just released today. You can find the story and the audio HERE.Gwenyth Paltrow claims that she was also sexually abused by Harvey Weinstein when she was 22 years old. So that was 23 years ago, why the silence until now? How many countless women could have been saved by Paltrow or Judd if they came out and pressed charges against Weinstein decades ago? Neither one of them has any trouble publicly bashing Trump. But, oh yeah, bashing Trump is a resume enhancer in Hollywood, while ignoring a Hollywood producer who s a sick pervert, is perfectly acceptable, as long as he s the one who signs your enormous paychecks.Gwyneth Paltrow claims that she was sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein when she was just 22: https://t.co/ZtZlJFXZ6z pic.twitter.com/oqRm7WSO9q E! Online UK (@EOnlineUK) October 10, 2017Is your skin crawling yet? Wait until you watch the video below and read about the horrific experiences these former child actors had with full-grown men in Hollywood.Cernovich The recent exposure of serial sexual predator and Hollywood Democrat kingpin Harvey Weinstein raises, even more, questions than it answers.In a now famous photo, Weinstein can be seen grabbing young actress Emma Watson in a compromising position.While the public controversy currently centers around Weinstein s sexual abuse of power over young women, the question remains how young were Weinstein s victims?Former child actor Corey Feldman has publicly stated that I was molested and passed around, while discussing how in Hollywood adult males in the industry would pass young stars back and forth to each other. Feldman revealed that his co-star Corey Haim was raped at 11-years-old.Actor Elijah Wood confirmed Feldman s claims in May 2016, describing Hollywood as a den of vipers in an interview, and saying If you can imagine it, it s probably happened. Wood said he was protected from abuse by his mother, who didn t let him go to Hollywood parties, but he said other young child actors were regularly preyed upon by those in power.Wood also compared Hollywood s sexual predators with known pedophile and English TV personality Jimmy Savile. You all grew up with Savile, Wood said. Jesus, it must have been devastating. Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organized. X-Men director Bryan Singer is among those publicly accused of sexual abuse of young boys in Hollywood.Was Weinstein one of the men Elijah Wood says is sexually preying upon young children in Hollywood? Is Weinstein one of the men Feldman says would pass young stars around?The questions must be asked when an apparent industry of pedophilia and sexual abuse has been in the open and yet kept secret for decades.Watch this disgusting interview with former child actor Corey Feldman regarding pedophilia in Hollywood: I can tell you the #1 problem in #Hollywood WAS and IS and ALWAYS will be pedophelia. @RedNationRising #MAGA pic.twitter.com/ARb0W7QYnC DONNA WARREN (@DonnaWR8) October 9, 2017


9 News reports :  It is understood the American Journalist died of lung cancer surrounded by loved ones in London on Saturday.  Colleagues and fellow journalists across the world, including WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, have taken to social media to pay their respects.  In his illustrious career, MacFayden produced and directed more than 50 documentaries on a wide range of topics including neo-Nazis, child labour, the Iraq arms trade and Frank Sinatra's ties to the mafia.  MacFadyen seemed to be one that stood up for Whistleblowers and sought to breed a new generation of investigative journalists. His wife Susan Benn said , "His loyalty to those under attack from powerful forces, particularly whistleblowers and journalistic groups like Wikileaks, will remain a beacon for years to come."  "He was the model of what a journalist should be... He spearheaded the creation of a journalistic landscape which has irrevocably lifted the bar for ethical and hard-hitting reporting," she added. "Gavin worked tirelessly to hold power to account."  "His life and how he lived it were completely in sync with the principles that he held dear and practiced as a journalist and educator – to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable," she concluded.  However, some have claimed that there may be a cover up involved in the death of MacFadyen due to a tweet that was shortly posted on Twitter and then removed.  We also know that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange fears for his life after he has exposed the corruption in government via leaked documents. In fact, we know that many US politicians, including Hillary Clinton have called for his assassination . Hillary Clinton on Assange "Can't we just drone this guy" -- report https://t.co/S7tPrl2QCZ pic.twitter.com/qy2EQBa48y  — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 3, 2016  In an opinion piece by Kristine Moore following MacFadyen's death, she writes , "Having Julian Assange stand at his window in the Ecuadorian Embassy might not be such a good idea after all. If a sniper is able to take him out from nearly a mile away, I think we can all understand why Julian stays well away from his window these days. Assange clearly fears for his life and if he didn't, he would just saunter over to the window, pull the curtain, and wave to everybody. He knows people are concerned about him, but he is right not to put his life at risk just to reassure us with a physical appearance, however fleeting it may be."  "Lest you think I am being paranoid by suggesting that there could be a sniper lying in wait for him, just remember that Hillary Clinton once quipped that he should be taken out by a drone ," she added. "Even if you say that it was just 'a joke' and meant in jest only, what Secretary of State jokes about murdering somebody in front of other government officials? Many of us have no doubt whatsoever in our minds that if she or someone else were able to do this and get away with it, they would."  I can see why people might question MacFedyen's death, much like the death of Antonin Scalia was questioned , even though both men were advanced in years. It's also understandable why Julian Assange would want to keep out of sight as much as possible considering the criminal in the White House . shares


British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday the government would maintain its commitment to protecting Europe after Brexit as she accused Russia of military aggression and meddling in elections. The prime minister said Britain would continue to provide assistance to states that were victims of aggression. The UK will remain unconditionally committed to maintaining Europe s security, May said in a speech at the Guildhall in London s financial district. The comprehensive new economic partnership we seek will underpin our shared commitment to open economies and free societies in the face of those who seek to undermine them. The British government is playing one its strongest cards in the Brexit negotiations by offering to put its defense and security assets at the disposal of the EU in the hope of winning concessions on future trading and economic relations. The country has bigger defense budgets than any other EU member state and its diplomatic and intelligence services are among the most extensive in Europe. Its government also argues it is one of the leading EU contributors to a range of security measures, such as data and evidence sharing, extradition measures and to the EU s police agency Europol. May on Monday accused Russia of fomenting violence in eastern Ukraine, of repeatedly violating the national airspace of several European countries, and mounting a campaign of cyber attacks. She also accused Russia of meddling in elections and hacking the Danish defense ministry, the German parliament and its state-media of planting fake stories and photo-shopped images in an attempt to undermine western institutions. May said the government is working to reform NATO so it is better placed to counter Russian hostility and has stepped up military and economic support to Ukraine. We will take the necessary actions to counter Russian activity, she said. May also said she wanted better relations with Russia if it worked to promote peace. Russia can, and I hope one day will, choose this different path, she said. But for as long as Russia does not, we will act together to protect our interests and the international order on which they depend.


The Athens Metro came to a standstill on Thursday when workers in the Greek capital began a 24-hour strike to oppose the possible privatization of the rail operator. The strike disrupted the daily commute for thousands of Athenians and caused gridlock on streets leading to the city center. Metro workers are protesting the transfer of Attiko Metro operator and other state-owned enterprises to a sovereign wealth fund set up under the latest international bailout with the EU and the IMF. Proceeds from the fund, known as the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations, will help Greece cut its debt burden and fund investments. Privatizations have been a pillar of Greek bailouts since 2010 but have reaped poor revenues so far amid bureaucracy and opposition by politicians and unions. Greece is aiming for 5.5 billion euros from state asset sales by 2018, when its bailout expires. Big tickets this year include the sale of a 66 percent stake in the natural gas grid DESFA and a 67 percent stake in the port of Thessaloniki.


When President Obama came into office in 2009, his party held commanding majorities in both houses of Congress. By the time he left, they had hemorrhaged dozens of House and Senate seats, and nearly 1, 000 seats in State houses around the country. Obama may have beat Romney in 2012, but voters were sending a clear message about which party they wanted passing the laws. [Still, Obama had no intention of "waiting for legislation" when it came to his agenda. "I've got a pen and I've got a phone," he declared. Ignoring the fact that gridlock between the executive and legislative branches is not a defect in America's government, but an essential component, Obama figured the elected representatives of the people would be no match for his executive orders. Certainly, the executive order is a legitimate constitutional tool at the president's disposal. Presidents frequently use them to direct federal departments, and to implement Congressional statutes. Few criticized Obama's mere use of executive orders, or even the number he issued. The problem was always their brazen unconstitutionality. Take for example Obama's executive order on immigration. Congress had been debating "comprehensive immigration reform" ad nauseam for decades, with attempts to pass major legislation failing in 2007, and again in 2013. Growing restless, Obama issued an executive order in 2014 that would have delayed deportations of 5 million illegal immigrants. states filed for injunction, arguing that the order violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The Supreme Court would deadlock effectively blocking Obama's executive amnesty. But the issue raised before the Court was telling. For perhaps the first time in American history, the Supreme Court reviewed whether a president had violated the Take Care Clause of the Constitution. Article II, section 3, reads in part that the president "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed. " The obscure clause serves as a bulwark against monarchical suspensions of law, while imposing on the President an affirmative duty of faithful execution of the law. Despite campaigning on reversing President Bush's policy of "trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress," it appeared Obama was issuing orders in lieu of legislation. Curiously, now that Obama is no longer president, the left is once again interested in executive overreach. In his first few days in office, President Trump fired off a barrage of executive orders. But while Trump's orders are worthy of debate as matters of executive policy, they so far have not created new law. Yet, reactions have been apoplectic. When Trump issued a temporary freeze on travel from seven Middle East countries, protesters rushed to the airports to stop this "Muslim ban. " Where were these people when Obama was openly writing his own laws? Trump's order broadly restricts citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya from entering the U. S. for the next 90 days, and suspends all refugees for 120 days. It was the Obama administration that first identified these countries as areas of terrorist "concern. " In 2015, the administration required persons who had travelled to these countries in the previous 4 years to apply for a visa before entering the United States. Obama also blocked Iraqi refugees for six months in 2011, after discovering Al Qaeda terrorists living as refugees in Kentucky. Trump's restrictions are certainly broader than Obama's visa restrictions, and many criticized Trump's order as it applied to permanent U. S. residents holding green cards. But that is a question of policy, not constitutionality. For one, the order says nothing about banning Muslims, and it affects the same seven countries as Obama's visa restrictions. It does not affect other countries. If Trump's order singling out these seven countries amounts to religious discrimination, then so did Obama's visa restrictions. Others say the order religiously discriminates because it prioritizes refugees of a minority religion. But prioritizing classes of refugees isn't a novel policy. In 2015, the Obama administration declared its preference for refugees "deemed to be the most vulnerable," including minorities, "whether that's a racial minority or an ethnic minority or a religious minority, or even … an LGBT person. " Moreover, the Immigration and Nationality Act expressly authorizes the president to suspend immigration in furtherance of public safety, or national security. Indeed, national security policy is indisputably within the president's constitutional authority. In the order, Trump cites national security for these temporary restrictions. As a matter of fact, Obama cited national security when he placed restrictions on visas for these same countries, and when he halted Iraqi refugees. So did President Carter in 1980, when he restricted visas to Iranians. So did several other presidents in the numerous other times immigration restrictions were placed on specific countries. Last Friday, U. S. District Judge James Robart issued a nationwide injunction against the ban. In his brief ruling, Judge Robart does not address any constitutional issues, and merely finds that the State of Washington met its minimum burden. Yet, on the same day, a federal judge in Boston reached the exact opposite conclusion, ruling against the ACLU's similar attempt to block the travel ban. Robart's nationwide injunction now goes to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. No matter the outcome, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which this does not reach the Supreme Court. Nationwide injunctions were issued several times against the Obama administration, including for his executive amnesty. But while the Constitution does not authorize the president to write new laws, or extend legal status to 5 million it certainly grants the president substantial authority where national security is concerned. Perhaps a few federal judges think they have a "pen and a phone" too?


U.S. President-elect Donald Trump upped the stakes on Friday in a back-and-forth exchange with President Vladimir Putin over nuclear weapons that tested the Republican's promises to improve relations with Russia. Offering a glimpse of how he might conduct diplomacy after taking office on Jan. 20, Trump reportedly welcomed a nuclear arms race with Russia and China and boasted that the United States would win it. MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski said Trump told her in an off-air phone call: "Let it be an arms race. We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all." The television station did not play his comments on air. It was the second brusque comment about atomic weapons in two days from the New York businessman that alarmed nuclear non-proliferation experts worried about fueling global tension. The broadsides from Trump's resort in Florida appeared to be aimed mostly at Putin even though the two men have vowed to patch up relations between their countries once the Republican enters the White House. Trump tweeted unexpectedly on Thursday that, "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes," but gave no further details. That comment appeared to be a response to Putin who said earlier on Thursday that Russia needed to "strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces." Russia and the United States are at odds over Syria's civil war and Ukraine but Cold War-style nuclear tensions have greatly eased in recent years. Moscow and Washington signed the New START nuclear treaty in 2010 which reduced strategic weapons and delivery systems. Putin, accused by the Obama administration of overseeing a wave of cyber attacks against U.S. political organizations during the presidential campaign, said on Friday he had no interest in competing with the U.S. nuclear weapon program. "If anyone is unleashing an arms race it's not us ... We will never spend resources on an arms race that we can't afford," he said at a news conference. The Russian president said he was surprised by State Department comments that the U.S. military is the most powerful in the world. "Nobody is arguing with that," Putin said. He said he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor and said he saw nothing new or remarkable about Trump's own statement about wanting to expand U.S. nuclear capabilities. The United States is in the midst of a $1 trillion, 30-year modernization of its aging nuclear arsenal and replacement of its ballistic missile submarines, bombers and land-based missiles. It is a price tag that most experts say the United States can ill afford. Russia, also bound by New START limits, is carrying out its own costly modernization program but is not expanding its warhead stockpile. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the president-elect's nuclear comments were meant to send a general message of strength to countries like Russia and China rather than indicate the United States planned to build up its nuclear capabilities. "He is going to do what it takes to protect this country and if another country or countries want to threaten our safety and sovereignty, he is going to do what it takes," Spicer said onCNN. Trump was elected president unexpectedly last month partly on a platform of building up the U.S. military but he also pledged to cut taxes and control federal spending. His nuclear comments suggest that improving relations with Moscow might not be easy. Trump on Friday released what he said was "a very nice letter" from Putin dated Dec. 15 in which the Russian leader sought bilateral cooperation and a "new level" of relations. In an accompanying statement, Trump said he hoped both countries could "live up to these thoughts" rather than "have to travel an alternative path." The Obama administration has accused Russia of trying to interfere with the U.S. election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory. "The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors," he said at his Friday news conference. "(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name. They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity." Trump expressed his agreement with Putin's view of the Democrats. "So true!" Trump tweeted Friday evening. Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that only Moscow had believed in his victory. "Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him," Putin said, adding with a smile. "Except for you and me."


The wreckage of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter missing off Svalbard, Norway, since October 26 has been located, Norway s rescue coordination center said on Sunday. The wreckage was found offshore at a depth of 209 meters, it said. Eight Russian men - five crew and three passengers - are assumed dead and the search for them will continue.


The impassioned election-year debate over President Obama's immigration executive actions lands Monday before a short-handed Supreme Court, where justices will consider a fundamental question: how much power does the president truly have? The justices plan to hold 90 minutes of oral arguments dealing with Obama's bid to spare millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. A coalition of states calls it an executive power grab. "President Obama's executive action is an affront to our system of republican self-government," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who supports those states. But the White House contends the president's authority is clear, and the policies humane and reasonable. Obama has promoted his program as a plan to "prioritize deporting felons not families." It's a case that will be closely watched in an election season where Republican front-runner Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his campaign. The outcome also could have considerable bearing on Obama's legacy, potentially determining whether his lame-duck bid to go around Congress is upheld or ruled an overreach. At issue Monday is whether as many as 5 million illegal immigrants can be spared deportation -- including those who entered the U.S. as children, and the parents of citizens or legal residents. The programs -- known as Deferred Action for Parents of American Citizens and Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) -- effectively went around the Republican-led Congress. Opponents, including 26 states and GOP members of Congress, say the plan exceeds constitutional power. A federal appeals court earlier had struck down DAPA, which has yet to go fully into effect. The Justice Department then asked the high court for a final review, in what could be a key test of Obama's executive powers his last year in office. The decision to review the case was welcome on both sides of the aisle. "The Constitution vests legislative authority in Congress, not the president," said Hatch, urging the justices to rule against the administration. But the White House voiced confidence the policies would be upheld. "Like millions of families across this country -- immigrants who want to be held accountable, to work on the books, to pay taxes, and to contribute to our society openly and honestly -- we are pleased that the Supreme Court has decided to review the immigration case," spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine said. The issue of illegal immigration has taken a center-stage role in the Republican primary battle, as Trump calls for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico and candidates spar over who is toughest on the issue. The immigrants who would benefit from the Obama administration's plan are mainly parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. said in a court filing that allowing the past rulings to stand would force millions "to continue to work off the books." Besides immigration, Obama has used his unilateral authority to act on such hot-button issues as gun control, health care and global warming. However, as with other high-profile Supreme Court appeals this term -- on ObamaCare, abortion rights and affirmative action -- the outcome here likely will be affected by death in February of Justice Antonin Scalia, which left a 4-4 bench split along conservative-liberal lines. A 4-4 ruling would effectively scuttle the issue until after Obama leaves office in nine months, and mean at least a temporary setback to his domestic policy legacy -- even if the justices punt, and choose to reargue the case when Scalia's replacement is sworn in. The justices also could rule narrowly on procedure, finding a compromise on a technical issue not directly related to the larger policy questions. On the legal side, the GOP-controlled House filed an amicus brief supporting the states, telling the high court, "the Executive does not have the power to authorize -- let alone facilitate -- the prospective violation of the immigration laws on a massive class-wide scale." Supporters of the administration vow this issue will resonate in an election year. "There are millions of families of U.S.-born citizens that live under the fear of separation and deportation," said Ben Monterroso, executive director of Mi Familia Vota, an Hispanic advocacy nonprofit. "Our community is watching and will hold accountable those who have stood on the way of our families through the ballots in November." MFV and other immigrant rights advocates plan to march at the Supreme Court around Monday's arguments. The case is U.S. v. Texas (15-674). A ruling is expected by late June.


The shootings were not even over yet before the conservative newspaper New York Post blared a headline declaring civil war between black people and police on Friday. CIVIL WAR Four cops killed at anti-police protest, the headline read late Friday night as the New York Post unveiled their Friday morning cover as blood was being spilled in Dallas.Friday s cover: 4 cops killed in Dallas tragedy https://t.co/NpUskqqtLt pic.twitter.com/tlqx0P721y New York Post (@nypost) July 8, 2016As it turns out, five police officers were killed, but the protesters at the Black Lives Matter rally were peaceful and had nothing to do with the killing.Regardless of the facts, the New York Post clearly suggested that Black Lives Matter activists were responsible for the tragedy and escalated the rhetoric by declaring that police and black people are engaged in a civil war with each other even though that is not the case whatsoever.In the wake of the unjustifiable killing of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by white police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier this week, Black Lives Matter took to the streets to protest the murders and to demand that police officers are held accountable for their actions and that all officers learn to exercise restraint.The protests have been peaceful but one idiot chose to retaliate with senseless gun violence and killed five innocent police officers in Dallas who were on the job observing the rally to guarantee the safety of the protesters.And when the shooting started, police actually protected Black Lives Matter protesters, both black and white, and the protesters actually assisted the police by helping them identify where the shots were coming from. A black protester even suffered a gunshot wound to the leg when she threw herself on top of her kids to protest them. BLM worked with police prior to the rally and there was no animosity between the protesters and the Dallas police. Some officers even posed for pictures with protesters in solidarity. Demonstration in #Dallas @ Belo Garden Park pic.twitter.com/IUx5IaERSB Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) July 8, 2016But Micah Xavier Johnson, who was unaffiliated with BLM and was upset with the movement, turned the peaceful demonstration into a tragedy that the New York Post is now exploiting to to increase tensions further between the black community and police. And Twitter users blasted them for it.@nypost delete your paper J rgen Camrath (@uniwave) July 8, 2016 @nypost Shame on you miserable fucks. pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) July 8, 2016That night none of us could sleep because the world was burning and the @nypost decided to pour gasoline on the flames. Melissa Hawks (@MelissaBHawks) July 8, 2016 @nypost This is one of the most irresponsible headlines I have ever seen a news organization put out. This is fucking shameful. Charlie (@notcharchar) July 8, 2016@nypost That seems like race baiting. No evidence protesters had anything to do with attacks on police Mama s Got A Gun (@MamasGotAGun) July 8, 2016 @bdd4 @nypost Sad state of affairs when a newspaper tries to rouse hatred between Americans #UnitedWeStand Mama s Got A Gun (@MamasGotAGun) July 8, 2016.@nypost It was NOT an anti-police rally rather a way of bringing #Dallas together blacks/whites/police against senseless killings. Sheindie (@Sheindie) July 8, 2016 @nypost pretty irresponsible headline. Christopher Ridley (@SFviaNJ) July 8, 2016@nypost this is irresponsible as hell and you should all be ashamed of yourselves t.ink (@00Hex) July 8, 2016 @nypost Doesn t get worse than this headline it s un-American. Meredith D. (@YankeeBeatCheck) July 8, 2016The New York Post should be ashamed of themselves for publishing this cover. It only seeks to divide and sow the seeds of hatred and racism. Black Lives Matter did not kill these five officers. A lone individual with a gun did. This cover does nothing more than incite further violence and hate, which is probably making the NRA and their Republican puppets very happy right now.


Nepal has scrapped a $2.5 billion deal with China Gezhouba Group Corporation to build the country s biggest hydropower plant, citing lapses in the award process, the energy minister said. The cabinet has canceled the irregular ... agreement with Gezhouba Group to build the Budhi Gandaki hydroelectric project, Energy Minister Kamal Thapa, who is also the country s deputy prime minister, said on Monday in a twitter post in Nepali after a cabinet meeting. He did not give further details. Nepal s rivers, cascading from the snow-capped Himalayas, have vast, untapped potential for hydropower generation, but a lack of funds and technology has made Nepal lean on neighbor India to meet annual demand of 1,400 megawatts (MW). In June, a Maoist-dominated coalition government awarded a contract to China Gezhouba Group Corporation to build a 1,200 MW plant on the Budhi Gandaki river, about 50 km (32 miles) west of Kathmandu, to address acute power shortages. Critics say the $2.5 billion project was handed to the Chinese company without any competitive bidding, which is required by law, and a parliamentary panel asked the government that succeeded the Maoist-led coalition to scrap the deal. Speaking in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he was unaware of the reports but said China maintained very good relations with Nepal and enjoyed cooperation in many areas and projects. Gezhouba did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment and did not answer telephone calls. China and India jostle for influence with aid and investment in infrastructure projects in Nepal. Kathmandu has cleared a 750 MW project to be built on the West Seti River in the western part of the country by China s state-owned Three Gorges International Corp. It has also permitted two Indian companies - GMR Group and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited - to build one hydropower plant each, both capable of generating 900 MW of power each, mainly to be exported to India.


HAZLETON, Pa. — Thousands of Dominicans have poured into this little city in eastern Pennsylvania since 2001 to work in the food plants and warehouses on the edge of town, where the highway to New York meets the highway to Philadelphia. Hazleton's population is growing for the first time in more than half a century. Landlords, doctors and shopkeepers are learning to love their new customers. But the city's economic evolution has left behind its previous, working class, and the presidential election has crystallized its frustrations. Many of those losing ground economically, including lifelong Democrats, say they plan to vote for Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee. Many of those who are prospering, including lifelong Republicans, say they will vote for the Democrat, Hillary Clinton. For both sides, how to deal with immigration has become a defining political issue, one that is likely to transcend the contretemps over Mr. Trump's treatment of women that has cost him so much support among elected Republicans. This city was built by European immigrants who flocked here a century ago to work in the coal mines. Their children found better jobs in the factories. Now their grandchildren are struggling against economic decline and cultural displacement. "I don't care for this town no more because of the Hispanics," said Lewis Beishline, 70, as he sat drinking at 11 a. m. on a Friday at Cusat's Cafe, a bar owned by the mayor of Hazleton, who lives upstairs. Mr. Beishline, a retired welder, said he moved from Hazleton to a nearby town last year because he no longer felt safe. He plans to vote for Mr. Trump, he said, "because of the immigration. " The Hispanic community, meanwhile, is eager to establish its own political power in the face of what many describe as persistent and painful discrimination. Community leaders in this city of 25, 000 say they have registered more than 800 Hispanic voters in recent months, expanding the voting rolls by almost 10 percent. "I tell my kids, if someone asks where you are from, you say 'Hazleton,'" said Guillermo Lara, 49, who moved here from Mexico in the early 1990s and whose two daughters were born here. "We're here, and we don't go nowhere. We want more. " That sharp divide is mirrored by the candidates seeking the Oval Office. Beyond his promised wall and deportations, Mr. Trump has denigrated immigrants repeatedly, at times without distinguishing between legal and illegal immigration. "Donald Trump's position on illegal immigration plays a big role in his support not only in Hazleton but in northeast Pennsylvania," said Lou Barletta, a Republican who represents the region in Congress and has stood by his nominee as other Republicans in Congress have fled. In 2006, as Hazleton's mayor, Mr. Barletta championed a ordinance penalizing employers and landlords for dealing with illegal immigrants. The courts blocked it from taking effect, but Mr. Barletta said Mr. Trump's popularity reflected the continued demand for stronger government action. "He's going to win here, and win big," Mr. Barletta said. Mr. Barletta introduced Mr. Trump at a rally in nearby on Monday night, declaring that voters in northeastern Pennsylvania would propel Mr. Trump to the White House. Mrs. Clinton, by contrast, has celebrated immigrants, both legal and illegal, as important contributors to American society. Her campaign describes her plan to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as one of her most important ideas for increasing economic growth. "Comprehensive immigration reform will grow our economy and keep families together — and it's the right thing to do," Mrs. Clinton said in accepting the party's presidential nomination in Philadelphia, about 100 miles southeast of Hazleton. The Hispanic population grew faster in Luzerne County, which includes Hazleton, than almost any other county between 2000 and 2011, according to the Pew Research Center. While immigration has slowed since the 2008 recession, Hispanics continue to move here from larger cities like New York and Paterson, N. J. In the 2000 census, just 4. 9 percent of Hazleton's population identified as Hispanic. A decade later, that figure was 37 percent. By 2014, the most recent data available, 46 percent of the population said it was Hispanic. In all likelihood, Hazleton is now a city, just like the nearby cities of Reading and Allentown. The Hispanic ascendence emerged from seismic economic shifts, said Jamie Longazel, a professor of sociology at the University of Dayton who grew up just outside Hazleton and wrote a book, "Undocumented Fears," about the city's struggles with immigration. When the local coal mines began to close in the 1950s, Hazleton residents raised money to build an industrial park that attracted factories to the region. When the factories began to leave in the 1990s, the city mobilized again. Local officials won state permission to create one of Pennsylvania's largest Keystone Opportunity Zones. A Cargill meat processing and distribution plant arrived in 2001. Other distribution businesses have followed, including an Amazon. com warehouse. Many residents claim that city officials advertised for immigrant labor on billboards in New York or New Jersey, but Mr. Longazel said there was no evidence that ever happened. The truth is that the immigration was unanticipated but most likely inevitable. "The new jobs don't pay as much as the old jobs did, and the reality is that folks were just not interested," Mr. Longazel said. The city also was also aging. Almost a quarter of the population was over 65 in 2000, roughly twice the national average. And nature abhors a vacuum — especially in a work force. Many of the new arrivals trace their roots to one Dominican city, San José de Ocoa. Hazleton's old shopping streets, nearly abandoned in the 1990s, are now lined with Dominican bakeries, barbershops, travel agencies and Mexican restaurants. The Italian restaurants are now run by Mexican families. The city has two Spanish radio stations and a television station that broadcasts six hours of local programming a day. Stephen M. Schleicher, a dermatologist, said Hispanic residents now made up a third of his patients. He has hired a bilingual receptionist and is looking for a bilingual nurse. He has started placing ads in the local newspaper. Dr. Schleicher, a lifelong Republican, said that Mr. Trump's views on immigration had persuaded him, albeit reluctantly, to vote for Mrs. Clinton. "We're seeing a total revitalization despite the government trying to keep the immigrants out," he said. "It would have been a ghost town of older white people. " Yet it is easy to overstate Hazleton's recovery. Many of the new jobs pay poorly. Almost 29 percent of the population lived in poverty in 2014, almost twice the national average. And Hazleton's evolution has inspired deep resentment. Many residents complain bitterly about the new arrivals not speaking English, about loud music late at night, about people walking in the street and driving without regard for traffic rules. Wana Bostic, 45, scrapes by on $11. 50 an hour as a home health aide. She said that she was not paid nearly enough, but that employers can squeeze workers because of the ready availability of immigrant labor. "No one talks about white Americans and what we really need," she said. Crime has increased, as has drug use. The police force, meanwhile, has shrunk with declining tax revenue. Many residents are convinced that illegal immigration is to blame. "If you come into the country breaking the law, that's not a good way to get your foot in the door," said Nick Zapotocky, 31, who now has three deadbolt locks on the door of his home. "That says you're willing to break the law again. " He voted for President Obama in 2008. In 2012, he did not vote. And this year, he said he will vote for Mr. Trump. Francisco said people were blinded by their fear of change, unable to see the benefits that immigration is bringing to Hazleton. Mr. whose father was Mexican, runs a company that makes caps for old wells. He employs 30 people in the summer, only a few of them Hispanic. And he noted that some of the largest employers in the area are now Mexican companies, including Bimbo Bakeries, which has a plant nearby that makes millions of Thomas' English Muffins. Mr. said he had always voted Republican, loyal to his pocketbook. But he plans to vote for Mrs. Clinton, he said. "They fear they're losing what they remember," he said. "But what can you do? The United States is in evolution. Apple pie came after the Germans arrived. Maybe it will now be 'As American as salsa.' So what?" Hazleton still has no Hispanic elected officials. The city just added its first Hispanic police officer. The public school system, which has very few Hispanic teachers, was ordered by the federal Department of Education in 2014 to improve efforts to teach English to immigrants, and to communicate with parents. But a second generation of Hispanic Americans in Hazleton may force change. Mr. Lara worked three jobs to pay private school tuition so his daughters could avoid Hazleton's high school. After days in a factory, he washed dishes at night and cleaned offices on weekends. Two years ago, his eldest daughter, Amanda, graduated from Ithaca College in upstate New York with a degree in psychology and came home. She teaches classes for Hispanic children in the building that was once her elementary school. It has become a community center thanks in large part to Joe Maddon, a Hazleton native who manages the Chicago Cubs. Ms. Lara, who is studying for a master's degree at the University of Scranton, said racial tensions had increased. At the city's annual Funfest, she noticed an empty space between the Hispanic vendors and the Polish and Italian vendors. "And I hear it from my kids," she said of her students. "They're not dumb. They can tell when they're not liked or they're not welcome. " But she said she was not sure she wanted to move away. "People say, 'Why would you want to stay there? '" she said. "Well, for one thing, this is my hometown. "