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John McCain says NSA chief Keith Alexander 'should resign or be fired'. Senator gives interview to Der Spiegel, saying general should 'be held accountable' for Edward Snowden leaks.

If waterboarding was a war crime when the Japanese did it to my father, why isn't it a war crime anymore?...

Sydney cafe siege hostage Katrina Dawson was killed by ricocheting police bullets, inquest confirms

White House supports House Puerto Rico debt legislation: statementWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said it supports legislation, aimed at helping Puerto Rico dig out of its $70 billion debt crisis, that is set for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. However, the Obama administration does oppose provisions in the bill “on minimum wage and overtime that put in jeopardy important protections for workers, do nothing to address the crisis, and further exacerbate the economic disparities between Puerto Rico and the mainland United States,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. 

German minister urges EU to standardize asylum seeker benefitsBERLIN (Reuters) - Social benefits for asylum seekers in Germany are quite high and they need to be harmonized across Europe, the country s interior minister was quoted on Saturday as saying, two weeks before a national election in which immigration is a key issue. Thomas de Maiziere belongs to Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives, who are expected again to emerge as the biggest party after the Sept. 24 election despite losing some support to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). The right-wing AfD, which has tried to tap into public disquiet over Merkel s 2015 decision to open German borders to more than a million migrants, is expected to win up to 11 percent in the election and enter the federal parliament for the first time. In an interview published in the regional newspaper Rheinische Post, de Maiziere appeared to target voters particularly concerned by the migrant influx, saying asylum procedures and benefits for asylum seekers needed to be harmonized across the 28-nation European Union. What we need next is a standardized asylum system in Europe and we re currently negotiating that in the EU - it can t be that the standards are so different in Romania, Finland, Portugal and Germany, he said. Germany is the country that most (asylum seekers) want to live in because the process and conditions for being accepted are relatively generous compared with other European countries and the benefits for refugees are quite high compared with other EU member countries, he said. De Maiziere said a more harmonized system could involve possible subsidies for migrants to help cover higher living costs in countries such as Germany on top of a uniform amount agreed at the level of the EU. He also called for common legal standards, saying: Asylum seekers here can drag out their deportation significantly more than they can elsewhere using various legal paths.

Ahmadinejad: Iran already a nuclear state, but has no intention of launching attack on Israel

Trump Just Threw APPALLING Temper Tantrums At Some Of Our Closest Allies On The PhoneTrump has wasted absolutely no time letting some of our allies know what he really thinks of them. On a phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, he went off about a pledge the U.S. made to accept 1,250 refugees from a detention center in Australia. There are also rumors floating around that he threatened to send troops to Mexico if they don t get a handle on the border situation.While speaking to Mexico s president, Enrique Pena Nieto, last Friday, he allegedly told Nieto to control Mexico s bad hombres, or else we would send troops in to do it for him. The Associated Press first reported on an excerpt someone in the White House gave them of the phone call s transcript: You have a bunch of bad hombres down there, Trump told Pena Nieto, according to the excerpt given to AP. You aren t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn t, so I just might send them down to take care of it. Both the White House and Pena Nieto are denying that the call went this way, but a Mexican news outlet published something similar to what the AP has, and even said Trump was humiliating Pena Nieto. If it is, indeed, true that Trump said these words, then he seriously just cut down and threatened one of our neighbors with military action, or worse, invasion. Which would be the next logical step seeing as how he s done everything else he can to piss Mexico off.With Australian Prime Minister Turnbull, who was trying to confirm that we d honor our pledge to accept refugees, Trump said, This is the worst deal ever, and accused Turnbull of trying to send the next Boston bombers to us. He also blasted Turnbull about how the deal was going to kill him politically, because that s really what matters to him. Actually doing his job? Meh.Australia is one of our closest allies and Trump not only tore into him, it sounds like he hung up on Turnbull, too, well before the call was scheduled to end.We ve fought alongside, and received support from, Australia in the Middle East. They are not an ally we want to alienate, and yet, here Trump is, working as hard as he possibly can to do just that until they fall in line with what he wants.He also spent part of the call bragging about his inauguration numbers really? He s still not over that?Anybody who thought Trump would calm the hell down after winning the election, and actually treat foreign leaders with the dignity and respect of everyone else, was sorely mistaken. He uses Twitter to berate anyone with whom he has a disagreement why would he treat foreign leaders any differently?When he s finished bullying the entire world, we won t have any allies left (except maybe Russia).Featured image by Drew Angerer via Getty Images

Antonin Scalia’s Own Past Ruling Will Hand Obama HUGE Victory On Transgender RightsThe Obama administration recently sent a missive to public schools nationwide, informing them that they must treat students consistently with their gender identity even if it is different from what was biologically assigned to them by nature. Long story short, this means no bathroom police in our schools.Needless to say, Republicans didn t take this well. Their reaction was something between Obama telling them a yo momma joke and him personally burning the original copy of the Constitution.However, it seems that a victory for the administration will be handed to them by none other than the late Antonin Scalia himself, much to the distress of Republicans everywhere.In the 1990s, Antonin Scaia spoke for a unanimous court decision that found in favor of the plaintiff in a sex-discrimination case. The case was brought from a man who was being bullied by other men and threatened with rape in the showers at his job on an oil rig. The man s employer ignored the problem, and he brought a lawsuit over it. Scalia himself said that his employer s inaction was clearly discrimination based on sex, and he cited the Civil Rights act of 1964 as supporting this decision. Male-on-male sexual harassment was assuredly not the principal evil Congress was concerned with when it enacted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. But statutory prohibitions often go beyond the principal evil to cover reasonably comparable evils, and the words of the law can be easily read to forbid sexual harassment of any kind. Source: Oncale Vs. Sundowner Offshore ServicesAnd there you have it. Antonin Scalia just handed Republicans one huge fat goose egg on their efforts to make segregation cool again in America by rebooting it to hate on transgender folks. The spirit of the law is incredibly simple to understand. You aren t supposed to be harassed at work, school, or other public venue places, especially because of an inborn characteristic like being of a particular gender. The harassment for transgender individuals is impossible to portray differently so it wouldn t be covered by the Civil Rights Act.Republicans are aware of this, and this is why there has been a very recent outcry by many of them to have Congress fundamentally dismantle the Civil Rights Act. They d be willing to essentially trash the entire thing, exposing millions of people beyond only the transgender community to all forms of discrimination all so they can militarize American restrooms.Featured image via rrstar.com

Happening now: Minute-by-minute LIVE coverage of Snowden's meeting with human rights groups.

Ex-president George H.W. Bush moved to intensive care; wife hospitalized(Reuters) - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush has been moved to an intensive-care unit at a Houston hospital with pneumonia and was resting comfortably after doctors performed a procedure to clear his airway, his office said in a statement on Wednesday. His wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, also was admitted to the same hospital on Wednesday as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing, the office said.

Macedonia says five Kosovans led the armed group which was involved in clashes with security forces in the northern town of Kumanovo.

China tells Myanmar military it wants closer tiesBEIJING (Reuters) - China wants closer ties with Myanmar s military to help protect regional peace and security, a senior Chinese general told the visiting head of the southeast Asian country s army. China and Myanmar have had close diplomatic and economic ties for years, including increasingly in the strategically important oil and gas sectors, and China has offered its support to its southern neighbor, also known as Burma, throughout a crisis over its treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar s Rakhine State, most to neighboring Bangladesh, since a Myanmar military crackdown in response to attacks on the security forces by Rohingya insurgents in August. The United States on Wednesday for the first time called the Myanmar military operation against the Rohingya ethnic cleansing and threatened targeted sanctions against those responsible for horrendous atrocities . Meeting in Beijing, Li Zuocheng, who sits on China s Central Military Commission, which runs its armed forces, told Senior General Min Aung Hlaing that China s development and prosperity were an important opportunity for Myanmar s development, China s Defense Ministry said in a statement. In the face of a complex and changeable regional security situation, China is willing to maintain strategic communication between the two countries militaries, Li was cited as saying in the statement issued late on Wednesday. China wanted greater contacts between the two armed forces and deeper training and technical exchanges and to promote border defense cooperation to ensure peace and stability along their common border, Li added. China has been angered by fighting between Myanmar s military and autonomy-seeking ethnic minority rebels close to the Chinese border in recent years, which has at times forced thousands of villagers to flee into China. The Chinese ministry made no direct mention of the Rohingya issue in the statement. China built close ties with Myanmar s generals during years of military rule, when Western countries imposed sanctions on Myanmar for its suppression of the democracy movement. More recently, their ties have included oil and gas as Myanmar pumps natural gas from the Bay of Bengal to China. A new oil pipeline, opened this year, also feeds Middle East crude through Myanmar to a new refinery in Yunnan, southwest China. This has opened a new oil supply route to China, avoiding the Strait of Malacca and Singapore. The United States and other Western countries have stepped up engagement with Myanmar since the military began handing power to civilians in 2011, and especially since former democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won a 2015 election. But an international outcry over Myanmar s violations of the rights of the Rohingya has raised questions in Western countries about that engagement. Rights group Amnesty International has called for a comprehensive arms embargo against Myanmar as well as targeted financial sanctions against senior Myanmar military officials. China s Defense Ministry cited Min Aung Hlaing as thanking China for its support in helping Myanmar ensure domestic stability.

Anti-leak guide gets leaked on to the internet, they \r\nsaid it was unleakable

New Zealand forestry a first test in nationalist party's protectionist agendaWELLINGTON (Reuters) - Some New Zealand forest owners are suspending replanting of trees and re-thinking investments as the country s third-largest export earner finds itself in the sights of maverick politician Winston Peters protectionist agenda. The election king-maker last week said he would prioritize a restructure of the forest industry in closely-watched coalition talks with major parties after last month s inconclusive election result. The plan includes a possible quota system which would force growers to favor local mills over a higher-paying export market. Exports of forest products totaled around NZ$4.75 billion ($3.36 billion) in 2015, with China the top destination. That has put the Pacific nation s lucrative forestry sector at the heart of concerns that New Zealand First in power will spell greater government intervention in New Zealand s small, outward facing economy. Every time the government has done something like that we get what you call a hole in the supply of timber and we re going into a hole now, an undersupply, said Joe Carr, the owner of a privately-held logging business managing 500 hectares of forest in the far north of the country. Carr is holding off replanting 60 hectares of his land due to the possible restrictions and said on average growers were paid a third less to sell logs locally than to export them. He said his son was re-thinking whether his family should stick to forestry after 44 years in the business. FREE-MARKETEER New Zealand s plantation forests, like much of the country s industry, were opened up to private investment in the early 1990s after sweeping economic reforms the previous decade. Peters comments signal a stark change from New Zealand s role as a global test-bed for free market reforms since the 1980s. The New Zealand First Party is also pushing for significant curbs on migration, restrictions on foreign ownership of land and favors more central bank intervention in the foreign exchange market. Peters, a consummate pragmatist, is considered unlikely to insist on his more radical ideas. He has served in governments with both the Labour and National parties in the past without major economic overhaul. But the 72-year old is also looking to cement his legacy in what is likely to be his last major hold on power after 40 years in politics. Definitely, if he negotiates hard on some of these things, we could see a more interventionist approach than we have in the past, said Catherine Beard, head of industry association Business NZ. MILLION-DOLLAR HIT The idea is a quota-system would force more logs to be sold and processed locally, adding value to the NZ$270 billion economy. The industry could process around 20 percent more than the current 8 million cubic meters each year with more reliable supply, said Kevin Hing, deputy director of the New Zealand Timber Industry Federation, which represents sawmillers. We recognize that log export is an option for many forest owners, but we don t want that to be at the expense of domestic processing, Hing said. Forestry owners say big companies already favor local processors and the proposals would have a disproportionate impact on small forest growers. They worry the prospect of curbed earnings would lead growers to hold off planting, reducing the supply of logs. The unintended consequence of that, which I don t think Winston Peters has thought through, is that you actually devalue that asset and you chase investors away, said Peter Clark, CEO of forestry service firm PF Olsen Limited. He said such quotas would knock hundreds of millions of New Zealand dollars off timber assets. New Zealand s privately-owned forests, mostly pinus radiata that grow much faster than in their native California, are worth NZ$25-NZ$30 billion. Peters has also said foreign ownership restrictions would be a large part of this week s negotiations talks. He called the high concentration of foreign ownership crazy in an August speech on his plans for the forestry sector. Just over half of the country s forests are owned by offshore companies, according to the New Zealand Institute of Forestry. NZ First, in government, will seriously tighten up the ability of foreigners to buy our land, Peters said August. All of this is making some overseas investors nervous. They re saying if it gets much harder they think that their head office offshore will start looking at New Zealand ... and say: Do we, long term, want to continue investing in here or do we slowly start withdrawing? , said Warwick Searle, the head of agribusiness at investment consultant CBRE. An official for state-owned China Forestry Group, which owns about 22,000 hectares of New Zealand forest, said overseas ownership was already carefully regulated by the country s authorities and quotas would also make it harder to operate. We hope that New Zealand remains open for business, Steve Walker, the firm s local chief operating officer, in an email.

JESSE WATTERS CALLS OUT Liberal Pundit For Racist Assumptions About Trump: “What specifically are you fearful of that Trump will do? [Video].@jessebwatters: What specifically are you fearful of that Trump will do?@Jehmu: He said he wants to Make America Great Again Hmm pic.twitter.com/Xui5G3JSv6 Students for Trump (@SoCal4Trump) January 8, 2017

BREAKING: PROTESTER JUMPS ON STAGE…Grabs Trump…Secret Service REACTS…Trump Reaction Is PRICELESS [Video]A protester tried to attack Trump today at a rally in Dayton, OH but was subdued by the Secret Service. The crowd went nuts! Trump s reaction is PRICELESS:

Vatican detains suspect in unauthorised leaks probe

CHARLIE DANIELS WARNS LIBERALS: Knock It Off Or “There Will Be Blood In The Streets!”Over a century ago, the United States of America went through a divisive and bloody Civil War that separated the people of this nation bone from marrow. It split friends, families and eventually the nation itself as a line was drawn dividing the Union States of the North from the newly formed Confederacy of the Southern States.Ostensibly, the war that followed was fought over the abolition of slavery, a devilish practice that never should have been allowed in the first place, and although it was the basic issue for the conflict as is the case so much of the time there were a myriad of other issues involved.One in my opinion was just plain stubbornness and pride and the dogged determination that the South would not let itself be told what to do by the other half of the country, but trade, tariffs and different attitudes and beliefs about just how far a federal government could go in setting the tone and making laws to be obeyed by all the states were also involved.The point I m trying to make is that the feelings festered so long and ran so deep that men whose fathers had stood shoulder to shoulder in the war for independence faced off across fields of battle and killed each other.The Civil War never should have happened, and had cooler heads prevailed on both sides, never would have. Southerners had to know that slavery was an abomination to the principles they had fought and died for in the Revolution.No man has the right to own another man, to reap the fruits of his labor for nothing, to consider his children nothing more than commodities to be sold off or traded away on a whim, separating families and breeding human beings like livestock.But instead of acknowledging the very obvious evil of this situation, politicians from the South, convinced that the economy of the Southern States was dependent on slavery, chose to become a separate nation and soon after over six hundred thousand Americans lost their lives in a senseless war that would set the Southern States back a half century.Surely, had it been approached by fair, level-headed men on both sides of the issue, abolition could have been achieved without war. But the rhetoric grew ever hotter. Brash young men on both sides, who had never fired a gun in anger, viewed a war as the pinnacle of romanticism, and implacable politicians refused to give an inch. Is this not the same attitude we see on the streets of America today?I see young people interviewed on television who can t even articulate the reason they are protesting. Others bent on destruction who probably espouse no cause but chaos.I ve seen hysterical protestors screaming about First Amendment rights which they seem to think only protect them and those who think like them and that the opposition has no First Amendment protection and should be shouted down at all costs.The rhetoric is becoming hotter and more nonsensical, the radical element more apparent, the violence and destruction of property more common place.The pot is boiling and it s only a matter of time before there will be blood on the streets.Americans have the right to civil disobedience, a right to gather and demonstrate against some policy they feel is unfair or harmful to the country at large, but they do not have the right to interrupt commerce, break windows, burn cars or do bodily harm to those who disagree with them.People who won t listen to reason, who ignore the law of the land and who try to stifle the opinions of others tend to forget that there is an element of violence on the other side as well, a side that, thankfully, so far has not yet come forth.But, should these conditions continue, someday soon the violent elements of both persuasions will find themselves on the same streets, and what will ensue will not be pretty.Learn from history, or repeat it.What do you think?Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.God Bless America Charlie DanielsCharlie Daniels is a legendary American singer, song writer, guitarist, and fiddler famous for his contributions to country and southern rock music. Daniels has been active as a singer since the early 1950s. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January 24, 2008.

U.S. lawmakers seek temporarily extension to internet spying programWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are working to build support to temporarily extend the National Security Agency’s expiring internet surveillance program by tucking it into a stop-gap funding measure, lawmakers said. The month-long extension of the surveillance law, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, would punt a contentious national security issue into the new year in an attempt to buy lawmakers more time to hash out differences over various proposed privacy reforms. Lawmakers leaving a Republican conference meeting on Wednesday evening said it was not clear whether the stop-gap bill had enough support to avert a partial government shutdown on Saturday, or whether the possible addition of the Section 702 extension would impact its chances for passage. Absent congressional action the law, which allows the NSA to collect vast amounts of digital communications from foreign suspects living outside the United States, will expire on Dec. 31.

New York’s Attorney General Could Literally Put Trump Out Of BusinessAfter perhaps the worst day in presidential history, something is brewing in New York that could do far more damage than any political scandal ever could. It could put Trump completely out of business.A group in New York State is petitioning New York s Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, long a critic of Trump, is being urged to pull Trump s business charter altogether.The group is called Free Speech for People. They, like many liberal advocacy groups, are best known for ill-fated petitions, like this one attempting to impeach Trump. However, things could be different this time because of timing.The group did not unearth any new information about Trump s company. Instead, it dug up the company s past legal infractions, such settlements over housing discrimination charges in the 1970s and fraud allegations at Trump University last year, and argued that Schneiderman ought to take action against the company now that Trump has become president and declined to sell his interests. By continuing to operate under Trump family ownership and control with President Trump in the White House, the Trump Organization flagrantly abuses its state-granted powers, contrary to the public policies of New York against corruption and conflicts of interest, and contrary to the U.S. Constitution, the letter reads.Source: Washington PostWith one breaking scandal after another since the day Trump took office (less than four weeks ago), the public mood, especially in blue state New York, it turning against the wannabe dictator. Between Trump s Russia scandals (potential treason) and the fact that Trump refuses to divest himself from his business interests.While most in politics might dismiss the letter as being from liberal cranks (conservative cranks are typically the only ones politicians pay attention to), Free Speech for People have chosen the right target. Schneiderman has been fighting Trump since before Trump became a birther. He s currently in the process of suing Trump over immigration and he was one of the plaintiffs in the Trump University case.Schneiderman has acknowledged the letter, which is more than most would likely give us. Let s hope he takes up the cause. If you are in New York, contact Schneiderman s office at 800-771-7755.Featured image via Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Muslim Publics Oppose Al Qaeda's Terrorism, But Agree With Its Goal of Driving US Forces Out

Official Chinese Newspaper Calls for War Against Vietnam and the Philippines to Secure Natural Resources in the South China Sea

Obama’s Gas-Guzzling Motorcade To Paris Climate Talks Had A Huge Price Tag For The American TaxpayerAre you sitting down? The phony baloney Climate Change Summit put on by our Dictator In Chief costs the American taxpayers close to $2 MILLION DOLLARS. Someone needs to shut this grifter down!Car service, hotels, and accommodations for the president and other administration officials to attend climate change talks in Paris are costing taxpayers nearly $2 million, according to government contracts.The COP21 meeting of global leaders, which President Obama said is a powerful rebuke to terrorists, began on Monday. Representatives from 195 countries traveled to Paris, burning 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide for the United Nations conference that is seeking to reduce global emissions.The tab for Obama s motorcade alone totals $784,825. The State Department issued a $407,868 contract to Biribin Limousines, an international chauffeur service, for vehicles for the president s security detail. No Sustainability Included, the document states under a section for contract clauses.Numerous other contracts for passenger vehicle rentals, including $9,042 for accompanying press, totaled $376,957.Taxpayers were also billed $100,216 to book hotel accommodations for the president s stay. Hotel rooms and cell phones for the U.S. Secret Service traveling with the president cost $16,642 and $4,034, respectively.A number of cabinet secretaries are also in Paris for the United Nations conference, including IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, whose car service tab is $5,400.Secretary of State John Kerry s car service totaled $76,435, with three separate contracts worth $38,684, $15,789, and $21,962.Car service for Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is costing $19,080, and two contracts worth $10,153 and $10,737 were issued for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack s chauffeur service.Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is also attending the conference, with hotel accommodations at the Tuileries Finances in Paris costing $36,091, and her car service totaling $13,903.In all, costs associated with the climate change summit totaled $1,805,282.Read more: WFB

White House says opposes House bill on restaurant caloriesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday it opposes a bill from the U.S. House of Representatives that it said would undercut regulations aimed at requiring fast food and chain restaurants to disclose the calories in food they sell. But the White House stopped short of issuing a formal veto threat for the bill, which it said “would undercut the objective of providing clear, consistent calorie information to consumers.” Tackling the American obesity epidemic has been a signature issue for the White House and first lady Michelle Obama. The menu regulations, finalized by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014, require calories to be listed on menus and menu boards of certain chain restaurants with 20 or more locations, and on certain vending machines.

Top Senate Democrat urges Justice Department watchdog to probe possible interferenceWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on the Department of Justice’s inspector general to probe any possible political interference in its investigation of contacts between President Donald Trump’s associates and Russia. In a letter to the department’s inspector, Schumer urged an “immediate investigation into whether there has been any political interference with an ongoing ...(DOJ) investigation related to President Trump’s campaign, transition, and administration’s contacts with the Russian Federation and attempts of Russia to interfere with the 2016 United States election.”

$US 13 billion of the money allocated for reconstruction projects in Iraq was wasted or stolen, with some of it ending up in al-Qaedas coffers

BRAVE PRO-TRUMP REPORTER Grabs Microphone At Climate March…Tells Liberal Crowd To Chant “Bill Clinton Is A Rapist!” [Video]A Conservative Reporter was brave enough to grab the mic at the Climate March and instruct people to yell Bill Clinton is a rapist! Everybody raise ya fist Everybody raise ya fist Bill Clinton is a rapist Bill Clinton is a rapistThe crowd wasn t too happy! You ll see in the video below Props to Jack Posobiec! Grabbed the mic and trolled the #ClimateMarch into singing Bill Clinton is a Rapist Grabbed the mic and trolled the #ClimateMarch into singing Bill Clinton is a Rapist pic.twitter.com/E8kSzbtd4K Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) April 29, 2017

Both Koreas suffering worst drought in a century: North Korea dispatched soldiers to pour buckets of water on parched fields and South Korean officials scrambled to save a rare mollusk threatened by the heat as the worst dry spell in a century gripped the Korean peninsula.

David Cameron rules out any future military action in Syria

Trump Has 2 New Candidates For Secretary Of State, And They’re Worse Than Everyone Else CombinedSomeone isn t happy with the current possibilities for Secretary of State and is expanding the search. Apparently, there are two new candidates, and they aren t politicians. They aren t former or current military. They aren t everyday Joes. They aren t even Wall Street execs, but they might as well be. They re Big Oil executives.And they aren t just any Big Oil execs. One is Rex Tillerson, the current CEO of ExxonMobil, and the other, Lee Raymond, is the former CEO of ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil is our biggest oil giant.How bloody fantastic is that? Putting Big Oil in charge of the Department of State, arguably the most important cabinet position there is. There could be any number of reasons for this, but Trump s insistence that we should have taken Iraq s oil is one that comes to mind.That s not very likely, though. ExxonMobil is partnered with Rosneft, Russia s state-owned oil company. So ultimately, Putin is in charge of Rosneft and ExxonMobil is Putin s partner. It could be that Trump is trying to tie us more closely to Russia, and that seems far more plausible.It s also entirely possible Trump thinks he might be able to use the Department of State to further his own business interests if he nominates a CEO, although the CEO of an oil company isn t exactly who we d think of if this were the case. Not to mention that he d be putting someone in a position that could potentially be abused for the purpose of furthering their own business interests abroad.Tillerson supports the idea of man-made climate change, and ExxonMobil s position on the Paris climate accord is favorable. However, Tillerson also made more than $25 million last year, so there s another wealthy business insider to build that levee on Trump s swamp higher so it floods, rather than drains.Trump kicked off his victory tour today by saying America first, in an Indiana speech. Perhaps he s deluded himself into thinking that expanding his search for a Secretary of State to Big Oil executives is exactly that. However, it doesn t really mesh well with what everyday Americans thought he meant when he said, America first. It smacks of serious cronyism.Filling his cabinet with wealthy Wall Street financiers, CEOs, and Washington insiders is the polar opposite of what he campaigned on. There s no telling what an ExxonMobil CEO would do as Secretary of State. There s no telling whether he d even be able to do the job. Trump is either continuing to serve his own ends, curry favor somewhere, or he really is completely clueless.Watch a short report from Rachel Maddow on this below:MSNBC has learned that Donald Trump has expanded his secretary of state search to Exxon executives. https://t.co/QsxL5PG8Bq Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) December 2, 2016Featured image via screen capture from embedded video

The Internet is a Surveillance State

China launches website laying claim to Senkaku Islands

Its just amazing how Libor-fixing can make you that much money or lose it if opposite, he wrote. It is a cartel now in London. Royal Bank of Scotland Employee

Canada poised to claim ownership of vast underwater territory bigger than Quebec

Israeli intelligence agents photographed members of the Rachel Corrie aid mission before the ship left dock in Dundalk. The first mate of the vessel has claimed that during their time in Israeli custody they saw photographs of several members of the group clearly taken in Ireland.

Man found with 51 Turtles stuffed in his pants.

Obama, Republicans urge Trump to soften toneWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump is facing bipartisan pressure to adopt a more presidential tone in his White House run including from Democratic President Barack Obama and Republicans who worry his missteps may do irreparable harm to the party and his campaign. The Republican front-runner came under fire from Obama on Friday over Trump’s recent comments that he would not rule out using nuclear weapons in Europe and that Japan and South Korea might need nuclear weapons to ease the U.S. financial commitment to their security. “The person who made the statements doesn’t know much about foreign policy or nuclear policy or the Korean peninsula, or the world generally,” Obama told a news conference at the conclusion of a nuclear security summit in Washington. “I’ve said before that people pay attention to American elections. What we do is really important to the rest of the world,” he said. Trump lost ground on the online prediction market after drawing fire for his suggestion earlier in the week, which he later dialed back, that women be punished for getting abortions if the procedure is banned. Those who marveled at Trump’s rise are now warning the New York billionaire that his shoot-from-the-lip approach to campaigning could jeopardize his chance to win the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election. Tuesday could be a turning point when Wisconsin hosts its nominating contest. Trump, 69, trails his leading rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, 45, of Texas in the Upper Midwestern state. A Cruz win would make it harder for Trump to reach the magic number of 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination before the Republican national convention in July. The winner will get to claim all of Wisconsin’s 42 delegates. “If he continues to fumble the ball, he risks everything,” said David Bossie, who as president of the conservative group Citizens United has helped to introduce Trump to grassroots activists. “These types of ham-handed mistakes give his opponents even greater opportunity.” But losing the Republican nomination may not keep Trump out of the November election. In excerpts of an interview on “Fox News Sunday” to be aired this Sunday, Trump said he wanted to run as a Republican but declined to rule out a third-party candidacy. Asked what he would do if he didn’t get the Republican nomination, Trump replied: “We’re going to have to see how I was treated.” A businessman and former reality TV show host, Trump has never held public office but hails his mastery of negotiating business deals as the sort of experience a U.S. president needs to be successful at home and abroad. He sent ripples through the Republican Party, which promotes a muscular foreign policy, by declaring NATO obsolete and for asserting that as president he might loosen the ties with longstanding U.S. allies. Trump made a surprise visit on Thursday to the Republican National Committee in Washington where he said he and Chairman Reince Priebus discussed how to unify the party going into the July convention. Priebus also addressed any confusion Trump may have had about delegate allocation rules that will govern the proceedings, a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters. Should Trump fail to win enough delegates to secure the nomination outright in the state-by-state contests ending in June, party delegates will select a nominee at the convention in a complex process of sequential votes. Online predictions market PredictIt said on Friday that the probability Trump will win his party’s nomination has dropped sharply in the past week while the likelihood of a contested convention to choose another candidate has risen. Those Republicans who see in Trump a chance to generate voter turnout beyond party regulars to blue-collar Democrats and win the White House say his detail-free style of campaigning has come back to haunt him and he needs to gear up for a new phase. Trump needs to be less sensitive about attacks from opponents and let some go by without responding, said retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a former Republican presidential candidate who dropped out of the race earlier this year and has since endorsed Trump. “If he can just get beyond that and learn how to bite his tongue and redirect people to something that is important, it will show a level of statesmanship,” Carson said. During the Wisconsin campaign, Trump has relentlessly attacked the state’s governor, Scott Walker, another Republican who dropped out of the presidential race last year and who has endorsed Cruz. Former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has offered Trump informal advice, said Trump should replicate the type of performance he gave at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on March 21, when he spoke from a teleprompter and offered a well-thought-out case for strong U.S.-Israeli relations. Gingrich said Trump should make eight to 10 policy speeches in order to give voters “a sense of stability and seriousness.” “He’s gone from being an insurgent that people laughed at and a front-runner that people were amazed by to the potential nominee. That requires you to change your role as all this comes together,” Gingrich said. Alternatively, Trump could start to listen to what he says is his wife Melania’s longtime admonishment: “Darling, be more presidential.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders will compete in Wisconsin on Tuesday on the Democratic Party side. Both have hop-scotched between Wisconsin and New York, which holds its primary on April 19. Clinton, a former U.S. senator from New York with national campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, is trying to prevent the Brooklyn-born Sanders, who represents Vermont in the Senate, from eroding support on her home turf. Both candidates will attend a state party fundraising dinner in Wisconsin on Saturday.

Kenyan opposition leader Odinga, who withdrew from vote re-run, calls for protestsMOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who withdrew from a presidential election re-run set for Oct. 26 saying it should only take place once wide-ranging reforms are undertaken, urged his supporters on Sunday to hold protests. Authorities have banned protests in central Nairobi and other hotspots in a bid to keep a lid on mounting political turmoil in the build-up to the repeat vote, in which Odinga had been set to challenge President Uhuru Kenyatta once again. The Supreme Court nullified Kenyatta s victory in the original election on Aug. 8, citing procedural irregularities. On Friday, Odinga said his withdrawal meant the poll had been canceled and that there should be fresh nominations for a new vote. Come out in large numbers tomorrow like you have done today and fear no-one. This is your country and you have the right to protest, he told a crowd in the coastal city of Mombasa. The election board has said the vote will go ahead, with Kenyatta facing six other candidates, none of whom polled more than 1 percent in August. During a trip to London last week, Odinga told Reuters that he might consider returning to the Supreme Court for clarification on whether the Oct. 26 poll was legal. I went to tell our friends in London the truth of what was happening here. Jubilee should know that we are not interested in a coalition government, he said, referring to Kenyatta s party. Despite the ban, protests have taken place in the East African country a regional and trade gateway which is the region s richest economy and an important Western ally in the fight against militant Islamists. On Friday, Kenyan police shot dead two people and wounded a third when a crowd tried to storm a police station in the town of Bondo in the southwest county of Siaya during a rally. Police also used teargas to break up small demonstrations in Kenya s three main cities Kisumu, the capital and the port of Mombasa the same day, defying the ban on rallies in city centers. Hospital authorities said 20 people were injured in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold. I am ready to die for change in Kenya, James Orengo, an opposition senator and lawyer who led Odinga s successful petition at the Supreme Court, told the crowd in Mombasa, which numbered in the thousands.

(VIDEO) GRIFTER HILLARY CLINTON MADE $700K WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER SAYING SHE WAS DEAD BROKECNN mostly dismisses the Clinton e-mail scandal and just brushes over it but John King makes a great point this morning:Sunday on CNN s Inside Politics, host John King pointed to a Washington Post story detailing that within 24 hours of her telling ABC news last year that she was, dead broke after leaving the White House the Clinton gave speeches making $700,000 in fees.King said, The Washington Post story this past week saying within 24 hours of saying we were dead broke to justify making some money, the Clintons combined made $700,000 in speeches. That is going to be tee-ball for the Republicans. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times said, What you just said, I suspect will have more residence than the emails. Via: Breitbart

For Bannon, The Losses Just Keep ComingSteve Bannon is portrayed as the Grim Reaper on Saturday Night Live. There is a President Steve Bannon meme out there from coverage of the controversial advisor. In reality, his influence seems to be headed nowhere but down. First, he totally blew President Donald Trump s health care initiative. Then, his influence waned further when he openly seemed to fight with son-in-law Jared Kushner and urged the president to not take action in Syria. Now, Trump has even backpedaled on this demands that Congress fund the wall between the United States and Mexico, against the wishes of Steve Bannon.The border wall with Mexico was a big part of the Trump campaign. All of his rallies included a session of chanting with the audience of Build the Wall! For his part, Trump never acknowledged that Mexico is never going to pay for this expensive wall. It is also part of Bannon s dreams for the United States. His worldview, which was front and center during the president s Inaugural Address, needs this wall.Bannon is so enamored by the wall that he was pushing for a government shutdown to get Congress to include funding for it. Clearly, he learned nothing from the healthcare debacle where he told Trump to try to strong arm Congress into passing their bill because Trump wanted them to. Bannon s lack of experience dealing with our legislative branch is clear. As a co-equal branch of government, its members are never going to do something just because the White House tells them to. If you are thinking Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pushed through Neil Goresuch s nomination because of this kind of work, you miss the win it gave McConnell.This week, Bannon told his supporters, This is a stand worth taking. We re drawing a line in the sand. It looks more and more like Bannon is going to be alone drawing that line as if you didn t think his days in the West Wing were numbered before, it is more than clear that they are now.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty Images.

WATCH: GEORGE W. BUSH Offers Somber Memorial Honoring Lives Of Murdered Dallas Police Officers…OBAMA Gives Speech About URGENT Need For GUN CONTROL [VIDEO]These two Presidents could not be more different. George W. Bush is a natural born leader. He inspires others to consider someone other than themselves, to come together and to unite. He proves through his actions that we shouldn t be afraid to act as a humble servant of the Lord. Barack Obama s speech on the other hand, proves he is nothing more than a narcissistic, arrogant and condescending community agitator. As George W. Bush appeals to the better side of America and implores them to come together and heal in the face of heightened racial tensions, Obama remains laser focused on himself, and on his insatiable desire to take away our Second Amendment Right. Obama s speech was not geared towards healing a torn and divided community. His speech was about promoting his radical gun-control agenda. It was about sound bites, as he waited on cue for applause from a group of people who were there to mourn the loss of their father, their brother, their son or their trusted co-worker.Watch George W. Bush s eloquent unity speech, honoring the lives of the brave Dallas law enforcement officers who were killed at the hands of a racist inspired by the Obama-Holder-Sharpton war on cops and war on White Americans:Compare G.W. Bush s speech to the divisive, angry and condescending speech from a petulant Barack Hussein Obama who just can t seem to get Americans to buy into his final act:

1/5 of Bahrain's population shows up to protest

REPORT: Fox News Might Be Under Investigation By Federal AuthoritiesIf federal authorities discover what they are reportedly looking for, the Republican propaganda network could be in deep sh*t.Last year, Roger Ailes was ousted as Fox News boss because Gretchen Carlson and other female anchors filed sexual harassment lawsuits.According to Carlson s lawsuit, Ailes punished her after she refused to have sex with him. He constantly ogled her and told her to wear short skirts to emphasize her legs. He also allowed misogyny to run rampant. Carlson even named current Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy in the lawsuit.First, Ailes demoted Carlson by removing her from Fox & Friends. And then he fired her after she continued to refuse to sleep with him to further her career.The case against Ailes was so damning that even Megyn Kelly defended Carlson.Eventually, Ailes settled the lawsuit and Fox News paid Carlson $20 million. Ailes was then fired by the company and given a $40 million severance package.And that money is the source of a possible investigation that federal authorities are considering or already moving forward with.Andrea Tantaros lawyer Judd Burstein, who is representing her in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News and Roger Ailes, recently received a subpoena from federal prosecutors. And he told the Hollywood Reporter what it means. Once I saw it, I knew what was happening, Burstein said. They were investigating whether Fox News violated securities laws by not reporting settlements to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In other words, Fox News may have settled the lawsuit against Ailes without informing the shareholders of the decision to pay Carlson $20 million while also agreeing to pay Ailes $40 million. Their haste to quickly sweep the lawsuit out of national headlines would be a violation of rules set up by the Securities and Exchange Commission.In a statement following the report, Fox News claimed the corporation has not received a subpoena, but did say they have been in contact with U.S. Attorneys. The court granted FOX News motion to send Andrea Tantaros case to arbitration, where it always belonged, and rejected her counsel Judd Burstein s histrionics. Apparently one of Mr. Burstein s other clients has received a subpoena. Neither FOX News nor 21CF has received a subpoena, but we have been in communication with the U.S. Attorney s office for months. We have and will continue to cooperate on all inquiries with any interested authorities. If Fox News gets busted for not informing their shareholders they could end up paying a hefty fine to settle with the SEC. That just takes more money out of Rupert Murdoch s pockets and could make it more difficult for the company to make huge offers to Fox hosts and anchors to stick around when it s time to renew contracts. It would be a major financial setback for the conservative propaganda machine.Hopefully, federal authorities are able to launch or continue their investigation without interference from Donald Trump.Featured image via Dangerous Minds

Traumatic Brain Injuries: Growing evidence shows that Progesterone should be considered as an optional treatment

Fidel Castro accepts responsibility for persecution of Cuban gays

The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

Indian Illegal Mining Investigation that Led to Arrests of Public Officials Abruptly Ends Without Explanation - Sudden halt sparks concern over extent of corruption uncovered. India ending investigation shows failure to protect vulnerable tribal communities.

US foe Cuba sends condolences for marathon attack

'I know I have sinned, and I have to be punished. Strangely however, I felt that the caning was not a form of punishment but was an opportunity for me to repent and return to the right path'

Trump Asks Advice From The Swamp He Promised To Drain – Americans Are OUTRAGED At What They SaidNot too long after taking office, Trump decided to start asking around about how the government could roll back regulations and make it easier for companies to get their projects approved. But he didn t ask ordinary Americans, or small business owners. He didn t ask people in small towns and big cities. He asked big corporations what their opinions were. He sought advice from the same people he blasted as The Swamp during his campaign, and promised repeatedly to drain it.Now, given who he s appointed to his cabinet, it was pretty clear that he had zero intention of draining the swamp. Trump specifically targeted manufacturers and fossil fuel producers for this, probably because he thinks allowing them to run roughshod will at least help him pretend he s truly bringing manufacturing jobs back. But this is even more egregious because major industry insiders don t care about people. They don t care who they hurt in pursuit of the almighty dollar. Of course they want industry regulations cut these are the industries people fought (and died) against to stop things like child labor and worker exploitation.The White House got 168 comments total. Manufacturers went after the EPA the hardest, with 79 of those comments targeting that agency. The EPA received 79 comments total, because of course it did. And companies targeted the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts with 48 and 29 comments respectively, because having to clean up after yourself so everyone around you can breathe clean air and drink clean water is just too difficult.Trump s decision to halt key provisions of the Clean Water Act has already angered people, particularly those living in communities that are especially vulnerable to poisoned water. The director of the Sierra Club s Beyond Coal campaign has said: Trump s attempt to halt these clean water protections for mercury, lead, and arsenic from coal power plants is dangerous and irresponsible. After years of peer-reviewed studies, extensive input from medical experts and scientists, and thorough review of public comments, the EPA made the right call in finalizing strong clean water protections against coal plants dumping toxic heavy metals into our waterways As a mother, I m frankly horrified that the EPA would put the safety of drinking water at risk for millions of Americans, but that s exactly what they ve done. Coming from West Virginia, where we ve had enormous challenges with maintaining clean water supplies due to the coal industry s political influence, I m outraged that these common sense protections are under attack from the EPA itself. But, well, profit is king here, even though the coal industry is never going to recover no matter what Trump tries to do. A full breakdown of the agencies and regulations that these companies would like to see rolled back, if not outright eliminated, is below:BP says it wants to make it easier to drill for gas and oil in the very same Gulf that was devastated in the Deepwater Horizon disaster, because why force them be careful when they can lie about being able to self-regulate? (Big corporations can t self-regulate.) And The Associated General Contractors of America wants to roll back regulations for paid sick leave for government contractors. They probably want to get rid of overtime rules, too.Of course, business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are applauding Trump for this. They see this administration as one that is finally interested in relieving businesses from a regulatory onslaught that occurred, principally, during the prior administration. Others are not so sure this is the best way to do things, though, because companies will always, always, always act in their own best interests, and damn the rest of the world. Jeffrey Zients, who worked on regulatory issues under Obama, said: At a time when many CEOS are focused on the short term and looking to maximize their profitability each quarter, I believe that a lot of their aversion to these regulations reflects a short-term mind-set that values reducing costs over anything else.That s unfortunate, because well-crafted regulations are an important part of creating sustainable and fair economic prosperity in the long run. A detail. These companies don t want sustainable and fair economic prosperity in the long run. They want unfair and profitable in the short run. It s the nature of the beast. And it s why the business world needs strong regulation. Instead, Trump is trying to give them back the ability to do what they want, when they want, how they want, without regard to the harm they cause.Featured image by Ron Sachs Pool via Getty Images

Islamic State (IS) fighters have been targeted by other radical Islamist groups in Libya who have now declared a jihad against the extremist group.

Junk mail levels drop by 70% all because of the closure of one web hosting company

Captain ‘Murica: Civil War – Theft, Fraud, Booze And Brawling Are Wrecking The Bundy RevolutionThe next American Revolution ended before it ever started, by the hands of the very patriots that claimed they were ready to die for the freedom poachers and arsonists.Ammon Bundy s occupation of misfit militiamen is already starting to fracture apart because they just can t seem to get along with each other. Brawling, fraud, theft, booze and paranoia are quickly turning the situation in Oregon into the fastest failure of a publicly funded reality TV show ever.Blaine Cooper, whose real name is Stanley Blaine Hicks, was accused by another militia member of assaulting him with a sucker punch. The victim of the assault, Jeff Kagan, quickly called upon the government he hates when he dialed 911 after the assault. No reason was given for the assault, other than the fact Kagan walked from his camp across the street, towards the main militia gathering area. When he approached the area, Cooper attacked both Kagan and one other individual. Cooper also attacked one of a 3-member group of people who came to help remove a suicidal veteran who suffered from PTSD. Allegations were made that Cooper planned on using the veteran literally as a target to provoke a violent confrontation with federal authorities, by exploiting his PTSD and suicidal tendencies. While Cooper appears to still be there, he has prevented others from joining to grow their numbers. Count him as about 3 to 4 lost members.Self-titled Captain Joe O Shaughnessy stole crowdfunded money from the group s war chest to fuel a drinking binge at a local motel. This caused him to be branded a deserter and a coward by fellow militia members, such as John Ritzheimer. After all the booze money was gone, the captain left the standoff and claimed all statements made about him by the militia members are a smear campaign.Brian Booda Cavalier, who goes by the name Fluffy Unicorn (yes he really does) has also been forced out of the militia as well. This happened after he was caught lying about being a former marine when the US Marines confirmed with the press that he has never served a day in his life. Cavalier was the personal bodyguard of Ammon Bundy for a time.The infamous blue tarp man LaVoy Finicum, is also leaving the gathering, despite his allegations that the FBI will arrest him if he does. I need to get home. I got cows that are scattered and lost, Finicum was quoted as saying. Clearly he should have brought his cows with him so he could take care of them.Initial reports that indicated the militia were numbering around 150 individuals appear to have been exaggerated as well. The group was actually 15 people and now it is down to 12 without a federal officer firing a single shot due to bad behavior and directionally challenged cows.Perhaps the first Bundy standoff was more successful and avoided mockery because it was relatively new. Who really knows? With luck, these people will make being in a militia as uncool as your dad wearing socks with sandals while chaperoning the school dance.Featured image via WMUR

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK: Harvard Bound Malia Obama Caught In Frat House Picture With Large Party BongMalia Obama is taking a party gap year before she begins school at the prestigious Harvard University. Even though it was reported that Barack Obama was furious with the pot smoking, twerking, Malia Obama after she was caught at a rowdy party that was reportedly busted by the police on Martha s Vineyard it doesn t seem to have slowed her down The idea that Malia is embarrassing the family is laughable, given the antics of her father and mother over the past 8 miserable years A picture circulating on social media appears to show Malia Obama near an item that resembles a large bong.The image was taken at a University of Pennsylvania fraternity house on Sunday, according to Radar Online.The 18-year-old is wearing the same distinctive Smoking Kills T-shirt that she was seen sporting at the Budweiser Made in America festival in Philadelphia that day.The teenager, who is taking a gap year and will attend Harvard in 2017, also sported a crimson baseball hat with an H on it a nod to her future alma mater. Daily Mail

The Taliban ambushed a convoy of a female Afghan senator seriously wounding her in the attack and killing her 8-year-old daughter and a bodyguard

Did Anonymous Just Release Records PROVING Ted Cruz Ordered Prostitutes Through DC Madam? (SCREENSHOTS)Right-wing blogs are buzzing with what they view as absolute proof that Ted Cruz availed himself of the DC Madam s services while business was still booming on the elite prostitution front. Recently, Rachel Maddow reported that Deborah Palfrey s former attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, is ready to spill the beans on the previously-unreleased clients who were not outed as part of the original investigation. He has been in possession of these records for years, but has been prevented via restraining order from releasing them.Hundreds of names have been released, but Sibley is in possession of hundreds more and at least one of them, he says, could alter the 2016 presidential race. To date, he has not named the person or people who made an appearance in the records, but he is adamant about releasing them. Not only has the lawyer filed a request with the Supreme Court to be released from the order that prevents him from making this information public, but he has vowed to release it illegally if need be. He has also set up a dead man s switch that will release the information if something happens to him that prevents him from taking action for a period of 72 hours.Many have speculated that Ted Cruz is the name on the list, given the recent National Enquirer piece that outed five alleged Cruz mistresses including Donald Trump s current mouthpiece Katrina Pierson. Previously, Anonymous threatened to release evidence that Cruz frequented prostitutes and on April 1, an account that claimed to be associated with the hacktivist collective did indeed tweet out a now-deleted image purporting to show Cruz among the many, many phone numbers contacted by Palfrey.First, there is no evidence to show that the account is in any way related to Anonymous. Additionally, it seems as though this alleged phone record may be a fake. A closer look at the image shows a rather suspicious typo on the Date of invoice. Specifically, it is 120/01, a date which does not exist period.There s also the matter of the 1:32 call between 7:19 and 7:35 pm in a list that is otherwise chronological:While it is entirely possible that the records are accurate, and that the records simply contain typos, and while it is convenient and even appetizing to immediately say BOOM GOTCHA after viewing these records, it does not appear that these are legitimate. While there is almost certainly something slimy in the Evangelical Christian s past that will ultimately end him, this image (which was released on April Fools Day) is likely a fabrication that should be taken with the same grain of salt with which people should take everything conservatives say in general.What involvement, if any, did Cruz have with the DC Madam? It looks like we re still going to have to wait a while.Featured image via screengrab/photoshop

The disaster of (American) Indian health care

BREAKING: Photo Of Terrorist Who Threatened To Kill 16 “White Devils” At U of Chicago Is Released This is not a joke. I am to do my part to rid the world of the white devils. Jabari Dean (c.) leaves the U.S. Dirksen Federal Courthouse Tuesday with his lawyer (l.). (DNA Info)The black student was released today after threatening to murder 16 white kids. DNA Info reported: A college student who threatened to kill 16 white students or staff members at the University of Chicago leading the school to cancel classes Monday was ordered released from federal custody Tuesday.Jabari Dean, a 21-year-old electrical engineering student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, left the federal courthouse Tuesday afternoon with his mom and lawyer. He was charged Monday with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.Dean posted threats from his mother s phone on the website Worldstarhiphop.com on Saturday and then later deleted it, but not before a tipster sent the comments to federal agents in New York, according to the FBI. I will be armed with a M-4 Carbine and 2 Desert Eagles all fully loaded, the online post states, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. I will execute approximately 16 white male students and or staff, which is the same number of time Mcdonald was killed. I then will die killing any number of white policemen that I can in the process. This is not a joke. I am to do my part to rid the world of the white devils. Jabari posted this threat on the World Star Hiphop website:Via: Gateway PunditOf course, CNN reports the news of the campus shutdown at Univ. of Chicago without once mentioning the actual threat to kill 16 white devils in retaliation for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald:Here are a few tweets from #BlackLivesMatter mocking the decision of University Of Chicago for shutting down the campus in an effort to protect the lives of the 16 White Devils. #SAFETYISFORWHITEFOLKS because #UChicago literally is surrounded by an area where black people face a threat of gun violence every day. Francis (@DerekCaquelin) November 30, 2015A year ago @Olivia_A_Ortiz was publicly threatened with rape as was the entire class of '17. @UChicago shut ZIP down https://t.co/rHOQqdkS1f Ursula Wagner (@UrsulaCWagner) December 1, 2015And then there s this poor soul who s doing his part to stay on top of his intersectionality and white privilege game https://twitter.com/ira/status/671451417798819840That s not all that was on the mind of #BlackLivesMatter terrorists today. They spent quite a bit of time threatening any black pastor who even thinks about supporting white candidate, Donald Trump.If these Pastors start pushing Trump to our community there will be WAR. A lot of us ain't gonna let that shit ride. https://t.co/GlTg2L81bK Elon James White (@elonjames) November 30, 2015So who's gonna compile a list of every Black pastor that met with Donald Trump "on the behalf of the African American community?" Clarkisha Kent (@IWriteAllDay_) December 1, 2015Trump's peeping over dude's shoulder like an overseer https://t.co/RsyBxMaxMC Ctrl Alt Right (@lezzietechie) December 1, 2015Black preachers about to go cash they trump checks. https://t.co/mTKb57OXhX Frank Fontaine. (@ChillnCliffSide) December 1, 2015Because of course, the #BlackLivesMatter crowd is apparently down with the old white socialist dude, for no reason in particular other than the D after his name.I am running for president because 11 million undocumented people cannot continue living in the shadows. Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 30, 2015And just for fun, we re throwing in a micro and macro aggression tweet, because Russia, ISIS, and an invasion of unchecked Muslim refugees aren t nearly as important as microagressions https://twitter.com/krennylavitz/status/671481401984724992

Kenya opposition, ruling party MPs exchange blows at rival news conferencesNAIROBI (Reuters) - Legislators from Kenya s ruling party and opposition exchanged blows on Thursday, after polls closed in a controversial repeat presidential election. Live national television showed MPs tumbling into a hedge at Nairobi s Panafric Hotel when the two sides clashed after attempting to hold near-simultaneous news conferences at the same venue. One lawmaker shouted profanities on camera, prompting nervous giggles from anchors. The fistfight reflected larger tensions within the country, that saw polling stations in some counties unable to open after opposition leader Raila Odinga called for a boycott of the Oct. 26 poll, saying it would not be free and fair. Odinga s withdrawal left President Uhuru Kenyatta as the only serious contender for the presidency, although six other candidates were also on the ballot. Kenyatta won a presidential poll on Aug. 8 that was later nullified by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds. They (the government MPs) came here, instead of addressing their own issues, they started attacked Raila, Anthony Oluoch, opposition MP for Mathare constituency, told Reuters at the Panafric Hotel after the brawl. I was not engaging in physical violence, I was attacked by more than 10 or 15 people. Opposition MPs said a joke against Odinga from Senator Kipchumba Murkomen from the ruling Jubilee party sparked the brawl, but the senator blamed the other side for the violence. We met the ODM (opposition) MPs in the gallery, they asked me to buy them drinks, I bought them drinks. These people are just violent, he said.

I will not forget my childrens blood: Aleppos female sniper vows to take her revenge -- Her fame has spread throughout Aleppo. Her comrades have nicknamed her Guevara, but to many residents she is known simply as the female sniper.

Shooting Reported At Capitol; Gunman In CustodyAt 2:40 PM today, an unidentified male entered the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center with a gun. The man was captured, and a police officer and female bystander were reportedly injured, but not seriously. The gunman was also injured and was taken to the hospital.The gunman reportedly tried to go through metal detectors with the weapon. When the detectors went off, and security confronted the man, he pulled out his gun, when he was shot by a police officer.The Capitol and buildings in the area were placed on lockdown for roughly half an hour, causing some confusion as there was a lockdown drill in the Capitol earlier this morning. The visitor center is still closed, but the House and Senate reopened for official business purposes only. Although Congress is not currently in session due to a break for Easter, Washington DC is flooded with tourists this time of year for its annual Cherry Blossom Festival.The incident was deemed as isolated by local police.The visitor center at the Capitol was built via an underground center with high security after two Capitol police officers were killed in 1998 by a paranoid schizophrenic who entered the building and opened fire in 1998. Similar incidents have historically occurred at the Capitol as it is a high target for gunmen who want to ensure they receive national media attention.In April 2015, a male entered the Capitol building with a gun and committed suicide.Details from the Capitol shooting today are still emerging as to who the shooter is, what is plans were, and what were his motives for trying to bring a gun into the Capitol.Featured image courtesy of Flickr

‘Pharma Bro’ Faces Prison Time For Offering To Pay People To Assault Hillary ClintonIf you ve spent months or years telling Martin Shkreli, Pharma Bro as he is more commonly known, to go fuck himself, you ll be pleased to know he did just that.Shkreli, known for jacking up the price of life-saving medication, is currently out on bond while awaiting sentencing for securities fraud, but that may be a temporary condition of prosecutors have their way.Recently, Shkreli offered to pay his Twitter followers an obscene amount of money $5,000 per strand for Hillary Clinton s hair allegedly for genetic testing. The Clinton Foundation is willing to KILL to protect its secrets. So on HRC s book tour, try to grab a hair from her, he wrote Monday. I must confirm the sequences I have. Will pay $5,000 per hair obtained from Hillary Clinton. Payment after the sequence matches. Good luck, patrollers. Apparently, ordering people to assault the former First Lady a threat that has led to increased Secret Service protection isn t such a good idea when you re out on bond.Citing this threat as well as others Shkreli has made toward other women, prosecutors say his bond should be revoked because he represents a threat to the community. Prosecutors say that because of Shkreli s hit job, the Secret Service expended significant additional resources to ensure Secretary Clinton s protection. The government respectfully submits this motion for a bail revocation hearing, at which the government will move to revoke the defendant Martin Shkreli s bail and remand him into custody, the prosecutor s motion reads. His recent public conduct demonstrates that he cannot meet his post-trial burden to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that he does not pose a danger to the community. Shkreli has represented a danger to the community for quite some time, but it s nice to see people trying to get him away from society for a while.Featured image via screengrab

After Iowa, Trump’s Fragile Ego Totally Preparing For Being A Loser Everywhere (VIDEO)According to Donald Trump, he didn t lose in the Republican Iowa Caucus. He came in second, which is really the same thing as winning when you really think about it. Except it s not. However, to Trump s fragile ego, and what he tells himself in the mirror each night, is that he really won, because Ted Cruz was a meanie and cheated.Now, to prepare himself for loss everywhere he goes, Trump has now taken to telling everyone he doesn t actually have to win a state. In this case, New Hampshire. Someone should probably let Trump know that in order to win the Republican Party nomination he s going to have to not only win states, but win a lot of them, not come in second, but actually, in all legitimacy, win.However, Trump being Trump, and with his narcissistic personality disorder preventing him from being able to wrap his giant head around a loss, even losing is a win to him. He even told CNN s Jake Tapper on State of the Union: I want to win New Hampshire, but I don t think I have to win it. He s clearly preparing himself for a loss, despite having a monster lead in the Granite State, but after Iowa, he s probably thinking all bets are off.Donald Trump will never admit to losing, now if he does lose, well, he can say he called it and claim he never needed it: I told you guys I didn t need it! He s creating a bit of an insurance policy for himself as really any good businessperson would: you have a contingency plan.Oh, Trump. If not for your ego, you would be a very lonely man. Your love for yourself is unending. Trump: I want to win N.H., but I don t think I have to win it. #CNNSOTU Full interview: https://t.co/1UBwh3zztW https://t.co/uVRpYsQ305 State of the Union (@CNNSotu) February 7, 2016Video/Featured image: Twitter

NATO to pull $30B worth of gear from Afghanistan

BREAKING: MITT ROMNEY Speaks To Reporters Following Dinner With Trump [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/Ai5ayloRa-0

All-woman Lebanese aid ship to set sail for Gaza Sunday

Looks like that Russian ship was carrying missiles to Iran via Algeria

Another bombing attempt in Bangkok, no injuries

A US drone strike has killed the mastermind of the Westgate Mall massacre

Kenya's wild and dangerous west

South Africa mulls welfare cuts to fund free higher education: reportJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa s government is considering a range of budget cuts that could include slashing social grants for the most vulnerable in order to pay for free tertiary education, a newspaper reported on Friday. South Africa s rand weakened on Thursday after comments by President Jacob Zuma raised concerns about higher spending on education, which would put added strain on the country s already stretched public finances. The Mail & Guardian newspaper said a presidential fiscal committee had presented a document to Zuma outlining possible cuts to fund free higher education for lower-income students as well as plugging a swelling budget deficit. Options included cuts to the social grants that are the main source of income for around 17 million people - a third of the population - and slashing the budgets for housing, infrastructure and the armed forces. A freeze on civil servant wage hikes was also on the cards, the newspaper reported. The Presidency and Treasury did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Violent protests by students and activists demanding free tuition rocked several South African universities last year, underlying tensions in a country marred by glaring income disparities defined largely by race. South Africa is staring down the barrel of ratings downgrades after the Treasury last month widened the 2017/18 budget deficit estimate to 4.3 percent of gross domestic product while lowering this year s economic growth forecast to 0.7 percent from 1.3 percent.

Germany agreed Thursday to turn more than 60 former military bases into nature preserves, with the aim of creating vast new green oases and sanctuaries for rare species of birds

Trump says will quit Pacific trade deal on day one of presidencyWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump released a video on Monday laying out actions he will take on his first day in office on Jan. 20, including withdrawing the United States from a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Trump also said he would issue a rule cutting government regulations, direct the Labor Department to investigate abuses of visa programs, and cancel some restrictions on energy production, including shale oil and gas and coal.

Osama's neighbours say Pakistan knew: Pakistani security agents told them to stay inside and turn off their lights

Murdoch Hacked Us Too --- Excoriating attack on News Corp. Not just a UK issue. And there's a lot more to it than mere tabloid vulgarity and right-wing attack-dog politics

Iranians arrested by government for dancing to Pharrell's "Happy"

Trump, Koch brothers at odds over 'Trumpcare' voteWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans considering whether or not to back U.S. President Donald Trump’s healthcare reforms in a crucial House of Representatives vote this week face a painful choice. If they vote against, they could face the wrath of a vengeful and combative president. If they vote for it, they risk retribution from the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch and other powerful right-wing players whose money can be pivotal in re-election races. As Trump faces the most formidable, high-stakes negotiation of his presidency, the fierce battle in the U.S. Congress over his plan to replace Obamacare is a test of whether Republicans will trust him with their political futures at the risk of alienating deep-pocketed conservative advocacy groups. As Trump and leaders in the House round up support for the bill ahead of a planned Thursday vote, some groups are threatening to retaliate against those who do support it, including the Club for Growth, the Heritage Foundation’s political arm, and Americans for Prosperity, which is part of the expansive political pressure network established by the Koch brothers. All three groups are “keying” the vote, which means it will be a factor in determining whether the groups deem a lawmaker to be sufficiently conservative. That opens up the possibility that some Republicans who vote in favor of the bill could face a primary challenge in next year’s congressional elections and may not be able to count on help from the Kochs and others. Trump himself warned House Republicans in a meeting on Tuesday that their seats will be at risk next year if they do not support his healthcare bill, which would modify but not eliminate Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, Democratic former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare legislation passed in 2010. “He warned us that there are consequences if we don’t come together for us as a party and also for individuals,” Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina said after the meeting. “He wasn’t threatening in any way. He was just giving us a pretty clear warning.” Trump also told Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, an outspoken critic of the bill, that he was “coming after” him, according to people in the meeting. Meadows later said the president was joking. Some Conservatives believe the bill does not go far enough in dismantling Obamacare and have not been satisfied by the White House’s attempts to mollify them. NBC News reported on Tuesday that 26 House Republicans oppose the bill, which would leave House Speaker Paul Ryan short of the 216 votes he needs. No Democrat is expected to support the bill. The conflict has created an odd dynamic: Trump, who ran as an “outsider” candidate siding with the Republican political establishment against the hard-line conservatives who were some of his most ardent supporters. At the same time, Trump has never been a favorite of libertarian conservatives such as the Kochs, or of groups such as the Club for Growth, because, among other things, he has never taken a strong stand on reining in federal spending. They opposed him during the Republican presidential campaign. For them, the healthcare vote is a test of their continued relevance in a party seized by Trump. The Koch network spent an estimated $250 million on last year’s election. The Koch-run Americans for Prosperity, which has chapters in more than 30 states and boasts that it can deploy 3.2 million citizen activists, spent almost $14 million on the 2016 elections, according to federal records. Freedom Partners, another Koch entity which largely targeted Democrats with attack ads, spent $30 million. Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, would not say directly that Republicans who support the bill will face consequences next year, but noted, “Members of Congress know how serious we take a vote like this.” James Davis, a spokesman for Freedom Partners, said “network organizations will stand with principled lawmakers who will oppose the House healthcare proposal.” Davis said the Koch network would spend between $300 million and $400 million ahead of the 2018 elections. Last year, Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth targeted an incumbent House Republican, then-Representative Renee Ellmers of North Carolina, for being too close with House leadership and not holding the line on government spending. Ellmers lost in a primary fight. House Republicans have been nervous about primary challenges since 2014 when Eric Cantor, then the majority leader, lost to a little-known conservative named David Brat. Phillips said his organization last year was instrumental in getting Republican incumbents Senators Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania re-elected. The two leading Koch groups sat out then-Senator Kelly Ayotte’s tight race in New Hampshire. Ayotte lost by 0.1 percent of the vote. “Groups such as the Kochs have been an important part of a coalition of outside Republican money,” said Nathan Gonzales, a congressional political analyst in Washington. “If that coalition falters, that could contribute to Democratic gains.” But several lawmakers interviewed by Reuters were dismissive of the opposition by conservative groups. “For me, this healthcare bill is an absolute no-brainer,” said Representative Devin Nunes of California, a close Trump ally. “Any conservative group who opposes it, I don’t even understand how they can categorize themselves as being a conservative group.” The bill’s supporters have argued that voters are more likely to punish Republicans who do not act to replace Obamacare when given the chance. “If it fails there are going to be a lot of people who are looking for work in 2018,” said Representative Mike Conaway of Texas. The political implications of the bill, though, remain largely unclear. Even if it passes the House, the bill faces a difficult path in the Senate, where several conservatives have declared their opposition. Veteran House members recall in 2009, when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi forced a vote on a bill that would cap carbon emissions. The bill did not pass the Senate, and many Democrats from coal states lost their seats in the 2010 elections for their votes.

Racists Try To Fire Actor For Saying Black Lives Matter, Most Powerful Woman In TV Shuts ‘Em DownRacists and conservatives were very angry that Grey s Anatomy actor Jesse Williams called out racial inequality after receiving a humanitarian award at the recent BET Awards ceremony. In his speech, Williams explained who the award was really for: Now, this award, this is not for me, he said. This is for the real organizers all over the country, activist civil rights attorneys, the parents, the teachers, the students who are realizing that a system built to divide and impoverish and destroy us cannot stand if we do. All right? he explained. It s kind of basic mathematics, the more we learn about who we are and how we got here, the more we will mobilize. Despite its peaceful yearning for racial understanding, for some reason conservatives and racists were set off by the speech. An online petition was launched, asking that Williams be fired from his position on the TV show, and said he spewed a racist, hate speech against law enforcement and white people at the BET awards. The petition creator, Erin Smith, compared the speech to racist outbursts from TV personality Paula Deen and a homophobic rant from actor Isaiah Washington.But Shonda Rhimes, the creator and producer of Grey s Anatomy, who has been called the most powerful woman in television, did not bow to the online mob.The ShondaLand producer fired back Monday night at a 7,000 signature-strong Change.org petition calling for ABC to ax Williams who plays hunky Dr. Jackson Avery on the doctor drama in light of his much-praised speech inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Um, people? Boo don t need a petition. #shondalandrules, Rhimes tweeted.Rhimes has used her programs to advocate for racial and gender equality, and her programs have been a ratings bonanza for ABC. She currently has four programs on the air; in addition to Grey s they are Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Catch. She also previously produced Private Practice.Conservatives freaked out previously over an episode of Scandal that showed Kerry Washington s lead character getting an abortion, which has often been a taboo on broadcast prime time TV.Featured image via Flickr

$3.5B later, China has built an empty city in Angola.

Puerto Rico draft rescue bill guided by U.S. bankruptcy rulesWASHINGTON/SAN JUAN (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional draft bill to steer Puerto Rico through its economic crisis was released on Tuesday with elements of U.S. bankruptcy law opposed by creditors who want to keep the island’s debt talks out of court. The draft, circulated by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, includes sections of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that allow bankrupt entities under certain circumstances to force creditors to take reduced payouts. An official draft of the bill is expected to be released on April 11 after a public comment period. Puerto Rico has $70 billion in debt, with major bond payments due in coming months. It also has an unfunded state pension liability of nearly $44 billion. The bill “provides Puerto Rico with tools to impose discipline over its finances, meet its obligations and restore confidence in its institutions,” Utah Republican Rob Bishop, the committee’s chairman, said in a statement. “We appreciate the constructive efforts by Chairman Bishop and the House Natural Resources Committee to begin drafting legislation to address Puerto Rico’s fiscal and economic crisis. But the current draft needs improvements,” said a statement from a Treasury spokesperson. “Final legislation must provide Puerto Rico with tools to achieve a lasting, workable solution to this crisis and create a path to recovery for the people of Puerto Rico.” The Republican-led panel’s bill would create a federal board to oversee the island’s finances, monitor its accounting and help curb spending. It would also require Puerto Rico to make efforts to restructure debt consensually with creditors.  If those talks failed, the island or its public entities could file for a court-supervised debt restructuring process based on key statutes within U.S. bankruptcy law. That would allow Puerto Rico to force such deals on holdout creditors. The bill’s elements were unexpected because creditors and House Republicans had largely opposed bankruptcy for Puerto Rico. The Natural Resources Committee had said that “retroactively adding territories” like Puerto Rico to the federal bankruptcy code “is ill-conceived and would undermine the rule of law.” A congressional aide stressed that the draft legislation was not a bankruptcy law, and does not directly add Puerto Rico to U.S. bankruptcy code, though it follows similar language. The Obama Administration has advocated to allow Puerto Rico to restructure its debt in a court-sanctioned process. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized the “sweeping powers of the oversight board proposed” in the bill. The bill in its final form may include language that protects an existing consensual restructuring deal between creditors and the power utility, PREPA, the congressional aide said. PREPA earlier this year reached the deal with creditors holding roughly 70 percent of its $8.3 billion in debt. “The bill in its current form is fiscally irresponsible,” financial adviser Stephen Spencer of Houlihan Lokey said in an emailed statement. The company’s clients include major Puerto Rico creditors such as OppenheimerFunds and Franklin Advisers. “As we showed with the PREPA deal, fair solutions can be reached between Puerto Rico and its creditors that benefit all stakeholders. However, the Discussion Draft Bill is worse for creditors than Chapter 9,” Spencer said. How the oversight board treats the island’s General Obligation bonds, which is typically regarded as the most senior debt, versus pension payments is also a source of concern for creditors. The oversight board will look at each bond issued and make a determination on how it relates to other creditors under the existing law, the congressional aide said. If the GO bonds are constitutionally protected and within their limits then the board would take that into consideration, the aide said.

U.S. appoints new top official at Havana embassy as tensions flareHAVANA (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it had designated career diplomat Lawrence Gumbiner as the new chief of its Cuba embassy that has been at the center of a diplomatic crisis due to allegations of mysterious health attacks on its personnel. The previous charge d’affaires, Scott Hamilton, left Cuba earlier this month after Washington ordered the evacuation of all non-essential staff and all relatives, in order to remain with his family. Gumbiner will arrive at a time of heightened tensions between the old Cold War foes. While the United States has not formally accused Cuba of carrying out what it says are attacks that have caused hearing loss and cognitive issues in its diplomats, U.S. President Donald Trump said last week Havana was responsible. [nS0N1MD016] In an interview with Reuters, Cuban government officials accused him this week of slandering their country. [nL2N1MZ2CH] The tensions over the attacks, some of which involved high-pitched sounds, came after Trump said in June he wanted to partially roll back the historic detente between the United States and Cuba, ordering tighter restrictions on travel and trade with the island. These have yet to be unveiled. [L3N1JD40J] Gumbiner, a lawyer, has served for the past three years as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, according to the website of the U.S. embassy in Havana. Before that, he was deputy permanent representative at the U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States. He has previously held embassy positions in Bogota, Tel Aviv and San Jose.

Democrats Need To Mobilize, Stick Together, And Get Out The Vote – And FastHillary Clinton has had a bad two weeks. Whereas it may not be her fault (rather, the fault of a bloodthirsty, spineless media), she s still suffering at the polls. Her chances of winning, all across the board, have declined. The New York Times currently gives Clinton a 73 percent chance of winning the election, down from a near 90 percent chance at the beginning of the month. Nate Silver s FiveThirtyEight gives her a dismal 61 percent chance, down from a soaring 86 percent just one month ago. Hillary has taken a nose dive (10 points) in just one week alone.Florida, Ohio, Nevada and Iowa, all crucial swing states, were once comfortably in Clinton s camp. Now? They are all in Trump s camp, and continue to head in his right-wing direction.As Nate Silver puts it: Democrats should panic, if polls look like this in a week. Why? States that are also considered safe for democrats are becoming highly competitive:That s not to imply the events of the weekend were necessarily catastrophic for Clinton: In the grand scheme of things, they might not matter all that much (although polling from YouGov suggests that Clinton s health is in fact a concern to voters). But when you re only ahead by 3 or 4 points, and when some sequence of events causes you to lose another 1 or 2 points, the Electoral College probabilities can shift pretty rapidly. A lot of light blue states on our map have turned pink, meaning that Trump is now a narrow favorite there instead of Clinton.Look at it this way, also. Democrats rely heavily on early voter turnout. With the media overwhelmingly slamming Hillary unfairly (and giving Trump unprecedented bias), that could spell trouble for early voting gains for Democrats because the atmosphere is more unfavorable to Hillary than it is to Trump.Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming all begin early voting in September, with 11 other states (including thee swing state of Ohio) conducting early voting within a month. So in the next month, a third of the states will be heading to the polls already. And this election, early voting will play a key factor into how the nation will decide:Historically, early voting has favored the Democrats in some key states, and in 2008 35 percent of votes are cast before the election according to the Associated Press. That s up from 22 percent in 2004.This election is expected to see an uptick in early voting. Considering the GOP is beating Democrats at the registration game, Democrats need to mobilize, and quickly. Take for example:In Pennsylvania where Democrats registration advantage has fallen by a fifth since the 2012 election, to 915,000 voters more than 85,000 former Democrats have become Republicans this year, almost three times the number of voters who made the opposite switch.If Hillary wants to win the election, she ll need to win Pennsylvania, as it s a safeguard if she loses Florida. Pennsylvania is one of fourteen states that doesn t allow early voting, and Hillary is holding her own due largely in part to metropolitan Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. However, one crucial demographic is becoming problematic: white, working class blue dogs who reside in the mid and western part of the state. With Republicans gaining ground in registration, Democrats should be on high alert and working diligently to register not just Democrats in the metropolitan areas, but the rust-belt towns and counties that usually lean Democratic but are turning red.Then there s the enthusiasm gap. Democrats were elated and fired up for President Obama s candidacy, and sadly, due to the media and GOP smear tactics, have turned off many of those in the Obama coalition from excitement regarding Hillary Clinton. As President Obama told black voters, he would be personally insulted if they did not show up for Hillary, who polls in the mid 90s with black voters.But like GOP registrants, there is a glimmer of hope for Democrats: Hispanic voters, who traditionally lag 20 points behind whites in voter turnout, may see an opportunity to be enthusiastic and get out to vote:Hispanics are a part of the Democratic coalition and their turnout rates have been low, about 20 points lower than whites or blacks in presidential elections. There is speculation that Trump s rhetoric could entice Hispanics to vote against him, and there is some evidence in polls that Hispanic voting enthusiasm is running higher than normal. In Georgia, Florida and North Carolina race and ethnicity are tracked on these states voter files, so it is possible to look at the individual level data to see if Hispanics are showing up at unusually higher numbers than the past.Democrats have the chance to get out and bring back the Obama coalition to deliver a win for Hillary, but they need to act fast. Early voting is paramount to Democrats having an early lead, and mobilizing to push back against the unfair treatment of Hillary will help alleviate a bad taste in the voter s mouths heading into the November election. Having a strong lead will also inspire Democrats to not give up and continue to push for a major blow-out on November 8th. But like everything else, Democrats have to want it.Democrats, do not get discouraged. Do not give up when the polling is bad. Do not waste your vote on a protest candidate. Get out, mobilize, work together, and vote for Hillary Clinton.Featured image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

U.S. sanctions Chechen leader, four others under Magnitsky ActWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on five Russians and Chechens, including the head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, for alleged human rights abuses. The new sanctions blacklisted Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Treasury Department said in a statement. U.S. authorities accused Kadyrov of overseeing an administration involved in disappearances and extrajudicial killings . On a conference call with reporters Wednesday, a senior U.S. State Department official said that one or more of Kadyrov s political opponents were killed at his direction. Kadyrov reacted to news of the sanctions with his usual defiance. A sleepless night is waiting for me, Kadyrov wrote, apparently sarcastically, on his Instagram social media account. I can be proud that I m out of favor with the special services of the USA. In fact, the USA cannot forgive me for dedicating my whole life to the fight against foreign terrorists among which there are bastards of America s special services. He also wrote that he would not be visiting the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed the sanctions, which freeze the banks accounts of those targeted, under a 2012 law known as the Magnitsky Act. The Magnitsky Act imposed visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials linked to the death in prison of Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old Russian auditor and whistleblower. The act also seeks to hold responsible those U.S. authorities allege orchestrated or benefited from the death of Magnitsky. Treasury remains committed to holding accountable those involved in the Sergei Magnitsky affair, including those with a role in the criminal conspiracy and fraud scheme that he uncovered, Director of the Treasury Department s Office of Foreign Assets Control John Smith said in a statement. Magnitsky was arrested and died in a Moscow jail in 2009 after discovering a $230 million tax fraud scheme, according to U.S. authorities. Supporters of Magnitsky say the Russian state murdered him by denying him adequate medical care after he was imprisoned on tax evasion charges. The Kremlin denies the allegation. In addition to Kadyrov and one other Chechen official, the Treasury s action on Wednesday targeted three Russians that U.S. authorities say were involved in the complex tax fraud scheme that Magnitsky exposed. The Magnitsky sanctions have been a point of tension between Moscow and Washington, even before Russia s annexation of Crimea sent relations spiraling. In retaliation for the Magnitsky Act, Putin signed a bill halting U.S. adoptions of Russian children. It had been unclear to sanctions experts whether President Donald Trump s administration, which has signaled a desire to rebuild ties with Moscow, would continue to target people under the law. The Magnitsky Act attracted greater public attention when it emerged that the president s son Donald Trump Jr., had met with a Russian lawyer and a lobbyist - both strident opponents of the law - in New York ahead of the 2016 U.S. elections. When asked about the June 2016 meeting, Trump Jr. later said they discussed the adoptions issue. On a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, State Department officials said that despite the new sanctions the Trump administration wants a constructive relationship with Moscow. We believe a Russia that takes care of the human rights of its own citizens will be an even more effective partner, a senior State Department official said.

Dozens of Islamist Saudi Arabian clerics have called on Arab and Muslim countries to "give all moral, material, political and military" support to what they term a jihad, or holy war, against Syria's government and its Iranian and Russian backers.

Trump urges U.N. reform to make U.S. investment worthwhileWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump complained on Monday that the United States is shouldering an unfair burden of the cost of the United Nations, but said if the world body reforms how it operates, the investment would be worth it. Trump, who has frequently criticized the cost to the United States of supporting the NATO alliance, took his concerns directly to the ambassadors of the U.N. Security Council, who joined him at the White House for a lunch. “If we do a great job, I care much less about the budget because you’re talking about peanuts compared to the important work you’re doing,” Trump told the 15 council envoys. The United States is the biggest U.N. contributor, paying 22 percent of the $5.4 billion core budget and 28.5 percent of the $7.9 billion peacekeeping budget. These assessed contributions are agreed by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly. Trump said the U.S. share of those budgets was “unfair.” He has proposed a 28 percent budget cut for diplomacy and foreign aid, which includes an unspecified reduction in funding for the United Nations and its agencies, as well as enforcement of a 25 percent cap on U.S. funding for peacekeeping operations. “We need the member states to come together to eliminate inefficiency and bloat and make sure that no one nation shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden,” he said. Trump’s remarks came as the General Assembly prepares to negotiate in the coming months the U.N. regular budget for both 2018 and 2019 and the peacekeeping budget from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met briefly with Trump at the White House on Friday for the first time since both took office earlier this year. The United States currently owes the United Nations $896 million for its core budget, U.N. officials said. The United States is also reviewing 16 U.N. peacekeeping missions as the annual mandates come up for renewal by the Security Council in a bid to cut costs. U.N. agencies such as the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), the children’s agency UNICEF, and the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), are funded by governments voluntarily. The State Department said this month it was ending funding for UNFPA, the international body’s agency focused on family planning, as well as maternal and child health in more than 150 countries. Guterres warned that the cut could have “devastating effects” on vulnerable women and girls. In 2016, the United States was the top contributor to the UNDP’s core budget, with an $83 million donation; the leading donor to UNICEF’s core budget in 2015 with $132 million; and the fourth-largest donor to the UNFPA, giving $75 million.

UK to introduce "two strikes and you're out" mandatory life sentences for serious crimes

Kenya's election body appoints key personnel for presidential vote re-runNAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya s election commission said on Tuesday that different staff will be in charge of the Oct. 17 re-run of the presidential election, after the country s top court last week nullified the result of the August vote. The Supreme Court ordered on Friday that the vote be re-run within 60 days, saying incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta s victory by 1.4 million votes was undermined by irregularities in the process. Kenyatta was not accused of any wrongdoing. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati said in a statement on Tuesday that it had appointed for three months a project coordinator and officials to run the information technology, logistics, operations and training as well as the national tallying center during the re-run. The appointment takes immediate effect, Chebukati said. The appointments were announced hours after opposition leader Raila Odinga said his coalition would not participate in the re-run unless some officials were removed and its voting technology audited. Chebukati s statement did not mention those who previously held the positions. Kenyatta responded to Odinga s demands by saying there was nowhere in law that required the electoral body to consult Odinga. Odinga s conditions for participating in the repeat presidential election included the removal of six officials at the election board. He wants criminal investigations to be opened against them. You cannot do a mistake twice and expect to get different results, Odinga told reporters. A number of the officials of the commission should be sent home, some of them should be investigated for the heinous crimes they committed. The opposition also said it was planning to file dozens of challenges to results from races lower down the ticket, including legislative and local seats contested in the Aug. 8 vote. The Supreme Court ruling, the first time in Africa that a court had overturned the re-election of a sitting president, was hailed by Odinga s supporters as historic . Analysts have said it is likely to lead to some short-term volatility in East Africa s biggest economy, but could build confidence in institutions longer-term. On Monday, the election board said it would hold new elections on Oct. 17. But Odinga said he wanted elections held on Oct. 24 or 31 instead. Odinga s National Super Alliance said in a letter to the chairman of the election commission that before the new vote is held, it needs to audit the technology used to conduct August s election and give an assurance it will be transparent in its conduct. There will be no elections on the 17th of October until the conditions that we have spelt out in the statement are met, Odinga said. Kenyatta rebuffed Odinga s demands. There is no legal requirement that Raila be consulted. I was neither consulted. Kenya doesn t belong to one man, he said in a statement sent by his office. Odinga has lost the last three presidential elections. Each time, he has said the vote was rigged against him. A row over a 2007 poll, which Odinga challenged after being declared loser, was followed by weeks of ethnic bloodshed that killed more than 1,200 people. The opposition also plans to lodge 62 court cases contesting governorship, lawmaker, and local seats, spokeswoman Kathleen Openda told Reuters. At least 33 court cases were filed contesting election results before the presidential election was annulled, said Andrew Limo, spokesman for the election board. The judiciary said in a statement that by Tuesday a total 66 cases had been filed before various courts challenging the outcomes of such seats countrywide. The board received challenges to 189 results in 2013.

North Korea has carried out 1,400 public executions since 2000, report claims

700 metres of the Great Wall of China collapses due to excessive mining

Donald Trump Is Staring Down A Criminal Investigation For Buying EndorsementsThe Donald isn t having a very good week at all. His campaign manager was charged with battery for assaulting a lady, multiple protesters are suing him for assault and battery, his communications director quit and told the truth about him, and his supporters won t even be able to bring their guns to the GOP convention in case things get messy. Now, it looks like he will be facing a criminal investigation for buying Ben Carson s endorsement with an illegal job offer.Last month, Ben Carson made it very clear that he did not endorse Donald Trump because he likes him, agrees with his policies, or even thinks he should be President Trump offered him a job in his future administration in exchange for Carson s unwavering servitude. So far, he s been a good little house boy for the billionaire, heaping praise on the 2016 hopeful and even defending Trump s recent comments that women should face punishment for having an abortion.But this latest bought-and-paid-for bromance may cause some complication in Trump s life. Public interest group the American Democracy Legal Fund has filed a complaint with the Department of Justice Criminal Division, asking for an investigation into Trump s actions. Noting that federal law prohibits a candidate from promising a position to any person in exchange for support, the ADLF penned a letter demanding that Trump s illegal actions be investigated:American Democracy Legal Fund ( ADLF ) is a group established to hold candidates for office accountable for possible ethics and/or legal violations. It has recently come to light that Mr. Donald Trump may have willfully offered Dr. Ben Carson an appointment to his administration should he become president in return for supporting his candidacy in violation of 18 U.S.C. 599. ADLF respectfully requests that you investigate this matter and take all appropriate action as soon as possible.Former presidential candidate Dr. Carson endorsed Mr. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination on March 11, 2016. Mr. Trump and Dr. Carson met the day before to discuss and finalize the endorsement. Three days later, on March 14, Dr. Carson gave an interview to Newsmax TV to discuss his recent endorsement of Mr. Trump. During the interview, Dr. Carson stated that he believed Mr. Trump would surround himself with very good people. When asked if he would be one of those people, Dr. Carson responded, I will be doing things as well. When the interviewer asked whether that meant in a Trump administration, Dr. Carson replied, Certainly in an advisory capacity. The interviewer then asked Dr. Carson if that s been determined and followed by asking, When you sat down with [Mr. Trump] that was discussed? Dr. Carson openly admitted, Yes, and said that while they hadn t hammered out all the details, it is very important that we work together. When asked if this meant a cabinet position, Dr. Carson declined to reveal any details about it right now, because all of this is still very liquid. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 599, [w]hoever, being a candidate, directly or indirectly promises or pledges the appointment, or the use of his influence or support for the appointment of any person to any public or private position or employment, for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. Dr. Carson s comments strongly suggest that Mr. Trump promised him an administration position in return for his endorsement. In his interview, Dr. Carson stated that he would certainly have an advisory capacity within a potential Trump administration. When asked directly whether this role was discussed during their endorsement meeting, Dr. Carson responded, Yes. Dr. Carson s assured answers lead to the reasonable conclusion that Mr. Trump promised Dr. Carson an administration post in order to secure his endorsement in violation of 18 U.S.C. 599.Federal law prohibits a candidate from directly or indirectly promising the appointment of any person to any public or private position in exchange for his or her support. Dr. Carson s comments indicate that Mr. Trump used the promise of a role in his administration to secure Dr. Carson s support for his presidential campaign. For the above stated reasons, we respectfully request that you undertake an immediate investigation of this matter.Trump cares nothing about the law. This is obvious to even the most casual observer after hearing him talk about killing terrorists families, establishing a national Muslim database, and establishing Muslim concentration camp. Trump, a man who promises to pay for his supporters legal defense when they beat up African-Americans at his rallies, is completely detestable. Somehow, it is almost poetic that his illegal interactions with a black man might finally bring him down.Now we must wonder: who else did he buy off?Featured image via Bloomberg Finance

Report: Land mine contamination vast in Vietnam. Nearly 35 years after the war's end, Vietnamese civilians are still routinely killed and maimed by leftover mines and other explosives. Vietnam estimates that more than 42,000 people have been killed in such accidents since 1975.

FDNY Lieutenant Admitted Plan To Take Down WTC 7

Go home, Tillerson tells Iranian-backed militias in IraqRIYADH/DOHA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday it was time for Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers who helped Iraq defeat Islamic State to go home , after a rare joint meeting with the leaders of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The United States is concerned that Iran, a Shi ite regional power, will take advantage of gains against IS in Iraq and Syria to expand the influence it gained after the U.S. invasion in 2003, something Sunni Arab rivals such as Riyadh also oppose. Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control, Tillerson said at a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir. Tens of thousands of Iraqis heeded a call to arms in 2014 after IS seized a third of the country s territory, forming the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which receive funding and training from Tehran and have been declared part of the Iraqi security apparatus. A senior U.S. official said Tillerson had been referring to the PMF and the Quds Force, the foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif berated Tillerson s remarks as influenced by Iran s oil-rich regional rival Saudi Arabia. Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to?, Zarif said in a tweet. Shameful US FP (foreign policy), dictated by petrodollars. Iraq s military, armed by the United States but supported by the PMF, ejected the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militant group from Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq this year. Several thousand U.S. troops are still in the country, mostly for training but also to carry out raids against IS. The campaign to uproot the militants left whole cities in ruins and has hit Iraq s economy. A new joint ministerial-level body between Iraq and Saudi Arabia convened its inaugural meeting earlier on Sunday to coordinate their fight against IS and on rebuilding Iraqi territory wrested from the group. Jubeir emphasized historic ties between the two neighbors, which share a border, vast oil resources and many of the same tribes. The natural tendency of the two countries and people is to be very close to each other as they have been for centuries. It was interrupted for a number of decades. We re trying now to make up for lost ground, he said. The rare senior meeting, signaling a thaw between states that have been at loggerheads for decades, was also attended by Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Tillerson said the council would contribute to reforms to build Iraq s private sector and encourage foreign investment. This will be critical to winning the peace that has been earned through the hard-fought military gains, he said. State media said the council had expressed satisfaction with global oil markets recovery as a result of a deal with other countries to boost prices by limiting production. The council also agreed to reopen a Saudi Basic Industries Corp office in Iraq and grant Saudi agriculture company SALIC an investment license. A second meeting will be held in Baghdad but no date was mentioned. Saudi Commerce and Investment Minister Majid al-Qusaibi told Reuters his country seeks to boost exports and is eyeing investment opportunities in Iraq s agricultural and petrochemical sectors, among others. He said backing from the highest levels of both governments would produce quick results on the ground . Let s not cry over spilt milk. Whatever happened in the past has happened. The good news is we are all here toward building a prosperous and beneficial future for both countries, he said in a telephone interview. Tillerson and Jubeir also discussed Washington s hawkish new policy towards Iran, including a possible withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and new sanctions on the IRGC. Both our countries believe those who conduct business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities, European companies or other companies around the world really do so at great risk, Tillerson said. Relations between Riyadh and Baghdad were cut for 25 years, before recent rapprochement, after former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, is wooing Baghdad now in an effort to halt the growing regional influence of Iran. Arriving in Doha later on Sunday for the next leg of a multi-country trip, Tillerson told a news conference that there was little chance of a swift breakthrough to resolve a blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies. The kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed trade and travel curbs on Doha in June for alleged support of terrorism and friendship with Iran - charges Qatar denies. There is not a strong indication that the parties are ready to talk yet, Tillerson said. The secretary of state s six-day trip will also take him to Pakistan, India and Switzerland.

This Tiny Country Is Going 100% Organic - Bhutan is only country in world that rejects gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of progress.

Catalan independence vote divides region's mayorsBARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona s mayor has asked for reassurances that municipal staff would not face legal action or lose their jobs if they helped to organize an Oct. 1 referendum on Catalonia seceding from Spain. However, some of the region s nearly 1,000 mayors have already said they would go ahead with the vote, despite it being declared illegal by Madrid. Having originally offered to allow premises across the city to be used as polling stations, Barcelona mayor Ada Colau has asked the Catalan government for further reassurances that civil servants involved would be protected, her office said. We support the right to participate and protest completely but we will repeat what we have said many times before: we will not put at risk institutions or civil servants, Barcelona s deputy mayor, Gerardo Pisarello, said on Friday. Catalonia s parliament voted on Wednesday to hold an independence referendum on Oct. 1, setting up a clash with the Spanish government that has vowed to stop what it says would be an illegal vote. Polls in the northeastern region show support for self-rule waning as Spain s economy improves. But the majority of Catalans do want the opportunity to vote on whether to split from Spain. As of Friday night, 674 of Catalonia s 948 municipal districts had informed the government of their intention to allow city spaces to be used for the vote, according to the Municipal Association for Independence (AMI). In a video posted on Twitter, the mayor of the Cerdanyola municipality tore in half a letter from the Constitutional Court warning of the legal repercussions of participating in the referendum to applause from the crowd watching. Pro-independence groups protested on Friday outside the offices of several mayors across Catalonia who announced they would not allow municipal spaces to be used for the vote. On Saturday, Spanish police searched the offices of a weekly newspaper in the town of Valls in search of ballot papers, according to newspaper La Vanguardia. On Friday, the Civil Guard police searched a printing company near Tarragona, reportedly in search of materials to be used in the independence vote. Spain s Civil Guard police was unavailable for comment but a court statement said the searches were related to charges brought by the public prosecutor in relation to the referendum.

MALE PAKISTANI IMMIGRANT Dresses As Woman In Burqa…Lures 11 Yr Old Boy From Mosque…Rapes, Strangles Him To DeathA man disguised himself in a burka in order to lure an 11-year-old boy whom he then raped and strangled to death, according to police in Abu Dhabi.The accused was aware that the boy would not accompany him if he knew he was a man, the Gulf News reported.The suspect, a Pakistani immigrant to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, is said to be known to the family of the victim, whose father is Pakistani and mother is Russian.He is accused of raping the boy and strangling him to death with a rope after picking him up from Ramadan prayers at a mosque.Azan Majid Janjua was reported missing last week after failing to come home from the mosque.He was later found by air-conditioning technicians on the roof of the building where he lived.He was reportedly found partially unclothed with his Quran lying beside him.The suspect was arrested within 48 hours of the discovery of the body, police said, after forensic evidence linked him to the crime.They declined to give any further details about the suspect or the evidence incriminating him.The murdered boy s father, Dr Majid Janjua, 38, told the local news site that his son was not in the habit of going off with strangers. He never went outside without our permission, said Dr Janjua. It is fate; Allah s decision. We have to accept it. The boy s mother is understood not to live in the Gulf state but was visiting at the time of the incident, which took place in the first week of the Islamic holy month Ramadan.For entire story: Daily Mail

Four Breitbart journalists quit after alleged Trump rally assault(Reuters) - Two reporters and two editors from Breitbart News resigned to protest how the conservative website handled an alleged assault last week on one of the reporters by a senior aide to Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Reporter Michelle Fields filed a criminal complaint on Friday against Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, saying he grabbed her arm at a rally on March 8 in Florida with such force that he left bruises. Lewandowski and Trump have denied the accusation. The incident sparked a spat at Breitbart, with journalists accusing management of kowtowing to the Trump campaign. Breitbart published an account on Friday of the incident that raised questions over Fields’ version of events and suggested it was not Lewandowski who grabbed her. According to a report on Saturday on the BuzzFeed news website, Breitbart senior editor-at-large Joel Pollak also ordered staffers in an internal chatroom to stop defending Fields. Fields and editor-at-large Ben Shapiro resigned in response to that late on Sunday. National security correspondent Jordan Schachtel and editor Jarrett Stepman resigned on Monday, according to a letter by them that was posted to Twitter, in which they accused the news site of becoming a propaganda arm for the Trump campaign. (bit.ly/1pHhUc9) Breitbart News Chief Executive Larry Solov said in an emailed statement late on Monday, “Breitbart News thanks Kurt, Ben, and Michelle for their work for us. We wish each of them the best in their future endeavors.” He was referring to Kurt Bardella, who resigned as Breitbart’s spokesman last week. The alleged assault on Fields took place days before a series of clashes between supporters of Trump, the front-runner to be the Republican presidential candidate in November’s election, and protesters at campaign rallies. The allegations were being investigated, a spokesman for the Jupiter, Florida police department said on Monday.

Guardian reporter beaten and arrested in Cairo: 'People are being hauled out by police and beaten'

UNITED AIRLINES KICKS TODDLER Out Of $969 Seat For Standby Passenger [VIDEO]United Airlines should probably consider an extensive training program for their employees who are making such bad decisions, before the airline loses every last customer United Airlines requires children over the age of 2 to have their own tickets and occupy their own seats, but that didn t stop the airline from allowing a 27-month-old child from sitting in his mother s lap after they accidentally oversold his spot.Shirley Yamauchi says she and her son Taizo had boarded their flight from Houston to Boston on June 29 the final leg of an 18-hour flight from Hawaii when a standy passenger approached and claimed Taizo was in his seat. I told him that I bought both of these tickets and he tells me that he got the ticket on standby. Then he proceeds to sit in the center, Yamauchi told Hawaii News Now.Yamuachi says she tried to inform a flight attendant about Taizo s seat, but the woman claimed she couldn t do anything about it, seeing as the flight was full.Not wanting to cause a scene or worse, instigate an incident like the one that befell the elderly United passenger who refused to give up his seat on in April Yamuachi sat Taizo on her lap and kept her mouth shut until she reached Boston. I started remembering all those incidents with United on the news. The violence. Teeth getting knocked out. I m Asian. I m scared and I felt uncomfortable. I didn t want those things to happen to me, she told Hawaii News Now.Watch:Upon reaching Boston, Yamauchi was told to call a United hotline to explain the situation. But when she finally got through and asked for a refund, she was told that United would need to cancel her return trip to Hawaii in order to do so, reports KITV. Fox News

Sarrazin's Truths: Political Correctness Is Silencing an Important Debate. "It is clear that intimidation from the politically correct thought police of the media ... no longer work."