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U.S. attack will not lead to military escalation, says pro-Damascus official

The U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airbase on Friday will elevate political tensions but is not expected to lead to a military escalation, said a senior official in the military alliance supporting President Bashar al-Assad. “No doubt this will leave great tension on the political level, but I do not expect a military escalation. Currently I do not believe that we are going towards a big war in the region,” the official told Reuters. The official, a non-Syrian, spoke on condition of anonymity, saying this was a personal assessment and not said as a spokesman for the alliance. Assad has been backed in the six-year-old war by Russia, Iran and Shi’ite militias from countries including Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan. “I doubt that the Russians will escalate towards military friction with the Americans,” the official said.

politicsNews

April 7, 2017

WHY FINAL “Sunday Night Football” Game Was Canceled… Is Low Attendance The Reason?

The NFL announced Tuesday that the final Sunday Night Football game of the season has been canceled Was it due to low attendance in previous weeks? Well, it s part of the reason. Low attendance has been plaguing the league since the kneeling controversy took hold.Recently, a liberal news source tried to downplay the boycott from NFL fans by citing injuries from key star athletes in the NFL as the reason for low interest in games. We think the kneeling controversy has more to do with the lack of interest in games. It s being reported that the attendance is down 9% from last year:We ve seen stadiums with hundreds of empty seats along with low viewership.There are a few other reasons why the game was canceled but low attendance was certainly part of it:Daily Caller reports:The league had yet to announce who would play during the primetime game next Sunday, but with the chance that none of the matchups would have playoff implications for one or both of the teams, they opted not to schedule the game.NEW YEAR S EVE:The other problem the league faced was broadcasting a game on New Year s Eve, which would invite lower number of viewers traditionally on that night. We felt that both from a competitive standpoint and from a fan perspective, the most fair thing to do is to schedule all Week 17 games in either the 1 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. windows, NFL broadcast chief Howard Katz said in a statement.The last time a Sunday Night Football game took place on the final night of the year was in 2006 when the Chicago Bears hosted the Green Bay Packers. That game was Hall of Fame member Brett Favre s final game with the Packers. Despite that fact, the game only drew 13.4 million viewers, which for that season was a quarter of the typical audience for SNF. In a season plagued with lower ratings due to the national anthem protests, the league s decision was not surprising.

left-news

Dec 26, 2017

TEACHER Uses “Shooting at Trump” As An Option On Multiple Choice Quiz For High School Students

A Wyoming high school is under fire after parents exposed an online student quiz that offered shooting at Trump as one of the multiple choice answers.An unidentified English teacher at Jackson Hole High School gave students a multiple choice quiz on Thursday about George Orwell s novel Animal Farm that included a question that many are pointing to as an example of the district s liberal bias, the Jackson Hole News and Guide reports. Napoleon has a gun fired for a new occasion. What is the new occasion? the quiz read.Possible answers included He was shooting at Trump, His birthday, For completion of the windmill, or To scare off the attackers of Animal Farm. Jim McCollum told the news site he did a double-take when his son showed him a screenshot he took of the test. I had to read it two times, McCollum said. I was like, Are you kidding me? McCollum, a Jackson Hole High School graduate and Trump supporter, shared the quiz on Facebook, where it was shared widely and generated a lot of angry comments. It was so inappropriate to show a name of a sitting president in that question, he said. To me, that is so wrong in light of the situation in our country and the divisiveness and all. He told the news site the incident is one of other examples of liberal bias in other classes at the school that make conservative students like son out to be the outcast. He told me, Dad, they crapped on everything I believe in, McCollum said of his son. Rylee is very patriotic, very supportive of our military and of our country and is considering enlisting in the U.S. Marines.School officials eventually issued a statement about the quiz on Monday. (District) administration learned late yesterday that a quiz was administered to a class of high school students that contained an inappropriate answer to a multiple choice question. The administration is investigating this incident and verifying the information we have received, the statement read. (The District) takes seriously threats of any kind, regardless of the intent. We apologize to the students, families and community for this incident and will be addressing the issue with personnel. EAG News

politics

Nov 25, 2017

House oversight panel seeks ex-Trump aide Flynn's records

The main investigative panel of the U.S. House of Representatives has asked the White House and the FBI for documents regarding former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s foreign contacts with Russia, Turkey and others, its Republican chairman and Democratic counterpart said on Wednesday. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz and Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings said in a statement that the panel also requested related documents from the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The committee is considering whether Flynn, who resigned less than a month after President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, fully disclosed his payments from foreign sources. Flynn’s departure followed a report that the Justice Department had earlier warned the White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office. Another report later showed Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, had been working as a representative for Turkey during last year’s presidential campaign even as he was advising Trump. Separately on Wednesday, U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a Republican, said intelligence agencies had swept up incidental communications by Trump’s political campaign after the Nov. 8 election, raising concerns about spying on the newly elected president. Chaffetz and Cummings said their request included documents on security clearance applications as well as on foreign contacts and payments, including payments Flynn received from RT, the Kremlin-backed media outlet. The committee called for the White House and the other agencies to provide all the documents related to Flynn dating back to his retirement in 2014 to the present, and to deliver them to the panel by April 3.

politicsNews

March 22, 2017

Argentina Congress passes pension reform after protests, clashes

Argentina s Congress passed a reform to the pension system on Tuesday, after days of demonstrations by the bill s opponents and violent clashes between protesters and police. The measure is central to President Mauricio Macri s plan to slash the fiscal deficit and attract investment. It paves the way for further market-friendly legislation that his Cambiemos, or Let s Change coalition hopes to pass in extraordinary congressional sessions before the end of the year. The law changes the formula used to calculate benefits by linking them to consumer prices instead of tax income and wage hikes. The government says that will make benefits more predictable and sustainable, and they will still increase by more than inflation next year. This formula guarantees that over the next few years, retirees will never lose against a jump in inflation, said Macri, who took office in December 2015 after more than a decade of populist rule. Macri tweaked his proposal, pledging a one-time bonus payment to the neediest retirees, after clashes last Thursday derailed congressional debate. Still, the measure generated fierce criticism from opposition lawmakers and labor unions, who say it will hurt retirees. The debate prompted demonstrations on Monday. Thousands took to the streets of the capital Buenos Aires and around the country, banging pots and pans and blaring car horns. Stone-throwing protesters confronted police, who responded with water canon, rubber bullets and tear gas. Dozens were injured. All these changes generate discomfort, but they are necessary, Macri said after the measure passed the lower chamber of deputies 127-117, with two abstentions, following an all-night debate session. The Senate approved the proposal last month. The government will now press congressional votes on a tax code overhaul and a deal with provinces to limit spending, Macri told reporters. Economists, noting that inflation expectations are lower, said linking benefits to consumer prices would lower spending by around 0.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) next year. But savings from the pension reform will finance transfers from the national treasury to provinces as part of the fiscal pact, said economist Ariel Barraud of the Argentina Fiscal Analysis Institute in Cordoba, Argentina. Almost all of the savings obtained from the pension formula change will go to compensate the fiscal deal, Barraud told Reuters by phone. Argentina s government is aiming to cut the deficit to 3.2 percent of GDP from 4.2 percent currently. Cambiemos lacks a majority in Congress despite a strong performance in October s legislative midterm. Dozens of votes from opposition lawmakers were needed to pass the pension measure. Other leaders in South America have had a harder time implementing similar business-friendly agendas. In Peru, measures meant to boost growth have stalled as President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has fought efforts to remove him over his ties to scandal-plagued Brazilian builder Odebrecht. Brazil s efforts at its own pension reform were recently pushed back until next year. Despite passage of the pension measure, Macri s agenda still faces substantial popular skepticism. They are encroaching upon the rights of society s most vulnerable, opposition lawmaker Facundo Moyano said during the congressional debate.

worldnews

December 19, 2017

Trump to release JFK files, subject to 'further information'

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that, subject to receipt of further information, he planned to allow the opening of long-secret files on the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy due for release next week. Politico magazine earlier quoted Trump administration and other U.S. government officials as saying the president would almost certainly block the release of information from some of the thousands of classified files, which the U.S. National Archives is scheduled to make public by an Oct. 26 deadline. “Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened,” Trump said in a tweet. “The president believes that these documents should be made available in the interests of full transparency unless agencies provide a compelling and clear national security or law enforcement justification otherwise,” a White House official said. The Nov. 22 1963 assassination cut short “Camelot,” as the 1,000 days of the Kennedy presidency became known. Kennedy was 46 and remains one of the most admired U.S. presidents. Thousands of books, articles, TV shows, movies and documentaries have been produced about the assassination and surveys have shown a majority of Americans still distrust official evidence pointing to Lee Harvey Oswald as the sole killer. Despite serious questions about the official inquest, and theories purporting that organized crime, Cuba or a cabal of U.S. security agents was involved, conspiracy theorists have yet to produce conclusive proof Oswald acted in consort with anyone. Over the years, the National Archives has released most documents related to the case, but a final batch, amounting to tens of thousands of pages, remains and only Trump has the authority to decide whether some should continue to be withheld or released in redacted form. The Washington Post and other media have quoted officials as saying that government agencies have lobbied Trump to withhold some of the documents, arguing that they could expose relatively recent intelligence and law enforcement operations. Philip Shenon, the author of the Politico article and of a book on the assassination, said he did not think the last batch of papers contained any major bombshells, but may shed light on the activities of Oswald while he was traveling in Mexico City in late September 1963, and courting Cuban and Soviet spies.”From the record we already have, we know he met there with Soviet spies and Cuban spies and other people who might have wanted to see Kennedy dead,” Shenon said. “It’s going to be very interesting to see what else the government knew about the threat Oswald might pose – how much more they learned about his trip in Mexico City and whether or not they bungled evidence to suggest he was a threat.” Shenon said it would be interesting, too, to see if there was anything in the documents to substantiate comments Trump made during his election campaign linking Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s father to Oswald. “It’s the president’s favorite conspiracy theory about the Kennedy assassination ... but I don’t think there is,” Shenon said. Cruz’s father Rafael has called Trump’s allegations that he was pictured with Oswald in New Orleans before the assassination “ludicrous.”

politicsNews

October 21, 2017

WOW! WHAT JOHN KERRY JUST SAID PROVES HIS INABILITY TO BE OUR SECRETARY OF STATE

Unreal! Is he that out of it? It would appear so

politics

Jul 28, 2015

In another blow to Zuma, South African top court orders influence-peddling inquiry

South Africa s High Court ruled on Wednesday that President Jacob Zuma must set up a judicial inquiry into state influence-peddling within 30 days, the latest in a series of judicial blows to his scandal-tinged administration. Upholding a recommendation by South Africa s corruption-fighting Public Protector, High Court Judge President Dunstan Mlambo said an application by Zuma challenging the inquiry was ill-advised and reckless and an abuse of the judicial process. The ruling comes days after the same court dealt a stinging rebuke to Zuma by ruling that his appointment of a state prosecutor to decide whether to reinstate corruption charges against him was not valid and should be set aside immediately. Zuma had challenged the right of the Public Protector to call for a judicial inquiry and the appointment by the chief justice of a judge to head it, saying it was the president s prerogative whether to set up such an inquiry. It was not immediately clear if Zuma would appeal against Wednesday s ruling and his spokesman was not immediately available to comment. The 75-year-old president has faced and denied numerous corruption allegations since taking office in 2009 and has survived several votes of no-confidence in parliament. In October, the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld an earlier High Court decision reinstating nearly 800 corruption charges relating to an arms deal that were filed against Zuma but shelved before he ran for president in 2009. The revival of the charges could increase pressure on Zuma to step down before his term ends in 2019. Several judicial setbacks have undermined Zuma s authority and some analysts say it could diminish his influence over who succeeds him when the ruling African National Congress (ANC) chooses a new leader this month. Political instability, including questions over who will replace Zuma has been cited by credit rating agencies as a major factor behind their decision to cut South Africa to junk . Africa s most industrialized economy has grown lethargically over the last six years and the jobless rate stands near record levels. Analysts say the political crisis is making it hard to reform the economy, improve social services and fight crime. The influence-peddling inquiry was recommended in a report released a year ago by the Public Protector, whose job is to uphold standards in public life. Zuma also sought to block the release of the report, entitled State of Capture , which focused on allegations that Zuma s friends, the businessmen and brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, had influenced the appointment of ministers. Zuma and the Guptas have denied all accusations of wrongdoing. Ordering Zuma to pay the costs of the latest court challenge, Judge President Mlambo said the South African leader s conduct was clearly objectionable ... and amounts to clear abuse of the judicial process . A judicial commission was best suited to investigate the allegations against Zuma, Mlambo said, adding: The allegations ... detailed in the report are extremely serious. The court ordered that once the inquiry is set up, it should complete its task and present its report to Zuma within 180 days. The president would then have to inform parliament within 14 days of what action he planned to take based on the inquiry s findings, the court said. In a statement, the ANC some of whose lawmakers are critical of Zuma said a judicial inquiry was crucial in verifying the allegations in the watchdog s report. We therefore trust President Jacob Zuma will implement this judgment without delay in the interest of our country, it said. Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane, who was at the court, welcomed the ruling. The judgment lays out a timeline ... we hope to get to the bottom of this, Maimane said, adding that his party would oppose any appeal in the case should Zuma launch one. Thuli Madonsela, the report s author, who was also at the court, said: An allegation that the state has been captured in the interests of the president and his friends is an allegation that needs to be investigated immediately. Her 355-page report stopped short of asserting that crimes had been committed, saying the watchdog lacked the resources to reach such conclusions and that they should be investigated by a judicial inquiry. Zuma has said he will appeal against the High Court s ruling on Friday that his appointment of a state prosecutor was not valid and that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa should instead appoint a new public prosecutor within 60 days. Ramaphosa, the main rival for the ANC leadership to former African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is Zuma s favored candidate and ex-wife, has recently stepped up criticism of Zuma s scandal-plagued government.

worldnews

December 13, 2017

Opposition challenges Venezuelan socialists' vote win, urges protests

Venezuela s opposition coalition refused to recognize the results of Sunday s gubernatorial elections where the ruling socialists won a surprise majority, raising the specter of more political turmoil in the oil-rich nation. The Democratic Unity s election campaign chief, Gerardo Blyde, demanded a complete audit of the 23 governor races and called on its candidates to lead street activities on Monday in protest over the results.

worldnews

October 16, 2017

Vanguard CEO 'encouraged' by efforts to revise retirement advice rule

Vanguard Group Chief Executive Bill McNabb said on Thursday he was encouraged by the U.S. Department of Labor’s steps to make new rules on the advice brokers provide on retirement savings “more workable.” “We are encouraged that the DOL has taken important steps to establish meaningful protections for retirement investors while making the final rule more workable,” McNabb said in a statement posted online. The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled its final version of a retirement advice rule aimed at ensuring that broker-dealers put their clients’ interests ahead of their own profits, though it was softened in response to industry complaints. Vanguard, a major manager of retirement investments that oversees more than $3 trillion in assets, had criticized an earlier version of the proposal as being applied too broadly to its activities and to situations in which investors would not reasonably expect that they were receiving investment advice. Yet Vanguard said the new rule makes disclosure and contract requirements “more practical and easier to follow.” “All of the effort within the industry to improve the DOL proposal appears to have produced positive results,” according to John Schadl, a member of the company’s legal department, according to a statement also posted online. The company praised the government’s efforts to align its rules better with existing standards laid out by other regulatory bodies, although Vanguard said “the DOL could have done more to harmonize these standards.” The Valley Forge, Pennsylvania-based company said it has not fully reviewed the 1,023 pages of rules the department released. “It is almost certain that we will find provisions of the new rule that will adversely affect some within the industry,” Schadl said in the statement.

politicsNews

April 7, 2016

Pakistani police exhume couple's bodies suspecting honor killing

Pakistani police on Monday exhumed the bodies of a young couple believed to have murdered by their families in a so-called honor killing, an investigator said. Zeeshan Siddiqui said Abdul Hadi, 25, already married with three children, and his 21-year-old cousin Hussaini Bibi ran away together a month ago and had yet to marry. The couple had settled in a rented house in the southern city of Karachi. Their landlord informed the police after the couple went missing. The house had bloodstains and signs of murder. Questioning of their relatives led police to a graveyard where the bodies were exhumed, said the officer, who suspected the two families colluded in the killing. Honour killings are mostly carried out by relatives over the perceived damage to their honor when a girl decides to marry someone of her choosing or refuses to marry someone her family would pick. The couple were from the Kohistan tribal district of northwest Pakistan. In 2012, four women and a girl were ordered to be killed by a tribal council in Kohistan after a cell phone video of them dancing and singing apparently in a wedding became public.

worldnews

November 27, 2017

BREAKING REPORT: Trump Is Terrified; Asking Lawyers If He Could Pardon Himself

While Donald Trump hasn t exactly made an admission of guilt in the Russian scandal, but in a shocking story that just broke in the Washington Post, he s at least privately entertaining the idea that he will be prosecuted and possibly found guilty. Now he s asking if he can pardon family members, staff and even himself.Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people. A second person said Trump s lawyers have been discussing the president s pardoning powers among themselves.Trump s legal team declined to comment on the issue. But one adviser said the president has simply expressed a curiosity in understanding the reach of his pardoning authority, as well as the limits of Mueller s investigation. This is not in the context of, I can t wait to pardon myself, a close adviser said.Source: Washington PostThis report comes in the same day a New York Times interview was published with Trump. In the interview, he appeared to threaten Special Counselor Robert Mueller if Mueller dared look into Trump s personal finances:Asked if Mr. Mueller s investigation would cross a red line if it expanded to look at his family s finances beyond any relationship to Russia, Mr. Trump said, I would say yes. He would not say what he would do about it. I think that s a violation. Look, this is about Russia. Mueller didn t care, though. On the same day the interview was printed, it was revealed that Mueller s office is indeed investigating Trump s businesses, which may be why the sudden interest in Trump pardoning everyone around him, including himself.As for whether he can do that, well, the Constitution and history are unclear. No President has tried to pardon himself. Nixon thought about it before he resigned and his lawyer advised him that it was within his realm of authority. Note that a president doesn t have to wait till there are convictions to grant pardons.So what would happen if Trump attempted a self-pardon? First, some pardon fundamentals: Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution gives the president the power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. Pardons thus can only cover federal criminal offenses and cannot thwart an impeachment (which technically is not a criminal prosecution anyway). .The prosecutor s argument, while much more complicated, is a stronger one. First, a textual argument: The word pardon means something inherently bilateral, something that a sovereign bestows upon a subject. Consider more colloquially that you can beg someone else s pardon, but you never seek or receive one from yourself. While there is admittedly no explicit limitation on self-pardons, there is no need for one, because a self-pardon is by definition not a pardon. Other examples show that the pardon power is subject to inherent limitations like this. For instance, the law is clear that a pardon cannot be prospective it can only reach offenses committed before the pardon is issued but that limit is not spelled out in the Constitution either. It is implicit in the definition of a pardon as opposed to a suspension of the law.Source: Foreign PolicyWhether or not it can be done, it would set a very bad precedence and one that even the most partisan Republicans in Congress would find toxic. It could also be very bad for Trump s businesses.Featured image via Sean Gallup/Getty Images

News

July 20, 2017

Snowden Laughs-off CIA Excuse of ‘Mistakenly Destroying’ Secret Torture Report

21st Century Wire says This week s announcement by the CIA that they somehow lost the infamous torture report has failed to impress its critics who are all but certain that the agency has destroyed, or hidden the report in order to protect all who are involved in the illegal and ultimately useless practice of torturing alleged terrorist suspects in order to obtain made-up information.I worked @CIA. I wrote the Emergency Destruction Plan for Geneva. When CIA destroys something, it's never a mistake. https://t.co/S1VULfE4NY Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 18, 2016RTThe comprehensive Senate torture report could be what was needed to really drive the point home about America s use of torture and its true effectiveness. Word of the document being destroyed emerged despite Justice Department lawyers earlier assuring a federal court there were several copies in existence.The report was said to have been destroyed by the CIA inspector general s office in an inadvertent fashion. What was extremely peculiar was the fact that last summer the officials had uploaded a copy onto a computer, then accidentally deleted that. As if that wasn t enough, they have now accidentally destroyed the disk which contained the copy of the report. I worked @CIA. I wrote the Emergency Destruction Plan for Geneva, Snowden told his millions of global supporters over Twitter. When the CIA destroys something, it s never a mistake. Continue this story at RTREAD MORE SNOWDEN NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Snowden Files

Middle-east

May 20, 2016

Obama says Clinton never jeopardized national security in email case: Fox

U.S. President Barack Obama said Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton never jeopardized national security in the handling of her emails as his secretary of state. Obama, in an interview broadcast on Fox News Sunday, said Clinton has recognized a carelessness on the email issue in which she used a private server for government business. “But I also think it is important to keep this in perspective,” Obama said. “This is somebody who has served her country for four years as secretary of state, and did an outstanding job.” Clinton, secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, has said her email arrangement broke no rules and that she will be vindicated in investigations of whether any laws were broken. The government forbids sending or storing classified information outside secure, government-controlled channels. The FBI has taken the server and is investigating the case with U.S. Justice Department attorneys. At least two Republican-led congressional committees are also investigating. The Democratic president was asked if the Justice Department investigation would treat the Clinton case impartially. “I guarantee that there is no political influence in any investigation conducted by the Justice Department, or the FBI, not just in this case, but in any case,” said Obama, who leaves office next year. “Guaranteed. Full stop. Nobody gets treated differently when it comes to the Justice Department. Because nobody is above the law,” he said. The State Department said this month it has suspended plans for an internal review of whether classified information was properly handled in Clinton’s emails at the request of the FBI. The department, complying with a judge’s order, has released more than 52,000 emails from Clinton’s private server. Republican rivals in the battle for the Nov. 8 presidential election have cited the email controversy in saying Clinton is unfit for the presidency.

politicsNews

April 10, 2016

Turkish, Iranian presidents discuss Iraqi Kurdish referendum: Erdogan's office

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by phone regarding a Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum and voiced concern that it will cause regional chaos, Erdogan s office said on Sunday. The two leaders noted that not cancelling the referendum will bring with it chaos in the region and they stressed the great importance which they attach to Iraq s territorial integrity, the statement said.

worldnews

September 24, 2017

Anti-nuclear campaign ICAN says Nobel Peace Prize a 'great honor'

The International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons issued the following statement after winning the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday: It is a great honor to have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017 in recognition of our role in achieving the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This historic agreement, adopted on 7 July with the backing of 122 nations, offers a powerful, much-needed alternative to a world in which threats of mass destruction are allowed to prevail and, indeed, are escalating. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of non-governmental organizations in one hundred countries. By harnessing the power of the people, we have worked to bring an end to the most destructive weapon ever created the only weapon that poses an existential threat to all humanity. This prize is a tribute to the tireless efforts of many millions of campaigners and concerned citizens worldwide who, ever since the dawn of the atomic age, have loudly protested nuclear weapons, insisting that they can serve no legitimate purpose and must be forever banished from the face of our earth. It is a tribute also to the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the hibakusha and victims of nuclear test explosions around the world, whose searing testimonies and unstinting advocacy were instrumental in securing this landmark agreement. The treaty categorically outlaws the worst weapons of mass destruction and establishes a clear pathway to their total elimination. It is a response to the ever-deepening concern of the international community that any use of nuclear weapons would inflict catastrophic, widespread and long-lasting harm on people and our living planet. We are proud to have played a major role its creation, including through advocacy and participation in diplomatic conferences, and we will work assiduously in coming years to ensure its full implementation. Any nation that seeks a more peaceful world, free from the nuclear menace, will sign and ratify this crucial accord without delay. The belief of some governments that nuclear weapons are a legitimate and essential source of security is not only misguided, but also dangerous, for it incites proliferation and undermines disarmament. All nations should reject these weapons completely before they are ever used again. This is a time of great global tension, when fiery rhetoric could all too easily lead us, inexorably, to unspeakable horror. The specter of nuclear conflict looms large once more. If ever there were a moment for nations to declare their unequivocal opposition to nuclear weapons, that moment is now. We applaud those nations that have already signed and ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and we urge all others to follow their lead. It offers a pathway forward at a time of alarming crisis. Disarmament is not a pipe dream, but an urgent humanitarian necessity. We most humbly thank the Norwegian Nobel Committee. This award shines a needed light on the path the ban treaty provides towards a world free of nuclear weapons. Before it is too late, we must take that path.

worldnews

October 6, 2017

FBI deputy director to sit for closed interview with House panels

The FBI’S deputy director, Andrew McCabe, will appear for a closed-door interview on Thursday with two key U.S. congressional committees, after Republicans asked him to discuss the bureau’s handling of its Hillary Clinton email probe. The Justice Department confirmed in a letter on Wednesday to the chairmen of the House of Representatives Judiciary and Oversight committees that McCabe will sit for a transcribed interview, but said McCabe will not be permitted to discuss anything related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. It said the interview must be conducted in a classified setting and that the transcript should not be publicly released. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is part of the Justice Department. The Republican-led House Judiciary and Oversight committees announced in October they were launching fresh probes into a number of long-standing political grievances, including concerns over the FBI’s handling of the investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. Republicans have said they want to get to the bottom of why former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Donald Trump, publicly discussed the Clinton investigation and announced that the bureau would not seek to bring charges. Comey also publicly revealed, just 11 days before the 2016 presidential election, that he was reopening the matter after the FBI discovered a new batch of Clinton emails. The case was closed shortly after the emails were reviewed, and no new information was uncovered. Critics say the Republicans’ focus on Clinton is merely a tactic to distract from Mueller’s investigation and whether members of Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. Since the new Clinton probe was announced, Republicans have also turned up the pressure on Mueller and attacked the FBI’s integrity, after anti-Trump text messages surfaced between two FBI employees who worked on Mueller’s team. One of the employees, agent Peter Strzok, was reassigned after the texts were discovered. The other, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, completed her temporary 45-day detail assignment with Mueller in mid-July. Republican have also asked the Justice Department to make Page, who works in the FBI’s general counsel’s office, available for interviews. Trump has openly attacked the FBI, saying its reputation is in “tatters.” Russia has denied meddling in the election, and Trump has said there was no collusion.

politicsNews

December 20, 2017

Republican, Democratic senators seek answers in Wells auto scandal

A group of U.S. senators from both parties on Wednesday turned up the heat on Wells Fargo Inc. over its latest scandal, in which hundreds of thousands of car-loan borrowers were charged each month without their knowledge for collision insurance, which many of them did not need. The Republican chairs of the committee and the subcommittee that would head any congressional investigations into insurance sales, Senators John Thune and Jerry Moran, along with those panels’ senior Democrats, Senators Bill Nelson and Richard Blumenthal, wrote to Wells CEO Timothy Sloan with questions about the scandal as basic as how many customers were affected. They also requested copies of the bank’s internal report that first identified the problem. The group sent similar questions to Barry Karfunkel, CEO of National General Holdings Corporation, which provided the insurance. Last week Moran said he was seeking additional information from Wells about reports the bank charged 800,000 borrowers for insurance without their knowledge or consent, but did not give specifics. Many borrowers already had cheaper insurance with other companies. The letter asks Sloan when the bank, which paid $190 million in fines and penalties last year over creating phantom bank accounts, first learned about the insurance sales practices and also what steps it is taking to prevent a recurrence and to refund the erroneous charges to customers. The letters do not mention possible hearings or subpoenas, but the senators have the authority launch an investigation using both if they are not satisfied with responses to their letters. Wells and National have until Aug. 23 to answer the questions. The Wells letter shows senators are concerned with reports that thousands of borrowers fell into delinquency because they could not afford the premiums on top of their monthly payments and the possibility bank management pushed employees to sign customers up for insurance with incentives or special benefits. Incentives are at the heart of last year’s scandal, where employees said they created accounts in customers’ names or pushed account holders to buy additional products they did not need in order to meet high sales targets. The senators are also seeking information about possible commissions paid or revenues shared between Wells and National. Wells spokeswoman Jennifer Dunn said the bank is committed to addressing the lawmakers’ concerns. “Customer harm is not acceptable at Wells Fargo,” she said. “We are committed to fixing these mistakes and earning back trust.”

politicsNews

August 9, 2017

House Speaker Ryan urges coordinated response to Brussels attack

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday urged international cooperation in reacting to a series of attacks in Brussels that have left 34 people dead and many injured. “As our countries have always done, we must confront this threat together. We must defend democracy, and defeat terror,” Ryan told reporters.

politicsNews

March 22, 2016

U.S. tells schools to give transgender students bathroom rights

The Obama administration told U.S. public schools on Friday that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, upsetting Republicans and raising the likelihood of fights over federal funding and legal authority. Conservatives pushed back against the administration’s non-binding guidance to schools, the latest battleground in the issue of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the guidance “must be challenged.” “If President Obama thinks he can bully Texas schools into allowing men to have open access to girls in bathrooms, he better prepare for yet another legal fight,” Paxton, a Tea Party champion, said in a statement. Other Republican-led states joined calls to disregard the White House’s directive and accused the administration of overstepping its role. In North Carolina, Governor Pat McCrory labeled the move a “massive executive branch overreach” and called on federal courts and the U.S. Congress to intercede, while Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said it was “offensive, intrusive and totally lacking in common sense.” The U.S. Education and Justice Departments, in a letter, told school districts nationwide that while the guidance carries no legal weight, they must not discriminate against students, including based on their gender identity. The guidance contained an implicit threat that school districts defying the Obama administration’s interpretation of the law could face lawsuits or be deprived of federal aid. The White House defended its actions, saying the guidance should not be viewed as a threat but instead as a set of “specific, tangible, real-world advice and suggestions” that many schools had sought and will welcome. “That’s what we’re looking for: solutions that protect the safety and dignity of every single student in school,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a daily briefing, adding that the idea was to prevent discrimination against a range of groups extending beyond the transgender community. The directive came as the Justice Department and North Carolina are battling in federal court over a North Carolina state law approved in March that prohibits people from using public restrooms not corresponding to their gender assigned at birth, while other states weigh similar measures. North Carolina’s law was the first to ban people from restrooms in public buildings and schools not matching the sex on their birth certificate. Mississippi has enacted legislation similarly viewed as discriminatory by civil and gay rights groups, and Tennessee and Missouri considered similar measures. The letter to the schools from Washington said that, to get federal funding under existing rules, a school has to agree not to treat students or activities differently on the basis of sex. That includes not treating a transgender student differently from other students of the same gender identity, officials said. The American Civil Liberties Union said the guidance would help make students “free to bring their whole selves to school.” In a sign of what defiant states may face, the Justice Department this week asked a U.S. District Court in North Carolina to declare the state in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and order it to stop enforcing the ban. Americans are divided over which public restrooms should be used by transgender people, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed, with 44 percent saying people should use them according to their biological sex and 39 percent saying they should be used according to the gender with which they identify. A group representing U.S. school boards called the guidance “unsettled law.” “A dispute about the intent of the federal law must ultimately be resolved by the courts and the Congress,” the National School Boards Association said in a statement. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was less critical than many of his party in several television interviews, saying the issue should be left up to individual states. “Everybody has to be protected ... but it’s a tiny, tiny portion of the population,” Trump told Fox News.

politicsNews

May 13, 2016

SHOCKING PHYSICAL ABUSE REVEALED: Former Secret Service Agent Says Agents Faced Predicament About How To Protect Bill From Physical Violence By Hillary [VIDEO]

Trump was 100% correct when he said, Hillary doesn t have the temperament to become President. Gary Byrne, author of Crisis Of Character tells Sean Hannity about the unusual position Hillary put the Secret Service in by having to protect Bill from Hillary s violent behavior. He also spills the beans about the phony front Hillary puts on for the cameras.WATCH his shocking story here:

left-news

Jun 28, 2016

LEFTIST BULLY ARTISTS Tell Ivanka Trump: “Get My Artwork Off Your Walls”…”I Am Embarrassed To Be Seen With You”

A growing group of artists is hitting back against Ivanka Trump, with some even demanding the president-elect s daughter take their work down off her walls.A collection of New York artists have banded together to protest Donald Trump through his daughter, with a campaign called Dear Ivanka .The colorful crusade was created by the Halt Action Group, which was founded by curator Alison Gingeras, dealer Bill Powers, Jonathan Horowitz, and a group of others associated with the art scene, Bloomberg reports. Dear Ivanka, we need to talk about your dad, the group s website reads. Racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and homophobia are not acceptable anywhere least of all in the White House. Steve Bannon has no place in the White House. Jeff Sessions has no place in the White House. Talk of a Muslim registry has no place in the White House. Hate has no place in the White House. We refuse to wait and see . We look to you as the voice of reason. Other artists, many of whom have pieces in Ivanka s lavish apartment, have also chimed in on the issue. Dear @Ivankatrump please get my work off of your walls. I am embarrassed to be seen with you, Philadelphia artist wrote on Instagram.Ivanka had posted a picture on her own social media of her standing next to a Da Corte piece.The Halt Action Group staged a rally on November 28 outside the Puck building in Manhattan where Ivanka and Jared Kushner live.Da Corte, who called for Ivanka to take his paintings down in her apartment, took part in a protests outside her home with these signsAbout 500 people marched in the demonstration outside Ivanka and Jared Kushner s home on November 28 For entire story: Daily Mail

politics

Dec 22, 2016

Trump Supporters Terrorize An American Woman On The Subway For Wearing A Hijab

Donald Trump s deplorable supporters strike again.18-year-old Yasmin Seweid was born in Brooklyn, New York. So she has been raised in America her entire life. She grew up surrounded by American culture and values religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution.And that is why she is able to wear a hijab and practice Islam.But while she was standing on the subway platform waiting to go home, three male Trump supporters targeted her and began harassing her. They called her a terrorist, ripped the straps on her bag, and tried to forcibly remove her hijab all while saying Trump s name.The abuse continued on the train and Seweid was forced to exit at an early stop in order to get away from them. Bystanders even watched the incident unfold and cowardly did nothing to stop it.She reported the incident to police, who are investigating the crime.In order to warn others about the dangers of Trump supporters, Seweid chose to write about her horrific experience on Facebook. I take the train every single day going to & coming from class, but yesterday, something happened that I never thought would happen to me, Seweid wrote. I was harassed on the subway last night and it was just so dehumanizing I can t speak about it without getting emotional. Three white racists ripped the straps off my bag & attempted to yank my hijab off my head. They yelled such disgusting slurs at me, I was so helpless and felt defenseless. Look it s a fucking terrorist , go back to your country , take that rag off your head and so many more. Trump s name was repeatedly said & it finally clicked in my head. No matter how cultured or Americanized I am, these people don t see me as an American.It breaks my heart that so many individuals chose to be bystanders while watching me get harassed verbally and physically by these disgusting pigs. Trump America is real and I witnessed it first hand last night! What a traumatizing night. Please stay safe everyone & never let anyone take your rights away. Just thought I should share that with you all tonight.Here s her full post via Facebook.Ever since Election Day, Trump supporters have been celebrating by committing hate crimes against women and minorities. In fact, the number of hate crimes skyrocketed and nearly 900 of them have been committed in the weeks since November 8th. And experts say it is worse than the number of hate crimes committed after the 9/11 attacks.Donald Trump has done nothing more than create an atmosphere of hate and violence in this country. With that being said, his call for unity is complete bullshit. We can t have unity in this country when his own supporters are going around terrorizing people.Featured Image: Steve Pope/Getty Images

News

December 3, 2016

Trump Has Complete Meltdown And Attacks Chelsea Clinton In Defense Of His Nepotism At G-20

Donald Trump threw an early morning temper tantrum on Twitter again.Last week, Trump let his daughter Ivanka take over for him at the G-20, giving her his seat at the conference table.National outrage ensued because Ivanka is not an elected official, nor does she have any political or diplomatic experience. The incident also served as a reminder of the nepotism practiced in Trump s White House.On Monday morning, Trump lashed out and actually attacked Hillary Clinton s daughter Chelsea in defense of his irresponsible decision to let Ivanka take his place.When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother,as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017Someone should ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel about this, because it s likely she ll contradict Trump s claim.Of course, Bill Clinton never let Chelsea take his seat at the G-20, and President Obama certainly never let his daughter Malia take his seat at the G-20 either.Both would have been criticized for it and Hillary would have been criticized for it as well, especially by conservatives, who would have thrown the mother of all hissy fits.In fact, I don t think a president has ever let their kids take over for them in such way, so despite what Trump claims, it is NOT very standard. Trump s effort to defend his bad decisions by bringing up what is very much now a hypothetical is pathetic. We ll never know if Hillary would have done such a thing because she isn t president. But Trump is, and that means his behavior is open for criticism.Besides, Chelsea Clinton herself responded to Trump and made it clear that her parents would never have considered doing what Trump did.Good morning Mr. President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not. https://t.co/4ODjWZUp0c Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) July 10, 2017And Twitter users responded by blasting Trump to smithereens.HRC praised Trump s kids at a debate. Now Trump tries to use Chelsea as a political human shield. What a classless comment. Adam Best (@adamcbest) July 10, 2017Let s get real. If Chelsea sat in POTUS HRC s seat for five minutes everybody from Sean Hannity to Paul Ryan would be screaming impeachment. Adam Best (@adamcbest) July 10, 2017If Chelsea Clinton had been asked to hold the seat for her mother , Republicans would have been outraged Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) July 10, 2017Nepotism and misogyny at the same time. Shameful. Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) July 10, 2017Is that what you were busy doing? Giving the country away? Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) July 10, 2017No, your side would be calling for @HillaryClinton s impeachment. https://t.co/DT9Zns7iew Evan O Connell (@evanoconnell) July 10, 2017Chelsea also has a PhD in international relations. So .. she s sort of more qualified, yo Andrea Kuszewski (@AndreaKuszewski) July 10, 2017Featured Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images

News

July 10, 2017

CASTING CRISIS: Orlando’s Actors, Agents and Casualty Role Players

Shawn Helton 21st Century WireTruth is often stranger than fiction when looking at the bizarre phenomena surrounding many mass casualty incidents and the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting was no exception.It was recently revealed that the world s largest security firm G4S, who had employed the man named in the Orlando pulse nightclub shooting, Omar Mateen is a client of the mass casualty staging company called CrisisCast. STAGING REALITY CrisisCast specializes in replicating mass casualty events. (Screen Capture from Crisis Cast)Training for DisasterThe heavily-stylized company CrisisCast, appears to be a revamped version of the Visionbox Crisis Actors project (a crisis actor production emerging after Sandy Hook), with a professional team of actors, elaborate film crews, expert producers and theatrical effects makeup squads mimicking real-life injuries (additional prosthetics) all focused to deliver a simulated crisis-like reality to the public, later to be managed accordingly through their public relations division via various forms of social media.RELATED: (VIDEO) Active Shooter and Terror Drills: The Truth WILL Shock YouIn CrisisCast s about section we see a sophisticated amalgam of emergency protocol disaster training combined with internationally credited film crews, that bring their high-end stagecraft to life, through a collection of role players, stunts, medical simulations and combat flashpoints, cloaked in visual tricky, with film techniques out of the UK and Australia, so says the group s website.Below is a road traffic collusion demo created by lead CrisisCast producer/founder Brian Mitchell (has worked on Hollywood studios and holds National security clearance) featured on Vimeo. The scenario is filmed from multiple angles, with quick cut editing that disorients, as we see an individual (crisis actor) in the aftermath of a crash struck by the emotional weight of the scene screaming out to a gaggle of onlookers after witnessing the staged carnage. The strange episode leaves one with a feeling of phantom trauma that continues to lurk.When recreating large scale mass casualty incidents, Cast may also make use of pyrotechnics, wardrobe, special effects, covert and aerial footage, depending on the clients needs.In a passage from their solutions section, an outline to basic formatting for a simulated crisis is revealed: Our producers work with your trainers to create a script that enables the role play actors to know when to trigger key developments in an evolving crisis management scenario. We brief and rehearse the team where possible on location but at least with video surveillance footage.Heads of department manage each discipline and report to the lead producer who is your direct contact at all times. In addition to stage-managing a crisis scenario with a highly fluid production team, Cast also centers its strategy on lockdown and evacuation procedures, [with] the ability of emergency services to co-operate, and the ever important task of having the joint ability to respond to the press, in a partnership with the company s clients through a multitude of social media platforms on the internet. The crowdsourcing techniques employed by Visionbox Crisis Actors comes to mind. OUR CRISIS A promotional shot from CrisisCast s website featuring a riot scene in London. (Image Scource: crisiscast) Nothing works as effectively in dealing with real-world disasters as rehearsal. CrisisCastAlso note worthy, Cast states, it has the ability to create highly credible, dramatic scenarios to bear preparing your people for the worst, employing both psychological and practical tools, in their disaster training all the while making sure that role playing actors, as well as crew have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDA s) before each scripted event. Here s another passage depicting the kind of psychological implementation used to achieve a successful Cast simulation: Our role play actors are psychologically trained in criminal and victim behaviour. They bring intense realism to simulated mass casualty incidents on the battlefield, during kidnap and ransom and emergency evacuation situations and in hostile threat incidents in urban or public places.In so doing, CrisisCast provides learners with an irrevocable first encounter with the emotional challenges of any hostile incident. Other clients of Cast include The London City Airport and UK Trade & Investment, along with many other leading companies worldwide. From CrisisCast to Hollywood Also featured on Cast s website, Francesca Hunt (Professional actress and lead producer and co-founder of CrisisCast), explaining why authentic stress behaviors are so important when recreating a crisis. . According unitedagents.co.uk, Hunt herself is a theater trained actress, having studied at Oxford (1983-86) graduate, Bristol Old Vic (1987-89) and Moscow Arts Theatre 1989. She has been featured in several Hollywood films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Strathblair (1992) and A Prince Among Men (1997) on her IMDB page. The page also states she is married to Brian (Mitchell?, CrisisCast Founder?). FROM ONE STAGE TO ANOTHER Here s an image from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) featuring James Fox, Julia Winter, Francesca Hunt. (Image Source:pinterest)A-LIST: Here s a head shot depicting Hunt as seen on United Agents On another note, Cast s blog features a host of promotional interviews and research studies, as well as fear inducing titles such as How to set fire to a school, Roleplaying for riot control, and Columbia education in the face of violence. In the YouTube clip below, the intricate dynamics within a staged crisis are witnessed when fictional European countries are pitted against one another during riot-scene training with the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) The video mentions the UN s involvement as well could this kind of training also be used under a modern day Operation GLADIO? They ll have to be prepared for an escalation of force. Forces TVIn an article published with The Guardian entitled How to simulate a terrorist atrocity, Crisis Cast digs into their bag of tricks to deliver: a drill to test the skills and capabilities of the police, counter-terrorism units, fire and ambulance services in the north of England in the event of a terrorist attack in this case, involving a suicide bombing and masked gunmen. A video clip shows a bomb going off outside a burger restaurant, which leaves dozens of people lying killed or injured on the ground, while others run off screaming. SIMULATED TERROR Even though you knew it wasn t real, it really felt real, said one actors from the Trafford Centre terror drill. (Image Source: crisiscast)CrisisCast clients include Deloitte, G4S, the British Home Office, the NHS, and others.As 21WIRE has previously reported, this induces kind of cognitive dissonance for passive audiences, which often blocks a viewer from considering another perspective following a traumatic event You have to wonder, what is really being learned during these events?Watch the following suicide terrorist drill performed with a full cast of paid UK crisis actors held in Manchester, England in May 2016: Looking at what we ve learned above, is it possible that CrisisCast s productions could extend in a recreation of a terror based story line using the concept of a criminal lone wolf persona?The Strange Script in OrlandoWe ve been told that in addition to working for one of the largest security firms in the US since 2007, G4S Secure Solutions, the 29-year old Mateen, the alleged Orlando shooter, an Afghani-American located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, was placed under a terror watch list for 10 months (interviewed two to three times by the FBI 2013-14) as well as appearing in two documentary feature films. Most notably, a short interview in a major Hollywood designer documentary called The Big Fix in 2012, discussing the BP oil spill at Deep Water Horizon.Mateen at the 36 minute mark, played the part of a concerned security guard, taking on a scripted activist-type character revealing that everybody is out to get paid, and that they want more disaster to happen, cuz that s where there money making is even though he was currently working for the world s largest security contractor overseeing the apparent environmental crisis.Indeed, Mateen was also featured in another documentary called Love City Jalalabad (2013), a feature supposedly depicting progressive Afghani youth and a quest for social change, created by the abstract artist/filmmaker George Gittoes, whose works delve into the holographic and hyperreal, as he was also said to be a former collaborator with the famed screen print legend Andy Warhol and holographic pioneer physicist Zoltan Hegedus (hat-tip 21WIRE contributor Randy Johnson).Gittoes has a background in politically charged propaganda films, with him [Creating a] series of works including The Hotel Kennedy Suite and The Kent State Suite responding to events in the United States, including anti-Vietnam War protests and the Kent State shootings at Kent State University, Ohio, in 1970.Additionally, during a time of great upheaval, Gittoes [traveled] to Bosnia (April May) on a privately sponsored trip to document United Nations- monitored elections. Produces series of paintings based on the people of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and documents the effects of the 1992 96 Bosnian War for independence, the longest siege of a city in the history of modern warfare. Gittoes then traveled to Iraq four times between March 2003 and May 2004, making a trilogy of films based on The War On Terror.Comparatively, in an article written by Jay Dyer of Jay s Analysis we re reminded of other connections with intelligence agencies and Hollywood. Here s a passage where Dyer observes historical links between the CIA and Hollywood, through the former CIA general counsel: Author John Rizzo has recently published a book titled Company Man: Thirty Years of Controversy and Crisis in the CIA, which is an amazing admission of this scandalous affair between intelligence and the film industry. The L.A. Times comments: The CIA has long had a special relationship with the entertainment industry, devoting considerable attention to fostering relationships with Hollywood movers and shakers studio executives, producers, directors, big-name actors, John Rizzo, the former acting CIA general counsel, wrote in his new book, Company Man: Thirty Years of Crisis and Controversy in the CIA.The CIA also recruits actors to give more visibility to propaganda projects abroad, such as a documentary secretly produced by the agency, Rizzo said. And the agency sometimes takes advantage of the door-opening cachet that movie stars and other American celebrities enjoy. A star who met a world leader, for example, might be asked for details about that meeting.The CIA has officials assigned full-time to the care and feeding of Hollywood assets, Rizzo wrote. Other former CIA officials added that some of those operatives work in the Los Angeles office of an agency department called the National Resources Division, which recruits people in the U.S. to help America spy abroad. Through the connections above, were also reminded of the alleged Orlando shooter s father, Seddique Mateen, who is closely tied to some of the most powerful leaders and agencies in Washington DC. Here s a passage from a recent 21WIRE report discussing a deeper intelligence connection with the Mateen family: Omar Mateen, worked as a contractor for the US Department of Homeland Security, then we learned that the elder Mateen is also standing to run for President of Afghanistan and is allied with the Taliban leadership an absolutely ideal profile for a Washington-managed, CIA controlled-opposition political candidate. SEE ALSO: Father of Orlando Shooter is Long-time CIA AssetWhat is the public to make of Mateen s own acting and film background as it relates to America s largest mass shooting are we again seeing a clear link between Hollywood and military/security services?Was the Orlando shooting also a production of sorts?The theatrical aspects of this event, as depicted in the media over the last 6 days are so pervasive and over-the-top that one might easily conclude that there is much more at play than a lone gunman and a saddened but resilient community determined to overcome this senseless and horrific tragedy. The media script seems already written before the killer is even named.Crisis Actors Agents of Change Here Peekay Truth shows a video depicting strange elements surrounding the Orlando shooting The dancing actor clip depicted above is reminiscent of the October drill said to have taken place during the Canadian Parliament shooting in 2014, where many wondered why police and security services were seen laughing and joking supposedly in the midst of a serious tragedy. As Seen on TV : Orlando s Acting Professionals Additionally, there was a Pulse nightclub goer seen immediately making the media rounds on TV following the dramatic shooting event, one Luis Burbano, an actor/model featured in a few Hollywood films, according to his IMDB bio.Here s a YouTube clip featuring Burbano s media appearance One of the Orlando shooting survivors has admitted to locking an exit door, putting dozens of revelers lives at risk during the massacre.The revelations about Luis Burbano s actions the night of the shooting have come to light after he gave an interview, saying he regrets his second chance at life.Nearby, he saw people moving through a small employee s only door hidden behind a curtain, and followed after. On the other side of the door was a narrow hallway where Burbano estimates about 20 people were crawling over each other to get to the exit at the other end. Burbano says he decided to shut the door behind him because the hallway was getting dangerously overcrowded. Here s another out-of-town Pulse club goer, Shawn Royster Santiago, from New York City, who apparently witnessed the shooting and who also happens to have a media/acting and modeling pedigree as well.According to Santiago s ModelMayhem profile it states, [I ve been] modeling and performing in the entertainment industry off and on since i was 11, having appeared in a variety of projects such as Television/Commercials, and he currently works as a Visual Merchandiser. Watch him in the news clip below shortly after the Orlando shooting attack Additionally, the YouTube video montages another interview with the professional actor and model named Luis Burbano, where he admits was blocking an exit at the time of the shooting The media linked personality, Patience Carter, from Philadelphia, PA, has also caused many to ask questions. Watch this YouTube clip from Now the Truth, to see her role in the Orlando story Here s a review of some previously covered anomalies here at 21WIRE As we previously reported, though the Orlando shooting attack was officially stated to have been carried out around 2am, The Daily Mail published Facebook posts from people apparently inside the club that contradict the main timeline, suggesting the shooting happened much earlier.Here are the Facebook comments featured in the Daily Mail for review If these time stamps are correct and the posts have not been doctored in any way, then these posts present a pretty major crack in the official timeline of events at Pulse nightclub.Here s another clip with the animated YouTube personality Peekay Truth outlining the Daily Mail time discrepancy associated with the Orlando shooting The UK s Independent published an article displaying an eyewitness account that directly contradicts the lone gunman theory pushed by all major media outlets in the aftermath of the shooting: Police did not immediately name the gunman or provide a possible motive for the attack but officials have classified the rampage as a domestic terrorism incident , Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.Javer Antonetti, 53, told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper he was near the back of the dance club when he heard gunfire. There were so many (shots), at least 40, he said. I saw two guys and it was constant, like pow, pow, pow, . From a logistical stand point Mateen s ability to carry out the shooting by himself seems to be another questionable aspect to an increasingly troubled case.Another club eyewitness Jon Alamo, heard 20, 40, 50 shots, and then The music stopped. While the stress of the incident could account for some differences, forensically it s hard to believe Mateen would have been able to have the ability to shoot over hundred people with only 50 some shots.According to multiple eyewitness accounts people inside the club mentioned that there was possibly as many as four shooters in and around the area. The witness seen in the image just below described the following: Then he [Mateen] called someone he knew and he mentioned that he was the fourth shooter, and there were three others. One of the main mainstream media protagonists from the Orlando Shooting event was a man named Chris Hansen, an aspiring actor and entertainer who played a central role as survivor and hero in a number of heavily rotated media clips depicting the aftermath of the event. Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1SMbQNnGQI . Fake Trauma & Staged Casualty Drills Back in March, 21WIRE also covered the suspicious Brussels airport attack, that coincidentally revealed a host of inter-agency mass casualty drills taking place on the global stage: In October of 2015, SputnikNews reported massive NATO drills in Belgium and other member countries: On October 21, the largest NATO military exercises in 13 years moved into an active phase testing threat response. The drills involve over 36,000 troops from 30 NATO and partner countries. The first phase of the Trident Juncture drills began October 3, running for two weeks in Canada, Norway, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The second part is taking place in southern Europe Spain, Italy, and Portugal as well as in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, in February, The Daily Mail published an article reporting Europe s largest-ever disaster response training exercise : Police, firefighters and paramedics will this week work side-by-side with more than 70 partner agencies including local councils, utility companies and specialist search and rescue teams to respond to the disaster during the four-day drill.Disaster victim identification teams from all UK police regions are also working alongside other forensic specialists in a mortuary on site.Teams will also be working alongside firefighters from Italy, Hungary and Cyprus who will also be mobilised to the incident on Wednesday.Although this scenario is not a terrorist attack, we will be practising procedures and systems that are common to any emergency that results in a large number of fatalities and injuries. CRISIS ACTORS Two actors seen with fake gory wounds are laughing in between simulated takes. (Photo link livestream)That s not all. Back in 2013, a full-scale emergency drill at Brussels Airport to test and evaluate the preparedness of our airport emergency services in the event of an incident. Here s a YouTube video depicting the Brussels Airport drill in April of 2013, and then again in April of 2015 Here s a YouTube clip featuring CNN s Poppy Harlow discussing amputee actors engaged in military training drills, to give soldiers a heightened combat-like experience Orlando in SummaryIt should be mentioned again that events like the Orlando shooting and other mass-shootings , have become a serrated catalyst to usher in calls for endless new protocols for security , inter-agency fusion, emergency medical procedures, as well as the injection of more and more military terminology into civilian life.Once again, the Orlando shooting attack is an illusory shooting event winding in the likes of Hollywood, the CIA and the FBI.END OF PART TWOStay tuned for more Orlando shooting updates SEE ALSO: ORLANDO KNOWN WOLF Watched by FBI, Worked with DHS, Amid Crisis Actors, Drills & CI sREAD MORE ORLANDO SHOOTING NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Orlando FilesHelp support us by becoming a 21WIRE Member at: 21WIRE.TV

Middle-east

June 18, 2016

Donna Brazile FINALLY Admits To Giving Hillary Questions Before Debate…Will Media Hold Crooked Hillary Accountable For Accepting Questions? [VIDEO]

Veteran Democratic operative Donna Brazile finally admitted that she used her former position as a CNN commentator to relay questions ahead of debates to Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary.For months, Brazile has avoided confirming that hacked emails from the campaign showed her forwarding the questions, which were asked at separate debates. But in a new essay for Time magazine looking back on the hackings, she said it was true. [I]n October, a subsequent release of emails revealed that among the many things I did in my role as a Democratic operative and [Democratic National Committee] Vice Chair prior to assuming the interim D.N.C. Chair position was to share potential town hall topics with the Clinton campaign, she said.Watch Donna Brazile lie to Megyn Kelly: As recently as February, Brazile would only say that the emails allegedly showed her forwarding the questions.In her Time essay, however, she said she was remorseful. Washington ExaminerWatch Donna Brazile brag about how much more prepared Hillary Clinton was for the debate than her opponent Donald J. Trump. When the reporter asks Brazile about passing the debate questions along to Hillary, she accuses him of badgering her like Donald Trump badgers women. Watch Obama s spokesliar tell a reporter during press conference that President Obama has full confidence in Brazile. claims that she s a person of integrity and high-character: Here s another clip of the reporter who won t let up on Brazile as she continues to lie to press about giving Hillary questions before the debate:

left-news

Mar 17, 2017

COWARDLY CHAIN MIGRATION TERRORIST Who Entered US During Obama’s Second Term, Mocked President Trump Just Before Failing To Blow Himself Up

Yesterday, a cowardly recipient of America s generosity, via a broken chain migration policy, walked through the busy subway terminal near the Port Authority Transit hub, where he planned to use a homemade bomb strapped to his body as a weapon to terrorize as many people as possible. The chain migration terrorist claims he chose the Port Authority site because the poor little radicalized Muslim who America welcomed with open arms, was triggered by the Christmas posters that hung in the hallways of the terminal. The chain migration terrorist, who was inspired by ISIS, failed miserably.The media will show their true colors when they ignore the ease with which radical Muslims from hotbed terror nations have been allowed to enter the United States, and will instead, will focus on Ullah s statement about wanting to punish President Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The media will also ignore the fact that we wouldn t even be having this conversation if Ullah was not allowed to enter the United States during Obama s presidency. It was actually during Barack Hussein Obama s second term in 2014, that Ullah began to explore ways to commit acts of terror against Americans, as a way to show his allegiance to the cowardly terror group, ISIS. (See paragraph f. )Port Authority bomber Akayed Ullah wanted to send a message straight to the White House: Trump you failed to protect your nation. Here is a screenshot of the complaint filed by Assistant United States Attorneys:That s what the 27-year-old ISIS adherent wrote on his Facebook page while on his way to blow himself up at the bustling transit hub Monday morning, according to the federal complaint filed Tuesday.He had also written in his passport: O AMERICA, DIE IN YOUR RAGE. The charges also reveal that the 27-year-old Bangeldesh-born cabbie s online radicalization began in 2014, and he began researching how to build bombs a year ago although he only constructed his crude explosive device at his Brooklyn home a week ago.Ullah built the bomb for maximum damage, federal prosecutors charge filling it with metal screws and performed the bombing on a workday because he believed that there would be more people. NYP

politics

Dec 12, 2017

Suicide bomber kills 50 in Nigeria in mosque attack

A suicide bomber killed at least 50 people in northeastern Nigeria on Tuesday in an attack on a mosque which bore the hallmarks of a faction of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The bombing in Mubi in Adamawa state was one of the deadliest in Nigeria s northeast since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015 pledging to end Boko Haram s eight-year insurgency and attacks by the group on civilian and military targets. It brought to at least 278 the number of people killed in 2017, according to calculations by Reuters. There was no claim of responsibility. Some of the dead were in pieces beyond recognition, said Bayi Muhammad, a worshipper who escaped the blast because he was late for early morning prayers. Abubakar Othman, a police spokesman in Adamawa state, said the death toll was at least 50, but added that the tally could rise. Eight people were critically injured and more than 30 others hurt but in stable condition, said Idris Garga, the northeast regional coordinator for Nigeria s national emergency agency. Boko Haram held territory in Adamawa state in 2014. Troops pushed them out in early 2015, and the town of Mubi had itself been relatively peaceful until Tuesday s bombing. In a statement on Tuesday, Nigeria s president said the attack was very cruel and gave assurances his government would do everything required to secure the state from Boko Haram. The militant group often mounts suicide attacks in public places such as mosques and markets. Last December, two schoolgirl suicide bombers killed 56 people and wounded dozens more at a market in Adamawa. The mosque blast bears the hallmarks of a faction led by Abubakar Shekau, which forces women and girls to carry out suicide bombings. The attacks often leave only the bomber dead. Boko Haram has waged an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria since 2009 in its attempt to create an Islamic state in the region. It has killed more than 20,000 and forced around 2 million people to flee their homes. The group split in 2016 and the faction under Shekau is based in the Sambisa forest on the border with Cameroon and Chad and mainly targets civilians with suicide bombers. The other faction is based in the Lake Chad region and led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi. It mainly attacks military forces after quietly building up its strength over the past year. Most attacks focus on Borno state, the birthplace of the insurgency. The group held land around the size of Belgium in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states until early 2015 but was forced out by Nigeria s army and troops from neighboring countries.

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November 21, 2017

U.S. Senate confirms businessman Hagerty as ambassador to Japan

The U.S. Senate confirmed private equity executive William Hagerty on Thursday as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Japan, filling a post considered especially crucial in light of neighboring North Korea’s recent missile tests. The vote was 86 to 12 in the 100-member Senate. Hagerty, founder of the private equity firm Hagerty Peterson, spent several years in Japan with the Boston Consulting Group and later served in the White House under former President George H.W. Bush. Trump’s choice of Hagerty was taken as a sign of the interest in economic ties to Japan by the Republican president, a real estate developer and reality television star, who had never held public office when he was elected in November. North Korea has been worrying and frustrating neighboring countries and U.S. officials with a series of missile tests, more so since Pyongyang last week test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile. Trump has been criticized for being slow to name ambassadors to important U.S. allies like Japan, especially in light of the crisis. There is still no new U.S. ambassador to South Korea. Hagerty succeeds Caroline Kennedy, an attorney and daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who held the position from 2013 until Trump took office in January 2017.

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July 13, 2017

PAM GELLER Rips Into Geraldo for Insults About Her Fight Against Terrorism [Video]

Pam Geller is not the person you d ever want to go up against in a debate but cocky Geraldo Rivera tried it You guessed right if you guessed she at his lunch! She s one tough cookie!Pamela Geller: He hates me more than the terrorists so I can t take much of what he says seriously.Fox is imploding right now. Pam Geller is attacking Geraldo Rivera for saying he needs to take a shower after she appears on the network. pic.twitter.com/tYTvvSX5z8 Thomas Bishop (@bishopk0s) November 2, 2017Remember that Geraldo insulted Geller when she was almost killed by two jihadists in Texas Geller has long been a target of radical Islamists. Her life has been threatened but she keeps up the fight:Pam Geller has been spot on when speaking about the truth of jihadists. She spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about how she feels Hollywood is in the pocket of jihadis. Very interesting read and lots to learn from this very brave lady:Pamela Geller has been on a rampage against radical Islam for years, beginning notably in 2010 by spearheading of the opposition to what she called the Ground Zero Mega Mosque near the site of the destroyed World Trade Center. Her most recent controversy was the organization of a Draw the Prophet Muhammad contest in Texas.At the event, two self-described jihadists shot a security guard before police killed them. Then, on June 2, police killed a knife-wielding Muslim man in Boston whose goal was allegedly to behead Geller in retaliation for the contest. Even though the contest was a major news story, few media outlets published the winning cartoon. Geller s group, American Freedom Defense Initiative, put the image on billboards, 100 of which debuted in St. Louis on Monday with the tagline Support Free Speech. She spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how the (largely hostile) media is portraying these events.Why are you being overly provocative, purposely insulting Muslims?I am not being overly provocative or purposely insulting Muslims. Islamic jihadists, not I, made Muhammad cartoons the flash point for the defense of the freedom of speech when they began killing over them. If we don t stand against them on that point, the only alternative is surrender and submission. I did not make the cartoons a flash point, the jihadis did.But if you just don t insult their prophet, they ll leave you alone, no?No. The death penalty for insulting Muhammad is just one aspect of Sharia. There is much, much more of infidel behavior that violates Sharia. If we refrain from drawing Muhammad, more demands to adhere to other aspects of Sharia will follow. Millions are suffering or have been slaughtered under Islamic Sharia law in Muslim countries. Islamic supremacists mean to impose it in the West.There is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment. Hate speech is a subjective judgment. If it were outlawed, the authority with the power to decide what constitutes it would have the power to control the public debate. If a group will not bear being offended without resorting to violence, that group will rule unopposed while everyone else lives in fear, while other groups curtail their activities to appease the violent group. This results in the violent group being able to tyrannize the others. Cartoons have been used as satire since the beginning of satire especially in our country and no one gets a pass. Not the Pope of Rome, president of the United States or Hollywood s biggest movie stars. If you don t like it, don t look at it, boycott the network that airs it, don t buy the publication, make counter-images, make a million, fine, but you have to adjust to us, not we to you, and if that s too much, don t come here. Threaten violence? Commit violence? The consequences are yours to bear.It seems many media pundits who claim allegiance to the First Amendment aren t persuaded by your arguments.They are afraid of being killed by Islamic jihadists and camouflage their fear and cowardice as respect for Islam and Muslims.Are there any TV hosts who have been particularly hostile to you during interviews?Yes. Martha MacCallum, Erin Burnett, Alisyn Camerota, Chris Cuomo although he let me speak and make my case.How about behind your back?Yes. Bill O Reilly and Laura Ingraham. They said I was insulting the entire religion, one held by our moderate allies such as Egypt and Qatar. They are wrong in assuming that we must submit to Sharia to placate moderates, rather than that moderates need to accept the freedom of speech. Roman Catholics don t like their religion mocked or the mockery of other religions, but Roman Catholics don t kill when their religion is mocked and so no one talks about provoking them or respecting them. In any pluralistic society, we have to put up with being offended and even with our core beliefs being mocked. Roman Catholics have learned that. Mormons and others have learned that look at The Book of Mormon on Broadway. Why must we condescend to Muslims and think they cannot learn that? It s the low expectation of soft bigotry.So this isn t entirely a partisan issue where conservatives stand by you and liberals don t?No. Chris Hayes stuck up for me on MSNBC. This is not a left/right split, it is a free person/slave split.Did any TV host say something that struck you as particularly wrongheaded?They all say I have the right to draw Muhammad but shouldn t out of respect. They don t seem to realize that any surrender on this point will only be seen by the jihadists as a victory and embolden them to make more demands. CNN s Erin Burnett said I relished being the target of a beheading. It s madness. Who self-promotes to get killed?So you re not purposely courting danger, as Burnett and others have insinuated?Of course not. I love life. But I will not live as a slave.Are there any TV hosts you d like to face off with but who won t have you on?Bill O Reilly. I expect he knows he would be shown up.We know about the man arrested who intended to behead you. Any other threats you can share?I have received many threats. The FBI and NYPD are aware of them and on the case.Anyone in Hollywood reach out to you to offer support?No.Should Hollywood care about threats against you?They may think they re exempt, but they aren t. Islamic supremacists will be demanding they adhere to Sharia as well. Of course, most producers already are careful not to show anything that might offend Muslims, including accurate representations of jihad plotting and activity, so Hollywood is mostly already in their pocket. But this is their issue, and the entertainment industry should be on the front lines in the information battle space. The jihadists aren t just coming for me, they are coming for all of us that believe in freedom.So why do you think Hollywood, which routinely claims to push the envelope in its art, hasn t supported you?They re afraid of being ostracized.Your Draw Muhammad event certainly got a lot of news coverage. Should mainstream media outlets have published the winning cartoon?Every media outlet should publish the Muhammad cartoons. They can t kill us all. By kowtowing to violent intimidation, they are inviting more of it. Instead, they should be showing that we will all stand together for free speech. If the media had published the Danish cartoons back in 2005, this would never have become an issue. The submission by media, entertainment and academic elites empowered the savages.The Southern Poverty Law Center included you on their list of hate groups. Are they right?Of course not. They re the hate group, using that label to demonize and stigmatize all who don t share their hard-left agenda. The SPLC smear machine does not profile jihad groups, but they target and libel patriots, veterans, Tea Party organizations and other groups that work in defense of freedom. They named [Republican presidential contender] Ben Carson as a hate group. That should tell you everything you need to know about them. Their [sympathizers] have violently attacked family groups, and one tried to assassinate Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. And a few months back an SPLC [sympathizer] killed three Muslims in a parking dispute in North Carolina.Email: [email protected]

politics

Nov 1, 2017

Britain's May defeated in parliament over Brexit blueprint

Prime Minister Theresa May s government was defeated on Wednesday, when lawmakers forced through changes to its Brexit blueprint that ministers said could endanger Britain s departure from the European Union. In a blow to May, already weakened after losing her Conservative Party s majority in a June election, the 650-seat parliament voted 309 to 305 in favor of an amendment to hand lawmakers more say over a final exit deal with the EU. Up until the last minute of an often bitter debate in parliament, May s team tried to convince lawmakers in her party to give up their demands and side with a government fearful that the move will weaken its hand in tough Brexit negotiations. Members of Parliament (MPs) are debating the EU withdrawal bill, which will repeal the 1972 legislation binding Britain to the EU and copy existing EU law into domestic law to ensure legal continuity after Exit Day on March 29, 2019. In focus on Wednesday was an amendment put forward by Conservative lawmaker and former attorney general Dominic Grieve who wants parliament to have a meaningful vote on any deal before it is finalised and for it to be written into law. There is a time for everybody to stand up and be counted, Grieve told parliament earlier, criticizing some fellow members of the Conservative Party for calling him a traitor over his decision to vote against the government. He dismissed a last-minute pledge by justice minister Dominic Raab for government to write the promise of a meaningful vote into law later on its journey through both houses of parliament as coming too late . The government was disappointed by the vote, a spokeswoman said in a statement, adding that this amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day . But with May due at an EU summit on Thursday to encourage the other 27 leaders to approve a move to the second phase of Brexit talks and begin a discussion about future trade, the defeat comes at a difficult time for the prime minister. In the European Parliament, which must also ratify any withdrawal treaty with Britain, its Brexit coordinator cheekily tweeted that his British counterparts had taken back control - a reference to the catchphrase of pro-Brexit campaigners. A good day for democracy, added Guy Verhofstadt. The EU withdrawal bill has been the focus of seven days of often bitter debate, underscoring the deep divisions over Brexit not only among the Conservatives but also in the main opposition Labour Party and across the country. It has also highlighted May s weakness. In June, she gambled on a snap election to strengthen her party s majority in the 650-seat parliament but instead bungled her campaign and ended up with a minority government propped up by the 10 votes of a small, pro-Brexit Northern Irish party. Since then she has struggled to assert her authority over a Conservative Party which is deeply divided over the best route out of the EU. This defeat is a humiliating loss of authority for the government on the eve of the European Council meeting, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement. Theresa May has resisted democratic accountability. Her refusal to listen means she will now have to accept Parliament taking back control. Earlier, May had tried to persuade lawmakers to vote with the government for her Brexit blueprint, saying Grieve s amendment would put added time pressure on a government which wants to make Britain ready to leave the EU in March 2019. That could be at a very late stage in the proceedings which could mean that we are not able to have the orderly and smooth exit from the European Union that we wish to have, she told parliament before an hours-long debate on the exit plan. Her spokesman said the government had in good faith come forward with a strong package of concessions to deal with the spirit of the amendment . Pro-Brexit lawmakers fear the amendment could force Britain to weaken its negotiating stance by offering parliament the opportunity of forcing ministers back to the negotiating table if it feels any final deal is not good enough. Raab said that could convince the EU that Britain would not walk away from a bad deal. Actually if that looked likely we d end up with worse terms, and we d be positively incentivizing the EU to give us worse terms, he told parliament.

worldnews

December 13, 2017

Eastern Libyan force says "terrorist group" probably responsible for pipe explosion

A terrorist group is probably responsible for the explosion on a Libyan crude pipeline on Tuesday, a spokesman for an eastern Libyan petroleum protection force said on Wednesday. The fire at the pipeline had been brought under control, Miftah Magariaf, from the force tasked with guarding oilfields in eastern Libya, told Reuters.

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December 27, 2017

NC Governor Robs Disaster Relief Fund To Hire Lawyers To Defend Trans Bathroom Bill

Can you put a price on bigotry? North Carolina Republicans just did. It s $500,000.North Carolina is a state precariously placed in the danger zones of both hurricanes and tornadoes. It s suffered its fair share of disastrous floods. It s warm enough to be a fertile ground for the mosquitoes experts warn could be spreading the devastating Zika virus. So it s more than just a little crazy that Republican Governor Pat McCrory announced that he would be robbing his state s own disaster relief fund to pay for the defense of his illegal trans bathroom bill.Led by McCrory, state Republicans have diverted half a million dollars from the state s Emergency Response and Disaster Relief fund and say they will use it to hire lawyers to fight tooth-and-nail against the federal government which has deemed the anti-trans bill known as HB2 unconstitutional. Considering how obvious it is that this violates the Civil Rights Act, the money will serve only to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.The law has already cost the state tens of millions of dollars in lost business, boycotts, and bad press. Adding the $500,000 is only going to make things worse. This is particularly dire because the fight against the Zika virus continues to go unfunded at the federal level. A recent bill proposed by Republicans to give some of the funds was shot down by Democrats after they insisted on including an amendment to defund Obamacare. The premise, to take away millions of Americans health insurance during the outbreak of a potential health epidemic was, to put it lightly, repugnant on every level.So rather than get serious at a state level, North Carolina decided to defund itself. It will now head into the eye of the Zika storm with a pitiable amount of money to combat it. Instead, they will pay for a few lawyers to ensure trans people are victimized for just a few months longer. If that doesn t say it all, I don t know what does.Featured image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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July 1, 2016

Bernie Sanders Wins Wyoming Primary

The winning streak continues for Bernie Sanders.Wyoming has just joined the ranks of seven out of the last eight states which have voted in the Democratic Primaries. Since March 15th, when Hillary Clinton swept five states, Bernie Sanders campaign has recouped the momentum after winning Utah, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington by large margins, and taking Wisconsin on April 5th, despite initially being down in the polls in that state.Bernie Sanders has won 8 out of the last 9 states. As of 9:43 PM EST With 100 percent reporting, Sanders has 55.7 percent, while Clinton has 44.3 percent. Each candidate won 7 delegates.Wyoming only has fourteen delegates, but the victory provides further momentum for the Bernie Sanders campaign to make a strong push going into a key primary in New York. A victory there could give Bernie Sanders the push he needs to win the Democratic presidential nomination. He is currently down roughly 200 pledged delegates after Hillary Clinton built a substantial delegate lead in the South. With her best states behind her, Bernie Sanders has slowly chipped away at that lead since March 15th.Whether you are a Bernie Sanders supporter, Hillary Clinton supporter, or still teetering between the two candidates, what Bernie Sanders campaign has accomplished so far is amazing. Income and wealth inequality has never received this much attention in recent years, and calls for getting money out of politics have never been greater. Excitement and passion of Americans to participate in the Democratic process of voting are unprecedented. Attending campaign rallies for Bernie Sanders, where thousands of people passionately gather in favor of real progressive reforms and changes is something every Democrat SHOULD take pride in no matter how unsavory the debate over who is a better presidential candidate, because both will easily hand the Republicans a loss come November.Featured Image Courtesy of Flickr

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April 9, 2016

Promote peace, China's Xi tells soldiers at first overseas base

Troops serving at China s first overseas military base, in the Horn of Africa country of Djibouti, should help promote peace and stability, President Xi Jinping told them in a video chat, encouraging them to promote a good image. China formally opened the base in August on the same day as the People s Liberation Army marked its 90th birthday. It is China s first overseas naval base, although Beijing officially describes it as a logistics facility. Djibouti s position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fueled worry in India that it would become another of China s string of pearls military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Speaking to China s Djibouti-based forces during a visit to a joint battle command center in Beijing, Xi got a good understanding of the base s operations and the lives of the soldiers there, China s Defence Ministry said late on Friday. Xi encouraged them to establish a good image for China s military and promote international and regional peace and stability , the ministry said. The soldiers responded that they would not let Xi or China down, it said. China began construction of the base in Djibouti last year. It will be used to resupply navy ships taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, in particular. Chinese President Xi Jinping is overseeing an ambitious military modernization program, including developing capabilities for China s forces to operate far from home. During his visit to the command center, Xi also instructed the armed forces to improve their combat capability and readiness for war, the ministry said. Xi said progress in joint operation command systems, especially in efficiency at the regional level, was needed and troops must conduct training under combat conditions. Djibouti, which is about the size of Wales, is at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal. The tiny, barren nation sandwiched between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia also hosts U.S., Japanese and French bases. There has been persistent speculation in diplomatic circles that China would build other such bases, in Pakistan for example, but the government has dismissed this.

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November 4, 2017

State funding changes in spotlight in Republican healthcare bill

Republican leaders sought to nail down the final votes needed to pass what U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday called their “last best chance” to repeal Obamacare while a new analysis underscored how Democratic-leaning states stand to lose large amounts of federal funding under the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to bring the bill introduced by fellow Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy to a vote next week, as his party seeks to make good on seven years of promises to erase Democratic former President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement. With no Democratic support for the bill, Republicans remain a handful of votes short in the Senate, needing 50 votes in a 100-seat chamber they control 52-48, with Pence casting a potential tie-breaking vote. Senator Rand Paul opposes it and at least six others are undecided: John McCain, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Rob Portman and Jerry Moran. Asked whether the legislation will pass, Pence said, “We’ll see. We’re close.” Republicans, still reeling from their failure in July to win Senate passage of previous legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, have set a Sept. 30 deadline for passage of this bill. “This may well be our last best chance to stop and turn around and head America back in the direction of the kind of healthcare reform that’s based on individual-choice, state-based innovations,” Pence told Fox New Channel. President Donald Trump has been pushing Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, which would fulfill one of his top campaign promises from last year. The current bill would take money that the federal government now spends on healthcare through the Medicaid insurance program for the poor and subsidies to help Americans buy private insurance and distribute it to the states in block grants. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has not yet assessed the bill’s effects but independent analyses indicate it would fundamentally redistribute federal healthcare money, generally with Republican-leaning states benefiting and Democratic-leaning states losing. The nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare research group, estimated on Thursday that states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare would lose $180 billion under the bill from 2020 to 2026, while non-expansion states would gain $73 billion in the same time period. The Graham-Cassidy bill in 2020 would end the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, which many Democratic-governed states had carried out while many Republican-governed states did not, and limit overall federal spending on the five-decade-old program regardless of how many Americans qualify for its benefits. Republicans have called Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, a federal overreach, and say block grants would give states discretion on how to provide healthcare coverage. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, five states would stand to lose more than 30 percent of their federal healthcare money from 2020-2026: New York (down 35 percent), Oregon (down 32 percent), Connecticut (down 31 percent), Vermont (down 31 percent) and Minnesota (down 30 percent). All are Democratic leaning. The analysis found that six Republican-leaning states would get at least 40 percent more in federal funds: Mississippi (up 148 percent), Texas (up 75 percent), Kansas (up 61 percent), Georgia (up 46 percent), South Dakota (up 45 percent) and Tennessee (up 44 percent). In total dollars, the state with the largest forecast loss of funds is California, losing $56 billion. The biggest gainer would be Texas, with a $34 billion increase. California, the most populous U.S. state, is Democratic leaning. Texas is the second most populous state and the largest Republican-leaning one. “It’s absolutely true to say the Graham-Cassidy bill over time levels out on a per-person basis the way we distribute money on healthcare, which I think resonates with most Americans,” Pence said. McCain, Collins and Murkowski were the three Republicans who voted against the last Republican healthcare legislation brought up in the Senate, which failed 51-49 in July. Paul, who voted in favor of that bill after previously expressing misgivings, on Thursday went to Twitter to underscore his criticism that the Graham-Cassidy bill does not go far enough to erase Obamacare. The insurance industry, hospitals, medical advocacy groups such as the American Medical Association, American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, the AARP advocacy group for the elderly and consumer activists have come out against the bill, urging a bipartisan fix to the current law that was abandoned this week. More medical and civil rights advocacy groups lined up against the Graham-Cassidy bill on Thursday, including the American Psychological Association, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the NAACP. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank, estimated that the bill would cause more than 30 million people to lose insurance. The Graham-Cassidy proposal would let states opt out of the requirement that insurers charge sick and healthy people the same rates, causing a furor among advocacy groups that say it could make health insurance unaffordable for those with pre-existing conditions.

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September 21, 2017

Saudi Arabia agrees to buy Russian S-400 air defense system: Arabiya TV

Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television reported on Thursday. The report came during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Moscow. The countries also signed a memorandum of understanding to help the kingdom in its efforts to develop its own military industries, a statement from state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries said. SAMI said the MoU with Russian state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport came in the context of contracts signed to procure the S-400, the Kornet-EM system, the TOS-1A, the AGS-30 and the Kalashnikov AK-103. It not specify the number of each system or the value of the procurement deal. It said the procurement was based on the assurance of the Russian party to transfer the technology and localize the manufacturing and sustainment of these armament systems in the Kingdom , but provided no timeframe. A number of deals have been signed during this week s trip by King Salman to Russia, the first by a Saudi monarch.

worldnews

October 5, 2017

Philippines suspends trade with North Korea to comply with U.N. resolution

The Philippines has suspended trade relations with North Korea to comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution over its repeated missile tests, Manila s foreign minister said on Friday. The United States and other Western countries have asked the United Nations to consider tough new sanctions on North Korea after its test last week that it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb. We can say we have suspended trade relations with North Korea, Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters after a meeting with the U.S. ambassador on cooperation on an anti-drugs program. We will fully comply with UNSC resolution including the economic sanctions. Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Korea s young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons in defiance of U.N. sanctions. It has tested a series of missiles this year, including one that flew over Japan, and conducted its sixth and biggest nuclear test on Sunday. The Philippines is North Korea s fifth-largest trade partner, with bilateral trade from January to June this year worth $28.8 million, according to the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. On an annual basis, North Korea imported $28.8 million of products from the Philippines in 2016, an increase of 80 percent from the previous year, while Manila s imports from Pyongyang surged 170 percent to $16.1 million. According to the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the main exports to North Korea in 2015 were computers, integrated circuited boards, bananas and women s undergarments. The U.N. Security Council is quite clear, Cayetano said. Part of these are the economic sanctions and the Philippines will comply. We have been communicating with the DTI secretary and I think it was yesterday and the other day, we have gotten direction from the (presidential) palace to support the U.N. Security Council. Cayetano said the trade ban covered raw computer chips from the Philippines.

worldnews

September 8, 2017

WATCH: Republican Heartlessly Tells A Mother That If Her Son Wants Healthcare He Should Get A Better Job

Wow. The cruelty of Republicans knows no bounds.Apparently, Republicans truly believe that healthcare is a privilege that only people with money should be able to receive.That s basically what Ohio GOP Rep. Warren Davidson told a mother who expressed her concern that her son won t have healthcare coverage if Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act.The woman s son works in the service industry, which usually does not provide health insurance to workers. Pay is also low enough that workers qualify for Medicaid, a program that Republicans fiercely oppose because it benefits low-income Americans.Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, her son did not have health insurance. He, like millions of other Americans, could not afford it. But the Medicaid expansion finally gave him the healthcare coverage he desperately needed. Now that is being threatened by Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. Can you explain why my son and millions of others in his situation are not deserving of affordable, decent health care that has essential benefits so that he can stay healthy and continue working? the mother asked Davidson at a town hall event on Tuesday.Davidson responded by giving a heartless answer that resulted in a round of boos and jeers from the crowd in attendance. OK, I don t know anything about your son, but as you described him, his skills are focused in an industry that doesn t have the kind of options that you want him to have for health care. So, I don t believe that these taxpayers here are entitled to give that to him. I believe he s got the opportunity to go earn those health benefits. First of all, service industry workers pay taxes, too. So they have every right to be covered by Medicaid. Second, healthcare is a right that everyone should have regardless of where they work or what industry they work in. Third, there are not enough of the kind of jobs Davidson is talking about to provide everyone in this country with workplace-provided healthcare coverage benefits. And finally, if Davidson and his Republican colleagues got off their asses and passed a law requiring the multi-billion dollar service industry to provide healthcare to their workers or pay their workers enough so they can afford to buy good health insurance plans themselves, this woman s son and millions of others would not have to live in fear of losing their coverage.But Davidson literally told this woman to tell her son to get a different job. And he dug the hole deeper for himself by compare health insurance to cell phones. If he doesn t want a catastrophic care plan, don t buy a catastrophic care plan. If you don t want a flip-phone, don t buy a flip-phone, Davidson said. Once again, the crowd reacted in total disgust.Buying a cell phone is NOT the same as buying health insurance, and it s time for Republicans to that through their thick skulls.Health insurance costs hundreds of dollars a month or more while a cell phone payment plan is relatively cheap.In response to Davidson s remark, the woman snapped back and then walked away with the knowledge that her own congressman doesn t give a damn about her or her family. I m sorry, health care is much different than a cell phone and I m tired of people using cell phone analogies with health care, she said.Here s the video via YouTube. The exchange begin at the 37 minute mark:This is why Republicans should be ousted in 2018.Featured image via screenshot

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April 23, 2017

Senators call for panel to investigate Russian hacking

Four Senators on Sunday called for the creation of a bipartisan investigative panel that would investigate U.S. government allegations that Russia and other foreign countries tried to hack the U.S. elections. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the incoming Senate Minority Leader, said that he and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina would be issuing a joint letter about creating the committee.

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December 18, 2016

BREAKING EMAIL LEAK: “Bernie needs to be ground to a pulp…Crush him as hard as you can”

Hey Bernie how s that whole Queen of Wall Street/ Democrat mob boss endorsement working out for you?Wikileaks has released another batch of emails. One of those emails is likely from Joel Johnson, the Managing Director of The Glover Park Group, a Washington DC firm specializing in strategic communications and government relationsThe email was sent on Feb. 2, 2016 to John Podesta with the subject matter: Friendly advice. No mercy. From:[email protected] To: [email protected] Date: 2016-02-22 00:09 Subject: Friendly advice. No mercy.Bernie needs to be ground to a pulp. We can t start believing our own primary bullshit. This is no time to run the general. Crush him as hard as you can. Other than that, hope all is well and congrats on Nevada!Only 4 days ago, The Hill named GPG s Joel Johnson as one their Top Lobbyists or Hired Guns for 2016:Joel Johnson, The Glover Park GroupClients have a trusted guide in Johnson, a former Clinton administration official who leads the advocacy efforts of the public relations powerhouse.Buzzfeed In September 2015, Susan Brophy, managing director of the Glover Park Group, emailed top Clinton aide Cheryl Mills on Oct. 4, 2011, telling her that a planned speech before a joint session of Congress by the Korean president was running into some hurdles. Brophy suggested that the State Department could move things along in Congress.The only problem was, Brophy was representing a country she wasn t registered to represent.Foreign Agent Registration Act rules require individual lobbyists to register the clients they represent, and lobbying firms are required to file their contacts on behalf of those clients.Brophy is a former Clinton White House official, and has raised money for Ready for Hillary, a pro-Clinton super PAC that shut down when the former secretary of state announced her presidential campaign. The Clintons attended her wedding to lawyer and diplomat Gerald McGowan in 1998.The speech by then-president Lee Myung-bak did proceed and took place on Oct. 13, 2011.Joel Johnson, a managing director for Glover Park Group, told BuzzFeed News that Brophy had in fact been on the team working on the South Korean account and that she should have been listed as doing so in their FARA documents. She absolutely was working on the account and had been throughout, and the fact that she had somehow not been listed directly as the principal working on the account was an administrative error, Johnson said.Johnson also said that Brophy should have reported that that contact had been made to the State Department and for whatever reason that was not included in our list of activities and it should have been, and I ll go back and make sure we do whatever is appropriate to amend that. Blah blah blah Is anyone else sick and tired of the Clinton s and anyone attached to the Clinton s not having to follow the same rules and laws the rest of America is expected to follow, or face the consequences of our actions? We take these reporting requirements seriously and we are as diligent as we ever can be, but in that case there s no question that the email she sent to [Mills] have been included in the list of contacts Glover Park Group had made on behalf of South Korea, he said.Yep So are we to believe you took Grounding Bernie to a pulp seriously?

left-news

Nov 1, 2016

India says committed to climate pact despite U.S. withdrawal

India remains committed to the Paris agreement to tackle climate change regardless of what other countries do, the government said on Friday after President Donald Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from the landmark global pact. “India under [Prime Minister Narendra] Shri Modi’s leadership has taken up renewable energy as an article of faith and is steadfast on its Paris commitments, irrespective of what others do,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a statement. Harsh Vardhan, India’s environment minister, said the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter was committed to ensure it did its best to address climate change and global warming.

politicsNews

June 2, 2017

Trump Calls On White Supporters To Intimidate Voters At The Polls

Earlier this month, the Trump campaign posted on its website an advertisement seeking election observers to monitor locations. The move, which is unusual for private campaigns, comes from the irrational fear that should Hillary Clinton win, the election would be rigged. So Trump s solution? Have his rabid, conspiracy theory believing supporters intimidate voters in poll lines.In Pennsylvania, where polls have Clinton ahead by as much as nine points, Trump claims the only way Clinton could win is if she cheats or those in the Democratic Party rig the election in her favor. So his initial call was to have his supporters monitor the stations in the predominantly black and minority -voting urban areas of the state.It was very reminiscent of the 1960s Jim Crow intimidation of the South.After facing some backlash for the dangerous and archaic call to suppress and intimidate voters, Trump doubled down on his claim that the election will be rigged and that supporters should watch the polling locations very closely on election day:You ve got to get every one of your friends. You ve got to get every one of your family. You ve got to get everybody to go out and watch. And go out and vote. And when I say watch, you know what I m talking about, right? You know what I m taking about. I think you got to go out and you got to watch.The question is just what should his people be watching for? Should they be watching and observing people of color? Should they be monitoring young, college-aged millenials? Should they be asking voters their personal information so they can play Sherlock Holmes?Once again, Trump sounds his dog whistle. When he tells his predominantly white audience, you know what I m talking about, the innuendo could not be more clear: watch, intimidate and disenfranchise minority voters.Of course, Republicans, who have been pushing the now widely debunked myth of rampant voter fraud, will be mum on this. In justification, they will point to the said myth that is rampant voter fraud as why they support this dangerous, racist and damaging call to action.Trump s call to intimidate voters should be a warning to all Americans: don t get complacent. Get out, vote, and take this monstrosity down.Featured image via Angelo Meredino/Getty Images

News

August 23, 2016

COWARDLY BLACK BLOC THUG Dane Powell Pleads Guilty…Faces 6 Yrs In Prison For Rioting, Assaulting Police During Trump’s Inauguration [VIDEO]

Take note cowardly anti-American thugs, your Black Bloc brother will soon to be wearing orange for a very long time A Florida man with the radical black bloc protest network pleaded guilty Friday to felony rioting and assault for his role in the Inauguration Day chaos in Washington, D.C.Dane Powell, 31, of Tampa was the first to enter a guilty plea on felony charges brought against 212 protesters accused of rioting and vandalizing property during the Jan. 20 melee surrounding President Trump s swearing-in ceremony.Here s a photo of Dane Powell and friend Tracy Penokie posing for a picture that was posted on The Ybor City website on inauguration day in DC just before the activities rioting began:Dane is seen again with a mega phone here and a free Palestine t-shirt with his friend Tracy:Scheduled to be sentenced July 7, he faces a possible six years in prison for breaking windows and throwing a brick, large rock or piece of concrete at officers after joining a mob of masked black bloc protesters who moved en masse across 16 blocks in about 30 minutes, according to the U.S. Attorney s Office.The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Metropolitan Police Department acting chief.Carrying hammers, crowbars, metal poles and wooden sticks, the self-described anarchists broke windows at a dozen businesses, including Starbucks, McDonald s and Bank of America; pulled newspaper stands and trash cans into the streets; spray-painted buildings, and shattered the windows of a police cruiser and limousine.WATCH this incredible video of Blac Block and Antifa anarchists in Washington DC during President Trump s inauguration:Federal prosecutors released a superseding indictment Thursday that brought additional felony counts against some defendants, including Powell, which brought an outcry from protesters. Washington Times

politics

Apr 29, 2017

Russian hackers stole U.S. cyber secrets from NSA: media reports

Russian government-backed hackers stole highly classified U.S. cyber secrets in 2015 from the National Security Agency after a contractor put information on his home computer, two newspapers reported on Thursday. As reported first by The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified sources, the theft included information on penetrating foreign computer networks and protecting against cyber attacks and is likely to be viewed as one of the most significant security breaches to date. In a later story, The Washington Post said the employee had worked at the NSA s Tailored Access Operations unit for elite hackers before he was fired in 2015. The NSA declined to comment, citing agency policy never to comment on our affiliates or personnel issues. Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. If confirmed, the hack would mark the latest in a series of breaches of classified data from the secretive intelligence agency, including the 2013 leaks of data on classified U.S. surveillance programs by contractor Edward Snowden. Another contractor, Harold Martin, is awaiting trial on charges that he took classified NSA material home. The Washington Post reported that Martin was not involved in the newly disclosed case. Republican U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement responding to the Journal report that, if true, the details were alarming. The NSA needs to get its head out of the sand and solve its contractor problem, Sasse said. Russia is a clear adversary in cyberspace and we can t afford these self-inflicted injuries. Tensions are already high in Washington over U.S. allegations of a surge in hacking of American targets by Russians, including the targeting of state election agencies and the hacking of Democratic Party computers in a bid to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in favor of Republican Donald Trump. Citing unidentified sources, both the Journal and the Post also reported that the contractor used antivirus software from Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, the company whose products were banned from U.S. government networks last month because of suspicions they help the Kremlin conduct espionage. Kaspersky Lab has strongly denied those allegations. Russian government officials could have used flaws in Kaspersky software to hack into the machine in question, security experts told Reuters. They could also have intercepted traffic from the machine to Kaspersky computers. Kaspersky said in a statement on Thursday that it found itself caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight. Kaspersky Lab has not been provided any evidence substantiating the company s involvement in the alleged incident reported by the Wall Street Journal, it said. It is unfortunate that news coverage of unproven claims continue to perpetuate accusations about the company. The Department of Homeland Security on Sept. 13 banned Kaspersky products in federal networks, and the U.S. Senate approved a bill to ban them from use by the federal government, citing concerns the company may be a pawn of the Kremlin and poses a national security risk. James Lewis, a cyber expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the report of the breach sounded credible, though he did not have firsthand information on what had transpired. The baffling parts are that he was able to get stuff out of the building and that he was using Kaspersky, despite where he worked, Lewis said. He said that intelligence agencies have considered Kaspersky products to be a source of risk for years. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who led calls in Congress to purge Kaspersky Lab products from government networks, on Thursday called on the Trump administration to declassify information about threats posed by Kaspersky Lab. It s a disservice to the public and our national security to continue withholding this information, Shaheen said in a statement.

worldnews

October 5, 2017

Trump Takes Credit For Releasing JFK Files, But The Bill Requiring It Was Passed 25 Years Ago

Saturday morning, Trump was going through his usual routine of drinking six quarts of Red Bull while wistfully flipping through his Ivanka photo albums when a novel idea suddenly occurred to him. He raced to Twitter to let his eager followers know exactly what his plans were as the most powerful man in the world:Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2017That s right! Donald Trump will finally be opening that presidential book hidden in the Library of Congress (and found by Nicolas Cage) that contains all of the secrets passed down from president to president across the ages to reveal what really happened to JFK.Just kidding! Despite the fact that he tried to make it sound like it was his idea, and happening only under his authority, it turns out that the JFK FILES, as he so loudly put it, were scheduled to be released no later than next Thursday, October 26, 2017. Coincidentally, that date is exactly 25 years to the day after the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 was passed by the 102nd Congress.Okay, I m kidding again. Democratic Senator and American hero John Glenn introduced the bill in July of that year likely while production was wrapping up on Donald Trump s star cameo in the Hollywood blockbuster Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. Especially relevant in the text of the bill is Section 2, which discusses the reasoning behind Senator Glenn s proposal of it.Isn t it weird, how Trump really emphasized the fact that the JFK FILES were long blocked and classified and that he was gonna do something about it? I mean, besides the fact that all he s actually doing is allowing an existing law to, uh, continue to exist and carry out as planned. No, what s weird is WHO long blocked and classified those files. John Glenn (who may or may not know the truth about the moon landing) was kind enough not to name the sitting president he was indicting in this bill for obstructing the files release, but the math is pretty simple: From July to October of 1992, the entire time this bill was debated until its passage, the person referred to as the executive branch was former president (and even former-er CIA Chief) George H.W. Bush.A Republican. As usual.Anyway, thanks, Trumpykins! We really appreciate you, uh, not stopping this thing that was totally going to happen even if you d been hit by a meteor the day you admitted you were a sexual predator. I wonder how long the presidential records on all the crimes you ve committed since your inauguration will remain sealed.Featured image via Chris Kleponis (Pool)/Getty Images

News

October 21, 2017

Clinton 'extremely careless' with emails, but FBI recommends no charges

The FBI recommended on Tuesday that no criminal charges be filed over Hillary Clinton’s use of private email servers while she was secretary of state, but rebuked the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate for “extremely careless” handling of classified information. While FBI Director James Comey’s announcement lifted a cloud of uncertainty that had loomed over Clinton’s White House campaign, his strong criticism of her judgment ignited a new attack on her over the email issue by Donald Trump, her likely Republican opponent in the Nov. 8 election. Comey’s comments are likely to reinforce what polls show are widespread public concerns about Clinton’s honesty and trustworthiness. Republicans have pointed to the controversy as evidence that she considered herself above the law. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the highest- ranking elected U.S. Republican, said in a statement that Comey’s announcement “defies explanation.” Ryan called on the FBI to release all of its findings in the case and said Comey would be called to testify before the House Oversight Committee. “We need to know more,” Ryan told Fox News. In a lengthy statement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s conclusions from its yearlong investigation, Comey directly contradicted statements Clinton has made while defending her use of the private email setup. He said, for example, that the FBI found at least 110 emails that contained classified information when they were sent, although Clinton has repeatedly said she never sent or received classified information on her private servers. “Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of the classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information,” Comey said. But he said the FBI concluded “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring charges. “Although the Department of Justice makes final decisions on matters like this, we are expressing to Justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case,” Comey told reporters in Washington. His recommendation will likely stand. The country’s top prosecutor, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, said on Friday she would accept the recommendations of career prosecutors and the FBI director on whether to charge Clinton for mishandling emails. Clinton’s campaign was anxious to move on after Comey’s announcement, saying in a statement it was pleased with the FBI decision. “As the secretary has long said, it was a mistake to use her personal email, and she would not do it again. We are glad that this matter is now resolved,” spokesman Brian Fallon said. He did not respond to questions about Comey’s rebuttal of the main arguments Clinton has offered in defense of her use of private email. At a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday night, Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, said the controversy should disqualify Clinton from being president and that her email system may well have been hacked by U.S. enemies. “Our enemies may have a blackmail file on crooked Hillary and this alone means that she should not be allowed to serve as president of the United States,” Trump said. “We now know that she lied to the country when she said that she did not send classified information on her server. She lied!” Following Comey’s late-morning remarks, Clinton became one of the top trending topics on Twitter, with about 671,000 tweets posted by 4 p.m. (2000 GMT). The overall sentiment was more negative than positive, with about two negative tweets for every positive one, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph. The FBI director’s announcement came hours before Clinton’s first campaign appearance with President Barack Obama, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where neither Obama nor Clinton mentioned the email probe. It also came less than three weeks before the Democratic National Convention at which Clinton is to be nominated as the party’s candidate for the November election. The FBI has been investigating whether Clinton broke the law as result of personal email servers kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One question is whether she mishandled classified information on the servers. As the investigation wound up, Clinton underwent a voluntary 3-1/2-hour interview with the FBI on Saturday in Washington. Comey said the FBI did not find that Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate the law, and that there was no “intentional misconduct” by her lawyers who sorted her emails. He said her staff should have known Clinton’s private email was an improper place for classified information, but added there was no evidence anyone had hacked Clinton’s communications. Comey said, however, that “hostile actors” gained access to email accounts of people with whom Clinton corresponded regularly. He also said she used email extensively while traveling “in territory of sophisticated adversaries.” Experts routinely advise U.S. government officials not to bring important digital information to countries with a track record of aggressive cyber activity. Clinton traveled to more than 100 countries during her four years as top U.S. diplomat, including trips to China and Russia, considered among the most sophisticated U.S. cyber adversaries. The FBI found 110 emails in 52 email chains that contained information that was classified at the time the messages were sent, Comey said. Eight of those chains contained “top-secret” information, the highest level of government classification for material that could harm national security. A further 36 email chains contained “secret” information, and eight “confidential” information, he said. Agents also found three classified emails among the thousands Clinton never returned to the State Department. Comey said there were no previous cases that supported filing criminal charges against Clinton. Other cases had involved intentional mishandling of information, he said. Last year, the FBI recommended that former CIA Director David Petraeus be charged with a felony for his mishandling of classified information with his biographer, with whom he was having an affair. In that case, however, the FBI had evidence that Petraeus knew the information was highly classified. Petraeus eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information. Republican lawmakers have called for an independent investigation of Clinton, saying they do not trust the Justice Department to handle the inquiry with impartiality. Republican criticism of the process heated up after Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, met privately with Lynch in Phoenix last week. Lynch, who was appointed by Obama, said later she regretted the meeting and that she and the former president did not discuss the investigation.

politicsNews

July 5, 2016

France's Macron says EU all united on Brexit talks

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the European Union s 27 remaining nations were all united in their stance on Brexit behind the bloc s negotiator Michel Barnier in talks on Britain s withdrawal. This European Council will be marked by a message of unity, Macron told reporters on arrival at an EU summit in Brussels. Unity in the Brexit discussions because we are all united on how things stand, the interests we have and our ambitions, behind one negotiator.

worldnews

October 19, 2017

Women drivers seen reviving Saudi car market

Saudi Arabia s decision to lift its ban on women driving cars may help to restore autos sales growth in a market dented by the economic fallout from weak oil prices, handing an opportunity to importers of luxury cars and sport utility vehicles. Carmakers joined governments in welcoming the order by Saudi Arabia s King Salman that new rules allowing women to drive be drawn up within 30 days and implemented by June 2018, removing a stain on the country s international image. Congratulations to all Saudi women who will now be able to drive, Nissan said in a Twitter post depicting a license plate bearing the registration 2018 GRL . BMW, whose X5 SUV is the group s Middle East top-seller, also saluted the move. Mid-range brands currently dominate the Saudi market, with Toyota, Hyundai-Kia and Nissan together commanding a 71 percent share of sales. That market has shrunk by about a quarter from a peak of 858,000 light vehicles in 2015 to an expected 644,000 this year, reflecting the broader economic slowdown. But the rule change adds almost 9 million potential drivers, including 2.7 million resident non-Saudi women, Merrill Lynch has calculated. We expect demand to rise again on news that women will be allowed to drive, said a senior executive at Jeddah-based auto distributor Naghi Motors - whose brand portfolio includes BMW, Mini, Hyundai, Rolls Royce and Jaguar Land Rover models. The arrival of women drivers could lift Saudi car sales by 15-20 percent annually, leading forecaster LMC Automotive predicts, as the kingdom s car density of 220 vehicles per 1,000 adults rises to about 300 in 2025, closing the gap with the neighboring United Arab Emirates. A middle- to upper-class Saudi family typically has two vehicles, one driven by the man of the house and a second car in which a full-time chauffeur transports his wife and children. The rule change could spell bad news for some of the 1.3 million men employed as chauffeurs in the kingdom, including a large share of its migrant workforce, while boosting upscale car sales as households upgrade for their new drivers. The move to allow women to drive is set to benefit the entire market, LMC analyst David Oakley said. But we might expect to see a disproportionately positive impact on super-premium brands. Luxury brands including Lamborghini (VOWG_p.DE) and Bentley are about to launch SUVs - a vehicle category that has proved popular among women and already accounts for more than one in five cars sold in Saudi Arabia. Welcoming the announcement, British-based Aston Martin said it was well timed for the arrival of the James Bond-associated sports car maker s DBX model, due in 2019. The SUV crossover boom across all segments has been powered by women, spokesman Simon Sproule said.

worldnews

September 27, 2017

No Longer Just Suspicion: Experts Trace DNC Hacker Back To Russian Internet Server

Rumors that the DNC hack was tied to Russia have been swirling for several days, but now, this is no longer just a mere suspicion. Researchers with ThreatConnect, who specialize in cyber security, have traced the hacker back to a Russian internet server.According to the Arlington, Va. based ThreatConnect, Guccifer 2.0, the DNC Hacker who has described himself/herself as Romanian, has been linked to a Russian internet server and a digital address that has been associated with various Russian online scams. Guccifer 2.0 is not thought to be a sophisticated hacker. Researchers with ThreatCOnnect believe it is more likely that this is propaganda by a group of people working with the Russian government in an effort to take attention off Moscow as the actual force behind the DNC hack. Now, after further investigation, we can confirm that Guccifer 2.0 is using the Russia-based Elite VPN service to communicate and leak documents directly with the media. We reached this conclusion by analyzing the infrastructure associated with an email exchange with Guccifer 2.0 shared with ThreatConnect by Vocativ s Senior Privacy and Security reporter Kevin Collier. This discovery strengthens our ongoing assessment that Guccifer 2.0 is a Russian propaganda effort and not an independent actor. The experts with ThreatConnect are the first to trace the self-proclaimed hacker back to Russia.Rich Barger, ThreatConnect s chief intelligence officer, reiterated his believe that the party responsible was not a sophisticated hacker when speaking with The Daily Beast. These are bureaucrats, not sophisticated hackers, he insisted. Barger backed up his assessment up with the following:Republican nominee Donald Trump has had an ongoing bromance with Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Many have said they believe that the DNC hack and subsequent email dump were an attempt by Putin to help out his billionaire buddy s bid for the presidency.Featured image via Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

News

July 26, 2016

HILLARY RODHAM NIXON: A CANDIDATE WITH MORE BAGGAGE THAN A SAMSONITE FACTORY

The irony here isn t lost on us. Hillary is being compared to the President she wanted to take down. Nixon s got nothing on this criminal who wiped her server clean after e-mails were requested from her. John Fund questions the Democrat s strategy to support a Nixonian type candidate with more baggage than a Samsonite factory She s secretive, scandal-plagued, and seemingly inevitable. Ever since Hillary Clinton s e-mail scandal broke, comparisons between her secretive style and that of Richard Nixon, whom she ironically pursued as a young lawyer on the House impeachment committee, have been frequent. But with the revelation that she wiped her private e-mail server clean after her records were requested by the State Department last year, the comparisons are becoming more concrete. Washington wags note that even Nixon never destroyed the tapes, but Hillary has permanently erased her e-mails.Exactly what would a Hillary presidency look like, and could it plunge the nation into another round of debilitating Clinton scandals? That s a question Democrats should ask themselves before they hand the nomination over to her. Many Democrats have reservations about Hillary s cozy relations with Wall Street, her 2002 vote for the Iraq War, and the Clinton couple s flexibility on issues. They love winning. They re both masters of it, Hillary maybe even more than Bill. But that s not the same as having a belief system, noted the liberal Rolling Stone magazine. But some Democrats also want Hillary to be challenged on her Nixonian penchant for slipperiness and questionable fundraising.A strong primary challenge has provided clues as to how she would run in a general election something Democrats should know. After all, the first Clinton presidency was good for the Clintons, but not for the Democratic party, which lost both houses of Congress along with a majority of the nation s governorships and during a time of economic prosperity and peace.Read more: National Review

politics

Mar 31, 2015

WHY WOULD OBAMA ALLOW GREEN BERET To Be Discharged For Saving Life Of Young Boy Kept As Sex Slave By Muslim Afghan Police Chief?

It s hard to read stories like this without wondering how a Commander in Chief can so easily desert those who sacrifice all for our nation, in favor of looking the other way when it comes to twisted Islamic traditions . De Oppresso Liber (To Liberate the Oppressed) ~~Motto of the U.S. Army Special ForcesA poignant Afghan proverb declares, Cowards cause harm to brave men. This ancient Pashtun adage reflects the shocking story of U.S. Special Forces Sgt. Charles Martland; Martland is the brave man, a soldier who saved the life of an Afghan boy who was abducted, held, and abused as a sex slave by an Afghan police chief, Abdul Rahman, the vicious, powerful, and arrogant coward. The incomprehensible harm to Martland resides in the inexplicable action taken by the U.S. Army. The Army disciplined Martland, relieved him from his duty post in Afghanistan, and is now seeking to involuntarily discharge him from military service.What was the dreadful and dischargeable infraction by the highly decorated Green Beret Charles Martland? Quinn was relieved of his Special Forces command after a fight with a U.S.-backed militia leader who had a boy as a sex slave chained to his bed. Credit Kirsten Luce For NYTIn 2011, Martland and his Special Forces Captain Dan Quinn (who has since resigned from the military) physically assaulted Abdul Rahman, after learning that Rahman had abducted a boy, chained him to a bed, repeatedly abused him as a sex slave and beat up the boy s mother when she sought to find and rescue her son. The Green Berets intervened when they discovered that the boy was being raped and held as a sex slave. According to the Martland and Quinn, the Afghan villagers were pleading with them to do something about repeated sexual assaults against children by the Afghan police.Here is the dirty, not so little secret of Afghanistan: The sexual abuse of children is widespread and embedded into the Afghan Pashtun culture. There is scant prosecution of child sex exploitation in Afghanistan. American military have long been saddled with the knowledge of the Afghan practice of bacha bazi, translated as dancing boys. Bacha Bazi is the ancient and widespread practice of Afghan men who abduct and lure poor boys into the grisly world of child sex slavery where they are raped and exploited by Afghan men. Frontline exposed this lurid child sex trafficking trade.U.S. Military stationed in Afghanistan experience the hideous reality that children are expendable in the feckless Afghan criminal justice system. Cultural mores trump human rights among the tribesman of Afghanistan.This wasn t the first time that Martland and Quinn experienced inaction from the Afghan government for serious child sexual exploitation crimes committed by the Afghan police force. Martland and Quinn knew that two Afghan commanders were not prosecuted nor punished for the rape of a 15 year old girl and the honor killing of an Afghan commander s 12 year old daughter who kissed a boy. Martland who was fed up with the ongoing sexual exploitation of children by Afghan officials said, I felt that morally we could no longer stand by and allow our Afghan Commanders to commit these atrocities. Since when is a highly decorated Green Beret who confronts a violent child sex predator and trafficker and woman beater, punished and involuntarily discharge from the military?What happened to the greatest military and force for moral good on the face of the planet? Isn t Martland carrying out the very anti human trafficking policies promulgated by the Obama Administration?Obama s administration, including his Pentagon, endlessly promotes and spends millions on sexual assault and human trafficking programs, policies and media messaging. The very human rights violations perpetrated upon innocent Afghan children are the ones which this Administration is demanding action to enforce zero tolerance:1.U.S. Department of Defense Policy Against Human Trafficking. In the press release praising the ongoing military awareness training of human trafficking, the Army media alert highlights the annual training and progress for DoD s military as driving home the department s zero tolerance for slavery and human trafficking. Apparently, that DoD zero tolerance policy doesn t apply to Captain Quinn and Sgt. Martland. Is it simply awareness, but no action to stop human trafficking and sex slavery? Zero tolerance means stopping the cultural and systemic abduction and sex slavery of young Afghan boys. Is the DoD training report mere lip service and media hype to convince Americans that the U.S. military fights human trafficking and sex slavery?The DoD press release ends with the ironic caveat that military leadership also plays a critical awareness role in preventing such crimes. Sgt. Martland and Captain Dan Quinn are military leaders who prevented further human trafficking crimes and are now paying for it with their military careers. Via: Yore Children

left-news

Feb 17, 2016

LEGENDARY ACTOR KURT RUSSELL Hammers Anti-Gun Interviewer: “absolutely insane” to believe more gun control will curb terrorist attacks

A Hollywood actor defending the 2nd Amendment is a pretty rare occurrence. Kudos to Kurt Russell for sticking to your guns (pun intended). The interview can be heard at link below.Legendary actor Kurt Russell said in a recent interview with Hollywood reporter Jeffery Wells that it s absolutely insane to believe that more gun control will curb terrorist attacks.Discussing America s gun culture and film producer Quentin Tarantino, Russell said he doesn t understand [the] concepts of conversation about the gun culture, after Wells asserted that most Americans fear that mass violence is becoming a day-to-day occurrence.When Wells went on to say that guns are a metaphor that disenfranchised white guys need, Russell let loose. If you think gun control is going to change the terrorists point of view, I think you re, like, out of your mind, he began. I think anybody [who says that] is. I think it s absolutely insane. Dude, you re about to find out what I m gonna do, and that s gonna worry you a lot more, the actor continued. And that s what we need. That will change the concept of gun culture, as you call it, to something [like] reality. Which is, if I m a hockey team and I ve got some guy bearing down on me as a goal tender, I m not concerned about what he s gonna do I m gonna make him concerned about what I m gonna do to stop him. That s when things change. Arguing back, Wells invoked the no-fly list, saying that the people on the list are there for a good reason, but that they can allegedly still get [a] hold of a gun pretty easily. They can also make a bomb pretty easily. So what? Russell retorted. They can also get knives and stab you. [What are you] gonna do about that? They can also get cars and run you over. [What are you] gonna do about that? When Wells argued back that the San Bernardino terrorists didn t use cars, Russell fought back, saying that previous terrorists have used cars to murder people. But they ve killed others that way, haven t they? he said. Yeah, yeah. Whaddaya gonna do? Outlaw everything? That isn t the answer. The rest of the interview: Wells: Just put some controls Russell: Put some controls? What, so the people, so the people who want to defend themselves can t?Wells: No, not so you can t, just so the idiots can t get hold of them [so easily], that s all.Russell: You really believe they re not going to? Are you serious about that? What good will that ? Oh my God. You and I just disagree. Via: The BlazeClick HERE to listen to the interview

left-news

Dec 10, 2015

UPDATE: BUSTED By The Secret Service…CNN’s April Ryan Called Out for Fake Report On Trump Aide’s Firing [Video]

The Secret Service pushed back on a CNN reporter s claim that a fired Trump aide was physically removed from the White House:Reporting regarding Secret Service personnel physically removing Omarosa Manigault Newman from the @WhiteHouse complex is incorrect. U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) December 13, 2017Earlier today, CNN s April Ryan reported Trump administration aide Omarosa Manigault had to be escorted out of the White House by Secret Service officers after she was fired by Chief of Staff John Kelly. American Urban Radio Networks White House correspondent April Ryan told the story about the aide s firing on CNN:.@AprilDRyan reports Omarosa is leaving the White House because General Kelly "was tired of all the drama." She "was very vulgar, she was cursing" when he let her know and tried to go see Trump in his residence, but was escorted out by Secret Service https://t.co/tXu1J9HEOw Deena Zeina Zaru (@Deena_CNN) December 13, 2017THE LEFTY TRUMP HATERS WERE GLEEFUL: Watch how nasty Angela Rye is about a fellow black woman Shame on her!"Bye girl, bye You have never represented the community. Good riddance, goodbye, deuces out!" @angela_rye celebrates the departure of Omarosa Manigault from the White House https://t.co/t2w0NBvunL https://t.co/1uHDdvobgy Deena Zeina Zaru (@Deena_CNN) December 13, 2017THE SECRET SERVICE TWEETED OUT A SECOND TWEET THAT THEY JUST TOOK THE PASS OF THR PERSON LET GO:The Secret Service was not involved in the termination process of Ms Manigault Newman or the escort off of the complex. Our only involvement in this matter was to deactivate the individual's pass which grants access to the complex. U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) December 13, 2017

politics

Dec 13, 2017

BOOM! Fed Judge Ruling UNBLOCKS Trump Travel Ban…Asks ACLU Lawyer: “Where Does It Say Muslim Countries?”

***UPDATE to story below***In a blow to every mainstream media news outlet (and likely hurting a lot of feelings), President Donald Trump s ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries will take effect in Boston on Sunday after a federal judge refused to extend a temporary ruling blocking its enforcement.As Bloomberg reports, the decision by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton on Friday dealt a setback to rights advocates who argued that blocking people from seven nations in the Middle East was unconstitutional. Gorton was weighing whether to extend a seven-day order blocking parts of Trump s Executive Order.The case, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several affected immigrants, is one of several that followed Trump s Jan 27 order, which roiled global travel by barring entry to the U.S. of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Individuals, organizations, politicians and some states called it unconstitutional religious discrimination against Muslims.As GMA News Onine reports, U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton on Friday asked Matthew Segal, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) representing the plaintiffs in the Boston case. If your honor s question is, Does the word Muslim make a profound presence in this executive order?, my answer is that it doesn t, But the president described what he was going to do as a Muslim ban and then he proceeded to carry it out. Am I to take the words of an executive at any point before or after election as a part of that executive order? Judge Gorton on Friday asked U.S. Justice Department lawyer Joshua Press how the seven countries had been selected.Press responded that the list had come from a law passed in 2015 and amended early last year requiring that citizens of the seven countries apply for visas to enter the United States, out of concern about the refugees that were coming, mainly from Syria at that time and terrorist events that were occurring in Europe. As we noted previously, only 12.5% of the world s Muslims live in the seven countries on Trump s immigration ban list Which left the judge to decide (as the full docket explains here), The language in Section 5 of the EO is neutral with respect to religion, The provisions of Section 5, however, could be invoked to give preferred refugee status to a Muslim individual in a country that is predominately Christian. Nothing in Section 5 compels a finding that Christians are preferred to any other group. The order provides a reasonably conceivable state of facts (which concerns national security and) that could provide a rational basis for the classification, he wrote. Accordingly, this Court declines to encroach upon the delicate policy judgment inherent in immigration decisions. ORDERFor the forgoing reasons, the Court declines to impose any injunctive relief and will not renew the temporary restraining order that was entered on January 29, 2017 (Docket No. 6). Full Order at Zero HedgeUPDATE:Two federal judges across the country from each other issued two separate and equally different decisions late Friday one refusing to extend an injunction against President Donald Trump s U.S. travel suspension and one blocking its effect nationwide.First, U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, in Boston, said in a preliminary 21-page ruling that he would not extend a seven-day restraining order that has prevented the travel restrictions from being implemented this week.A short time later on Friday, though, U.S. District Court Judge James Robart, in Seattle, upheld a challenge to Trump s order from the attorneys general of Washington state and Minnesota and issued another temporary national restraining order. The state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury, Robart saidThe Boston ruling was a key victory for the Trump administration on the matter, but the win didn t last very long. The subsequent Seattle decision, meanwhile, represented the most significant legal setback yet in the battle over the president s directive as it blocks the order with a new injunction. UPI

left-news

Feb 3, 2017

Factbox: Humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh as 270,000 Rohingya flee Myanmar

About 270,000 Muslim Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar have sought refuge in Bangladesh in the past two weeks, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said on Friday. This has brought to 357,000 the number of Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh since October 2016. The exodus has put pressure on aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands of refugees from previous violence in Myanmar. Following are some details on the crisis gathered from U.N. sources working in the Cox s Bazar district of Bangladesh, on the Myanmar border. - The number of new arrivals has increased considerably in part because of a survey carried out on Sept. 6 and 7, when inter-agency teams visited host communities previously left out of calculations. About 75,000 people were identified in previously unvisited communities at nine locations. - There is immediate need for food for the majority of the new arrivals, who do not have, or have finished, their own supplies, and are getting food from host communities or refugees who came across the border last year. - Most of the food being distributed is high-energy biscuits with 47,522 new arrivals getting them. Supplies of rice are scheduled to go out from Sept. 9. - Water is scarce while sanitation and hygiene facilities in all makeshift settlements and refugee camps, especially at Shamlapur and Leda, where the number of fresh arrivals is increasing rapidly, are stretched. Limited space to build new facilities is a chronic problem. - There are serious concerns about malnutrition, especially among children under five and pregnant or lactating women, some of whom are being enrolled in targeted feeding programs. - Many pregnant women are very hungry, some having not eaten for several days. Seven babies have been born. - There is also a need for safe spaces for women with eight reported cases of gender-based violence, including 2 cases of sexual violence. - As of Sept. 7, a total of 299 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have been identified and registered since Aug. 25. - An estimated 51,100 children need schooling.

worldnews

September 8, 2017

No deal on tax among German coalition parties: conservative politician

Germany s would-be coalition partners have not agreed to abolish a tax imposed after reunification to help poorer eastern states, a conservative politician told Reuters on Sunday, retracting his previous remarks that a deal on the issue had been reached. Hans Michelbach, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservative bloc, said earlier that an agreement had been reached with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) to abolish the solidarity tax by 2021. The FDP had made abolishing the tax, which was due to expire in 2019, an election promise.

worldnews

November 19, 2017

Swiss government urges voters to reject call for national ban on face veils

The Swiss government urged voters on Wednesday to reject a campaign for a nationwide ban on face veils, saying any decision on facial coverings was a matter for Switzerland s cantons individually. But, in a counter move to a referendum to be held by 2020, the government said it would propose to voters a ban on face veils being worn by individuals while doing business with federal authorities, including in immigration offices or employment agencies. Regulation of public spaces in Switzerland is traditionally a cantonal matter, the government said in a statement. So cantons should continue to decide for themselves whether to enact a ban on facial coverings. In particular, it said it was down to individual cantons to decide how they handled tourists from the Arab world who wore the veil. In September, activists submitted a petition for a nationwide ban after collecting more than the 100,000 signatures required to put the proposal to a binding referendum. Several cantons have already taken a stand on the issue. Zurich, Solothurn, Schwyz, Basel City and Glarus have rejected a ban on veils, while Italian-speaking Ticino has imposed a ban. At least two demonstrators who wore veils in Ticino in defiance of the ban were fined 250 Swiss francs ($260), according to media reports. The parliament in St. Gallen canton this year backed a ban on facial coverings which were deemed likely to endanger public security or upset the peace. With an eye to the referendum, the federal government said it would also present a proposal to stop individuals being forced to cover their face. We can not allow husbands and fathers to demand their wives and daughters wear a face veil, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga told a news conference.

worldnews

December 20, 2017

UAE terminates North Korean diplomatic mission, ends visas

The United Arab Emirates is ending the mission of North Korea s non-resident ambassador and terminating its own envoy s services in Pyongyang, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday carried by state news agency WAM. The UAE will also stop issuing new visas or company licences to North Korean citizens, WAM said. Several thousand North Korean workers reside in the U.S-allied Gulf region, mainly working on construction sites. The measures... come within the context of (the UAE s) obligation as a responsible member of the international community to strengthen the international will and to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons and missile programs, the Foreign Ministry said. U.S. President Donald Trump urged United Nations member states last month to turn up the pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, using his maiden speech to the world body to address what he has said is the top global challenge. North Korea s nuclear tests and missile launches have stirred global tensions and prompted several rounds of international sanctions at the U.N. Security Council. In Washington, the U.S. State Department welcomed the UAE s decision. Very happy to hear that, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert told reporters. There are many countries that are taking those steps that we have asked (them) to take. The UAE announcement follows similar moves by the UAE s Gulf Arab neighbors Qatar and Kuwait, which last month downgraded their ties with Pyongyang and ceased issuing new visas to North Korean citizens.

worldnews

October 12, 2017

Pressured by Trump, Mexico ready to discuss NAFTA rules in U.S. talks

Under pressure from President Donald Trump, Mexico is preparing to discuss changes to trade rules about a product’s country of origin to try to avoid a disruptive fight with the United States over commerce. As the two countries begin a difficult new relationship, Mexico sees possible common ground with Trump on the “rules of origin” of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that binds the two countries and Canada, several sources said. Rules of origin are regulations setting out where trade products are sourced from. Although formal negotiations about NAFTA have not begun, the rules could eventually be altered to favor U.S. industry over competitors from outside North America, particularly in Asia. Changes to those rules could help align Mexico with Trump’s industrial strategy of boosting U.S. manufacturing jobs and dovetail with the Mexican government’s calls to strengthen North American competitiveness. It could also help pave the way for a broader deal with Trump over border security and immigration, Mexican officials believe. Talks about NAFTA rules of origin will be a “very important” point of discussion between the two countries now that Trump is in office, a Mexican official said. A White House official said: “As a general rule, it is in the best interests of the U.S. to insist on strong rules of origin provisions in pursuing bilateral negotiations. Lax rules of origin in proposed treaties like the now defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership shrink and weaken our supply chain and contribute to the offshoring of American jobs.” Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo will hold talks with top Trump officials in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday, where security, migration and trade will be discussed. Fears of economic disaster have haunted Mexico since Trump won the presidency in November threatening to tear up NAFTA, impose protectionist tariffs and build a wall on the United States’ southern border to halt illegal immigration. While Mexico is reluctant to alter the 1994 trade accord, officials concede that some changes may be necessary to help keep trade open with the United States, which absorbs 80 percent of its exports. “What we want is to maintain free access for Mexican products, without restrictions, without tariffs and quotas,” Videgaray, the spearhead of the government’s outreach to Trump, said on Monday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, two Mexican government officials and four other people familiar with ongoing discussions said Mexico saw rules of origin as an important avenue to brokering a deal with Trump, provided a fair compromise can be reached. In trade agreements, content rules or rules of origin are often used to determine import duties. Under NAFTA, 62.5 percent of the material in a car or light truck made in Mexico must be from North America to be able to enter the United States tariff free. If the countries agree in negotiations, that percentage could be increased, potentially giving an advantage to U.S. industry at the expense of Asian competitors. For Mexico, changing the rules of origin could be a lesser evil than Trump’s threat to impose a 35 percent tax on certain goods made by foreign companies in Mexico for sale in the United States. Trump’s pressure on U.S. automakers such as Ford to build more cars at home worries Mexico, where the industry has been one of the main drivers of growth and accounted for 18.5 percent of manufacturing GDP in 2015. Trump on Tuesday told the chief executives of the Big Three U.S. automakers - General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler - that he wants to see more auto plants in the United States. Mexico warned it could pull out of NAFTA if a renegotiation of the pact does not benefit it. Trump’s team is behind the push for changes in the origin rules, seeing it as a means of reducing imports from China, two of the Mexican sources familiar with the matter said. Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, spoke of the importance of content rules in protecting the automotive industry during Senate hearings last week, and Canadian media reported that Ross had told Canada rules of origin would be central to NAFTA talks. NAFTA rules of origin apply to goods made in any of the three countries. Two Mexican sources said the Trump administration could push for national content requirements that would ensure that the United States benefits from changes in rules of origin, and not just the NAFTA region as a whole. However, that would be more complex to manage, they added. So as not to hurt companies, any changes would need to be phased in gradually, and the more items that were targeted, the trickier negotiations would be, one of the sources said. Any deal would need to ensure rules changes applied to all countries, not just to Mexico, one Mexican official said. Of the foreign carmakers in Mexico, Toyota might be able to handle a higher NAFTA content ratio better than others. Its Camry car, for example, has very high North American and U.S. content. Other Japanese automakers such as Mazda have a larger proportional reliance on Asia-based suppliers. Kristin Dziczek, a labor analyst at the Center of Automotive Research, said deepening rules of origin could have some impact on U.S. jobs and would hit some foreign automakers harder - especially those that produce more parts and vehicles outside North America. The NAFTA rules are in place to prevent China or other lower wage countries from being able to produce the majority of content in a vehicle and export it to another country to assemble it without paying tariffs. U.S. automakers have not backed tougher rules of origin previously because they wanted flexibility on sourcing parts.

politicsNews

January 24, 2017

Tillerson to travel to Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia: State Department

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia Aug. 5 to Aug. 9, the State Department said on Tuesday. Tillerson will participate in meetings of diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila, and discuss “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maritime security, and counterterrorism,” the State Department said. In Thailand, Tillerson will pay his respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, and discuss the U.S.-Thai relationship with officials there. In Malaysia, he will discuss bilateral relations with officials. “Secretary Tillerson’s travel reaffirms the Administration’s commitment to further broaden and enhance U.S. economic and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region,” the State Department said.

politicsNews

August 1, 2017

Senators criticize Trump's information shut-out to Democrats

U.S. senators from both parties this week have criticized the Trump administration’s decision that government agencies do not have to provide information to Democratic lawmakers, saying the step will prevent Congress from carrying out its constitutional duties. During budget and nomination hearings, senators have pressed current and prospective officials about a Justice Department legal opinion dated May 1. The opinion said information requests to executive agencies from senior Democrats on congressional committees, called ranking members, “do not trigger any obligation to accommodate congressional needs and are not legally enforceable through a subpoena or contempt proceedings.” The opinion, largely unprecedented, says agencies are required to give information to only committee chairs, positions held by members of the majority party in Congress. Currently, Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House. Most lawmakers first learned about the guidance in media reports last month. Now, they say agencies under President Donald Trump are becoming less responsive to them, making it harder to check whether the executive branch is correctly carrying out laws, as required by the constitution. Some Republicans also have questioned allowing agencies to ignore requests from Congress. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who is ranking member of the governmental affairs committee that looks into waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government, grew enraged on Wednesday when a nominee for the White House’s budget office would not commit to respond, without reservation, to her inquiries. The nominee for Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director, Russell Vought, said that if he is confirmed for the post his responses to her would be “subject to the discretion of the director and advice of legal counsel.” He added that he was “merely reflecting the administration’s policy.” Calling the legal guidance “hogwash,” McCaskill cast withholding information from her as the administration’s attempt to hide problems and wrongdoing. “Welcome to the Big Leagues, administration. This is what happens, you get oversight,” she said, adding she has had a “few problems” with receiving information but not to the extent of other Democrats. A Republican on the committee, Ohio’s Rob Portman, said that when he headed the budget office under former President George W. Bush, he found dealing with Congress was often frustrating. “But I felt it was my responsibility to provide information,” he said, adding he hoped Vought would do so if confirmed for the job. (This version of the story corrects to show Senator McCaskill is from Missouri, not Michigan)

politicsNews

June 7, 2017

Fight over electoral district boundaries heads to Supreme Court

It is a political practice nearly as old as the United States - manipulating the boundaries of legislative districts to help one party tighten its grip on power in a move called partisan gerrymandering - and one the Supreme Court has never curbed. That could soon change, with the nine justices making the legal fight over Republican-drawn electoral maps in Wisconsin one of the first cases they hear during their 2017-2018 term that begins next month. Their ruling in the case could influence American politics for decades. Wisconsin officials point to the difficulty of having courts craft a workable standard for when partisan gerrymandering violates constitutional protections. Opponents of the practice said limits are urgently needed, noting that sophisticated technological tools now enable a dominant party to devise with new precision state electoral maps that marginalize large swathes of voters in legislative elections. “There is a sense that something has gone amiss with American democracy, that there is this effort to rig the rules of the game,” said Michael Li, an expert in redistricting at New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice. “Gerrymandering used to be a dark art, and now it’s a dark science.” The justices will hear arguments on Oct. 3 in Wisconsin’s appeal of a lower court ruling that found that the electoral map drawn by state Republicans ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution. The map, drawn after the 2010 U.S. census, enabled them to win a sizable majority of Wisconsin legislative seats despite losing the popular vote statewide to the Democrats. The party’s majority has widened since. The justices must decide whether courts should have a say in such matters. The Supreme Court for decades has been willing to invalidate state electoral maps on the grounds of racial discrimination but never those drawn simply to give one party an advantage. The justices have never settled on a standard by which partisan gerrymandering claims can be measured. In a 2004 case, Justice Anthony Kennedy left the door open for a “workable standard” to eventually be found. Kennedy, a conservative who sometimes sides with the liberal justices on a court with a 5-4 conservative majority, could cast the deciding vote in the Wisconsin case. A federal three-judge panel ruled 2-1 last November that Wisconsin’s redistricting plan violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection under the law and First Amendment right to freedom of expression and association. Over the decades, both Republicans and Democrats have been accused of gerrymandering. Since 2010, Republicans’ control of redistricting has coincided with major seat advantages for them in state legislatures, the Brennan Center said. It is not just Republicans who are accused of abuses. Republican voters sued over districts drawn by Democratic lawmakers in Maryland and have appealed to the Supreme Court. State and federal legislative district boundaries are reconfigured after the U.S. government conducts a census every decade so that each one contains about same number of people, typically by the party that controls the state legislature. The Republican National Committee and several conservative groups have backed Wisconsin, but leading Republicans including Senator John McCain, 1996 presidential nominee Bob Dole and Ohio Governor John Kasich have joined critics who argue that partisan gerrymandering distorts the democratic process. ‘SOCIAL-SCIENCE HODGEPODGE’ Wisconsin Republicans argued that election results since their redistricting plan was passed in 2011 reflect the state’s political geography, with Democrats concentrated in cities like Milwaukee and Madison and Republicans more spread out around the state. The state also took issue with metrics that the lower court used to determine that there was a significant partisan bias in the redistricting plan. This “social-science hodgepodge,” the state told the justices, makes it impossible for judges to fairly determine when an electoral map is unlawful. “Plaintiffs’ social-science approach would sow chaos. Each legislatively drawn plan would be immediately challenged in federal court,” the state said in a legal brief to the justices. Nicholas Goedert, a Virginia Tech redistricting expert who testified in court for Wisconsin, said the metrics may be inappropriate because their results can change from one election to the next. Goedert noted that large shifts in the mood of voters can cause even highly biased electoral maps to flip. “Partisan maps have a tendency to backfire on the party that drew them,” Goedert said. The case began in 2015 when a dozen Wisconsin Democratic Party voters sued state election officials claiming the redistricting law intended to discriminate against them for their political beliefs and create enduring Republican majorities. They urged the justices to either greenlight the lower court’s method of deciding cases of partisan gerrymandering, or create their own. “Government should treat voters equally regardless of their viewpoint and we have ways to measure it,” said Danielle Lang, an attorney for the plaintiffs. If the justices rule that courts must stay out of this highly political process, voters will lose, Lang said. “There would be no way for voters to rein in partisan gerrymandering, no way for voters to take back control of their government.” (For a graphic on Wisconsin state electoral maps, click tmsnrt.rs/2haOPD5)

politicsNews

September 17, 2017

Billionaire GOP Donors REFUSE To Crown King Trump – Their Usual Huge Contribution Is OUT

In 2012, when we were still smarting from the disastrous Citizens United decision, the billionaire Koch brothers were busy using their money to fund seemingly everything the GOP did. That included donating to the GOP convention that year. What are they doing this year? Holding out. They want no part of Trump s coronation, so they won t donate to this year s convention at all.The Kochs are very influential donors, and they spent billions in 2012 to try and defeat President Obama. This year, they do plan on spending about $450 million on conservative causes, but as far as supporting anything Trump does, they ve come to their senses enough to know that he s terrible for the country.Their specific problems don t just involve his policy positions (although it s hard to know just what policy positions Trump has, since he says whatever he wants), and they re angry over his comments about Judge Curiel, who s presiding over the Trump University case. Trump believes that Curiel, despite having been born in Indiana and being an American citizen, is biased against him because of his border wall idea.Charles Koch told USA Today: It s either racist or it s stereotyping. It s unacceptable, and it s taking the country in the wrong direction. He can t say whether Trump is fit to be president, but withholding the Koch empire s mostly GOP-colored money from the convention seems to answer that question for us: Koch said it would require a major shift in tone and policy for him to back Trump. Koch said he would need to be convinced that Trump supported his top causes in a way wasn t just hype, ticking off as conditions: support for free trade, free speech, eliminating corporate welfare and trying to find common ground with people.' Koch doesn t believe Trump is capable of shifting on these things, though. He s probably right Trump will not let anybody tell him he s wrong on anything. Because of that, David Koch, who attended the 2012 convention as a delegate and also contributed $1 million, isn t going at all this year.For his part, Trump is playing it off like he doesn t care, saying that he doesn t need their money. He claims he doesn t need any money at all. Yet, he s got aides that are going to meet with the Koch brothers soon. If it s not to court them as donors to help fill his rapidly emptying coffers, then what s the point?While the convention will likely be able to go on as scheduled, that s a massive blow to the party and to King Trump, especially when put together with all the Republicans who are un-endorsing Trump. These are people whose money heavily influences GOP policy. To withhold it because they don t want to crown Trump is very telling.Featured image by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images

News

June 10, 2016

WHOA! FIRST LADY MELANIA Makes Classy, Yet Blistering Response To Kathy Griffin’s ISIS Inspired Photo Of Decapitated President Trump

Social media erupted yesterday when outspoken comedian Kathy Griffin, posed for a photo shoot with controversial photographer Tyler Shields where she held a bloodied, decapitated mask of President Trump.Today, Melania Trump questioned Kathy Griffin s mental health in a blistering statement after she posted a photo of her holding a bloodied, decapitated version of President Trump s head.The video posted on Twitter of Griffin holding the decapitated head of President Trump has since been removed. As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing, the first lady said in a statement Wednesday. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. Daily CallerPresident Trump took to Twitter to respond to the unbelievably vile comedian Kathy Griffin. Trump s tweet also reminded Griffin that he has an 11-year old son who has the ability to see her disgusting depiction of his father s bloodied, decapitated head:Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

politics

May 31, 2017

Trump Just Praised Fox News’ Ratings And Attacked CNN Again Then Got CRUSHED By Twitter (TWEETS)

If you haven t yet heard that Fox News came out on top in ratings during Donald Trump s inauguration, all you need to do is check President Asterisk s Twitter timeline. After a rousing first few days of working toward dismantling Obamacare, endangering the health of women and girls worldwide, and signing our environment away for a few short-term construction jobs, The Donald hopped on Twitter to get right back to what appears to be his real job: attacking news agencies that report unflattering details about him. Congratulations to @FoxNews for being number one in inauguration ratings, Trump tweeted. They were many times higher than FAKE NEWS @CNN public is smart! Congratulations to @FoxNews for being number one in inauguration ratings. They were many times higher than FAKE NEWS @CNN public is smart! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017Neilson estimates that 30.6 million people tuned in to watch the trainwreck that was Trump s sparsely-attended inauguration millions fewer than Barack Obama s first swearing-in (maybe that s why he just threatened to send the feds to march on Chicago). Trump is correct that more people watched Fox News than any other individual news station, but he is also correct that the public is smart. What he fails to realize is that the majority of the smart public didn t watch Fox.Mediaite reported Monday that during the peak coverage block of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Fox News drew 8.77 million viewers. This may seem like a lot, but NBC brought in 5.90 million people, ABC attracted 4.90 million, CBS had about 4.65 million viewers, 2.61 million watched CNN, and 1.38 million tuned in to MSNBC. In other words, the smart people watched different networks than the vapid, meth-addled freaks who enjoyed Trump s victory with the whitest news team on television.Naturally, the Internet wasn t about to tolerate the President* attacking legitimate news agencies:@realDonaldTrump This is beyond sad. Turn off the TV and start running the country. Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) January 25, 2017@realDonaldTrump @FoxNews @CNN Yes, we are smart. We see you for who you are, you orange huckster. Ben Berkon (@BenBerkon) January 25, 2017.@realDonaldTrump Well you didn't last a week. Back to insulting people again. Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) January 25, 2017@JordanJamie @JordanUhl @realDonaldTrump His Majesty has spoken. pic.twitter.com/KmvwqFhVxX Wm Bruce Murdock (@Bruce466177) January 25, 2017@realDonaldTrump @FoxNews @CNN Nobody intelligent respects Fox News. Tommy Campbell (@MrTommyCampbell) January 25, 2017@pourmecoffee a very reliable source tells me Fox News' US ratings are fake and they're actually Kenyan ratings. Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) January 25, 2017Just a reminder of something he wants to forget: the Women s March in D.C. alone drew 750,000 (three million nationwide), many times The Donald s sh*tty inauguration numbers. Public is smart!Featured image via Getty Images (Chip Somodevilla)/screengrab

News

January 25, 2017

WATCH: Trump Education Minion Betsy DeVos Runs Away After Being Blocked From Entering Public School

Donald Trump s Education Secretary found out how hated she is on Friday.Betsy DeVos bought her way onto Trump s Cabinet earlier this month after a long confirmation battle. DeVos nearly lost in the Senate and it took a tie-breaking vote from Mike Pence to secure her confirmation. Of course, DeVos is only in her position today because she gave millions of dollars to sitting Republican senators.Her nomination was hotly contested because she wants to destroy the public education system in favor of religious schools. It also didn t help that she supports an organization that thinks children should be able to work in mines and thinks guns belong in schools to defend against bears.Seriously.Anyway, when DeVos attempted to visit a pubic school in Washington DC on Friday she was met by protesters who refused to let her in the door. The shamed her and ordered her to leave. She does not represent anything that they stand for! one protester said. Keep giving money to Senate and buying your way into the position, said another. You should be so proud of yourself! Rather than keep trying, DeVos ran away, got in a vehicle and drove off as protesters continued yelling their disapproval.Here s the video via Twitter.WATCH: Sec. Betsy DeVos physically blocked by protesters from entering DC school turned away and left. Video: @SweeneyABC pic.twitter.com/RAycuKEVgm ABC 7 News WJLA (@ABC7News) February 10, 2017According to Huffington Post,Sitting Republican senators have received $115,000 from Betsy DeVos herself, and more than $950,000 from the full DeVos clan since 1980. In the past two election cycles alone, her family has donated $8.3 million to Republican Party super PACs.Furthermore, DeVos had openly admitted that she and her family have spent millions of dollars to buy influence and said she expects something in return. I have decided to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence, she once wrote. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect something in return. And that is why she is now Secretary of Education and why millions of parents across the country are pissed off. They should not only block her from entering schools, they should block her from entering the Education Department.Featured image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

News

February 10, 2017

Trump gives nod to Republican tax-credit proposal on Obamacare

U.S. President Donald Trump backed the use of tax credits to help people purchase health insurance in a speech to Congress on Tuesday, the first time he signaled support for a key component of House Republican proposals to replace Obamacare. Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, are united in their opposition to former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 healthcare law, but have so far failed to agree on the details of how to replace it. “We should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts,” Trump said. “But it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by our government.” Democrats are ardently opposed to tampering with Obamacare, which provided coverage to millions of previously uninsured people. A draft Republican replacement for Obamacare would include an age-based monthly tax credit that Americans who do not get health insurance through their employer could use to buy coverage and take from job to job. Some Republicans have voiced resistance to that plan. The president’s comments were also a nod to health insurers - whom Trump met with on Monday - who say tax credits are necessary to keep people in the market. “The fact that he used the word tax credits is a signal to congressional Republican ranks” that he supports their proposals, said Tom Miller, a resident fellow in health policy at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. Trump also said Americans should be able to buy insurance across state lines, a proposal favored by health insurers because it would enable them to offer plans in states with fewer regulatory hurdles. Trump said state governors should be given resources and flexibility on Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor, and ensure that “no one is left out.” That appeared to be an attempt to ease concerns from the more than 30 governors who expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare. But Trump offered few details on how he would reconcile House Republican plans to unwind the expansion of Medicaid with promises to maintain coverage for those who gained health insurance under Obamacare. He also reaffirmed that those with pre-existing conditions should have access to coverage but did not say how that would be accomplished.

politicsNews

March 1, 2017

WATCH: Even CNN Admits Tax Bill That “Not One Democrat Voted For” Gives Working Families “Damn Good Money”

On Wednesday, a jubilant President Trump tweeted about the passage of the biggest in history Tax Cut and Reform Bill. Not one Democrat voted for the massive tax cut bill that will put real money back into the pocket of working families.The United States Senate just passed the biggest in history Tax Cut and Reform Bill. Terrible Individual Mandate (ObamaCare)Repealed. Goes to the House tomorrow morning for final vote. If approved, there will be a News Conference at The White House at approximately 1:00 P.M. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2017As it turns out, the Democrats embarrassing #Resist plan is not to do one thing to help parents put food on the table or take that vacation they haven t been able to afford for the past 8 years. As Democrats try to create mass hysteria over the Republican tax reform bill, left-wing news organizations like CNN have admitted that the tax bill is going to give working families damn good money. On Wednesday, CNN host John King said, The Republicans are making a big bet, taking a big risk. Will over time the American people say, Oh, actually I like having more money in my pocket. Oh, they did hire more people at the factory down the street. That s their big bet, King said. Not one Democrat has voted for a bill that cuts taxes by $1.5 trillion, King continued. To Abby s point, if you re a working-class family, a lot of people say, Oh, it s only $200, $300, but if you re a working-class family living paycheck to paycheck, $200-$300 is damn good money and you are grateful for it. Daily WireWATCH:CNN s John King: The Republican tax bill gives working-class families damn good money. pic.twitter.com/PG4TRJ1JF4 Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 20, 2017Businesses are also pleased with the new pro-growth, pro-business tax plan, and as a result, more workers will be hired in America and many of the current workers will see pay raises and/or bonuses.According to the Daily Wire, seven American businesses announced on Wednesday that they would both be investing hundreds of millions of dollars in their employees because of Republican tax reform bill that the Senate passed on Tuesday night.AT&T announced that once President Donald Trump signed the bill into law that they would invest an additional $1 billion in the United States in 2018 and pay a special $1,000 bonus to more than 200,000 AT&T U.S. employees. AT&T further noted that if Trump signed the bill before Christmas that the company will receive the bonus over the holidays.Boeing announced an immediate commitment to investing an additional $300 million in three areas that will directly benefit their employees:$100 million for corporate giving, with funds used to support demand for employee gift-match programs and for investments in Boeing s focus areas for charitable giving: in education, in our communities, and for veterans and military personnel. $100 million for workforce development in the form of training, education, and other capabilities development to meet the scale needed for rapidly evolving technologies and expanding markets. $100 million for workplace of the future facilities and infrastructure enhancements for Boeing employees.Fifth Third Bancorp, a bank headquartered in Ohio, announced that they would raise the minimum hourly wage for all employees to $15 following the tax reform bill and would give a one-time bonus of $1,000 to more than 13,500 of its employees.Wells Fargo announced that they will increase their minimum hourly pay rate to $15, and will aim for $400M in philanthropic donations next year due to the newly-passed GOP tax bill. Comcast announced that they will give $1,000 bonuses to over 100,000 eligible frontline and non-executive employees & invest $50 billion over the next five years in infrastructure based on the passage of tax reform. FedEx announced that the company will ramp up hiring in response to the tax bill.CVS Health announced in October that it the corporate tax rate went down that it would create 3,000 permanent new jobs.Here s President Donald J. Trump s latest tweet with a video explaining the benefits to farmers and middle-income Americans:WE ARE MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/HY353gXV0R Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2017

politics

Dec 21, 2017

Trump signs memo directing Pentagon to implement transgender ban

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday that directs the U.S. military not to accept transgender men and women as recruits and halts the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already underway. The memo, released by the White House, laid out in more detail a ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. armed forces that Trump announced via Twitter last month, reversing a policy shift started under his predecessor, President Barack Obama. In it, Trump directed the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to stop using government funds for sex-reassignment procedures unless it is necessary “to protect the health of an individual who has already begun a course of treatment to reassign his or her sex,” the memo said. The order requires Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to determine in the coming months how to handle transgender individuals currently serving in the military using criteria including “military effectiveness and lethality,” budget constraints and law. A White House official who briefed reporters about the memo declined to specify whether transgender service men and women who are currently active in the military could continue to serve based on such criteria. The official said Trump decided the Obama administration had not identified a sufficient basis for changing what was then long-standing policy on transgender troops. The memo called on Mattis to submit a plan to Trump by February 21, 2018, on how to implement the changes. Trump’s decision appealed to some in his conservative political base while creating uncertainty for thousands of transgender service members, many of whom came out after the Pentagon said in 2016 it would allow transgender people to serve openly. The change drew swift criticism from advocates of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. “The President’s order to remove transgender service members from the United States armed forces and deny them healthcare is nothing less than a purge,” Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, a group dedicated to LGBT equality in the military, said in a statement. “Our military is strongest when all people who are fit to serve have the opportunity to do so. This unprecedented policy amounts to a purge of qualified, contributing troops, and will serve only to undermine unit cohesion and weaken military readiness,” said Jennifer Levi, an official at the gay rights group GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders) in a statement. Asked how the policy squared with Trump’s pledge to stand up for gay rights, the White House official said the president would ensure that such rights were protected but had been critical previously of the transgender changes under the Obama administration.

politicsNews

August 25, 2017

U.S.-backed militia to capture last Raqqa areas in hours: spokesman

The spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria s Raqqa said on Tuesday the alliance will capture the last parts of the city held by Islamic State in the coming hours. The spokesman, Talal Selo, said by telephone that there was still fighting around the National Hospital, which the SDF said earlier it had taken, and around the city stadium.

worldnews

October 17, 2017

Trump looking at fast ways to quit global climate deal: source

President-elect Donald Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change, a source on his transition team said, defying broad global backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Since Trump’s election victory on Tuesday, governments ranging from China to small island states have reaffirmed support for the 2015 Paris agreement during climate talks involving 200 nations set to run until Friday in Marrakesh, Morocco. Trump has called global warming a hoax and has promised to quit the Paris Agreement, which was strongly supported by outgoing Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama. Trump’s advisers are considering ways to bypass a theoretical four-year procedure for leaving the accord, according to the source, who works on Trump’s transition team for international energy and climate policy. “It was reckless for the Paris agreement to enter into force before the election” on Tuesday, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Paris accord won enough backing for entry into force on Nov. 4, four days before the election. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday in New Zealand the Obama administration would do everything it could to implement the Paris accord before Trump takes office. The accord says in its Article 28 that any country wanting to pull out after signing on has to wait four years. In theory, the earliest date for withdrawal would be Nov. 4, 2020, around the time of the next U.S. presidential election. The source said the future Trump administration is weighing alternatives to accelerate the pull-out: sending a letter withdrawing from the 1992 international framework accord that is the parent treaty of the Paris Agreement; voiding U.S. involvement in both in a year’s time; or issuing a presidential order simply deleting the U.S. signature from the Paris accord. Withdrawing from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would be controversial, partly because it was signed by former Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1992 and approved by the U.S. Senate. The action also could antagonize many other countries. [L8N1DB41L] The UNFCCC sets a goal of avoiding “dangerous” man-made damage to the climate to avert more heat waves, downpours, floods, extinctions of animals and plants and rising sea levels. The 2015 Paris Agreement is much more explicit, seeking to phase out net greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of the century and limit global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. Many nations have expressed hope that the United States will stay. But the host of the current round of climate negotiations, Morocco, said the pact that seeks to phase out greenhouse gases in the second half of the century was strong enough to survive a pullout. One party deciding to withdraw would not call the agreement into question, Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told a news conference. In Beijing on Monday, the foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, told a regular news briefing that China would like to continue working with all countries, including the United States, in the global fight against climate change. The agreement was reached by almost 200 nations in December and, as of Saturday, has been formally ratified by 109 representing 76 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, including the United States with 18 percent. The accord seeks to limit rising temperatures that have been linked to increasing economic damage from desertification, extinctions of animals and plants, heat waves, floods and rising sea levels. U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa declined to comment on the Trump source’s remarks to Reuters. “The Paris Agreement carries an enormous amount of weight and credibility,” Espinosa told a news conference. She said the United Nations hoped for a strong and constructive relationship with Trump. The Trump source said the president-elect’s transition team is aware of the likely international backlash but said Republicans in the U.S. Congress have given ample warning that a Republican administration would take action to reverse course. “The Republican Party on multiple occasions has sent signals to the international community signaling that it doesn’t agree with the pact. We’ve gone out of our way to give notice,” the source said. The source blamed Obama for joining up by an executive order, without getting approval from the U.S. Senate. “There wouldn’t be this diplomatic fallout on the broader international agenda if Obama hadn’t rushed the adoption,” the source said.

politicsNews

November 12, 2016

UAE's Gargash says Trump's decision on Jerusalem is 'gift to radicalism'

A senior United Arab Emirates (UAE) official said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was a boon to extremists. These issues are a gift to radicalism. Radicals and extremists will use that to fan the language of hate, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, speaking at the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.

worldnews

December 9, 2017

Twitter HILARIOUSLY F*cks With GOP For Tweeting Fake Lincoln Quote (TWEETS)

The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you don t know if they re genuine. Or something. Today is Abraham Lincoln s birthday, and to honor him, the GOP tweeted out an image of the statue in the Lincoln Memorial with a quote:What a respectable way to commemorate one of the greatest presidents this country ever saw. There s just one problem: The quote isn t Lincoln s. It s most likely from a 1947 ad for a book by Edward J. Stieglitz. He, in turn, was given credit for the phrase in 1949.Former Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson also used that quote, but there s no evidence that Lincoln ever said it. And the GOP looks really stupid.The funny thing is that one could assume the general population wouldn t know whether the quote is Lincoln s or not. In the age of Google, however, one has to be far more careful about attributing quotes and anything else, because someone will inevitably look it up and make you look stupid if it s wrong.So Twitter decided to make the GOP look really stupid, and what they came up with has us rolling: Stop making fools of yourselves, guys. We re going to bust our ribs laughing at you for the rest of eternity give or take an eon.Featured image via screen captures

News

February 12, 2017

CROCODILE TEARS: Watch Obama Use Phony Outrage To Gain Sympathy For Gun Control

Following Obama s phony tears, he launched directly into attack mode of the Republican majority Congress (who have already proven their not on our team) and the gun lobby. All of us need to demand a Congress brave enough to stand up to the gun lobbies lies. Every time I think about those kids it gets me mad, he said, as he bowed his head for ultimate effect, and then boom as though he never shed a tear, the attack against Republicans and gun lobbies began.Where was his outrage when Kate Steinle was killed by an illegal alien in a Sanctuary City? Where was his outrage when cops were being killed as a result of his war against cops? Obama s selective outrage and faux tears aren t fooling anyone who s paying attention This isn t the first time Obama used a fake dramatic scene to promote his agenda. Remember this phony scene? Obama was in the middle of his speech promoting socialized medicine, but somehow was able to see a woman behind him about to pass out. Watch him save her just in the nick of time.

left-news

Jan 5, 2016

Bush-era FTC official is Trump favorite for chief: source

President Donald Trump’s leading choice to run the Federal Trade Commission is a Washington lawyer who served at the agency as a top official under President George W. Bush, a person briefed on the matter said on Wednesday. Joseph Simons, a partner at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP, is the leading choice to run the FTC over Acting FTC chairman Maureen Ohlhausen, who has been running the agency since January. Bloomberg News reported the leading choice of Simons earlier on Wednesday. The timing of a formal presidential nomination is not clear. Simons was head of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition from June 2001 to August 2003 and has been involved in a number of major antitrust cases and acquisitions in private practice. Ohlhausen previously headed the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning. A veteran of the law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, Ohlhausen is expected to remain on the FTC as a commissioner, the source said. The FTC, which has five commission seats, now has only Ohlhausen and Commissioner Terrell McSweeny, a Democrat. Two of the empty seats may go to Republicans, but the remaining seat must go either to a Democrat or an independent. A leading candidate for another Republican slot is Noah Phillips, an aide to Senator John Cornyn, according to the person briefed on the matter. White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Wednesday the administration has “no announcement at this time.” Simons did not immediately return requests for comment. An FTC spokeswoman had no comment. The FTC has two main missions. One is to fight scams and deceptive advertising and the other to review mergers to ensure they comply with antitrust law. The FTC is currently reviewing Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O) proposed $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market Inc WFM.O. The FTC sued Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) in January over allegations of anticompetitive behavior to maintain a monopoly on the chips that let cell phones connect to mobile data networks. The FTC has sued to stop mergers deemed illegal, such as Staples’ attempt to buy rival Office Depot. It is in the process of deciding if Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) will be allowed to merge with Rite Aid Corp (RAD.N) to create the largest U.S. drugstore chain. In June, fantasy sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings scrapped a plan to merge following an FTC legal challenge.

politicsNews

August 9, 2017

U.S. House Democratic leader Pelosi calls for Confederate statue removal

U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday joined calls for the immediate removal of Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol, shortly after President Donald Trump expressed regret over statues and monuments being removed in some cities. “There is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country,” Pelosi said in a statement. A spokesman for Republican U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said it was up to U.S. states to determine which statues were displayed on their behalf in the Capitol building.

politicsNews

August 17, 2017

South Korean foreign minister says North Korea on 'reckless path'

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Monday North Korea is on a reckless path with its continued nuclear and missile provocations in defiance of international condemnation. The price of its continued provocations in blatant disregard of the peace-loving members of the international community will be instability and economic hardship, Kang told a news conference. Her comments come hours before the U.N. Security Council was to vote on fresh a U.S.-drafted resolution imposing new sanctions to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs.

worldnews

September 11, 2017

LOL! ANTI-TRUMP ACTORS George Clooney and Matt Damon’s “Suburbicon” Movie TANKS: “One of Paramount Pictures’ worst performing wide-releases ever”

In fly-over country, and pretty much anywhere in between the east and west coasts of America, people are sick and tired supporting the arrogant, condescending, anti-American, Trump hating, liberal actors and Hollywood is finally starting to feel the pain in their pocketbooks. George Clooney s Suburbicon notched one of the most dismal wide-release debuts in recent years on a sluggish pre-Halloween weekend where the horror sequel Jigsaw topped all releases despite an underperforming debut.Despite debuting on more than 2,000 screens, Suburbicon managed just $2.8 million, making it one of Paramount Pictures worst performing wide-releases ever and marking a new box-office low for Clooney as a director and star Matt Damon. Obviously we are disappointed in these results which we don t feel are indicative of the quality and message of his original movie, said Kyle Davies, president of distribution for Paramount. liberal activist actors Matt Damon, George Clooney and Julianne MooreAre liberal activist actors Matt Damon, George Clooney and Julianne Moore so blinded by their hate for middle America, that they can t see the audience they re trying to appeal to, has lost their desire to support them and their sub-par movies?Before the election last year, Matt Damon expressed his anxiety over a possible Trump win: It makes me nervous, Damon said of the possibility that Trump would win the presidency (which he did via the Electoral College). It s a binary choice . There s no way we can let this guy be the [president]. To let that dude have the nuclear football, are you kidding me? That s dangerous. He s impulsive and rash, and doesn t seem to think deeply about too many things. Who can forget George Clooney s interview, where he laughed at the idea that Trump would win the election, saying There s not gonna be a President Donald Trump. That s not gonna happen. Co-star Julianne Moore is no stranger to the Hollywood anti-Trump movement. The outspoken gun-control advocate shared her thoughts with the Huffington Post on Trump s nationalistic rhetoric more specifically. It s a very interesting time, she said. I don t know that any society has moved forward by being exclusive and nationalistic and that s what I m seeing Donald Trump doing. I think it s very negative and incredibly detrimental to us as a society.

left-news

Oct 29, 2017

DONALD TRUMP Gives Epic Response After PGA Moves From Trump’s Doral To Mexico

One thing Donald Trump is really great at is delivering one-liners that resonate with people because they re true. This is why Trump will win in a landslide! Americans are so sick of the pandering politicians who sugar-coat everything. Trump is a refreshing change and oh so witty. Here s an epic one-liner on the PGA move from Miami to Mexico: I hope they have kidnapping insurance. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is responding to the PGA moving the 2017 World Golf Championship to Mexico instead of holding it at Trump Doral in Miami. They move the World Golf Championships from Miami to Mexico City, Trump commented. They moved the PGA Tour, moved the World Golf Championships from Miami, where they re furious to Mexico City. If I become your president, this stuff is all going to stop, Trump added. He went on to criticize the U.S. economy for being taken advantage of by Mexico.The PGA Tour said the move happens because it couldn t find sponsors, according to BBC.Trump argued the PGA put profit ahead of thousands of American jobs. Timothy Finchem, PGA Tour commissioner, suggested Trump s profile made it difficult to get sponsors. It s fundamentally a sponsorship issue, Finchem added. Donald Trump is a brand, a big brand, and when you re asking a company to invest millions of dollars in branding a tournament and they re going to share that brand with the host, it s a difficult decision. Finchem insisted the move isn t political.Trump slammed the decision, saying it s a sad day for Miami, the U.S. and the game of golf. This decision only further embodies the very reason I am running for president of the United States. I hope they have kidnapping insurance, Trump stated during an interview with Fox News.Via: Breitbart

politics

Jun 2, 2016

Hilarious Video Shows The Moment Bernie Discovered He’s Related To His SNL Impersonator

The 2016 election cycle was rife with hilarious and often spot on impersonations of the most talked about candidates. One such candidate was, of course, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who was competing for the Democratic Party s presidential nomination. On the iconic sketch show Saturday Night Live, Bernie was prominently portrayed by comedian Larry David. The impression was uncannily accurate if we didn t know better, Larry David could easily have been mistaken for Bernie Sanders. From looks, to mannerisms, to general speech patterns and demeanor, David s Bernie impression was spot on. Well, there might be a reason for that: It turns out that Bernie Sanders and Larry David are actually related.The best part of all of this is that the two men did not know that they were related until quite recently, and their reactions to the news have been caught on video. They found out via Finding Your Roots, a PBS program that helps people find their ancestry and relatives they perhaps did not know about. It turns out that Sanders and David are cousins.When he found out, David simply said, What the hell. That is really funny. That is amazing Alright, cousin Bernie. Bernie says: You re kidding. That is unbelievable. People say to me, they talk about Larry David, and I say he does a better Bernie Sanders than I do. Well, now we know why Larry David does such a good Bernie impression.At any rate, we could all use a laugh right about now, so enjoy! (Editor s note: Right-click or ctrl+click to unmute)Featured image via video screen capture

News

October 4, 2017

Italian prime minister to meet Trump in U.S. on April 20: diplomatic sources

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in the United States on April 20, diplomatic sources said on Monday. Italy holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven industrialized nations and is due to host a summit of leaders in Sicily in May, which is expected to be Trump’s first trip to Europe as president. Trump has already met a number of major power leaders in Washington since taking office in January, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

politicsNews

March 27, 2017

Obamacare repeal could take months; replacement, years: Republican aides

Repealing Obamacare could take months and developing replacement health insurance plans could take years, senior Republican aides in the U.S. Congress said on Thursday, discouraging talk of a quick end to the program after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump has promised to repeal Obamacare, and Republican lawmakers have said repealing President Barack Obama’s signature domestic initiative will be the first thing they take up in the new year, saying it should be rushed to Trump’s desk for signing into law. But the project is going to take time, said senior Republican aides in the House of Representatives, asking not to be named. “We are talking a matter of weeks, in two months - but not a matter of many months” for Congress to pass a repeal, one aide said, adding that Republicans “certainly” hope Trump will sign the repeal into law in the first half of 2017. Congressional Republicans are consulting with the Trump transition team on when the effective date of the repeal should be, another aide said. Setting it a few years out will provide lawmakers time to debate whether and how to replace some elements of the Obamacare law. The effective date of repeal “can be as short as two (years), it can be as long as three or four. We have to see where the Trump administration wants to go in terms of how much time they need on this,” the second House aide said. Some 20 million previously uninsured Americans gained health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, as Obamacare is officially called. Coverage was extended by expanding Medicaid and through online exchanges where consumers can receive income-based subsidies. Republicans have launched repeated legal and legislative efforts to dismantle the law, criticizing it as government overreach. They say they want to replace it by giving states, not the federal government, more control. Talk that the Republican-majority Congress could repeal the program in January was not based on careful consideration of the process or politics, said Joe Antos, a health policy expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “I can see repeal relatively quickly,” Antos said, although not within a few weeks, “but replace is harder.” “Democrats will put up every procedural hurdle they can (to repeal),” said Tevi Troy, head of the American Health Policy Institute. Stuart Butler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that a four-year effective date of repeal could fall after the next presidential election. “Somehow I doubt people will see that as a fulfilled campaign promise,” he said.

politicsNews

December 16, 2016

Saudi women can drive at last but some say price is silence

Saudi Arabian women were given the right to drive last week after nearly three decades of campaigning, but some activists say that breakthrough has come with a price: their silence. While the royal decree ending the ban on women driving has been hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom, some women say they have been cowed into not speaking about it - a charge the government denies. Four women who previously participated in protests against the ban told Reuters they had received phone calls instructing them not to comment on the decree. Two women said around 25 activists had received such calls. As Saudi Arabia pushes through reforms over the objections of conservatives, the leadership is trying to modernize without losing the support of its traditional base. Some Islamist clerics seen by the government as dabbling in politics have been detained after an apparent crackdown on potential opponents of the kingdom s rulers last month which now appears to have paved the way for lifting the driving ban. Activists and analysts say the government is also keen to avoid rewarding activism, which is forbidden in the absolute monarchy, and seems determined not to antagonize religious sensitivities. But seemingly inviolable Saudi norms are being turned on their head, with some religious clerics who supported policies such as bans on women driving and gender mixing now apparently changing their minds. The changes suggest a possible shift in the power balance toward the Al Saud ruling family away from the Wahhabi clerical establishment. In the first protest against the driving ban, in 1990, 47 women drove around central Riyadh for nearly an hour until they were detained by the religious police, then fired from their jobs and barred from traveling. One participant, a university professor now in her 60s, recalls that act of defiance which sparked a new era in the Saudi women s rights movement. On the first loop, we were not caught. But the second time, we were caught. I think somebody called. I remember one man, he was in front of us in his car. He went like this, she said, wagging her finger. That meant he didn t want us to drive. More protests followed, but the government has not acknowledged the activists efforts since ending the ban. Activists who said they had received phone calls ordering them to remain silent spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. He was very straightforward. He said you are ordered not to comment on the women driving issue or procedures will be taken against you. You are held accountable for anything posted after this call, one of the callers said. Another woman, Tamador al-Yami, apologized on Twitter for being unable to comment for reasons beyond my control . Everybody knows.. everybody who follows.. we don t need to say it out loud :) she wrote. & it doesn t matter, what matters is the win, and we won . The government says the allegations are false and cites women who have spoken out, with op-eds in the New York Times and CNN. No one has been censored or warned about expressing their views, an Information Ministry statement said. Saudi Arabia welcomes both the enormous interest and contributions to the debate, especially those from our own citizens. Ending the driving ban is part of the kingdom s Vision 2030 reform program aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil and opening up Saudis cloistered lifestyles. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, is the face of that change. Many young Saudis regard his recent ascent to power as proof their generation is taking a central place in running a country whose patriarchal traditions have for decades made power the province of the old and blocked women s progress. Yet the crown prince has been noticeably absent from the rollout of the new driving policy, which was presented to the media in Washington rather than Riyadh. That may reflect the riskiness of the move, which was welcomed by many but met with confusion and outrage by others. Saudi media has tagged news about the ban: The king wins with women driving . Police however issued two arrest warrants over the weekend for men who posted threats against women drivers. Activist Hala al-Dosari, who lives in Boston, said lifting the ban had also been intended to silence women activists. The monarchy wants to be central for the Saudi state inside and outside as the owners of any reform. They are not willing to have their position contested, she said. How can they convince the world they are the patrons of modernization when the women of Saudi Arabia are challenging those notions? Eman al-Nafjan, who participated in a driving protest in 2011, said she was relieved the ban had been lifted but frustrated that the role of women activists had been overlooked. Were our efforts the reason the ban was lifted? Or was it a decision that had been made regardless of our struggles? she wrote the day after the royal decree. The professor who took part in the 1990 protest said her family had not expressed strong opinions about her activism all those years ago, but one relative now thinks she is a celebrity. My niece thinks I m someone special, she said. She says, Oh, auntie! What you did!

worldnews

October 2, 2017

U.S. companies sign billions in deals with Vietnam

U.S. companies signed business deals with Vietnam worth over $8 billion on Wednesday, including power projects and jet engines from General Electric Co (GE.N) and diesel generator technology from Caterpillar (CAT.N), the Commerce Department said. The 13 deals were announced as Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with U.S. President Donald Trump as part of a three-day, trade-focused trip to the United States. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who has pledged to shrink U.S. trade deficits, said the transactions would include $3.4 billion in U.S. produced content that would support 23,000 jobs. But the Trump administration still wants more work from Vietnam to bring down a rapidly growing $32 billion trade surplus with the United States, said Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “I heard from U.S. officials ahead of the trip that just signing deals with U.S. companies was nice but not enough,” Hiebert said. GE said on Wednesday it had signed deals in Vietnam worth about $5.58 billion for power generation, aircraft engines and services, its largest single combined sale with the country in GE’s history. GE’s agreement with Vietjet Aviation JSC VJC.HM includes 20 jet engines made by CFM International, a joint venture of GE and Safran SA (SAF.PA) of France. It also includes a 12-year engine service contract for 215 LEAP-1B engines on 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that Vietjet has ordered, GE said. GE’s power unit signed a memorandum of understanding to build two 750-megawatt gas fired turbine power plants in conjunction with state energy group PetroVietnam, using the Blue Whale gas field. GE also signed a joint development agreement to erect an 800-megawatt wind power facility. Partners in the agreement are Phu Cuong Group and International Mainstream Renewable Power, GE said. Honeywell (HON.N) also signed a $100 million deal to supply VietJet with 98 auxiliary power units for the airline’s new fleet of Airbus (AIR.PA) A320 aircraft, including maintenance for 12 years. Caterpillar and its dealer in Vietnam, Phu Thai Cat, agreed to provide generator management technology for more than 100 generators in Vietnam, the company said. The technology would allow for remote function monitoring including fuel, temperature and pressure. The value of the Caterpillar deal was not disclosed. Hilton Worldwide (HLT.N) signed a deal worth $650 million to manage a 610-room dual-branded hotel in Vietnam, while port security firm Passport Systems Inc signed a deal worth $1 billion, with $420 million in U.S. content, Commerce said.

politicsNews

May 31, 2017

It’s Really Happening: Trump Adviser Lays Out Plan For National Muslim Registry

Well, that didn t take long. In the short time since Americans kinda-sorta elected Donald Trump to be Pussygrabber-in-Chief, Trump has appointed a bona fide white nationalist to a high-level position and perform numerous other actions that months ago were considered extremely unlikely nightmare scenarios and the latest seems to be that the Muslim registry the media told us Trump was not serious about might actually happen.Under the Trump regime, Muslim immigrants coming to the United States from what Trump and Pals call terror-prone countries will soon have to register and check in regularly with the government if Trump adviser and Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach, has his way.Kobach says that the Trump administration aims to quickly waste taxpayer dollars on The Wall and that they are moving forward on a proposal to get things rolling with a registry for immigrants from Muslim countries. Reuters reports:Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who helped write tough immigration laws in Arizona and elsewhere, said in an interview that Trump s policy advisers had also discussed drafting a proposal for his consideration to reinstate a registry for immigrants from Muslim countries.Kobach, who media reports say is a key member of Trump s transition team, said he had participated in regular conference calls with about a dozen Trump immigration advisers for the past two to three months.Trump s transition team did not respond to requests for confirmation of Kobach s role. The president-elect has not committed to following any specific recommendations from advisory groups.The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, designed in part by Kovach under the Bush administration, was an ineffective program that singled out Muslims and did not manage to convict a single person of anything related to terrorism.During his campaign, Trump suggested not only monitoring mosques but added that there would need to be a lot of systems that extend beyond databases to keep an eye on Muslims.Kobach says that he and other advisers are also looking into how to get the construction of the border wall moving without approval from Congress. He says it can happen by reappropriating existing funds, but acknowledges that future fiscal years will require additional appropriations. Trump has shown us his character in whom he chooses to be part of his administration and through his actions since he has been elected. Some say to give him a chance, to see how he governs, but the answer is no. President-elect Pussygrabber has repeatedly demonstrated that he is completely lacking in morals, compassion, decency, and hand size.It is up to each of us to oppose Donald Trump at every turn, to protect what we can of the progress America has made over the last fifty years, to defend our nation in every way we can against this internal enemy. Recently, John Oliver reminded us not to allow what we are about to live through to become normalized. Keep reminding yourself this is not normal, Oliver said. A Klan-backed misogynist internet troll is going to be delivering the next State of the Union address, and that is not normal. Truer words have never been spoken.Featured image via Getty Images/Matthew Busch

News

November 16, 2016

Britain wants Brexit accord but prepared for a 'no deal': Davis

Britain wants to reach agreement over the terms of its departure from the European Union but is prepared for a no deal scenario, Brexit minister David Davis said on Friday. We don t want a no deal, but if one comes, we ll be ready for it, Davis told broadcasters.

worldnews

October 20, 2017

Xi says China to be more open, transparent to foreign companies including America's

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday China will be more open and transparent to foreign companies, including those from the United States. U.S. companies are also welcome to take part in China’s Belt and Road initiative, Xi told a briefing in Beijing after talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. China’s door to the world will only open wider, he said.

politicsNews

November 9, 2017

Trump Supporters Caught Making Anti-Semitic Chants At Official Rally (VIDEO)

Donald Trump and his political campaign have become, over the last year, ground zero in America for anti-Semitic activity from white supremacists, neo-Nazis and others who hate Jews and ethnic minorities.The latest example comes from a Trump rally in Phoeniz, Arizona, where a man was caught on video yelling JEW-SA to reporters sitting in the cordoned off section of Trump s rally.Guy chants "Jew-S-A" in front of press pen pic.twitter.com/2yqgA6dD4k Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) October 29, 2016The video was recorded by Nick Corasantini who is covering the Trump campaign for the New York Times.Trump s campaign has been embraced and supported by the so-called alt-right, a rebranding of white nationalists who seek to remove the influence of anyone who isn t a white Christian from America. The alt-right regularly promotes Nazi memes online and off, and has repeatedly abused reporters and commentators who are Jewish with death threats, online attacks, and more.Instead of rejecting these people, Trump s campaign has supported them. Trump has re-posted their messages through retweets on his Twitter account, while he has also given them official credentials to cover his campaign and to report from the floor of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.Additionally, Trump s son Donald Jr. gave an interview to a white supremacist radio show, where he and the host lamented political correctness. Trump s policies have been lauded by white supremacists, specially his anti-Muslim policies, especially his proposal to ban immigration to the United States by Muslims.Former KKK member and leader David Duke has endorsed Trump, and said he was inspired by the support for Trump and decided to run for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana. Duke has attracted enough support within the Republican Party there to qualify for an invitation to a Senate debate, which is being held at a historically black university.In a CNN interview, Trump refused to directly rebuke or renounce Duke s support, choosing to do so only after he was on TV. Many white supremacists took this as a sign of support from Trump for their movement.Featured image via screen capture

News

October 29, 2016

REVEALED: How US Government-Media Complex Are The Masters of ‘Fake News’

Washingtons BlogEveryone s talking about fake news Google Trends shows that starting in late October that phrase absolutely exploded in terms of internet searches:In the last month, Obama, Merkel, CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post and many other mainstream media have warned about the dangers of fake news.There certainly is a lot of fake news. And some of it is by anti-establishment types trying to discredit American institutions with false reports.But as we document below the government and mainstream media are by far the biggest purveyors of fake news.The Government s Been Deploying Propaganda On U.S. Soil for Many YearsThe United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities found in 1975 that the CIA submitted stories to the American press: After 1953, the network was overseen by Allen W. Dulles, director of the CIA. By this time, Operation Mockingbird had a major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies. The usual methodology was placing reports developed from intelligence provided by the CIA to witting or unwitting reporters. Those reports would then be repeated or cited by the preceding reporters which in turn would then be cited throughout the media wire services.The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) was funded by siphoning off funds intended for the Marshall Plan [i.e. the rebuilding of Europe by the U.S. after WWII]. Some of this money was used to bribe journalists and publishers.In 2008, the New York Times wrote:During the early years of the cold war, [prominent writers and artists, from Arthur Schlesinger Jr. to Jackson Pollock] were supported, sometimes lavishly, always secretly, by the C.I.A. as part of its propaganda war against the Soviet Union. It was perhaps the most successful use of soft power in American history.A CIA operative told Washington Post owner Philip Graham in a conversation about the willingness of journalists to peddle CIA propaganda and cover stories: You could get a journalist cheaper than a good call girl, for a couple hundred dollars a month. Famed Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein wrote in 1977: More than 400 American journalists in the past twenty five years have secretly carried out assignments for the Central Intelligence Agency, according to documents on file at CIA headquarters. ***In many instances, CIA documents show, journalists were engaged to perform tasks for the CIA with the consent of the managements of America s leading news organizations.***Among the executives who lent their cooperation to the Agency were [the heads of CBS, Time, the New York Times, the Louisville Courier Journal, and Copley News Service. Other organizations which cooperated with the CIA include [ABC, NBC, AP, UPI, Reuters], Hearst Newspapers, Scripps Howard, Newsweek magazine, the Mutual Broadcasting System, the Miami Herald and the old Saturday Evening Post and New York Herald Tribune.***There is ample evidence that America s leading publishers and news executives allowed themselves and their organizations to become handmaidens to the intelligence services. Let s not pick on some poor reporters, for God s sake, William Colby exclaimed at one point to the Church committee s investigators. Let s go to the managements.***The CIA even ran a formal training program in the 1950s to teach its agents to be journalists. Intelligence officers were taught to make noises like reporters, explained a high CIA official, and were then placed in major news organizations with help from management.***Once a year during the 1950s and early 1960s, CBS correspondents joined the CIA hierarchy for private dinners and briefings.***Allen Dulles often interceded with his good friend, the late Henry Luce, founder of Timeand Life magazines, who readily allowed certain members of his staff to work for the Agency and agreed to provide jobs and credentials for other CIA operatives who lacked journalistic experience.***In the 1950s and early 1960s, Time magazine s foreign correspondents attended CIA briefing dinners similar to those the CIA held for CBS.***When Newsweek was purchased by the Washington Post Company, publisher Philip L. Graham was informed by Agency officials that the CIA occasionally used the magazine for cover purposes, according to CIA sources. It was widely known that Phil Graham was somebody you could get help from, said a former deputy director of the Agency. Frank Wisner dealt with him. Wisner, deputy director of the CIA from 1950 until shortly before his suicide in 1965, was the Agency s premier orchestrator of black operations, including many in which journalists were involved. Wisner liked to boast of his mighty Wurlitzer, a wondrous propaganda instrument he built, and played, with help from the press.)***In November 1973, after [the CIA claimed to have ended the program], Colby told reporters and editors from the New York Times and the Washington Star that the Agency had some three dozen American newsmen on the CIA payroll, including five who worked for general circulation news organizations. Yet even while the Senate Intelligence Committee was holding its hearings in 1976, according to high level CIA sources, the CIA continued to maintain ties with seventy five to ninety journalists of every description executives, reporters, stringers, photographers, columnists, bureau clerks and members of broadcast technical crews. More than half of these had been moved off CIA contracts and payrolls but they were still bound by other secret agreements with the Agency. According to an unpublished report by the House Select Committee on Intelligence, chaired by Representative Otis Pike, at least fifteen news organizations were still providing cover for CIA operatives as of 1976.***Those officials most knowledgeable about the subject say that a figure of 400 American journalists is on the low side . There were a lot of representations that if this stuff got out some of the biggest names in journalism would get smeared .An expert on propaganda testified under oath during trial that the CIA now employs THOUSANDS of reporters and OWNS its own media organizations. Whether or not his estimate is accurate, it is clear that many prominent reporters still report to the CIA.A 4-part BBC documentary called the Century of the Self shows that an American Freud s nephew, Edward Bernays created the modern field of manipulation of public perceptions, and the U.S. government has extensively used his techniques.John Pilger is a highly-regarded journalist (the BBC s world affairs editor John Simpson remarked, A country that does not have a John Pilger in its journalism is a very feeble place indeed ). Pilger said in 2007:We now know that the BBC and other British media were used by the British secret intelligence service MI-6. In what they called Operation Mass Appeal, MI-6 agents planted stories about Saddam s weapons of mass destruction, such as weapons hidden in his palaces and in secret underground bunkers. All of these stories were fake.***One of my favorite stories about the Cold War concerns a group of Russian journalists who were touring the United States. On the final day of their visit, they were asked by the host for their impressions. I have to tell you, said the spokesman, that we were astonished to find after reading all the newspapers and watching TV day after day that all the opinions on all the vital issues are the same. To get that result in our country we send journalists to the gulag. We even tear out their fingernails. Here you don t have to do any of that. What is the secret? Nick Davies wrote in the Independent in 2008: For the first time in human history, there is a concerted strategy to manipulate global perception. And the mass media are operating as its compliant assistants, failing both to resist it and to expose it.The sheer ease with which this machinery has been able to do its work reflects a creeping structural weakness which now afflicts the production of our news. I ve spent the last two years researching a book about falsehood, distortion and propaganda in the global media.The Zarqawi letter which made it on to the front page of The New York Times in February 2004 was one of a sequence of highly suspect documents which were said to have been written either by or to Zarqawi and which were fed into news media.This material is being generated, in part, by intelligence agencies who continue to work without effective oversight; and also by a new and essentially benign structure of strategic communications which was originally designed by doves in the Pentagon and Nato who wanted to use subtle and non-violent tactics to deal with Islamist terrorism but whose efforts are poorly regulated and badly supervised with the result that some of its practitioners are breaking loose and engaging in the black arts of propaganda. ***The Pentagon has now designated information operations as its fifth core competency alongside land, sea, air and special forces. Since October 2006, every brigade, division and corps in the US military has had its own psyop element producing output for local media. This military activity is linked to the State Department s campaign of public diplomacy which includes funding radio stations and news websites. In Britain, the Directorate of Targeting and Information Operations in the Ministry of Defence works with specialists from 15 UK psyops, based at the Defence Intelligence and Security School at Chicksands in Bedfordshire.In the case of British intelligence, you can see this combination of reckless propaganda and failure of oversight at work in the case of Operation Mass Appeal. This was exposed by the former UN arms inspector Scott Ritter, who describes in his book, Iraq Confidential, how, in London in June 1998, he was introduced to two black propaganda specialists from MI6 who wanted him to give them material which they could spread through editors and writers who work with us from time to time .The government is still paying off reporters to spread disinformation. And the corporate media are acting like virtual escort services for the moneyed elites, selling access for a price to powerful government officials, instead of actually investigating and reporting on what those officials are doing.One of the ways that the U.S. government spreads propaganda is by making sure that it gets its version out first. For example, the head of the U.S. Information Agency s television and film division Alvin A. Snyder wrote in his book, Warriors of Disinformation: How Lies, Videotape, and the USIA Won the Cold War: All governments, including our own, lie when it suits their purposes. The key is to lie first. ***Another casualty, always war s first, was the truth. The story of [the accidental Russian shoot-down of a Korean airliner] will be remembered pretty much the way we told it in 1983, not the way it really happened.In 2013, the American Congress repealed the formal ban against the deployment of propaganda against U.S. citizens living on American soil. So there s even less to constrain propaganda than before.One of the most common uses of propaganda is to sell unnecessary and counter-productive wars. Given that the American media is always pro-war, mainstream publishers, producers, editors, and reporters are willing participants.It s not just lying about Saddam s non-existent weapons of mass destruction the corporate media is still selling lies to promote war. While the older generation that pioneered these domestic propaganda techniques has passed from the scene, many of their prot g s are still around along with some of the same organizations. The National Endowment for Democracy, which was formed in 1983 at the urging of CIA Director Casey and under the supervision of Walter Raymond s NSC operation, is still run by the same neocon, Carl Gershman, and has an even bigger budget, now exceeding $100 million a year.Gershman and his NED played important behind-the-scenes roles in instigating the Ukraine crisis by financing activists, journalists and other operatives who supported the coup against elected President Yanukovych. The NED-backed Freedom House also beat the propaganda drums. [See Consortiumnews.com s A Shadow Foreign Policy. ]Two other Reagan-era veterans, Elliott Abrams and Robert Kagan, have both provided important intellectual support for continuing U.S. interventionism around the world. Earlier this year, Kagan s article for The New Republic, entitled Superpowers Don t Get to Retire, touched such a raw nerve with President Obama that he hosted Kagan at a White House lunch and crafted the presidential commencement speech at West Point to deflect some of Kagan s criticism of Obama s hesitancy to use military force.***Rupert Murdoch s media empire is bigger than ever .Another key to American propaganda is the constant repetition of propaganda. As Business Insider reported in 2013:Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a highly-respected officer who released a critical report regarding the distortion of truth by senior military officials in Iraq and Afghanistan .From Lt. Col. Davis:In context, Colonel Leap is implying we ought to change the law to enable Public Affairs officers to influence American public opinion when they deem it necessary to protect a key friendly center of gravity, to wit US national will. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 appears to serve this purpose by allowing for the American public to be a target audience of U.S. government-funded information campaigns.Davis also quotes Brigadier General Ralph O. Baker the Pentagon officer responsible for the Department of Defense s Joint Force Development who defines Information Operations (IO) as activities undertaken to shape the essential narrative of a conflict or situation and thus affect the attitudes and behaviors of the targeted audience. Brig. Gen. Baker goes on to equate descriptions of combat operations with the standard marketing strategy of repeating something until it is accepted:For years, commercial advertisers have based their advertisement strategies on the premise that there is a positive correlation between the number of times a consumer is exposed to product advertisement and that consumer s inclination to sample the new product. The very same principle applies to how we influence our target audiences when we conduct COIN.And those thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs appear to serve Baker s strategy, which states: Repetition is a key tenet of IO execution, and the failure to constantly drive home a consistent message dilutes the impact on the target audiences. Government Massively Manipulates the Web, Social Media and Other Forms of CommunicationOf course, the Web and social media have become a huge media platform, and the Pentagon and other government agencies are massively manipulating both.Documents released by Snowden show that spies manipulate polls, website popularity and pageview counts, censor videos they don t like and amplify messages they do.The CIA and other government agencies also put enormous energy into pushing propaganda throughmovies, television and video games.Cross-Border PropagandaPropaganda isn t limited to our own borders Sometimes, the government plants disinformation in American media in order to mislead foreigners. For example, an official government summary of America s overthrow of the democratically-elected president of Iran in the 1950 s states, In cooperation with the Department of State, CIA had several articles planted in major American newspapers and magazines which, when reproduced in Iran, had the desired psychological effect in Iran and contributed to the war of nerves against Mossadeq (page x).The CIA has also bribed leading foreign journalists.And CNN accepted money from the brutal Bahrani dictatorship to run pro-monarchy propaganda.Everyone Who Challenges the Status Quo Is Labeled As a Purveyor of Fake News Or WorseThe First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of the press from censorship by government.Indeed, the entire reason that it s unlawful for the government to stop stories from being printed is because that would punish those who criticize those in power.Why? Because the Founding Father knew that governments (like the British monarchy) will always crack down on those who point out that the emperor has no clothes.But the freedom of the press is under massive attack in America today For example, the powers-that-be argue that only highly-paid corporate media shills who will act as stenographers for the fatcats should have the constitutional protections guaranteeing freedom of the press.A Harvard law school professor argues that the First Amendment is outdated and should be abandoned.When financially-savvy bloggers challenged the Federal Reserve s policy, a Fed official called all bloggers stupid and unqualified to comment.And the government is treating the real investigative reporters like criminals or even terrorists:READ MORE MSM LIES AT: 21st Century Wire MSM Files

Middle-east

November 27, 2016

SARAH HUCKABEE-SANDERS Destroys Room Full Of Fake News Reporters…Encourages Every American To Watch Video Exposing #VeryFakeNews CNN [VIDEO]

White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders was the perfect choice to take on the media today following the release of a bombshell video by Project Veritas showing an undercover reporter capturing CNN s Supervising Producer admitting that most of the news they put out about the Trump-Russia collusion is bullish*t! Early this morning, James O Keefe released the Project Veritas video where reporters went undercover at CNN to investigate the #VeryFakeNews network. O Keefe said their intent in making the video was to determine the motivation behind CNN s Trump-Russia collusion obsession. Since the inauguration, CNN has mentioned Russian story nearly 16,000 times.During her press conference today, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders encouraged the room full of reporters to watch the Project Veritas video that exposes CNN as fake news for ratings. She even took it a step further and noted that while she couldn t confirm the accuracy of the tape, that every American should watch the video. Sanders appeared to be disgusted as she remarked that if the tape is accurate, then it is a disgrace to all of media to all of journalism. And furthermore, If the media can t be trusted to report the news, then that is a danger to all of America. BOOOM Sarah Huckabee Sanders advises ALL to watch Veritas Video where CNN producer admits they realize Trump/Russia is a hoax but dont care! pic.twitter.com/tng5DUmKq3 STOCK MONSTER (@StockMonsterUSA) June 27, 2017Although panicked fake network hosts like MSNBC s Joy Reid were praising reporter Brian Karem for attempting to stand up to Huckabee-Sanders, in reality, he was no match for the sharp-witted Huckabee-Sanders who claimed that media has gone into a dark place. One of the Democrat Party s top cheerleaders Joy Reid is no exception. Here s her tweet:Now following @BrianKarem who was every political reporter today. https://t.co/yJC2IXDKi4 Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) June 27, 2017The video below shows Karem s attempt to defend his fellow journalist s use of unnamed sources and fake news for ratings. Karem argued that Huckabee-Sanders was inflaming the CNN undercover video story, saying: Everybody in this room is only trying to do their job. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders blasted Karem as she shot back: I disagree completely. First of all, I think if anything has been inflamed, it s the dishonesty that often takes place by the news media. And I think it s outrageous for you to accuse me of inflaming a story when I was simply trying to respond to his question. :Here s the exchange between Brian Karem and Sarah Huckabee-Sanders:MUST WATCH: White House reporter @BrianKarem pushing back against Sarah Huckabee Sanders and saying what many people have been thinking. pic.twitter.com/hW49e0tdWY Yashar Ali (@yashar) June 27, 2017

left-news

Jun 27, 2017

PRIVACY ALERT: YOUR VACUUM CLEANER IS SPYING ON YOU…No Consent Required to Share Your Data

A fly on the wall? More like a spy on the floor of your home. It turns out that your dog isn t the only one who should be weary of your Roomba. This popular home cleaning device has been mapping homes using a camera and sensors since 2015 in order to maximize efficiency. However, they plan to sell this data to smart home device manufacturers such as Google, Amazon and Apple, the company said Tuesday.While it may seem like the information being gathered is minimal and harmless, there is a lot to be said for the maps each device is collecting. It knows the floor plan of your home, the basic shape of everything on your floor, what areas require the most maintenance, and how often you require cleaning cycles, along with many other data points.If this doesn t make you suspicious, it probably should. This is all part of the larger mission for major companies to glean every bit of data about you that they can. Now, they want to know all about your living space. iRobot CEO Colin Angle stated that user data won t be sold without permission and he thinks most people will want to take advantage of the greater functionality.In actuality, their terms of agreement allow the company enough freedom to share your data internally, with subsidiaries, third party vendors, and the government upon request. A section within their terms of agreement specifically states that they may share your personal information with other parties in connection with any company transaction, such as a merger, sale of all or a portion of company assets or shares In summary, they do not need your consent if iRobot wanted to sell its user data in bulk. Unless you want the details about your home and family in the hands of third parties without your knowledge, think twice next time you are shopping for a new cleaning device.Read more: New York Post, Gizmodo

Government News

Jul 26, 2017

ILLEGAL ALIEN Who Helps Illegals Stay In U.S. ARRESTED For Drunk Driving…Why The Left May Not Be Able To Stop Her Deportation [VIDEO]

The Office of Immigration Statistics reported that of the 188,382 deportations of illegal aliens in 2011, 23 percent had committed criminal traffic offenses (primarily driving under the influence). Congressman Steve King (R-IA) estimates that illegal alien drunk drivers kill 13 Americans every day that s a death toll of 4,745 per year.Trump has taken a hard-line on illegal alien drunk drivers in America. He is the only politician who is addressing this serious problem. He can be seen here embracing parents and families who have been torn apart by the death of a loved one at the hands of an illegal alien:This is the story of a prominent illegal alien activist and drunk driver the Left is embracing and working so hard to keep in America: On May 28, the community organizer for Casa, a national immigrants rights organization based in Maryland, was stopped by police and arrested for a DUI after having had two margaritas at a restaurant. Her blood alcohol was twice the legal limit for driving.Her arrest sent a shockwave through the activist community, with petitions from organizations such as Change.org being filed to stop her deportation.The last thing anyone in the immigrant activist community would have expected was that Wendy Uruchi Contreras would be arrested and potentially deported.Uruchi s attorney, Enid Gonzalez, told Fox News Latino her team filed for a stay of removal with the Department of Homeland Security on Friday. Her case is very unusual, Gonzalez said. Since she came to the U.S. on a visa waiver which allows visitors from 38 countries to stay for up to 90 days without a visa she automatically waived any possible effort to block removal from the country. Gonzalez added, Had she come in undocumented, she d have a strong defense for cancellation for removal, because of her children. She d meet those requirements. The decision on her stay of removal could take a day or six weeks. If immigration authorities recommend granting it, she ll likely have a year to remain in the U.S., and Gonzalez says immigration officials keep very close tabs on people in those circumstances.Uruchi didn t start her career as an activist very long ago. According to the Washington Post, she met some employees from Casa a few years ago at an event at the Salvadoran Embassy, and she began going to events, then organizing them. In 2014, she was hired full-time as a Virginia community organizer.Uruchi spent the last two years helping undocumented immigrants fight their deportations, without ever revealing her own status. Via: Latino Fox News

left-news

Oct 3, 2016

Obama Tells Dems: This Is As Important As Hillary Vs Bernie, And You’re Blowing It!

Speaking to Democrats at a fundraiser at actor Tobey Maguire s house in California, President Obama issued a warning to his party that in addition to their focus on the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, they desperately need to think about moving Congress out of Republican hands and back towards the Democrats.President Obama collected more than $1 million for his party s House and Senate candidates from Hollywood s Democratic elite Thursday and Friday, and left his deep-pocketed backers with what he termed a professorial lecture on the importance of recapturing Congress.Obama also told supporters that he would not be making an endorsement yet in the presidential contest (incumbent presidents usually wait until the party has chosen a successor in order to make a formal announcement). And he joked that he and his staff were too tired to run for a third term, even if he could.At another fundraiser, Obama pointed out that getting Democrats back in charge of Congress is very important.On Thursday night, Obama attended a large gathering at the Bel Air mansion of Disney Chairman Alan Horn and his environmentalist wife, Cindy. There, the president stressed the importance of recognizing the enormous power of Congress and the difference between a Nancy Pelosi being Speaker of the House and a Paul Ryan being Speaker of the House. The President also highlighted the GOP blockade of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, even though Garland has received praise from across the political spectrum. And he pointed out that the blockade would be eroded with more Democratic votes in the Senate since, What we ve seen out of the Republicans in the Senate is not simply a refusal to confirm him thus far, but a refusal to meet with him or to have a hearing, or to have a vote. Obama went on to point out that crazed statements from Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have also helped to expose some of the extremism that happens every day in the House and Senate from Republicans, saying, People act as if these folks are outliers. But they re not. The President said widespread coverage of their speeches and statements could help to motivate voters.Featured image via Flickr

News

April 8, 2016

Trump considering how move of U.S. Embassy in Israel could affect Mideast peace

President Donald Trump is trying to determine how keeping his promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem could affect his hopes of brokering a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians, his secretary of state said on Sunday. Since taking office in January, Trump has shown signs of shelving his campaign pledge to move the embassy from Tel Aviv, while vowing to do what is necessary to clinch a Middle East peace agreement. “The president is being very careful to understand how such a decision would impact a peace process,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He spoke just days before Trump starts a Middle East trip that includes meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Israel regards Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all foreign countries to base their embassies there. The relocation is strongly opposed by many U.S. allies as the Palestinians also claim the city as their capital. Tillerson said Trump’s decision would depend greatly on how it is seen by governments in the region, including “whether Israel views it as being helpful to a peace initiative or perhaps a distraction.” His comments drew a quick response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Israel’s position has been stated many times before to the American administration and the world,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “Moving the American embassy to Jerusalem will not harm the peace process, it will do the opposite. It will advance it by righting a historical wrong and by shattering the Palestinian fantasy that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel.”

politicsNews

May 14, 2017

DARPA Spending $62 Million to Create Military Cyborgs

21st Century Wire says Science fiction is now science fact.Watch a video of this report here: DARPA s program director for the project says the implant is seeking to open the channel between the human brain and modern electronics. A statement from DARPA said it will enable data-transfer bandwidth between the human brain and the digital world, feeding digital auditory or visual information into the brain. The research agency claims the project is not intended for military purposes, yet experts believe it will have many military applications. While it could potentially restore senses to injured veterans, it could also be used to heighten the senses of perfectly healthy soldiers.Moreover, let us not forget that it is the Pentagon, the military s central command, whom controls the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency.Either way, DARPA is seeking to perfect the cyborg an individual with both organic and mechanical body parts.If this device could be used to heighten the awareness of an individual s surroundings, could it also be manipulated to present a misleading perspective on what is happening around the implanted person?Could a soldier be manipulated into believing something was happening due to a certain message being transmitted to the implant, when in actual fact something entirely different was occurring in reality?Such devices present incredibly hard questions for accountability.However, Steven Pinker, a cognitive scientist from Harvard, is sceptical that the device could ever work: We have little to no idea how exactly the brain codes complex information My guess is that it s a waste of taxpayer dollars. Despite these concerns, DARPA is pressing ahead with the project.Do you think we are now a step closer to cyborg super soldiers, or just wasting $62 million?LEARN ALL ABOUT MILITARY SPENDING: 21WIRE Military Industrial Complex Files

US_News

March 9, 2016

U.S.-led coalition says Islamic State Syria convoy split in two

An Islamic State evacuation convoy trying to reach IS territory in east Syria has split in two, with some buses remaining in the open desert after others turned back into government-held areas, a U.S.-led coalition fighting the group said on Sunday. The Syrian government and Lebanon s Hezbollah group offered the convoy of about 300 lightly armed fighters and about 300 family members safe passage a week ago in return for Islamic State surrendering an enclave on the Syria-Lebanon border. However, the coalition has blocked the convoy from entering Islamic State territory in east Syria, near the border with Iraq, by cratering roads and destroying bridges, saying it opposes the evacuation deal as being not a lasting solution . One group remains in the open desert to the north west of Al-Bukamal and the other group has headed west towards Palmyra, the coalition said in an emailed statement. On Saturday Hezbollah said all but six of the buses had safely crossed out of Syrian government territory and were no longer the responsibility of it or the Syrian government. It warned the United States that the buses in the desert included elderly people, pregnant women and casualties, and accused it of stopping humanitarian aid reaching the convoy. The coalition said it had contacted Russia to deliver a message to the Syrian government that it would still not let the convoy pass, and that it had offered suggestions on how to save the civilians in it from suffering. Food and water have been provided to the convoy, it said, without giving further details. The coalition has said it will not target the convoy directly while it contains civilians, but said in its statement it had struck about 85 IS fighters near the convoy. It had also struck about 40 IS vehicles near the convoy including a tank, an artillery system, armed vehicles and transport vehicles seeking to help move the fighters in the convoy into its territory, it said.

worldnews

September 3, 2017

Watch Trump Mock His Moronic Supporters To Their Faces, And They’re Too Stupid To Notice (VIDEO)

If there s one thing Donald Trump knows how to do really well, even better than most, it s sell things. And in this case, that thing isn t real estate or a television show or a book, but rather just himself. With the phrase Make America Great Again, with no further explanation besides loving guns, hating Mexicans, and lowering taxes, he s gotten a rather large following to support him.Being the salesman that he is, he doesn t care who supports him as long as they do. He uses simplistic phrases on purpose, because he knows that most of his supporters likely don t have above a third grade reading level. He plays to the stupid vote, but calls them smart and the most intelligent because, after all, they are voting for him.However, at a recent campaign event in Claremont, New Hampshire, Trump seemed to let it slip that he knows his supporters are an army of loyal idiots. After reciting poll after poll after poll, which seems to be all these events are, self-congratulatory events for himself, he told the crowd that no one is ever leaving him. No matter what he says, or how awful he behaves, he knows he has the support of this moronic base.He said: Did you see? One of the things that came out in the one poll, nobody s ever leaving me. I could be the worst person in the world, they re not leaving. Continuing, he said: If I was up here and did some really inappropriate things, my people stay. I love you people. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love my people! They re the most loyal. And if that wasn t bad enough, he then comes out and says it: I m winning with the smart people, I m winning with the not-so-smart people, too. I m winning with everything. With all of this he got cheers and shouts of I love you! and We love you! from the crowd of unsuspecting nincompoops.Trump knows exactly what he s doing, which is actually what makes his run for the Oval Office so terrifying. He plays to the simplistic and imbecilic minded in the nation, and they lap it up with a spoon. Trump doesn t care that his voters are dumb. I mean, hell, George W. Bush won in 2004 after 9/11 and starting a war based on lies. There is definitely a base of voters in this nation who shouldn t be allowed to operate heavy machinery, including a voting machine. Video/Featured image: YouTube

News

January 6, 2016

(VIDEO) COUNTER TERRORISM EXPERT SLAMS OBAMA ON THE HACKING OF 22 MILLION AMERICANS

It is under the Obama administration that the hacking of 22 million has happened so it is his administration s responsibility to protect American citizens. I agree 100%!

politics

Jul 12, 2015

PREGNANT CHELSEA CLINTON Makes Disturbing Confession About Why She Left Church At 6 Years Old

The apple doesn t fall far from the tree Chelsea Clinton is pregnant with her second child, so in typical progressive feminist fashion, Chelsea has abortion on her mind. In a new interview, Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of pro-abortion presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, says she left the Baptist Church at the age of 6 because it has a strongly pro-life position opposing abortions.Clinton made the comment at a recent fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in an attempt to address evangelicals who question her mother s faith in God. She said she was upset when teachers in a Sunday School class talked about the wrongness of abortion. My mother is very deeply a person of faith, Chelsea said. It is deeply authentic and real for my mother, and it guides so much of her moral compass, but also her life s work. I recognized that there were many expressions of faith that I don t agree with and feel [are] quite antithetical to how I read the Bible, Chelsea said. But I find it really challenging when people who are self-professed liberals kind of look askance at my family s history. Via: Life NewsHmmm .Six years old I wonder if that was about the age when Chelsea referred to the Secret Service as Pigs. As we said earlier the apple doesn t fall far from the tree

left-news

Feb 12, 2016