Giuliani on Comey and Trump’s reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels

In an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" on Wednesday night, Rudy Giuliani told host Sean Hannity that President Donald Trump reimbursed his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, the $130,000 that Cohen paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. 

Giuliani clarified that the money Trump paid to Cohen was for unspecified "expenses," and that the president was unaware that money would be going to Daniels. "That money was not campaign money. It's not campaign money. No campaign finance violation."

Giuliani said Trump repaid Cohen "over several months" by putting him on a "retainer of $35,000 when he was doing no work for the president." Giuliani said the payments continued into 2017, but were completed before the Daniels non-disclosure-agreement story broke. 

Giuliani said he spoke with Trump before his appearance on "Hannity" and that Trump was aware of what Giuliani was going to say on the show. 

Rudy Giuliani appeared on “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning reiterating what he said to Hannity on Wednesday. However, Giuliani added, “The president had been hurt personally, not politically, personally so much, and the first lady by some of the false allegations…I think he was trying to help the family and for that the man [Cohen] is being treated like some kind of villain and I think he was just trying to be a good lawyer and a good man.” 

Giuliani went on to say, “If you’re wealthy, you’re a target. We had a case, a very famous person, this woman was a professional, you could do a movie about her. She was a professional that would hit on rich guys, older ones and then shake them down for a couple million bucks.”

WaPo: Kanye West, Alt-Right Darling

An editor for the Washington Post published an article that referenced Bill as part of the alt-right movement and in support of Kanye West. The article specifically says, “Then there’s the right, alt and otherwise. Most conservatives had less interest in West’s work, and they certainly didn’t like it when he condemned Bush. But now, a lineup of luminaries on the right has assembled to defend West against the liberal hordes. Where Alex Jones once called West “a microcosm of America’s degeneration,” he now praises his “bold moves against the thought police.” Where Bill O’Reilly once described West as a “disease,” the former Fox host on Sunday decried the “attack” against him by “American Stalinists.” 

According to Merriam-Webster, “alt-right” isa right-wing, primarily online political movement or grouping based in the U.S. whose members reject mainstream conservative politics and espouse extremist beliefs and policies typically centered on ideas of white nationalism.Kanye West entered Trump Tower early Dec. 13, accompanied by an entourage. (The Washington Post)

U.S. Checks Reports of Three American Detainees Relocated in North Korea

Three Americans held in a North Korean prison are set to be released, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday.

"We got Kim Jong Un impressed enough to be releasing three prisoners today," Giuliani, a member of President Donald Trump's legal team, said on "Fox & Friends." 

The Agence France-Presse is reporting that the prisoners “are staying in a hotel on the outskirts of Pyongyang,” and while the prisoners are being held separately, they are “going on tours, receiving medical treatment, and eating good food.” 

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Thursday that she didn't have an official statement about the potential release, only saying that “we think that that would be an incredible sign of goodwill, and certainly a great statement for the North Koreans to make ahead of the summit and the discussions.” 

The three Americans, Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk (also known as Tony Kim) have been detained in North Korea for months. 

Kim Dong Chul has been in North Korean custody since before Trump was elected, and the other two detainees were arrested last spring, after Trump's inauguration. 

Kim Sang Duk (Tony Kim) and Kim Hak-song, who were arrested in April and May of 2017 respectively, were both accused of carrying out "hostile acts" against the Kim regime. Both worked at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) which is the only privately-run university in the country and funded largely by evangelical Christians in the United States and China. 

Kim Dong Chul was arrested in 2015 for spying on behalf of South Korea, he told CNN in January 2016. The interview was conducted in the presence of North Korean officials, so CNN could not determine whether Kim's comments were made under duress. Kim Dong Chul is from Fairfax, Virginia, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison and hard labor.

53 Migrants from Caravan Allowed into the U.S. for Asylum

There are currently roughly 100 migrants waiting outside the San Ysidro port of entry after coming to the crossing seeking asylum. The holding facility at the San Ysidro crossing has reportedly been at capacity since the caravan arrived.

53 migrants were being processed for asylum, according to Alex Mensing, an organizer from Pueblo Sin Fronteras. Small groups have slowly been admitted little at a time since Monday night.

Jeff Sessions announced that U.S. attorneys and federal judges will be sent to the southern border to deal with immigration cases.  “We are not going to let this country be overwhelmed. People are not going to caravan or otherwise stampede our border. People should wait their turn.”

Some College Students Want to Get Rid of a Mascot Named Prospector Pete- You’ll Love Their Reason

Students at California State University in Long Beach have begun an argument to get rid of the statue and mascot Prospector Pete. The students are claiming that Prospector Pete needs to go because he represents a time of genocide against indigenous people during the Gold Rush. 

The campus of California State University was built on land once occupied by indigenous people. The university’s student group voted to support retiring the mascot and moving the statue to an off-campus location. 

Some students say the statue of Prospector Pete is an important gathering point. “When people want to have a rally or a protest… it’s always they’re at Prospector Pete, and I think it should stay that way,” said Ruby Desimone. 

Another student stated that Prospector Pete should stay on campus as a teaching tool. “I think if the people know about the history we can move on and learn from it, instead of just acting like it never existed,” said the student. 

Allyson Jacobo expressed that the statue should stay. “It’s just a mascot. It doesn’t have to represent who we are.” She said if people are offended by the Prospector Pete statue and mascot it’s because “they’re giving a statue the power to hurt them.” 

Some students have recommended a change of mascot entirely, one student said, “Maybe we could be the squirrels. There’s a whole bunch of squirrels here.”

Mail Time!

• Hey Bill, I disagree with you that the seven states who are suing the federal government to end DACA because it's unconstitutional lose if the case gets the Supreme Court. Immigration law can only be made by Congress, laws cannot be made by the executive. 

• Regarding the asylum-seeking publicity fiasco going on at the border, the pregnant mother with two young children that was recently allowed to enter, where will she go? The nearest public assistance agency? 

• If there is any show that should be boycotted it's the View, for the sake of the nation that program should be shut down and taken off the air.

Word of the Day:Nefarious