Trump Demands Congress’ Bill Includes Wall Funds

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would allow the federal government to shut down if Democrats do not fund his border wall and back immigration law changes, betting that maintaining a hard line will work in Republicans’ favor in November congressional elections. “I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!” Trump said on Twitter. Congress must agree on a spending measure to fund the government by a Sept. 30 deadline.

Mike Pence Comments on CNN Reporter

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday defended the White House’s decision to ban CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from an event last week. Pence told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that “maintaining the decorum that is due at the White House I think is an issue that we’ll continue to work forward.” When pressed about the rocky relationship between the White House and the press, Pence said he is “confident that they’ll be able to work out this relationship in a positive way.”

Manafort is First to go on Trial in Russia Probe

Paul Manafort on Tuesday will become the first of President Donald Trump’s former aides to go on trial, accused of bank and tax fraud by federal investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Despite a focus on financial crimes, the trial could yield politically damaging headlines about a man who ran Trump’s campaign for three months and attended a June 2016 meeting with Russians offering damaging information about Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that is now a focal point of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 14-month-old probe. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Manafort’s lavish spending on suits, homes and luxury items did not match the income declared on his tax returns and that he misled lenders when he borrowed tens of millions of dollars against New York real estate.

Trump's Fight Against 'Unpatriotic' Media Intensifies

President Trump's relationship with the press hit a new low after the president unleashed a multi-tweet frenzy Sunday accusing the "unpatriotic" mainstream media of endangering American lives by generating negative coverage on the mechanics of the Trump administration. "When the media-driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome -- reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic!" Trump wrote on Twitter. "Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news... accurately." Trump's Sunday tweet storm comes after statements he made Tuesday during a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., about alleged disinformation disseminated by news outlets. "Stick with us. Don't believe the cr*p you see from these people, the fake news," he told the crowd. "What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening."

TSA Collecting Info on Regular Travelers 

The Transportation Security Administration has been conducting surveillance on thousands of unknowingly American fliers through a program dubbed “Quiet Skies.” According to the Boston Globe, the program specifically targets travelers who “are not under investigation by any agency and are not in the Terrorist Screening Data Base.” All American citizens who enter the U.S. are automatically screened for inclusion, the report says. A TSA bulletin from March says the goal of the program is to deter potential terrorist attacks from persons “unknown or partially known terrorists.” Thousands of Americans have been added to the “Quiet Skies” watch list unknowingly, where they can stay for up to 90 days or three encounters. They are never notified they’re on the list. Undercover air marshals reportedly document passengers’ behavior, which includes watching if they reverse or change directions while in transit through the airport, whether they change clothes at the airport or on the plane, and how closely they stand to the boarding areas.

United Airlines Gives Free Flights to Illegal Immigrants

United Airlines revealed the company will provide complimentary flights to families who were separated as they illegally crossed over the United States border. United is partnering with FWD.us, an advocacy group known for defending illegal immigrant rights. In a statement on Facebook, FWD.us welcomed United to the partnership and thanked the airline for joining the ‘Flights For Families’ campaign. The effort is working to reunite parents that have been separated from their children when they were detained illegally hopping the border. United will be donating flights to rejoin the families. This is not the first time the airline has taken political action. United told federal officials in June it wants “no part” in President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy and therefore will not transport illegal immigrant children whose parents are detained.

Sharks are Becoming the Popular New Pet!

For some reason, sharks have become a new must-have accessory for luxury homes. Real-estate developers and high-end buyers—including celebrities like Lil’ Wayne and Tracy Morgan—are installing elaborate aquariums so they can keep the ocean’s most feared predators as pets. They are also finding that keeping predators with multiple rows of knife-sharp teeth is often, well, complicated.  Sharks are expensive to maintain and surprisingly finicky about water conditions. The tank alone can cost from $15,000 up to $1 million, said Brett Raymer, co-founder of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing, based in Las Vegas. The company builds about 20 shark tanks a year in private homes, some of which hold up to 16,000 gallons of water. It is legal to own sharks, which can cost anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, according to Mr. Raymer. Some species, like great whites, are protected, and cannot be kept in homes.

A ‘Reel’ Drag 

Over the weekend protesters gathered to raise awareness about ecology and animal rights during a popular fishing tournament, the Wrightsville Beach Inshore Challenge In North Carolina. The protest, called Vigil for Fish, was organized by the groups Wilmington Fish Save and North Carolina Farmed Animal Save. “We’re vegan activists, and we want to bring awareness to what fish go through,” said protester Daniel Veber. “Look at it from this fish’s point of view. If you were in your home, you would not want a hook to be hooked in the mouth, you would not want to be pulled up, you wouldn’t have to fight hours for your life to be pulled up. it’s scary.” Protesters held signs reading “Fish feel pain,” “Sea life not seafood,” and “Fish want to live” in front of the tournament’s weigh-in.

Tweets You Might Have Missed!

@RealDonaldTrump, July 29: “There is No Collusion! The Robert Mueller Rigged Witch Hunt, headed now by 17 (increased from 13, including an Obama White House lawyer) Angry Democrats, was started by a fraudulent Dossier, paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC. Therefore, the Witch Hunt is an illegal Scam!”

@RealDonaldTrump, July 29: “Is Robert Mueller ever going to release his conflicts of interest with respect to President Trump, including the fact that we had a very nasty & contentious business relationship, I turned him down to head the FBI (one day before appointment as S.C.) & Comey is his close friend..”

@RealDonaldTrump, July 29: “....Also, why is Mueller only appointing Angry Dems, some of whom have worked for Crooked Hillary, others, including himself, have worked for Obama....And why isn’t Mueller looking at all of the criminal activity & real Russian Collusion on the Democrats side-Podesta, Dossier?”

@RudyGiuliani, July 29: “I know what’s in the remaining tapes a lot of them. More disgusting deception about not recording. A lot more support for what should be obvious the President did nothing wrong.”