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CNN Smears Bill O'Reilly

2023-09-22T07:00:00Z

Last night, while covering the resignation of Rupert Murdoch, CNN took the opportunity to smear your humble correspondent by including a clip from years ago out of context. Watch above.

Below is the full video of that segment, with full context, showing that what CNN played was not only misleading but deceitful.

TRANSCRIPT: Bill interviews Dr. Graham Allison

2023-02-23T02:34:00Z

[BILL] So Graham Allison is a Professor of Government at Harvard University, the Kennedy School. He was the Dean when I attended Harvard at the Kennedy School. All right. I've known him. Oh, boy, looking at going on 30 years now, and he still talks to me, which is, you know, that's impressive. And in my opinion, as I said, Dr. Allison knows more about the Chinese situation than anyone else in this country. Joins us now from Cambridge, Massachusetts. All right. In my analysis of Russia - and we'll get to China very specifically in a moment. Am I making any mistakes?

[ALLISON] "So let me just, I may discredit you, but I would say the rest of us are very proud. So if that makes people suspicious and that's it."

[BILL] Well, we had, we had some fun up there. I don't know if they've ever seen anything like me at the Kennedy School, but it was not like it is now, that's for sure. And the free flow of debate and ideas. I learned so much when I was there because they had so many foreign students there. They had military students there. It was - and everybody got along - it was really, really a great experience. But in my analysis of Putin and the current USA/Ukraine thing, am I going wrong anywhere? Have I missed anything?

[ALLISON] "I think you're, believe the big picture roughly right. So Putin has made himself this basically unmasked himself is the face of evil in the world today, and he is. Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a grave strategic error. Napoleon had a good line about this for one of his, one of the other leaders of our country made a fatal mistake, he said, worse than the crime, a blunder. So when the big strategic chess player who can just throw any cost way, way, way more than in any active gain of territory that he may accomplish, even if the war ended today. And I would say good, good for coconspirator, and good for the West, especially the Ukrainians, in resisting his effort to basically a race to put them from the map against, and good for the West. And Biden and getting the West to stand up to help support Ukraine and this effort."

[BILL] Right.

[ALLISON] "You're absolutely right about patience, because this is a long, complicated venture in which who can, always has Trump cards to play that we can't avoid. I wanted Biden to look for Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan would say at every game start the proposition. A nuclear war cannot be won, it must, therefore never be fought. That's a fundamental foundation of Putin. And Putin's an institute which is where if he were forced alone to choose between a decisive defeat and escalating the level of destruction. I think there's every reason to think he'll choose the latter."

[BILL] Okay. The only wildcard there is that if Putin is certifiably insane, the rationale of mutual destruction won't even matter. But I don't think he's certifiably insane - and that's one of the reasons I'm going down to have a discussion with Donald Trump, who knows the guy pretty well. Now, let's go over to Xi, who's playing games in Beijing with this Russian thing. Obviously it's what the Chinese do. They're trying to gain power from this conflict in Ukraine. Do you have any insights into what the Chinese really think about this situation?

[ALLISON] "And that's interesting. I certainly have studied Xi as well and watched closely. Textually I published, I first produced for the government. And then after they had a chance to cover that [unintelligible] piece back just before the invasion, in which I offered the chart for Xi, but I imagined the [unintelligible] advantages for China if Russia invades and dissipates. And then the advantages, the biggest, as I said, was that this would completely distract the US from China. What Xi wants first from China is the correct, just breathing space to do his thing. As China continues to get bigger and stronger. So here a situation that has consumed this much of our focus, and attention, and effort, he will do for some considerable period of time, and will leave us with a foreseeable future with a serious danger of a Russian Putin who can attack somebody else. Therefore, having to confront a two front situation, which is exactly what you don't want to do, if you think about the geopolitics of it. To be sure we can deal with one, one major contingency. The idea that one at same time, with both military and diplomacy due to its rivals, divides our attention, divides our energy, and from his point of view, that's positive."

[BILL] Yeah, that's what he is, he wants to exacerbate the situation, strengthen China, and weaken the West. Is there any chance, though, that he would throw in with Putin by helping Putin in the Ukrainian war? It doesn't seem to be beneficial to Beijing because there would be reprisals to that. But I'm not sure that, you know, maybe he sees this grand alliance of Russia, China, totalitarianism. Maybe that he would do that and just stir the whole world up. What do you think?

[ALLISON] "I think he's trying to play a much more careful game, just as you suggested, in which he can both, he can have it both ways. So on the one hand, if you ask what has Xi and China done since the invasion, they've become the buyer of last resort for all the oil and gas and every other resource, which they're happy to do, since they need an infinite amount of resources. So oil and gas that they get at a discount, they're surplussed with it. If you look at trade in general with China, we can't possibly do. Same thing for India, to take it, for example. So from each person thinking about its own advantages is looking at this. On the other hand, they've made very carefully short of the things that the US said that they should not do, and that if they did, they would be seized, in particular, the provision of arms. So that's why the current discussion about obviously the US brass discovered some intelligence, about the prospective supply of arms, that's been discussed in the paper, and whether what Xi plans I think is unclear to me on that. I think they seem to have worked very hard to stay short of a sanctionable law."

[BILL] Okay. I'm glad to hear that because we don't, we don't need that. That's for sure. What is this balloon thing all about? I mean, I don't, I still don't understand why the Chinese would even bother doing this. But they must have a reason.

[ALLISON] "I mean, I think the puzzle, everybody's puzzle, [unintelligible], spies spy. Anybody who is shocked by the fact that China is spying on US, they've either been brain dead or disingenuous. But whatever they might have collected by this balloon would have constituted less than 1% of what they were collecting every day on us."

[BILL] Yeah, I mean, the Chinese.

[ALLISON] "How many weather, here's a question, how many weather balloons do we release every day that goes into space?"

[BILL] Right. But it wasn't, it wasn't a weather balloon. It was a spy balloon. Right. And it made them look bad. It made China look bad. They think that, I don't know what they think, but it made them look bad. I mean, we had to shoot it down, and it's the Chinese again causing trouble and all of that.

[ALLISON] "I don't even think Xi knew about it. I think it's, if you look at, in the case of the Cuban missile crisis, remember from class, when the U.S. flew over Cuba in the most dangerous state of the missile crisis, on what Khrushchev thought might have been a last look at targets. It was just off [unintelligible] stuff around the border. Kennedy had no idea that was done. So, generally, intelligence agencies are doing thousands of things every day that the leaders not necessarily apprised of."

[BILL] Yeah. It was, I think the story was overplayed, but the fact the Biden administration didn't annihilate the thing over the Aleutians in Alaska, that made the story bigger. And then they waited and waited. The State Department last week issued an order for all Americans to get out of Russia. Very unusual. And they said, get out fast. I'm sure that caught your attention. Is there something behind that we don't know?

[ALLISON]

"Again, I don't have any special information about it. I certainly noticed it. And I think it's unusual and I would take it seriously. I think they're recognizing that, I have a piece in The Post today, that basically if you're asking about what the likely future for as far as anybody can see in the relations with Russia, we're into a new Cold War. Very much like the one you and I remember from the Reagan administration, which will become ever more intense with Russia. As long as it's Putin's Russia, he is going to be the evil man that begins posing a serious military threat to our European allies and finding other ways to be unhelpful to us wherever they can."

[BILL] So, no detente with him. The line has been crossed. The Rubicon, as a cliche goes. But anyway, look, after I talk to Trump, I'm going to call you. I'm going to give you some, what he tells me, not public, it'll just be private. I mean, you're doing me a big favor because I know how busy you are by being on the broadcast. But Trump may have something, and I'm going to ask him what I can say publicly and what private. You know, that's how these things go. I mean, if it's off the record, it's off the record. Anyway, dean, we really appreciate your expertise. If you see anything that you think is, you know, the people should know, the folks should know, who are watching, we're a worldwide broadcast now and we reach almost everywhere. So, just let me know. Give me a heads up, and it's very kind of you to help us out today.

[ALLISON] "Happy to do. I'll send you a suggestion, a question for Trump. Thank you."

[BILL] Okay, good. I will take those questions. Thank you.

Bill Replies To JetBlue Controversy

2022-04-20T02:07:00Z

Bill talks to Mediate.com regarding the latest controversy involving JetBlue.

Click here.

Here's what the role of the vice president is during the Electoral College certification votes

2022-02-07T22:49:00Z

Check this out from WUSA9...

Read the article here.

The Madness of Progressive Projection

2019-10-07T19:16:00Z

Strangest among all the many melodramas of the last two weeks were the blaring headlines that President Trump had dared to talk with the Australian Prime Minister—and referenced the role of foreign governments and in particular Australia in U.S. electoral politics in 2016.

Given the hue and cry of Democrats in the last three years, they should have been delighted that the president was peremptorily warning foreign nations to cease to currying favor with presidential candidates and asking them to hand over what information, if any, they had of past “collusion.” In fact, they were outraged and once again returned to “collusion” charges, as if Trump were subverting the 2020 election.

Unfortunately, projection is now an encompassing explanation for almost everything the Left alleges. After all, the Australian government’s own connection with U.S. elections is only on the American political radar because in 2016 its former foreign minister, Alexander Downer, who had steered a large Australian donation to the Clinton Foundation, may have colluded with intelligence agencies to entrap George Papadopoulos, a minor and transient Trump campaign employee, to find dirt on the Trump campaign. Bringing up Australia is like the Left leaving a scented trail to its own past miscreant behavior.

Take the Ukraine...

Impeachment Push against Trump May Only Strengthen Him - Victor Davis Hanson

2019-09-27T17:02:00Z

Contrary to suggestions by some, most Trump supporters are not automatons or blind supporters. What bothers them, and should bother others, about the latest Ukraine hysterias is the familiar monotony of this latest scripted psychodrama.

The whistleblower admits to hearsay (“I was not a direct witness to most of the events described”). His term-paper report is laden with anonymously sourced rumors, e.g., “According to multiple White House officials I spoke with,” “I was told by White House officials,” “Based on my understanding,” “I learned from multiple officials,” “I do not know whether similar measures were taken,” “I do not know whether those officials spoke with or met with . . . ”

Between references to Internet news accounts and “I heard from” and “I learned from” and “I do not know” anonymous officials, there is nothing here to launch an impeachment of any president.

In the complaint are all the now-familiar tell-tale signs of pseudo-exactness, in the form of Mueller-report-like footnotes and page references to liberal media outlets such as Bloomberg, ABC, and the New York Times. There is the accustomed Steele-dossier scare bullet points. We see again Comey-memo-like disputes over classification status with capital letters UNCLASSIFIED stamped as headers and footers and TOP SECRET lined out.

NY Post: 'Bill O'Reilly promises he researched every line in new Trump book'

2019-09-23T17:12:00Z

Supermodest Bill O’Reilly: “I’m the biggest nonfiction author in history — 17 million copies in print.” OK. “No royalties. I’m paid in front.” OK. “My 2018 ‘Killing the SS’ is even in Bulgarian.” OK.

“Tomorrow, Holt’s first print is 700,000 of my new ‘The United States of Trump: How the President Really Sees America.’

“This book I researched myself. I wrote each word myself. Nothing anonymous. All primary sources. Eye witnesses. Every comment confirmed and authorized. People who’d been present or dug out confirmation.

“The president mightn’t like info such as his German grandfather in the flesh business. In the 1880s, for guys off to the Yukon, Grampa ran the Poodle Dog bordello in Seattle’s red-light district. I’ve got an actual letter from there..."

Illegal Immigrant, Previously Deported 10 Times, Only Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

2018-08-31T18:17:00Z

An illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was previously deported from the United States on 10 separate occasions and convicted of more than a dozen serious crimes was sentenced Thursday to only 10 years in prison for his latest offenses. U.S. District Court Senior Judge W. Earl Britt sentenced 54-year-old Jose Alfonso Rodriguez-Garcia to nine years and seven months in prison for illegal re-entry of an aggravated felon, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced Thursday evening. “For years, Jose Alfonso Rodriguez-Garcia disregarded the laws of the United States having been previously deported ten times and racking up conviction after conviction including assault and narcotics offenses," said prosecutor, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., in a statement. "With this 115-month sentence, the American citizens, and in particular those of the Eastern District, are safer today because it has put a stop to Rodriguez-Garcia’s treating our borders as a revolving door.” Rodriguez-Garcia was arrested in North Carolina's Wake County on a charge of second-degree forcible rape in 2017. Once in federal custody, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents learned he had previously been removed from the country 10 times. In addition, Rodriguez-Garcia's record contained a long list of convictions, including felonies.

Florida State Implementing Mandatory Stress Reduction Training

2018-08-31T18:11:00Z

Florida State University is launching a mandatory program to teach incoming students about “resilience” and “coping skills,” but will allow students to opt out if they have "experienced significant trauma." The new Student Resilience Project (SRP) is designed to help “strengthen student emotional and academic coping skills,” according to the “Frequently Asked Questions” on the program website. The “evidence-informed universal public-health style prevention program,” the website explains, is “intended to destigmatize mental health issues and encourage help-seeking” among students dealing with trauma or stress. While it is unclear how the program in funded, the SRP will reportedly cost over $300,000, including a $50,000 budget for “advertising costs,” according to Inside Higher Education. The program was developed by the Institute for Family Violence Studies (IFVS) at the FSU College of Social Work and features “highly engaging animation, videos, and numerous TED-talk style educational audio sessions from faculty and mental health providers.”

President Trump Says AG Jeff Sessions' Job Safe for Now

2018-08-31T17:57:00Z

Attorney General Jeff Sessions' job is safe until the midterm elections, President Donald Trump indicated Thursday. "I just would love to have him do a great job," Trump said in a Thursday interview with Bloomberg. The president declined to say how long he'd keep Sessions, a former Alabama Senator and early Trump supporter, after the key November elections, however. Sessions has been a frequent target of Trump's ire after the AG recused himself from the Russia investigation. During the Bloomberg interview, Trump called the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller "illegal." The president added he'd "love to have (Sessions) look at the other side," referring to his calls for the Justice Department to investigate 2016 presidential challenger Hillary Clinton and Russian interference in the elections. "I do question what is Jeff doing," Trump said.

CNN: 'Make No Mistake' Trump, 'CNN Does Not Lie'

2018-08-30T19:34:00Z

CNN sprang to the defense of Carl Bernstein Wednesday after President Trump savaged him on Twitter, escalating a row over the veteran journalist's role in a disputed report alleging the president had prior knowledge of the controversial Trump Tower meeting. "Make no mistake, Mr. President, CNN does not lie. We report the news. And we report when people in power tell lies," communications staff for the cable news network tweeted. "CNN stands by our reporting and our reporters. There may be many fools in this story but @carlbernstein is not one of them." CNN's sharp rebuke follows Trump earlier lambasting of Bernstein for being “sloppy” and thinking like a “degenerate fool.” Bernstein helped uncover the Watergate scandal, which precipitated the resignation of former President Richard Nixon. "CNN is being torn apart from within based on their being caught in a major lie and refusing to admit the mistake," the president wrote online. "Sloppy @carlbernstein, a man who lives in the past and thinks like a degenerate fool, making up story after story, is being laughed at all over the country! Fake News."

White House Counsel McGahn Leaving

2018-08-30T19:29:00Z

White House Counsel Don McGahn, a consequential insider in President Donald Trump’s legal storms and successes and a key figure in the administration’s handling of the Russia investigation, will be leaving in the fall, the president announced Wednesday. Unlike some less-amiable separations, however, Trump praised McGahn as “a really good guy” who has done “an excellent job.” The departure of Trump’s top lawyer, which has been expected, will create a vacancy in one of the most critical and yet least visible positions within the West Wing. Besides dealing with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, McGahn has had important input on a range of issues from policy to personnel to national security. He will remain at the White House until after the expected Senate confirmation vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Trump said in a tweet. McGahn, a top election lawyer who served as general counsel on Trump’s campaign, has played a pivotal role in the president’s remaking of the federal judiciary with young, conservative judges. He also helped guide Trump’s selection of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and the president’s nomination of Kavanaugh and helped oversee a dramatic rollback of Obama era regulations. But McGahn’s time has also been marked by tumult as he has been the main point of contact inside the White House for Mueller’s investigation. He has met with investigators on at least three occasions for many hours at a time and threatened to resign last year if Trump continued to press for Mueller’s removal.

Cuomo, Nixon Argue Over Who is Bigger Trump Critic at NY Gubernatorial Debate

2018-08-30T19:25:00Z

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and challenger Cynthia Nixon argued over who was the stauncher opponent of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday in their only debate as they battle for the state’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination next month. Cuomo, who is seeking a third term as governor, promised he would not run for the U.S. presidency in 2020, despite expectations to the contrary. Cuomo described Trump, a Republican, as “the largest threat” faced by New Yorkers, a greater danger than climate change, extreme weather or terrorism. He pointedly criticized Trump for his anti-immigration rhetoric and desire to limit access to abortion. “Nobody has stood up to Donald Trump like I have,” he said at the debate at Hofstra University on Long Island. Nixon scoffed at Cuomo’s depiction of himself as a fierce opponent of the president, who like the two candidates is a New York City native. “You stood up to him about as well as he stands up to Putin,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We need to oppose Donald Trump not just with rhetoric but with policy.”

U.S. Consumer Confidence Rises to 18-Year High

2018-08-29T17:07:00Z

Americans’ consumer confidence rose in August to the highest level in nearly 18 years as their assessment of current conditions improved further and their expectations about the future rebounded. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 133.4 in August, up from a reading 127.9 in July. It was the highest reading since confidence stood at 135.8 in October 2000. Consumers’ confidence in their ability to get a job and the overall economy are seen as important indicators of how freely they will spend, especially on big-ticket items such as cars, in coming months. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of economic activity. The overall economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, grew at a 4.1 percent rate in the April-June quarter, the best performance since 2014. That estimate will be revised Wednesday. Many economists believe growth has slowed a bit in the current quarter to around 3 percent but will remain far ahead of the weak 2.2 percent GDP growth rate in the first quarter.

Slight Majority of Millennials Say They Will Vote in 2018 Midterm Elections

2018-08-29T17:00:00Z

Slightly more than half of millennials say they will most likely vote in the 2018 midterm elections in November, according to a poll conducted July 28 through Aug. 13. While 55 percent of millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, say they definitely or probably will vote in the midterm elections, 25 percent are unsure, and 19 percent say they definitely or probably will not vote, according to an NBC News poll released Wednesday. Of those millennials surveyed, 59 percent say they hope the midterm elections will lead to the Democrats taking control of Congress, and only 17 percent approve of Trump’s job as president. The majority of the generation, 57 percent, disapprove of the way Congress is operating. However, the results of the poll show that millennials do not have a strong tendency to get involved in politics. Only 14 percent say they have written or called their representative in the past year.

Canada, U.S. Set for Second Day of NAFTA Talks Amid Growing Optimism

2018-08-29T16:54:00Z

Canada and United States are set to tackle their contentious issues in bilateral talks on Wednesday, as the two nations work to salvage the North American Free Trade Agreement amid signs Ottawa was open to taking a more conciliatory approach. After more than a year of talks, Mexico and the United States announced a bilateral deal on Monday, setting the stage for Canada to rejoin negotiations to modernize 24-year-old NAFTA which accounts for over $1 trillion in annual trade between the three nations. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday that Mexico’s concessions on auto rules of origin and labor rights was a crucial breakthrough, clearing the way for Ottawa to resume talks with the United States this week. Freeland dodged questions on what points Canada would be willing to concede on, noting that Ottawa’s key issues are well known. “We will, as we have done throughout this negotiation, stand up for the Canadian national interest and for Canadian values while looking for areas where we can find a compromise that everyone can live with,” she said.

Demoted DOJ Official to Testify on Anti-Trump Dossier

2018-08-28T19:20:00Z

Justice Department official Bruce Ohr is set to testify Tuesday during a closed-door session of the House Oversight Committee, where he will face a grilling about his involvement with ex-British spy Christopher Steele, the author of the salacious Trump dossier. Republicans will likely allege that Ohr played a pivotal role in selling the unverified dossier, created by Fusion GPS, where his wife Nellie Ohr worked and paid for by Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee. California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa told Fox News on Monday that Ohr’s testimony could be a “strong opportunity” to reveal information about his conversations with Steele. He added that Ohr should be suspended at least until the end of the investigation.

Poll Shows that People Believe Michael Cohen, but Don't Want Trump Impeached

2018-08-28T19:12:00Z

Almost two-thirds of people polled believe President Trump’s longtime lawyer Michael Cohen, who says his former client ordered him to make illegal payments to two women claiming they had affairs with Trump, but less than half think Congress should begin the process of impeaching the president, according to a new poll. A poll released Tuesday by Axios/Survey Monkey found 64 percent believe Cohen, but only 44 percent think Congress should start impeachment proceedings. The poll — taken after Cohen pleaded guilty last week to charges of campaign finance violations related to his work for Trump, tax fraud and false statements to a bank — also found that white suburban women, “Never Hillary” independents and rural voters strongly oppose impeachment. Millennials and black women strongly support it.

AP-NORC Poll: Few Democrats Favor Liberal Cry to Abolish ICE

2018-08-27T19:23:00Z

The rallying cry from some liberals to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement isn’t a likely winner this election year, as a new poll finds only a quarter of Democrats support eliminating the agency that carried out the Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their parents. But even as they don’t want to fully dismantle ICE, 57 percent of Democrats view the agency negatively, including nearly three-fourths of those who describe themselves as liberal, according to a poll released Monday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The findings demonstrate tension among Democrats about how to address the crisis at the border that intensified in June when the Trump administration instituted a family separation policy to deter illegal immigration.

Study: Marijuana Use Can Affect Newborns

2018-08-27T19:13:00Z

In a new report, the American Academy of Pediatrics says pot should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Marijuana’s main mind-altering ingredient was detected in nursing mothers’ breast milk in a study that comes amid evidence that more U.S. women are using pot during pregnancy and afterward. Experts say the ingredient, THC, has chemical properties that could allow it to disrupt brain development and potentially cause harm, although solid evidence of that is lacking. The new study involved 50 nursing mothers who were using pot and provided breast milk samples to researchers at the University of California, San Diego. Lab testing found small amounts of THC, the psychoactive chemical that causes marijuana’s “high,” in 34 of 54 samples up to six days after they were provided. Another form of THC and cannabidiol, a pot chemical touted by some as a health aid, were detected in five samples. The study authors said, “it is reasonable to speculate” that exposing infants to THC or cannabidiol “could influence normal brain development,” depending on dose and timing.

MSNBC Contributor: Teachers Might Shoot Minority Students if They're Allowed to Carry Guns

2018-08-24T18:56:00Z

MSNBC contributor Yamiche Alcindor said Thursday that allowing school teachers to be armed could lead to teachers shooting innocent minority students. Alcindor joined an MSNC panel where she discussed a policy the Education Department is considering, one that would–according to a New York Times report, allow states to use federal funding on guns or gun safety programs. Alcindor said advocacy groups oppose the idea of teachers being armed not just because they don’t support guns in general but because it could harm students. "Advocates are very worried about the racial impacts this will have," she said. "If you start arming teachers, there are black and brown students being—who are being disciplined more than their white counterparts, you could then start seeing statistics where potentially black students are getting shot or in accidents when their teachers are trying to shoot or do gun safety measures."

Sessions Fires Back at Trump for Saying He 'Never Took Control of the Justice Department'

2018-08-24T18:51:00Z

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday fired back at President Donald Trump following an interview in which the president said Sessions "never took control of the Justice Department." Sessions released a statement hours after Trump, in a "Fox & Friends" interview that aired earlier in the morning, castigated the attorney general. Sessions said the Department of Justice "will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Sessions said in the statement, "I took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in, which is why we have had unprecedented success at effectuating the President's agenda — one that protects the safety and security and rights of the American people, reduces violent crime, enforces our immigration laws, promotes economic growth, and advances religious liberty."

First Lady Joins President Trump in Celebrating First Airman Since Vietnam to Earn Medal of Honor

2018-08-23T17:52:00Z

First lady Melania Trump joined President Donald Trump on Wednesday in celebrating the life and tremendous sacrifice of Air Force Tech Sergeant John Chapman, the first airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. Chapman, who received the medal posthumously, was killed in Afghanistan in 2002 — and recently released video shows that in the last 14 hours of his life, the 36-year-old airman saved the lives of as many as 20 other service members. Joining with Navy SEALs to aid in a rescue mission, Chapman “charged into enemy fire through harrowing conditions” and was instrumental in destroying an enemy bunker. President Trump presented the Medal of Honor to Chapman’s family.

Trump Demands ESPN Air National Anthem During 'Monday Night Football'

2018-08-23T17:48:00Z

President Donald Trump's campaign is demanding ESPN show the national anthem during Monday Night Football games. On Wednesday, an email signed by the president was sent to supporters asking them to sign a petition. "I’m calling on you to join me in denouncing this SPINELESS surrender to the politically correct liberal mob," read the email, signed by Trump. ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro announced last week that the network will not air the anthem during MNF games this season, which has been the standard in the past. There may be exceptions as the season rolls along, but otherwise, the network will not show that portion of the game. CBS Sports will also reportedly not show the anthem portion of pregames. ESPN declined to comment on Trump's demand and petition.

Trump Doesn't Rule Out Pardoning Manafort

2018-08-23T17:35:00Z

President Donald Trump on Wednesday refused to rule out pardoning his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was found guilty this week on eight counts of tax and bank fraud. The president, who sat for an interview Wednesday praised Manafort for going through with a trial rather than taking a plea deal that could potentially have involved him turning against Trump. "One of the reasons I respect Paul Manafort so much is he went through that trial. You know, they make up stories. People make up stories," Trump said. Manafort faces an estimated seven to nine years in prison. Prosecutors have until Aug. 29 to decide what they will do about the 10 mistrial charges. Trump, after arriving in West Virginia for a rally, called the outcome a "sad thing that happened" and said the verdict had nothing to do with him and "nothing to do with Russian collusion."

UNC Students Tear Down Confederate Statue Overnight

2018-08-21T19:24:00Z

Students at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill took down a Confederate statue on campus late Monday. The statue of "Silent Sam" was put in place to remember the "sons of the University who died for their beloved Southland," CNN reported. Students involved in the incident posted pictures and video of the fallen statue. North Carolina's Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted that his office was in touch with police and school officials about the incident, and condemned it. Other videos of the incident showed students gathering around the "Silent Sam" statue Monday afternoon and evening. After the statue fell, students continued attacking it by shoveling dirt onto it and stomping on it.

Kevin Hart Goes After the President During the Video Music Awards

2018-08-21T19:17:00Z

Comedian Kevin Hart insulted President Trump during his opening remarks at the MTV Video Music Awards on Monday night. “Beefs pop off, bad language, people run to the bathroom and send out crazy tweets,” Hart said. “It’s basically like a typical day in the White House,” Hart screamed. He then concluded with, “In your face, Trump! Suck it!” He was on stage with fellow comedian Tiffany Haddish. Hart’s words contradict a statement a spokesperson for him made back in June. “Everyone has something to say about Donald Trump, and that’s the reason Kevin isn’t speaking on him. Kevin honestly feels the Trump bits are overused and knows that people are tired of the political banter from comedians.”

Nazi Labor Camp Guard Caught by ICE, Deported to Germany

2018-08-21T18:56:00Z

The last known Nazi collaborator living in the United States, a 95-year-old former camp guard who played an "indispensable role" in the murders of thousands of Jews, was deported to Germany from his New York City home early Tuesday morning, the White House announced. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents implemented a 2004 deportation order against Jakiw Palij, who immigrated to the United States in 1949 and became a citizen in 1957 after concealing his Nazi background, the statement read. “Through extensive negotiations, President Trump and his team secured Palij’s deportation to Germany and advanced the United States’ collaborative efforts with a key European ally,” the statement read. The State Department later issued a statement saying Germany has re-admitted Palij.

President Trump Claims Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives

2018-08-20T17:22:00Z

In a series of tweets, President Trump claimed conservatives are being censored by social media companies. He also took the opportunity to slam CNN and MSNBC, which he said he watches “with a grain of salt” or “[doesn’t] watch at all.” Trump wrote, “Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others…” Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey claimed Sunday on CNN’s Reliable Sources that the company does not ban people for political viewpoints, even while admitting Twitter has a “left-leaning” bias. Meanwhile, Facebook has issued an apology after it removed content from Prager University’s Facebook page, prompting the organization to claim “we’re being heavily censored.” The posts removed talked about Israel’s right to exist and posited that the Paris Climate Accord doesn’t help the earth.

57 Shot across Chicago in Weekend Gun Violence

2018-08-20T17:17:00Z

Five people were killed, and 52 others wounded in weekend shootings throughout Chicago. Since 5 p.m. Friday, 18 people were shot that evening, 23 were shot Saturday, and 21 were shot Sunday. A single shooting Friday wounded seven people, including a 3-year-old boy in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

Trump Will Celebrate Immigration & Border Heroes

2018-08-20T17:12:00Z

President Donald Trump has planned to honor federal immigration agents in a White House ceremony Monday. According to Politico, the White House will hold an event entitled "Salute to the Heroes of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs [and] Border Protection" in the White House's East Room. "Without the brave heroes of ICE, we would have no enforcement, no borders, no laws, we wouldn't even have a country," Trump said in a video posted to Twitter. Trump's plan to honor ICE agents at the White House comes as both the agency and the Trump administration weather a storm of criticism for Trump's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy.

Trump's Military Parade Has Been Postponed

2018-08-17T20:37:00Z

The Department of Defense says the military parade originally scheduled for Veterans Day will be postponed. "The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I," Defense Department spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement Thursday. "We originally targeted November 10, 2018, for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019." Reports indicated that President Trump’s military parade this fall would cost an estimated $92 million, which is about $80 million more than previous projections. The figure allegedly included $50 million from the Pentagon and $42 million from agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security. An administration official told CNN the $92 million figure for the US military parade, which was first reported by CNBC, was a planning estimate for an event that would meet President Donald Trump's intent. About half that amount would have been for non-military costs like security. Defense Secretary James Mattis said the reports of a $92 million tab for the parade were not accurate while speaking to reporters Thursday while traveling in South America. "I have not seen an estimate of $92 million, the estimates are coming to me. I've given the initial guidance, but I have received no such estimate ... I haven't received an estimate of 10 million or 92 million," Mattis told reporters, according to a pool report.

Sacramento Bee Urges Nancy Pelosi to Abandon Speakership Ambitions

2018-08-16T18:52:00Z

A prominent newspaper in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's, D-Calif., home state of California demanded she publicly declares she will not seek to become House speaker should Democrats sweep to power in November's midterm elections. "The Republican Party is now clearly the party of Donald Trump," the Sacramento Bee's editorial board wrote Wednesday. "The Democratic Party cannot be seen as the party of Nancy Pelosi and win in November." The editorial continued, "To retake control of the House, Democrats need to gain at least 23 seats in November. That’s no easy task. And it’s even more difficult now that Pelosi’s future has become a distracting campaign issue for Democrats in key swing districts, where they need moderate and even Republican votes to win."

Bleak New Estimates in Drug Epidemic: A Record 72,000 Overdose Deaths in 2017

2018-08-16T18:44:00Z

Drug overdoses killed about 72,000 Americans last year, a record number that reflects a rise of around 10 percent, according to new preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control. The death toll is higher than the peak yearly death totals from H.I.V., car crashes or gun deaths. Analysts pointed to two major reasons for the increase: A growing number of Americans are using opioids, and drugs are becoming more deadly. It is the second factor that most likely explains the bulk of the increased number of overdoses last year.

John Brennan: Trump Colluded with Russia

2018-08-16T18:40:00Z

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who had his security clearance revoked by President Trump on Wednesday, said there is no doubt Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. “Mr. Trump’s claims of no collusion are, in a word, hogwash,” Brennan wrote in an opinion piece published Thursday for the New York Times. “The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of ‘Trump Incorporated’ attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets,” the piece continued.

US, Mexico to Announce New Plans on Cartels

2018-08-15T16:45:00Z

Top U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials will unveil new plans to combat Mexican drug cartels Wednesday in Chicago alongside members of the Mexican government and federal police, DEA officials told The Associated Press. The announcement at a joint news conference will be a public display of bilateral cooperation amid ongoing tensions over President Donald Trump’s trade and immigration policies, including over his vow to build a wall along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border. The new plans include putting greater emphasis on attacking cartels’ financial infrastructure. Plans also call for a new enforcement group based in Chicago that will concentrate on international investigations of cartels.

Omarosa Says She Won't Be Silenced

2018-08-15T16:41:00Z

Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman declared that she “will not be silenced” by President Donald Trump, remaining defiant as her public feud with her former boss appeared to shift to a possible legal battle. In an interview on Tuesday Manigault Newman, who is promoting her new book about her time in Trump’s orbit, said she believes the president’s campaign is trying to keep her from telling her story. She commented just hours after Trump’s campaign announced it was filing an arbitration action against her, alleging violations of a secrecy agreement she signed. “I will not be intimidated,” she told the AP. “I’m not going to be bullied by Donald Trump.”

Ohio State course reprimands white heterosexual masculinity

2018-01-17T21:27:00Z

A class taught this spring at Ohio State University will review a parade of reasons why white heterosexual masculinity is allegedly problematic, tackling the topic from the constructs of racial issues, bullying, pop culture, societal expectations and much more, according to its syllabus.

The course, “Be a Man! Masculinities, Race and Nation,” includes a variety of readings to that end, including its required textbook “Dude, You’re a Fag!” by C.J. Pascoe, which analyzes masculinity as not only a gendered process, but sexual one, its Amazon description states.

Other assigned reading excerpts include: “Masculinity as Homophobia” by Michael Kimmel; “Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity” by Jackson Katz; “Dude Sex: Dudes Who Have Sex with Dudes” by Jane Ward; “Looking for My Penis” by Richard Fung; “Sodomy in the New World” by Jonathan Goldberg; and “Teaching Men’s Anal Pleasure” by Susan Stiritz.

New California Declares Independence From Rest Of State

2018-01-17T21:15:00Z

With the reading of their own version of a Declaration of Independence, founders of the state of New California took the first steps to what they hope will eventually lead to statehood.

To be clear, they don’t want to leave the United States, just California.

“Well, it’s been ungovernable for a long time. High taxes, education, you name it, and we’re rated around 48th or 50th from a business climate and standpoint in California,” said founder Robert Paul Preston.

The state of New California would incorporate most of the state’s rural counties, leaving the urban coastal counties to the current state of California.

Fox News held story before election on Trump relationship with adult-film star: report

2018-01-17T21:08:00Z

Fox News did not publish a story the network had on an alleged sexual relationship between President Trump and adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford during the 2016 presidential election, according to a new report.

CNN reports that Fox News reporter Diana Falzone wrote a story a month before voters went to the polls in 2016 on the alleged relationship between Trump and Clifford, whose stage name is “Stormy Daniels."

People familiar with the story told CNN that Falzone had seen emails about a settlement between Trump and Clifford and had a statement from Clifford’s manager affirming that Clifford did engage in a sexual relationship with Trump.

Axios: NSA McMaster Had Secret NKorea Meeting in San Fran

2018-01-17T20:53:00Z

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster traveled to San Francisco over the weekend to meet in secret with officials from South Korea and Japan to discuss the North Korea problem.

Axios reported McMaster met with the officials Saturday and Sunday. The delegation included Japanese national security council director Shotaro Yachi.

The consensus was North Korea's recent efforts to resume friendly communications with its southern neighbor are designed to draw attention from its pursuit of a nuclear arsenal.

Officials from North and South Korea sat down last week on the southern side of the DMZ to discuss the future of the Korean peninsula. Among the items on the agenda were next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

STUDY: Arizona's 'Dreamers' Make Up 8 Percent Of State Prison Population

2018-01-17T20:48:00Z

Younger illegal immigrants in Arizona make up a far larger percentage of the state’s prison inmates than their share of the population would suggest, according to a new analysis.

While illegal immigrants ages 18 to 35 — a group immigration activists call “Dreamers” — are about 2 percent of of the Arizona population, they are almost 8 percent of the prison population. The over-representation by a factor of four shows that younger illegal immigrants in Arizona are far more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens or legal immigrants of a similar age, says John Lott Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Research Center.

2017: The Year the News Media Went to War Against a President

2018-01-17T20:43:00Z

The first year of the Trump administration was as turbulent for the news media as it was for politics, with many journalists dropping any pretense of professionalism to become strident opponents of the President. As a proxy for the larger establishment media, the Media Research Center analyzed every moment of coverage of President Trump last year on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts, usually seen by more than 25 million people each night.

The major findings:

■ The Trump presidency was the biggest story of the year, accounting for one out of every three minutes of evening news airtime — nearly 100 hours in total.

■ The tone of coverage has been incessantly hostile, especially for a new President in his honeymoon year: 90% negative, vs. just 10% positive (These percentages do not include neutral statements).

■ More than two-fifths of evening news coverage of the President (43%) focused on controversies, not policies, with the Russia investigation alone accounting for one-fifth of all Trump coverage (1,234 minutes).

■ Despite their massive coverage of Russia, the networks had almost no airtime for questions about how the investigation began, or whether special counsel Robert Mueller’s current investigation is biased.

Gallup Study: Few Agree on 'Fake News' Definition

2018-01-17T20:37:00Z

The 2017 Gallup / Knight Foundation Survey on Trust, Media, and Democracy reported that few Americans agree on the definition of "fake news."

"The problem is that 'fake news' has become completely politicized and weaponized," said Tim Franklin, a senior associate dean at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, in Politico.

More GOP voters believe that fake news is "news organizations slanting their stories to promote a certain point of view," the study reported.

53 percent of Republicans said that is always fake news, 44 percent said it sometimes is, and 2 percent said it never is.
20 percent of Democrats say that slanted news is always fake news, with 67 percent saying it sometimes is and 10 percent saying it never is.

Homeland Security pursues charges against leaders of sanctuary cities

2018-01-17T20:34:00Z

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed Tuesday that her department has asked federal prosecutors to see if they can lodge criminal charges against sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.

“The Department of Justice is reviewing what avenues may be available,” Ms. Nielsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Her confirmation came after California’s new sanctuary law went into effect Jan. 1, severely restricting cooperation the state or any of its localities could offer.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan says those policies put his officers and local communities at more risk because they have to arrest illegal immigrants out in the community.

White House Doctor Says Trump in 'Excellent' Overall Health

2018-01-17T20:31:00Z

President Donald Trump had a normal score on a cognitive exam and is in excellent health, although he could benefit from a lower-fat diet and more exercise, the White House physician said Tuesday.

"In summary, the president's overall health is excellent," Navy Rear Adm. Dr. Ronny Jackson, Trump's military physician, said during a 50-minute briefing.

"He continues to enjoy the significant long-term cardiac and overall health benefits that come from a lifetime of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol."

'Total free-for-all' as Bannon clashes with Intel members

2018-01-17T20:27:00Z

Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon on Tuesday rocketed to the center of the public controversy surrounding the Trump campaign and Russia.

The onetime Breitbart mogul now faces multiple subpoenas — from Capitol Hill and special counsel Robert Mueller — stemming from investigations of Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election.

The House Intelligence Committee issued a pair of subpoenas, for both documents and testimony, when Bannon declined to answer some questions during an all-day interview on Tuesday, according to multiple sources.

Mueller Subpoenas Steve Bannon in Russia Probe

2018-01-17T18:24:00Z

Steve Bannon, a former top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury as part of a special counsel's probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The Times, which cited a person with direct knowledge of the matter in its report, said it marked the first time Special Counsel Robert Mueller has used such a move against a member of Trump's inner circle.

A spokesman for the special counsel declined to comment on the report.

Bannon, who recently had a public falling out with Trump over comments he made to an author of a controversial book, was meeting on Tuesday with the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee as part of its own Russia investigation.

Antifa group proposes 'Law Enforcement Incineration Day'

2018-01-15T21:56:00Z

An Antifa student group at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has proposed that “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” be rebranded as “Law Enforcement Incineration Day.”

“Instead of #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay how about #LawEnforcementIncinerationDay,” the group Autonomous Student Network (ASN) Austin tweeted on January 9, accompanied by a photo of a policeman engulfed in flames.

"We see the state as integral to all forms of domination. We see police as an extension of this and refuse any negotiation with the cops."

According to Time, the unidentified 41-year-old officer depicted in the photo was patrolling the streets of Paris, France on May 1, 2017—otherwise known as “May Day,” a date associated with violent protests—when he was struck by a Molotov cocktail that inflicted third-degree burns.

Maxine Waters: Trump Is 'The Most Despicable Human Being That Could Possibly Ever Walk The Earth'

2018-01-15T21:05:00Z

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters took her anti-Trump rhetoric to a new level Friday, referring to President Trump as “the most despicable human being that could possibly ever walk the earth.”

Waters was a guest on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes” with guest host Joy Reid when she just couldn’t hold back her angry rhetoric.

She continued, “I have called him what I know him to be for a long time. Remember when I called him a scumbag. I’ve called him a racist, deplorable, despicable, adding to what others are calling him––a moron, ignorant, on and on and on. The United States of America is being represented by the most despicable human being that could possibly ever walk the earth.”

Waters also said, “Not only is he racist, he is an embarrassment for this country.”

The Democratic congresswoman has a long history of unhinged rhetoric about President Trump. In October, a clip surfaced of her joking that she was going to “take Trump out tonight.”

Government to resume processing DACA renewals, citing judge's ruling

2018-01-15T21:00:00Z

The Department of Homeland Security will resume processing renewal applications for young undocumented immigrants seeking protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, the agency said.

The Trump administration announced in September that it would eliminate DACA, which protects people who were illegally brought to the United States as children — so-called Dreamers — from being deported. The administration said at the time it did not have the authority to administer the program and it was up to Congress to make it law.

But on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that the Trump administration's decision to eliminate DACA was based on a shoddy legal argument and called the move "arbitrary" and "capricious."

Ruling in favor of the University of California, Alsup ordered the government to resume DACA renewal applications while challenges to the September order work their way through the courts.

The White House and President Donald Trump initially blasted the decision. But in a statement Saturday, DHS said: "Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017."

Dem lawmaker to boycott Trump's SOTU after 's---hole' comment

2018-01-15T20:52:00Z

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) said she is boycotting President Trump’s State of the Union over his comments calling Haiti, El Salvador and African nations “shithole” countries.

"For the first time since I began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will not be attending the president's State of the Union address," Wilson said in a statement reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

"I have no doubt that instead of delivering a message of inclusivity and an agenda that benefits all Americans, President Trump's address will be full of innuendo, empty promises, and lies.”

Wilson slammed Trump’s first year in office as “disappointing and destructive,” saying he “has demeaned the presidency at every opportunity and cast doubt on our nation's standing as a global leader.”

“The United States' reputation is smoldering in the ashes of his recent racist and incendiary remarks about Haiti and African nations. Many of his proposed domestic policies are harmful to people of color, low-income communities, and the middle class,” she continued.

“It would be an embarrassment to be seen with him at a forum that under any other president would be an honor to attend."

Greyhound bus chased by police after illegal immigrant threatens passengers

2018-01-15T20:46:00Z

An illegal immigrant on a Greyhound bus who allegedly threatened to shoot and kill passengers on Friday — leading police on a chase from Wisconsin to Illinois — was deported five times, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Fox News.

The spokesperson said on Sunday that Margarito Vargas-Rosas, 33, who faces terror charges, was in the U.S. illegally and was "removed" from the U.S. the last five times Border Patrol agents encountered him. He also had a previous DUI arrest to his name.

A judge in Illinois on Sunday ordered the suspect held without bond. Vargas-Rosas faces a fugitive-from-justice charge.

Police responded to a call around 9:40 p.m. Friday from a bus passenger who claimed there was a person threatening to kill people, Fox 6 reported, citing the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.

White House accuses WSJ of misquoting Trump on North Korea

2018-01-15T20:40:00Z

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Saturday accused The Wall Street Journal of misquoting President Trump, taking issue with how the newspaper worded the president's statement regarding North Korea.

“I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” Trump is quoted in the interview. “I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised.”

On Saturday, Sanders pushed back against the report, insisting the president said "I'd probably" instead of "I probably." The alleged error prompted several tweets from Sanders, who said "clear audio evidence" shows the paper's error.

"Fake news is at it again," reads a graphic tweeted by Sanders Saturday evening.

The press secretary later said the newspaper refused a request to change the word.

"We first contacted the WSJ Friday morning and asked for a correction. They repeatedly refused to issue one despite clear audio evidence they'd misquoted POTUS," she said later in response to a question from a Politico reporter.

Trump: 'I'm the least racist person you will ever interview'

2018-01-15T20:35:00Z

President Trump on Sunday pushed back on claims that he is a racist after facing immense scrutiny for reportedly describing several nations as "shithole countries" during a meeting with lawmakers last week.

“No. I’m not a racist. I’m the least racist person you will ever interview,” Trump told reporters while entering Trump International Golf Course, according to a White House pool report.

The president also reportedly doubled down on his denial that he said the disparaging remark during the Oval Office meeting.

"Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments? They were not made," Trump said.

Bannon, Lewandowski to Have Russia Moment Behind Closed Doors

2018-01-15T20:31:00Z

Stephen Bannon and Corey Lewandowski are scheduled to testify in the coming week as the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation of possible Russian interference in the 2016 election reaches a crescendo.

President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist and former campaign manager, respectively, are part of a hectic schedule that Democrats fear is being engineered by Republicans keen to end the probe as soon as possible. Their appearances are voluntary, and they’ll meet with the panel in private, said officials from both parties familiar with the committee’s schedule.

Congressional interviews also were being sought for next week with U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations officials and a former top Department of Justice official. Some of those are expected to occur before the Intelligence committee, while others as part of a separate House probe into FBI handling of the Hillary Clinton email case in 2016.

CBS Poll: Americans High on Economy, Low on Trump Support

2018-01-15T20:24:00Z

Americans are confident in the economy under President Donald Trump despite weak support for him, according to the results of a new poll.

48 percent said the country is doing well economically, compared to 22 percent who said the opposite.
41 percent said they are strongly against Trump, compared to 18 percent who said they are strong Trump supporters.
43 percent said the country is worse off than it was a year ago, with 35 percent saying it is better.
42 percent said Trump has changed Washington, D.C. for the worse. Thirty-two percent said he's changed Washington for the better.
68 percent disagree with Trump's recent insistence that he is a "stable genius."
18 percent said having Trump serve as president makes them feel proud. Forty-four percent said it makes them feel embarrassed.
66 percent said they dislike how Trump handles himself personally.

A Gallup poll last Monday found that Trump's approval rating stood at 37 percent.

Pelosi: Companies Giving Bonuses After Tax Cut 'Pathetic,' 'Insignificant'

2018-01-12T18:49:00Z

Thursday at her weekly press conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the companies announcing wage increases and bonuses in light of the Republican tax bill were “so pathetic.”

Pelosi said, “The number of bonuses that were given, one of the bonuses was already in a union contract, and they added a little more money to that. That same firm just told their employees that they were going to be laying off 1,500 people and if they want to save their jobs, they could all start working 32 hours in those communities.”

She added, “So, in terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic. It’s so pathetic. I would hope that with their big advantage of bringing money home at a very low rate that they would invest in infrastructure and things, but the experience has been that they will do dividends, they’ll do stock buybacks and things like that. I think it’s insignificant.”

Was the sale of the U.S. embassy in London a 'bad deal' done for peanuts?

2018-01-12T18:42:00Z

U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a trip to London scheduled for next month to open a new embassy, blaming Barack Obama for selling off the old one for “peanuts” in a bad deal.

The American flag was this month removed from the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square as part of the move to a location on the South Bank in a $1 billion construction project.

WHAT DID DONALD TRUMP SAY?

“Reason I cancelled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for ‘peanuts,’ only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!”

Trump denies he used vulgarity to describe African countries

2018-01-12T18:33:00Z

In bluntly vulgar language, President Donald Trump questioned Thursday why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from Haiti and "s***hole countries" in Africa rather than places like Norway, as he rejected a bipartisan immigration deal, according to people briefed on the extraordinary Oval Office conversation. Trump on Friday denied using that language.

Trump's contemptuous description of an entire continent startled lawmakers in the meeting and immediately revived charges that the president is racist. The White House did not deny his remark but issued a statement saying Trump supports immigration policies that welcome "those who can contribute to our society."

Yet Trump himself tweeted Friday: "The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used." He went on to criticize the immigration deal, saying: "What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made - a big setback for DACA!"

Retirement crisis: 37% of Gen X say they won't be able to afford to retire

2018-01-11T21:49:00Z

Add Gen Xers to the long list of Americans who fear they won't have a sizable enough nest egg to retire.

Nearly four out of 10 (37%) of Generation X — those born between 1965 and the late 1970s — say they would like to stop working for good and "fully retire" someday, "but will not be able to afford to," a new survey from TD Ameritrade, an online broker based in Omaha, found.

Other gloomy Gen X retirement findings:

43% say "they are behind" in their savings.

Half (49%) are "worried about running out of money" once they leave the workforce.

Nearly two out of 10 (17%) say they "aren't saving or investing for anything."

Only a third expect to be "very secure" in retirement — vs. nearly half of Baby Boomers.

Trump Faces Presidential Fitness Test Amid Raised Concerns

2018-01-11T21:42:00Z

President Donald Trump is getting his first medical checkup since taking office, a head-to-toe exam on Friday as questions swirl about the health and fitness of the oldest person ever elected to the nation's highest office. In advance, the 71-year-old president has pushed back vigorously against suggestions he's mentally unfit, declaring himself "a very stable genius."

Trump raised concern last month when he slurred some words on national TV. When asked about it, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said questions about Trump's health were "frankly, pretty ridiculous" and blamed his slurred speech on a dry throat, "nothing more than that."

More questions have been raised in the weeks since, given the tone of some of his tweets and the reported comments of some of the people who deal with him day to day. Some were recently published in a new book about his first year, which Sanders denounced as "complete fantasy" for its portrayal of Trump as undisciplined, child-like and in over his head.

Trump was 70 when he was inaugurated a year ago to handle the 24/7 demands of being president. Ronald Reagan, who served two terms, was a year younger when he took office in 1981.

Workers Receiving Unemployment Benefits Hits Lowest Number In Nearly 50 Years

2018-01-11T21:28:00Z

The total number of workers who receive unemployment insurance fell to the lowest level in 44 years at the end 2017, the Department of Labor (DOL) reported Thursday.

During the last week of 2017, 1.87 million people received unemployment insurance benefits, the lowest total of recipients since Dec. 1973, the DOL reported. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.3 percent for at the end of January.

The number is a positive sign for the economy.

The total number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the U.S. has continued to decline since President Donald Trump took office. During the last week of April 2017, 1.9 million people received unemployment insurance benefits.

Unemployment benefits are available for up to 26 weeks in most states and pay eligible workers up to $450 per week.

House passes bill to renew NSA internet spying tool

2018-01-11T20:56:00Z

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance program, overcoming objections from privacy advocates and confusion prompted by morning tweets from President Donald Trump that initially questioned the spying tool.

The legislation, which passed 256-164 and split party lines, is the culmination of a yearslong debate in Congress on the proper scope of U.S. intelligence collection - one fueled by the 2013 disclosures of classified surveillance secrets by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives had urged cancellation of the vote after Trump appeared to cast doubt on the merits of the program, but Republicans forged ahead.

Trump initially said on Twitter that the surveillance program, first created in secret after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and later legally authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, had been used against him but later said it was needed.

Poll: Majority don't want Dems to impeach Trump if they retake House

2018-01-11T18:11:00Z

A majority of Americans don't want Democrats to begin the process to impeach President Trump if they retake the House in the 2018 midterm elections, according to a new poll.

A Quinnipiac poll released on Wednesday found that just over half of Americans, 51 percent, say Democrats should not begin impeachment proceedings if they win the House, while 45 percent say the party should move to impeach Trump if they win in November.

The divide was starkest along racial lines: Just 37 percent of white respondents said Congress should begin impeachment proceedings, while 65 percent of African-Americans said they should. Fifty-five percent of Hispanics in the survey also said that they would support impeachment.

The support for Trump's impeachment was slightly higher than in an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released in December. Fifty-four percent of Americans were against impeachment in that survey, with 41 percent supporting it.

Report: Rate Of Imprisonment For Black Adults Falls 29 Percent Over Decade

2018-01-11T18:05:00Z

The rate of imprisonment for black adults fell almost 30 percent over a decade, according to a Wednesday report from the Department of Justice.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics released its statistics on the United States prison population and the rate of imprisonment among different groups, according to a release from the Bureau. Among its findings was that black Americans’ rate of imprisonment declined by 29 percent between 2006 and 2016.

“During the decade between 2006 and 2016, the rate of imprisonment decreased 29 percent for black adults, 15 percent for white adults and 20 percent for Hispanic adults,” the report read.

The Bureau also noted that the prison rate also declined across the board for Hispanics, non-Hispanic white people and non-Hispanic black Americans during the period of 2015-2016.

Poll: Voters still say Obama more responsible for economy than Trump

2018-01-11T18:00:00Z

A new poll finds that more U.S. voters still say former President Barack Obama is responsible for the current state of the U.S. economy than President Trump.

The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday finds that 49 percent of Americans say Obama is more responsible for the current U.S. economy compared to 40 percent who say Trump is responsible.

The number of voters crediting Obama for the state of the economy has grown in the past two months. In Quinnipiac’s Nov. 22 poll, 43 percent of Americans credited Obama, and in a December poll 45 percent of voters credited the former president.

The percentage of those crediting Trump over Obama rose steadily through most of the year, topping 43 percent in December before ticking back down to 40 percent this month.

At least 13 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures across Southern California

2018-01-10T22:33:00Z

At least 13 people were killed Tuesday when a rainstorm sent mud and debris coursing through Montecito neighborhoods and left rescue crews to scramble through clogged roadways and downed trees to search for victims.

The deluge that washed over Santa Barbara County early Tuesday was devastating for a community that was ravaged by the Thomas fire only a few weeks earlier. In just a matter of minutes, pounding rain overwhelmed the south-facing slopes above Montecito and flooded a creek that leads to the ocean, sending mud and massive boulders rolling into residential neighborhoods, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason.

At least 25 other people were injured, authorities said at an afternoon press conference. Crews rescued 50 people by air and dozens more from the ground.

“It’s going to be worse than anyone imagined for our area,” Eliason said in a phone interview Tuesday. “Following our fire, this is the worst-case scenario.”

Joe Arpaio running for Senate in Arizona

2018-01-10T22:29:00Z

Republican Joe Arpaio, a close ally of President Trump and former sheriff known for his provocative approach to combatting illegal immigration, is running for Senate in Arizona.

The 85-year-old Arpaio could shake up the late August Republican primary in a critical open-seat race to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. Trump pardoned Arpaio last summer, sparing the former sheriff jail time after he was convicted of ignoring a federal court order in a racial-profiling case.

The polarizing yet iconic former Maricopa County sheriff, beloved by many conservatives for his hawkish immigration policies, presents an alternative to the unimpressive Kelli Ward and a potential obstacle to Rep. Martha McSally. She is expected to launch within days and is widely viewed as the Republicans’ strongest general election candidate.

Robert De Niro slams Trump as an 'idiot' and a 'fool' in awards gala speech

2018-01-10T22:25:00Z

Robert De Niro reportedly slammed President Trump in a speech Tuesday night, calling Trump a “f---ing idiot” and a “f---ing fool.”

De Niro was speaking at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala. According to The New York Times, he used the occasion to tear into Trump.

“This f---ing idiot is the president,” De Niro said, according to a transcript provided by a Times reporter. “It’s The Emperor’s New Clothes - this guy is a f---ing fool.”

De Niro also blasted Trump for his repeated attacks on the media.

“Our baby-in-chief..., I call him - has put the press under siege, ridiculing it through trying to discredit it through outrageous attacks and lies,” he said, according to the Times.

“And again, just like in 1971, the press is distinguishing itself with brave, exacting journalism,” De Niro continued, referring to the media’s coverage of the Watergate scandal.

NBC Will Show Kneeling If It Happens At Super Bowl

2018-01-10T22:19:00Z

NBC announced Tuesday that they will definitely show players if they take a knee during the national anthem at the Super Bowl next month, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“It’s certainly possible,” Fred Gaudelli, executive producer of the big game, said about the chances of players taking a knee in protest. “It was a pretty big story in our country this fall. We’d show it.”

“When you’re covering a live event, you’re covering what’s happening,” Gaudelli added. “If there are players who chose to kneel, they will be shown live.”

In addition, he defended the drop in attendance at games during the regular season.

“New York had a game in week 17 where it was 4 degrees outside,” Gaudelli explained about the New York Giants matchup against the Washington Redskins on New Year’s Eve. “Why would you go and sit in that when the Giants are 2 and 13?”

Google's New Fact-Check Feature Almost Exclusively Targets Conservative Sites

2018-01-10T22:14:00Z

Google, the most powerful search engine in the world, is now displaying fact checks for conservative publications in its results.

No prominent liberal site receives the same treatment.

And not only is Google’s fact-checking highly partisan — perhaps reflecting the sentiments of its leaders — it is also blatantly wrong, asserting sites made “claims” they demonstrably never made.

When searching for a media outlet that leans right, like The Daily Caller (TheDC), Google gives users details on the sidebar, including what topics the site typically writes about, as well as a section titled “Reviewed Claims.”

Vox, and other left-wing outlets and blogs like Gizmodo, are not given the same fact-check treatment. When searching their names, a “Topics they write about” section appears, but there are no “Reviewed Claims.”

Trump deserves 'big credit' for sparking North Korea talks, South Korea's president says

2018-01-10T22:07:00Z

President Trump deserves “big credit” for kicking off the first talks between Pyongyang and Seoul in more than two years, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday.

North Korea agreed Tuesday to send a delegation to next month’s Winter Olympics, which are set to begin next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The rival nations’ talks are the first sign of a possible thaw in their relationship.

The talks were held for the first time since 2015 and Moon credited Trump for sparking them, according to Reuters.

House Chairman Asks Paul Ryan To Declassify All DOJ And FBI 'Trump Dossier' Docs

2018-01-10T22:03:00Z

Florida GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis asked Speaker of the House Paul Ryan on Tuesday to declassify all of the Department of Justice and FBI’s Trump dossier files, The Caller News Foundation has learned.

DeSantis, the chairman of the House Oversight subcommittee on National Security, formally asked Ryan in a letter to invoke Rule X in order to declassify all documents obtained by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Under House rules, the speaker of the House acts as an ex-officio member of any select committee, which includes the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Under Rule X, the speaker along with a majority vote by the committee can allow for the disclosure of “any information in its possession after a determination by the select committee that the public interest would be served by such disclosure.”

After five months of defying Congress, the Department of Justice and FBI agreed on Jan. 3 to provide the Intelligence Committee with all of its documents on the Trump dossier, an unverified document based on unnamed Russian sources about President Donald Trump. The documents are classified and barred from public review.

'Somebody Has Already Been Killed' Over The Dossier, Fusion GPS Lawyer Claimed

2018-01-10T21:59:00Z

The publication of the infamous dossier resulted in the death of at least one person, a lawyer for opposition research firm Fusion GPS told a Senate committee last year.

The comment, from Fusion GPS lawyer Joshua Levy, was made during an Aug. 22 Senate Judiciary Committee interview with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson.

A transcript of that interview that was released by committee Democrats on Tuesday shows that Levy instructed Simpson to avoid discussing sources for the dossier because an unidentified person had already been killed over the salacious document.

“It’s a voluntary interview, and in addition to that he wants to be very careful to protect his sources. Somebody’s already been killed as a result of the publication of this dossier and no harm should come to anybody related to this honest work,” Levy told Jason Foster, an investigator for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

Poll: Nearly half say Trump will be cleared in Russia probe

2018-01-10T21:46:00Z

Almost half of U.S. voters said they believe it is likely President Trump will be cleared in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian election meddling, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll.

Forty-eight percent of voters included in the poll said it was "very or somewhat likely" the president will be cleared on wrongdoing in the investigation, while 37 percent said "it's not too likely or not at all likely" the president will be exonerated.

The poll comes as Mueller's probe moves closer into Trump's inner circle.

Mueller has interviewed figures close to Trump such as White House communications director Hope Hicks, former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Reports surfaced this week that the president's lawyers have corresponded with FBI investigators about a potential interview between Trump and Mueller.

WH: We're in 'Full Cooperation' With Mueller Probe

2018-01-10T21:42:00Z

The Trump administration will "continue to be in full cooperation" with Robert Mueller's Russia investigation amid reports that the special counsel will interview President Donald Trump within weeks, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.

"The White House is not going to comment on communications with the special counsel out of respect for the special counsel and process," Sanders responded when asked about the reports. "But we'll continue to be in full cooperation with them."

The Washington Post disclosed Monday that Mueller was expected to interview Trump in his probe on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election in the next few weeks.

The Post's report cited "two people familiar with the talks."

Despite the pledge of cooperation, Sanders slammed the probe, in response to a question about Trump's comments last month that the inquiry "makes the country look very bad."

Trump Lawyer Cohen Sues Buzzfeed, Fusion GPS Over Claims in Russia Dossier

2018-01-10T21:38:00Z

President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has filed a pair of lawsuits over an explosive dossier with unverified allegations against the president revealed nearly a year ago.

Cohen tweeted out news of legal action against BuzzFeed News, which published the full document.

“Enough is enough of the #fake #Russian Dossier,” Cohen tweeted.

The legal action names three of BuzzFeed News’ editors and a reporter, Bloomberg reporter Jennifer Jacobs first reported.

ABC News reported that Cohen also filed a defamation suit in federal court against the private investigative firm Fusion GPS.

According to the federal complaint, Fusion GPS, co-founded by former Wall Street Journal reporter Glenn Simpson, “recklessly placed [the dossier] beyond their control and allowed it to fall into the hands of media devoted to breaking news on the hottest subject of the day: the Trump candidacy,” ABC News reported.

In the New York state complaint, which names BuzzFeed’s top editor Ben Smith as well as Ken Bensinger, Miriam Elder and Mark Schoofs, Cohen claims “even though Defendant Buzzfeed expressly acknowledged the unverified (and potentially unverifiable) nature of the Dossier's allegations, Defendant BuzzFeed published the un-redacted Dossier and the Article anyway — without attempting to determine the veracity of these reports with Plaintiff himself,” ABC News reported.

Judge Blocks Trump Move to End DACA Program for Immigrants

2018-01-10T21:34:00Z

A federal judge on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration's decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court.

Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants "were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm" without court action. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial.

DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that the program would be phased out, saying former President Barack Obama had exceeded his authority when he implemented it in 2012.

Feinstein posts testimony of Fusion GPS co-founder

2018-01-10T00:54:00Z

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has posted the entire transcript of closed-door testimony that Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson made to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Fusion GPS last week demanded that the full transcript be released, sparking a fight with Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) over who was standing in the way of the document being released.

The Senate Judiciary Committee interviewed Simpson in August as part of its investigation into Russia's election interference.

Simpson has emerged as a central figure in the probes into Russian election interference after his firm helped assemble a controversial dossier tying President Trump to Russia.

Steve Bannon steps down from Breitbart

2018-01-10T00:31:00Z

Stephen Bannon is stepping down from his role as chairman of Breitbart News.

Breitbart confirmed the former White House chief strategist's departure on Tuesday on their website.

“I’m proud of what the Breitbart team has accomplished in so short a period of time in building out a world-class news platform," Bannon said.

Bannon's departure comes after Bannon found himself at odds with President Trump over quotes Bannon made in the recently published Michael Wolff book "Fire & Fury." In the book, Bannon called the 2016 meeting between Donald Trump, Jr. and a group of Russians "treasonous."

The New York Times reported that Bannon was forced out by billionaire Breitbart investor Rebekah Mercer, who earlier this month cut ties with the former White House chief strategist.

Bannon belatedly apologized for his remarks in the book on Sunday, but the White House rejected his apology.

Trump suggests 2-phase immigration deal for 'Dreamers'

2018-01-09T23:27:00Z

Seeking a bipartisan compromise to avoid a government shutdown, President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that an immigration deal could be reached in two phases — first by addressing young immigrants and border security with what he called a “bill of love,” then by making comprehensive changes that have long eluded Congress.

Trump held a lengthy meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and living here illegally. Trump last year ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shielded more than 700,000 people from deportation and gave then the right to work legally. He gave Congress until March to find a fix.

The president, congressional Republicans and Democrats expressed optimism for a deal just 10 days before a government shutdown deadline. Trump expressed a willingness to be flexible in finding an agreement as Democrats warned that the lives of hundreds of thousands of immigrants hung in the balance.

“I think my positions are going to be what the people in this room come up with,” Trump said during a Cabinet Room meeting with a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers, adding, “I am very much reliant upon the people in this room.” A group of journalists observed the meandering meeting for an extraordinary length of time — about 55 minutes — that involved Trump seeking input from Democrats and Republicans alike in a freewheeling exchange on the contentious issue.

'White Genocide' prof takes role as 'Visiting Scholar' at NYU

2018-01-09T23:00:00Z

Less than two weeks after resigning from Drexel University, the infamous “white genocide” professor has landed a gig as a “visiting scholar” at New York University.

In a New Year’s Day Facebook post, George Ciccariello-Maher announced that he had officially started as a Visiting Scholar at the NYU Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, a social justice-oriented network of 60 universities and cultural centers that “offers an anti-colonial model for engagement between ‘north’ and ‘south’ by promoting multi-sited, multilingual collaborations and acknowledging everyone as a potential producer of art and knowledge.”

"Visiting scholar appointments are made by faculty involved with the Institute, and typically do not entail classroom or other academic duties."

Ciccariello-Maher drew national criticism on Christmas Eve of 2016 for tweeting that “All I Want for Christmas is White Genocide,” and has continued to court controversy in other tweets throughout 2017, culminating with his resignation on December 28.

CIA's Pompeo Says Russia and Others Trying to Undermine US Elections

2018-01-09T22:23:00Z

CIA's Pompeo Says Russia and Others Trying to Undermine US ElectionsThe head of the Central Intelligence Agency said on Sunday that Russia and others are trying to undermine elections in the United States, the next major one being in November when Republicans will try to keep control of Congress.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to try to help President Donald Trump win, in part by hacking and releasing emails embarrassing to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and spreading social media propaganda.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo told CBS that the Russian interference is longstanding, and continues. Asked on "Face the Nation" if Moscow is currently trying to undermine U.S. elections, Pompeo responded: "Yes sir, have been for decades."

"Yes, I continue to be concerned, not only about the Russians, but about others' efforts as well," Pompeo said, without giving details. "We have many foes who want to undermine Western democracy."

Steve Bannon Apologizes to Trump

2018-01-09T22:20:00Z

Embattled ex-White House strategist Stephen Bannon — bowed by the blowback from his slams of President Donald Trump and his eldest son in a new book — expressed “regret” Sunday for the bashing, Axios reported.

In a lengthy statement to the news outlet, Bannon called Donald Trump Jr. “a patriot and a good man,” and declared his own support as “unwavering for the president and his agenda.”

“I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president's historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency,” Bannon said, Axios reported.

“He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around,” Bannon said of the Trump scion.

Bannon said the remarks were really aimed at one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort, “a seasoned campaign professional with experience and knowledge of how the Russians operate.”

“He should have known they are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends,” he said, Axios reported. “To reiterate, those comments were not aimed at Don Jr."

Refugee admissions lowest in recent years thanks to Trump immigration crackdown

2018-01-09T22:13:00Z

The U.S. admitted significantly fewer refugees in the first three months of fiscal year 2018 as the Trump administration implemented tougher vetting procedures and banned refugees from countries generating most of them.

The Wall Street Journal reported that 5,000 refugees were admitted to the country during the months of October, November and December. The figure is far below similar periods in recent years – with 25,671 refugees admitted in the same period during the Obama administration.

If the current rate of admission continues, the number of people given asylum in the U.S. will not reach the 2018 refugee ceiling of 45,000 set up by President Trump last year. The limit is already at its lowest since the program to resettle the refuges was started in 1980.

The downfall of the number of refugees admitted indicate the broader effect of the administration’s crackdown on immigration, including the controversial decision to suspend admission from 11 countries such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, and creating tougher screening process of applicants.

Report: Trump Adds TV, Twitter Time to Schedule

2018-01-09T21:47:00Z

President Donald Trump has been starting his day later, around 11 a.m. now, to meet his demand for more “Executive Time,” which means time to watch TV and get on Twitter, according to a private schedule obtained by Axios.

Trump’s daily schedule starts with three hours of “Executive Time” in his Oval Office, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., but he mostly spends that time in his residence, according to Axios.

His first meeting of the day is an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m., and he has one or two meetings in his Oval Office during the day, but spends most of his time taking phone calls or watching TV. The president heads back to his residence at around 6 p.m., where he makes more phone calls and watches more TV.

Oprah Winfrey Claims Lifetime Golden Globe, Calls for 'a New Day'

2018-01-09T21:43:00Z

Oprah Winfrey became the first black woman to be awarded a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement on Sunday, delivering an impassioned speech in support of those who have exposed sexual misconduct in Hollywood and beyond.

Actress, movie and television producer, and chief executive of her OWN cable channel, Winfrey, 63, was celebrated as a role model for women and a person who has promoted strong female characters.

Her honor came in a year when the awards show, Hollywood's first leading up to the Oscars, was dominated by a scandal that has seen the downfall of dozens of powerful men as women break years of silence.

Winfrey, who along with most of the show's other attendees donned a black gown to show support for victims of sexual misconduct, was the first black woman to receive the annual Cecil B. De Mille award, joining the likes of Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand and Sophia Loren.

Winfrey used her speech to praise women who have shared their stories of sexual harassment and abuse, and to declare that "a new day is on the horizon" for girls and women.

"And when that new day finally dawns it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure they become leaders that take us to the time where nobody has to say 'me too' again," Winfrey said, referencing the social media movement raising awareness about sexual harassment.

Seth Meyers tackles Trump in Golden Globes speech focused on sexual harassment

2018-01-09T21:30:00Z

Seth Meyers on Sunday traded President Trump-related zingers for his opening monologue at the Golden Globes, which focused heavily on the hot-button topic of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry.

Meyers, a first-time host of the 75th annual awards show, greeted the audience with a wisecrack: “Good evening, ladies…and remaining gentlemen.”

“It’s 2018: marijuana is finally allowed, and sexual harassment finally isn’t,” the NBC “Late Night” host said to applause. “It’s gonna be a good year.”

“This was the year of big little lies and get out. And also the television series ‘Big Little Lies’ and the movie ‘Get Out,’” Meyers quipped.

“For the male nominees in the room tonight, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out loud,” Meyers told the crowd.

Trump Moves 'Fake News Awards' to Jan. 17

2018-01-09T21:25:00Z

President Donald Trump has moved the announcement of his "Fake News Awards," to Wednesday, Jan. 17. The president initially said he would be announcing the accolades this Monday, and didn't give a reason for the change.

Trump, a frequent critic of the mainstream press, last week said he would be announcing, "THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR," and that subjects would cover, "Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media."

Trump latest tweet comes amid a firestorm over an explosive new book about the Trump presidency, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House." The book raised questions about Trump's mental fitness, and in former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon said he thought the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer was “treasonous.”

Wolff Touts Book 'Will Finally End...This Presidency'

2018-01-09T21:21:00Z

In an interview with BBC Radio on Saturday, Michael Wolff, the author of the dubiously sourced gossip book targeting President Trump, boasted to host Nick Robinson that “the story” that he told, “will finally end...this presidency” once and for all.

Wolff’s self-glorification was brought on when Robinson questioned the effectiveness of the book and wondered if it would help the Russia investigation in any way since that had a greater chance of getting rid of Trump.

“Now, all of this is fascinating, it’s an insight, it’s gossip some of it, it may not be enough to stop him from being president. Whereas, the allegations about Russia may be,” Robinson prefaced. “Do you believe that anything in the book will actually change the chances of the allegations of collusion with Russia being found to be true and therefore leading to the impeachment of the President?”

Trump Goes After 'CNN Flunky' Jake Tapper After Stephen Miller Interview

2018-01-09T21:17:00Z

President Trump called Jake Tapper a “flunky” on Sunday after the CNN anchor’s heated interview with White House adviser Stephen Miller.

Trump responded on Twitter: “Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!”

Tapper and Miller battled during a live interview on Tapper’s weekly show, “State of the Union,” about allegations made in a new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.”

Miller took jabs at CNN during the tense exchange, leading Tapper to abruptly cut off the interview.

House Committee Receives Fusion GPS's Bank Records

2018-01-09T21:11:00Z

The bank for Fusion GPS gave the House Intelligence Committee dozens of the opposition research firm’s financial records on Friday, a federal judge said.

The exchange puts an end to a dramatic court fight over the Trump dossier firm’s bank records, which the House panel sought through a subpoena issued in October.

Judge Richard Leon on Thursday ruled against Fusion GPS which had asked for a temporary restraining order to prevent its bank, TD Bank, from complying with the committee’s subpoena.

But Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, rejected all of Fusion’s arguments against complying with the subpoena.

At issue were records of 70 financial transactions between some of its clients, two media companies and several journalists and researchers it has paid over the past two years.

Corker on media: I have 'newfound empathy' for Trump

2017-12-22T20:54:00Z

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Thursday he has “newfound empathy” for President Trump after a report he benefited from a provision in the final GOP tax bill went viral.

“I told (Trump) that I’d had a healthy respect for the media and I deal with them all the time, and, you know, to attack the media has not been something I’ve done,” Corker said on Fox News.

“I’ve never ever in my life used the work ‘fake news’ until today. I actually understand what it is the president has been dealing with,” he continued.

Corker was responding to a story first reported by International Business Times and picked up by other outlets that a provision added to the tax bill during the reconciliation process would directly benefit those with real estate holdings, like Corker.

Corker said he was unaware of the provision, and said it was included in the House version of the bill then included in the final version submitted from a conference committee.

The Memo: Impeachment fervor fuels Dem tensions

2017-12-22T20:49:00Z

Tensions between liberal grassroots activists and Democratic leaders over how hard to push for the impeachment of President Trump are intensifying.

Senior Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.), have all suggested that the time is not yet ripe to mount an impeachment effort.

But activists on the left outraged at Trump’s conduct have found an outlet, of a kind, in the campaign run by California billionaire Tom Steyer.

Steyer, a major Democratic fundraiser who has until now focused mostly on environmental causes, is spending around $20 million on TV and digital ads calling for Trump’s impeachment. An online impeachment petition has collected more than 3.6 million signatures, according to Steyer.

It is difficult to see how that effort stands any real chance of success before November 2018, at the earliest.

Nikki Haley's Finest Hour

2017-12-22T20:42:00Z

Aside from the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to replace Justice Scalia on the US Supreme Court, I'm not sure I've ever been any prouder of the Trump administration than I was during Nikki Haley's scathing and righteous speech before the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

Haley's remarks and the subsequent vote, in which the large majority of the UN's "community of nations" purported to declare the United States' decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel (which it is) 'null and void.' Your empty, symbolic votes to single out America for our unwavering support for a country you loathe mean nothing, Haley warned delegates. We've made our decision as a sovereign nation, and there's nothing you can do about it -- but we will remember your actions the next time you come, hat in hand, begging us for more money.

Al Franken Uses Final Senate Speech To List Trump's Lies To The American People

2017-12-22T20:38:00Z

Outgoing Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who resigned from office earlier this month amid sexual misconduct allegations, used his final speech from the Senate floor on Thursday to list President Donald Trump’s many lies. He urged his congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle to “stand up for truth.”

The Democratic senator said Trump did not invent many of the lies he spread ― including false claims about widespread voter fraud, climate change science and the effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act, but the president was now leading the charge.

“As I leave the Senate, I have to admit that it feels like we are losing the war for truth,” he said. “Maybe it’s already lost.”

“So what is to be done?” Franken said. “Who will stand up and fight for a more honest debate — to insist that, even though we have a different set of opinions, we cannot honorably advance our competing agendas unless we use the same set of facts?”

Franken’s last day in office will be Jan. 2. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith is expected to be sworn in as Franken’s successor the following day. The state will then be represented by two women senators.

The Latest: Trump signs $1.5 trillion tax overhaul into law

2017-12-22T20:32:00Z

President Donald Trump has signed into law a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package.

Trump touted the size of the tax cut, declaring to reporters in the Oval Office before he signed it Friday that "the numbers will speak."

The president said he was going to wait to sign it until after Jan. 1 but changed his mind.

The legislation provides generous cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans and smaller ones for the middle class and low-income families.

It is the first major overhaul of the nation's tax laws since 1986, but far from the largest tax cuts in American history as the president claims. Politically, it marks the Republicans' first major legislative accomplishment of Trump's presidency.

Some estimates say the cuts could add to the nation's soaring deficit.

Hillary Clinton Favorable Rating at New Low

2017-12-20T21:45:00Z

Hillary Clinton's image has declined since June and is now the worst Gallup has measured for her to date. Her favorable rating has fallen five percentage points since June to a new low of 36%, while her unfavorable rating has hit a new high of 61%.

Clinton's prior low favorable rating was 38% in late August/early September 2016 during the presidential campaign. She also registered a 38% favorable rating (with a 40% unfavorable rating) in April 1992, when she was much less well-known.

The current results are based on a Dec. 4-11 Gallup poll. Clinton's favorable rating has varied significantly in the 25 years Gallup has measured opinions about her. Her personal best was a 67% favorable rating taken in a December 1998 poll just after the House of Representatives voted to impeach her husband, then President Bill Clinton. She also had favorable ratings in the mid-60s during her time as secretary of state between 2009 and 2013.

Ivanka Trump's surprise visit to Connecticut school angers some parents

2017-12-20T21:33:00Z

A surprise school visit by Ivanka Trump drew ire from some parents of a Connecticut academy, with one who yanked their child from class to protest the first daughter and White House adviser’s father, President Trump.

"This should have been brought to our attention, although I do understand security reasons. I think we should have had the choice to send our child to school or keep them home,” Karey Fitzgerald, a Norwalk Early College Academy parent, told News 12 Connecticut Monday following Ivanka Trump's appearance.

“Only one parent withdrew their student for the school day Monday after hearing of the visit,” Brenda Williams, Norwalk Public Schools Chief Communications Officer told Fox News on Wednesday. “With the exception of those who were directly participating, the visit was kept confidential for security reasons, and parents understood that.”

It's a done deal: Congress wraps up massive tax package

2017-12-20T21:08:00Z

Congressional Republicans delivered an epic overhaul of U.S. tax laws to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, bringing generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans while providing smaller cuts for middle- and low-income families.

In a re-vote due to a last-minute hiccup, the House passed the massive $1.5 trillion tax package that affects everyone’s taxes but is dominated by breaks for business and higher earners. Democrats call the legislation a boon to the rich that leaves middle-class and working Americans behind.

The vote was 224-201 and came hours after the Senate’s early morning passage along party-lines.

It is the first major overhaul of the nation’s tax laws since 1986.

On Twitter and in White House remarks, Trump hailed the outcome, his own efforts and the work of GOP allies, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who had drawn the president’s wrath for the Senate’s inability this past summer to dismantle the health care law.

“Our team will go onto many more VICTORIES!” Trump tweeted.

Universities strive for 'Christmas'-free campuses

2017-12-12T22:54:00Z

As another Christmas quickly approaches, colleges across the country are issuing their annual guidelines on how to make the season as inclusive as possible.

At the University of California, Irvine, for instance, individual departments are encouraged to “focus on celebrating a special occasion, instead of a specific holiday,” suggesting that they have a “year-end celebration” or celebrate “seasonal themes such as fall, winter, or spring.”

The California university also requests that academic departments “ensure that office celebrations are not indirectly celebrating religious holidays,” suggesting that they display “diverse symbols representing a variety of faith traditions along with secular ones.”

Wife of demoted DOJ official worked for firm behind anti-Trump dossier

2017-12-12T22:47:00Z

A senior Justice Department official demoted last week for concealing his meetings with the men behind the anti-Trump “dossier” had even closer ties to Fusion GPS, the firm responsible for the incendiary document, than have been disclosed, Fox News has confirmed: The official’s wife worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 election.

Contacted by Fox News, investigators for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) confirmed that Nellie H. Ohr, wife of the demoted official, Bruce G. Ohr, worked for the opposition research firm last year. The precise nature of Mrs. Ohr’s duties – including whether she worked on the dossier – remains unclear but a review of her published works available online reveals Mrs. Ohr has written extensively on Russia-related subjects. HPSCI staff confirmed to Fox News that she was paid by Fusion GPS through the summer and fall of 2016.

Fusion GPS has attracted scrutiny because Republican lawmakers have spent the better part of this year investigating whether the dossier, which was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, served as the basis for the Justice Department and the FBI to obtain FISA surveillance last year on a Trump campaign adviser named Carter Page.

New York subway blast suspect in Facebook post before detonating bomb

2017-12-12T21:52:00Z

Bangladesh native Akayed Ullah taunted President Trump in a Facebook post minutes before igniting chaos near Times Square by detonating a pipe bomb loaded with metal screws in a crowded transit hub at rush hour, authorities alleged in a federal complaint filed Tuesday.

“On the way to carrying out the December 11 attack, Ullah posted a statement on his Facebook account that stated, “Trump you failed to protect your nation," according to the complaint filed by Special Agent Joseph Cerciello with the Homeland Security Investigations and FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The five-count complaint charges the Brooklyn resident with bombing a public place, use of a weapon of mass destruction, providing support for the Islamic State, destruction of property by fire or explosives and use of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said at a news conference Tuesday that Ullah "came to kill, to maim, to destroy," and expected to die in the explosion. He had no respect for American "virtues," Kim added.

Alec Baldwin Eyes Broadway For Solo Trump Show, With Lorne Michaels' Blessing

2017-12-12T21:45:00Z

If Tina Fey can do it, why not her 30 Rock co-star Alec Baldwin? And if their SNL commander-in-chief can honcho her Broadway show, why not his as well?

Those were the questions raised Monday when Baldwin told Howard Stern he has Broadway in his sights for a solo show based on his Emmy-winning impersonation of President Donald Trump, with Lorne Michaels producing. Michaels is also producing Fey’s musical adaptation of Mean Girls, slated to arrive on Broadway in the spring.

Baldwin was interviewed on Stern’s Sirius XM program to promote You Can’t Spell America Without Me, his new book, co-written with Kurt Andersen. The parody purports to tell the “really tremendous inside story” of the president’s first year in office.

Trump lawyer wants separate special prosecutor to probe DOJ-Fusion conflicts

2017-12-12T21:38:00Z

A top member of President Trump’s outside legal team called Tuesday for the appointment of a separate special prosecutor to look into potential conflicts of interest involving Justice Department and FBI officials.

Jay Sekulow made the call following a Fox News report revealing that the wife of a DOJ official demoted for concealing his meetings with the firm behind the anti-Trump “dossier” herself worked for the same firm, Fusion GPS, during the 2016 election.

Sekulow told Fox News that a special prosecutor should be appointed to look into these issues.

White House: 'U.S. Looks Forward to Participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea'

2017-12-07T22:49:00Z

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that there has been no official decision on whether the United States will participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea but then clarified that the U.S. is looking forward to the Games.

"The U.S. looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea," she tweeted. "The protection of Americans is our top priority and we are engaged with the South Koreans and other partner nations to secure the venues."

Another Mueller investigator's Democratic ties raise new bias questions

2017-12-07T22:42:00Z

Yet another member of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigative team is facing questions over potential bias after it emerged that she used to represent ex-Obama aide Ben Rhodes and the Clinton Foundation.

Jeannie Rhee is a former partner at WilmerHale—the high-profile law firm where Mueller worked prior to taking on the special counsel role. She is one of at least three attorneys who followed Mueller from WilmerHale.

Former South Carolina police officer who shot Walter Scott sentenced to 20 years

2017-12-07T21:57:00Z

The former South Carolina police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, following a traffic stop was sentenced Thursday to 20 years behind bars in a federal case stemming from the fatal encounter.

Michael Slager, who had been an officer with the North Charleston police, was charged with murder in state court and indicted on federal civil rights charges after the shooting in 2015. His murder trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year, and prosecutors had vowed to retry Slager in state court.

Trump Jr. cites attorney-client privilege in not answering panel's questions about discussions with his father

2017-12-07T21:47:00Z

Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday cited attorney-client privilege to avoid telling lawmakers about a conversation he had with his father, President Donald Trump, after news broke this summer that the younger Trump — and top campaign brass — had met with Russia-connected individuals in Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.

Though neither Trump Jr. nor the president is an attorney, Trump Jr. told the House Intelligence Committee that there was a lawyer in the room during the discussion, according to the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California. Schiff said he didn’t think it was a legitimate invocation of attorney-client privilege.

Pelosi: We're not leaving town without DACA

2017-12-07T21:40:00Z

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday intensified the Democrats’ demands that Congress protect “Dreamers” before year’s end.

Speaking to reporters in the Capitol, Pelosi said Democrats will insist on safeguards for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program before the holiday recess, suggesting Republicans will be on their own to prevent a government shutdown if that language is excluded.

FBI director defends his agency against Trump's attacks

2017-12-07T21:18:00Z

Countering strident attacks on his agency from the president who appointed him, FBI Director Chris Wray on Thursday defended the tens of thousands of people who work with him and declared, “There is no finer institution, and no finer people, than the men and women who work there and are its very beating heart.”

Wray provided his first public defense of the nation’s premier law enforcement agency since a weekend of Twitter attacks by President Donald Trump, who called the FBI a biased institution whose reputation is “in Tatters — worst in History!” and urged Wray to “clean house.”

Franken Announces Resignation from Senate Amid Allegations

2017-12-07T21:12:00Z

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken announced Thursday he will resign from Congress in the coming weeks following a wave of sexual misconduct allegations and the collapse of support from his Democratic colleagues, a swift political fall for a once-rising Democratic star.

“I may be resigning my seat, but I am not giving up my voice,” Franken said in the otherwise-hushed Senate chamber. Franken quit just a day after new allegations brought the number of women alleging misconduct by him to at least eight.

Attorney general calls for expedient review of immigration cases

2017-12-06T21:00:00Z

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo on Wednesday calling on the Justice Department’s Executive Office for immigration Review to take steps to expedite its adjudication of immigration cases.

The department also said that from February through November, the office’s number of removal orders were up 30 percent over the same time last year, and the percentage of final decisions on cases was up more than 16 percent compared with last year.

Trump's eldest son faces questions in Congress about Russia

2017-12-06T20:52:00Z

President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., returned to Congress on Wednesday to face questions from lawmakers about alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. election and possible collusion with Moscow by his father’s presidential campaign.

Trump arrived shortly before 10 a.m. EST for what was expected to be several hours of questioning by members of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, one of three main congressional committees investigating the matter.

US report underscores West Coast homeless crisis

2017-12-06T20:46:00Z

The nation’s homeless population increased this year for the first time since 2010, driven by a surge in the number of people living on the streets in Los Angeles and other West Coast cities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its annual Point in Time count Wednesday, a report that showed nearly 554,000 homeless people across the country during local tallies conducted in January. That figure is up nearly 1 percent from 2016.

Democratic senators call for Franken to resign

2017-12-06T20:39:00Z

Democratic senators came out in droves on Wednesday calling for Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) to resign in the wake of multiple charges of groping and improper sexual conduct.

The charge was led by women in the Senate, six of whom came out with successive statements seemingly in coordination calling for Franken to step down.

Russia enraged by 2018 Winter Olympics ban over doping

2017-12-06T20:31:00Z

Prominent Russians expressed anger, despair and resentment on Wednesday after the International Olympic Committee's decision to ban the Russian Federation from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The ban is a historic act of punishment for widespread doping among Russian athletes that Olympic officials believe was supported by the government.

Rate Of Babies Born Addicted To Painkillers Surges More Than 80 Percent In Colorado

2017-12-06T20:22:00Z

Newborn babies are increasingly suffering from the national opioid epidemic in Colorado, spending their first days suffering painful drug withdrawals.

The rate of babies born with an addiction to opioids spiked 83 percent across the state between 2010 and 2015 as abuse rates of prescription painkillers increased among adults. Officials from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment revealed data Monday showing the rate of newborns suffering opioid withdrawals rose from roughly 2 babies out of 1,000 to 3.6 out of 1,000, reports KUNC.

Beyonce Makes Surprise Appearance to Present Colin Kaepernick With Award

2017-12-06T20:16:00Z

On Tuesday night, an entertainer whom Daily Show host Trevor Noah described as one of Colin Kaepernick's biggest fans, presented the former quarterback with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award at the Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of the Year award show. That entertainer? Beyonce.

"Colin took action with no fear of consequence or repercussion only hope to change the world for the better," she said. "To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We’re still waiting for the world to catch up."

TIME Has Named Their Person of the Year 2017 and It Goes to "Silence Breakers"

2017-12-06T20:10:00Z

Today, TIME named their 2017 Person of the Year, only this year there was no singular person chosen. Instead, the magazine chose to honor a "movement that has no formal name. But now they have a voice."

This year's 2017 Person of the Year went to "The Silence Breakers." Women (and some men) who came forward with allegations of sexual assault, harassment, or misconduct and would not be silenced into submission.

Roy Moore's lead over Doug Jones increases in new poll

2017-12-06T20:02:00Z

A new Raycom News Network Senate Election poll conducted by Strategy Research finds Republican Roy Moore increasing his lead over Democrat Doug Jones with a week until the special election.

The exclusive poll of 3,200 likely Alabama voters finds if the election were held today, Moore would receive 50% of the vote to Jones with 43%. Four percent of the respondents remain undecided while three percent indicated plans to Write-In a candidate.

Trump to declare Jerusalem capital of Israel: White House officials

2017-12-06T19:53:00Z

In a momentous shift of United States foreign policy in the Middle East, President Donald Trump is set to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday and initiate the process of relocating the U.S. embassy to the city from Tel Aviv, according to senior administration officials.

A U.S. official and a source close to the White House told ABC News that official recognition of Jerusalem as the capital is expected to be intentionally broad and not meant to preclude the possibility that the Palestinians could claim part of the historic city as a capital of a future Palestinian state.

RNC reinstates support for Moore after Trump endorsement

2017-12-05T21:27:00Z

The Republican National Committee is reinstating its support of Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore after initially cutting ties over allegations of sexual misconduct, two sources confirmed to The Hill Monday.

Breitbart News first reported that the RNC had decided to step back into the race just hours after President Trump fully endorsed the controversial candidate.

"We can confirm our involvement in the Alabama Senate race," an RNC official told The Hill.

Bannon returns as regular host of Breitbart's SiriusXM show

2017-12-05T21:23:00Z

Ousted White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon is returning as a regular host of Breitbart News' daily radio show on SiriusXM, "Breitbart News Daily," according to a statement from SiriusXM.

Bannon will host the daily radio news show for the right-wing outlet on SiriusXM's Patriot channel, which also features other conservative hosts such as Glenn Beck and Mark Levin.

LiAngelo Ball on China shoplifting: 'We left thinking we'll just get away'

2017-12-05T21:14:00Z

LiAngelo Ball has spoken out for the first time on his arrest and detainment in China for shoplifting, and the picture he paints is one of a teenager who got swept up by others’ misdeeds and ended up in over his head in a hurry.

“We all went out one night, went to the malls, went to the Louis Vuitton store,” he told “The Today Show” on Tuesday morning. “People started taking stuff. Me just not thinking and being with them, I started taking stuff too.”

Senate panel freezes ambassadorship nomination for former Flynn deputy KT McFarland

2017-12-05T21:09:00Z

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has halted its consideration of former White House aide K.T. McFarland for ambassador to Singapore due to new concerns about her contacts with Russian officials.

"Her nomination is frozen for awhile until that gets worked out. We'll deal with it in appropriate time," Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who chairs the committee, told reporters on Tuesday.

ABC says Ross will no longer cover stories involving Trump

2017-12-05T21:02:00Z

Suspended ABC News reporter Brian Ross will no longer cover stories involving President Donald Trump following his erroneous report last Friday on former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The network on Tuesday confirmed the order by ABC News President James Goldston, who expressed his anger over the error on an internal phone call that was leaked to CNN.

Ross was suspended for four weeks without pay over the weekend. He had reported incorrectly that Trump, when he was still a candidate for president, had told Flynn to make contact with the Russians.

Walker moving ahead with plan to drug test food stamp users

2017-12-05T20:58:00Z

Gov. Scott Walker moved ahead Monday with his plans to make Wisconsin the first state to drug test able-bodied adults applying for food stamps, a move blocked by the federal government or found to be unconstitutional when other states have tried.

Wisconsin's plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature more than two years ago, but it languished because it conflicts with federal rules prohibiting states from imposing additional eligibility criteria on food stamp recipients.

Mueller's Credibility Problem

2017-12-05T20:50:00Z

Donald Trump is his own worst enemy, as his many ill-advised tweets on the weekend about Michael Flynn, the FBI and Robert Mueller’s Russia probe demonstrate. But that doesn’t mean that Mr. Mueller and the Federal Bureau of Investigation deserve a pass about their motives and methods, as new information raises troubling questions.

The Washington Post and the New York Times reported Saturday that a lead FBI investigator on the Mueller probe, Peter Strzok, was demoted this summer after it was discovered he’d sent anti- Trump texts to a mistress. As troubling, Mr. Mueller and the Justice Department kept this information from House investigators, despite Intelligence Committee subpoenas that would have exposed those texts. They also refused to answer questions about Mr. Strzok’s dismissal and refused to make him available for an interview.

Here's what Rep. John Conyers said during his retirement announcement

2017-12-05T20:40:00Z

Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Detroit, has announced his retirement.

Conyers addressed his constituents this morning on "The Mildred Gaddis Show" in Detroit (102.7 FM) amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations made against him the past few weeks, all of which he continues to deny.

"I am retiring today ... and I want everyone to know how much I appreciate the support incredible, undiminished support I’ve received across the years form my supporters, not only from my district, but across the country as well."

Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump, family info at Deutsche Bank

2017-12-05T16:57:00Z

Robert Mueller is following the money. The Special Counsel’s investigation has moved closer to President Trump and his family by requesting information about their finances from a German bank, according to reports.

Deutsche Bank, the largest German lender and the force behind multiple Trump projects, received a subpoena several weeks ago, the newspaper Handelsblatt first reported Tuesday.

'Out of control' Southern California fire explodes overnight, forcing thousands to flee

2017-12-05T16:40:00Z

An explosive brush fire raced through Southern California with ferocious speed Tuesday, spreading from about 50 acres to an estimated 31,000 acres in a matter of hours, forcing thousands of residents to flee and leaving at least one person dead.

Named the Thomas Fire, it began in a canyon near Santa Paula, about 65 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. By 4 a.m. Pacific time, the fire had advanced into the city limits of Ventura, with a population of more than 100,000, emergency officials said.

Supreme Court Allows Full enforcement of Trump Travel Ban

2017-12-05T01:27:00Z

The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to fully enforce a ban on travel to the United States by residents of six mostly Muslim countries.

The justices, with two dissenting votes, said Monday that the policy can take full effect even as legal challenges against it make their way through the courts. The action suggests the high court could uphold the latest version of the ban that Trump announced in September.

Germany offers money for migrants to go back home

2017-12-04T23:10:00Z

Germany has come up with a novel way to thin the ranks of migrants who have sought asylum but been rejected: paying them to leave.

The country, which has come under fire in some quarters for its acceptance of refugees fleeing war and hardship in various Muslim-majority countries, now wants to give rejected asylum-seekers a one-time payment of $3,570 to go home.

Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi agree to Trump meeting

2017-12-04T23:04:00Z

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said they have accepted an invitation by President Trump to meet with him to discuss the year-end agenda and voiced optimism that "a bipartisan path forward" can be found on key issues that have divided the parties.

Schumer, D-N.Y., and Pelosi, D-Calif., earlier this month backed out of a meeting with Trump after he tweeted his belief that the Democrats are not willing to make a deal on key issues such as taxes and immigration.

Facebook "Messenger Kids" lets under-13s chat with whom parents approve

2017-12-04T22:54:00Z

For the first time, Facebook is opening up to children under age 13 with a privacy-focused app designed to neutralize child predator threats that plague youth-focused competitors like Snapchat. Rolling out today on iOS in the US, “Messenger Kids” lets parents download the app on their child’s phone or tablet, create a profile for them, and approve friends and family who they can text and video chat with from the main Messenger app.

With Aetna Deal, CVS Looks To Turn Stores Into Health Care Hubs

2017-12-04T22:49:00Z

CVS Health is looking to create a national network of community medical clinics that will serve as "America's front door to quality health care."

That's the goal, according to a statement by CEO Larry Merlo on his company's deal for Aetna. It's an ambitious one for CVS, a company better known as a quick stop for Tylenol and a Coke.

To get there, CVS agreed to pay $69 billion in cash and stock for Aetna, the companies said Sunday. The companies said that together they want to offer more health care services in CVS drugstores.

After Steinle verdict, rep unveils bill to imprison officials who shelter illegal immigrants

2017-12-04T21:19:00Z

A Republican congressman plans to introduce a bill Monday that would threaten huge fines and prison time for elected officials accused of sheltering illegal immigrant criminals from deportation, in the wake of the not-guilty verdict in the Kate Steinle murder trial.

Indiana Rep. Todd Rokita’s bill is one of the most aggressive pieces of legislation to date aimed at sanctuary city policies, going beyond the Justice Department’s threat to cut off grants to those jurisdictions.

Empty Seats Greatly Outnumber Spectators As NFL Attendance Crisis Continues

2017-12-04T21:10:00Z

Week 13 doesn’t appear to be the National Football League’s lucky number as photos of stadiums across the league still show an awful lot of empty seats. Meanwhile, the sad in-person attendance mirrors the continually plummeting TV ratings.

With last week’s Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football broadcasts closing out Week 12 with new lows in metered markets, and despite the nearly $90 million in social justice spending for players to end their constant, anti-American protests during the national anthem, Week 13 began with tens of thousands of empty seats in stadiums everywhere.

Trust in media grows under Trump, amid partisan split: survey

2017-12-04T21:00:00Z

Americans' overall trust in the news media has increased since the election of Donald Trump despite a rise in those who believe the president's claims of "fake news," a survey showed Monday.

The survey prepared for the Poynter Institute found a sharp partisan divide on the media, with Republicans and Trump supporters skeptical about news organizations and others more confident.

In the survey, 12 percent said they have a "great deal" of trust and confidence and an additional 37 percent have a "fair amount."

Mexican man convicted of kidnapping and sexually abusing two Oregon women GRINS in court - as it emerges he'd already been deported TWENTY times before

2017-12-04T20:53:00Z

A Mexican man who was deported from the US 20 times has been convicted of 10 counts including sexual assault in Oregon.

On Friday, Sergio Jose Martinez, 31, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in a Portland courtroom after pleading guilty to kidnapping, sexual assault, sodomy and several other counts, KOIN reported.

Martinez smiled throughout the trial, and as he left, he gave one grim parting shot to his two victims' relatives: 'See all you guys in Hell.'

Was Michael Flynn asked to wear a wire in Mueller hunt for evidence on Russia?

2017-12-04T20:46:00Z

The least-noticed sentence in Michael Flynn’s plea agreement with special counsel Robert Mueller may also be the most important one.

Section eight of the deal reached by Donald Trump’s former national security adviser in the inquiry into Russian meddling in the US election is entitled “cooperation”. It specifies that as well as answering questions and submitting to government-administered polygraph tests, Flynn’s cooperation “may include … participating in covert law enforcement activities”.

Colin Kaepernick a finalist for 'TIME' Person of Year

2017-12-04T20:35:00Z

Free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick was announced Monday as one of 10 candidates for TIME's Person of the Year for 2017.

Kaepernick, who last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, joins President Donald Trump, special counsel Robert Mueller and the #MeToo movement, among others, on the short list for recognition. Each year, the magazine strives to identify "the person or group of people who most influenced the news during the past year, for better or for worse."

Undocumented Man Acquitted of Murder for Death of Kate Steinle

2017-12-01T04:55:00Z

An undocumented homeless man was acquitted of murder and other charges Thursday in the high-profile killing of 32-year-old Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier 2 years ago.

A dozen jurors found Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a 45-year-old Mexican national, not guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the killing at Pier 14 on July 1, 2015. The jury also acquitted Garcia Zarate of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, but found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Conway to lead White House opioid effort

2017-11-30T23:05:00Z

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday praised Kellyanne Conway’s efforts to help address the opioid epidemic for the White House.

“She is exceedingly talented, she understands messaging,” Sessions said at an event announcing the Justice Department’s next steps on the opioid crisis.

US Warns North Korean Leadership Will be 'Utterly Destroyed' in Any War

2017-11-30T22:52:00Z

President Trump said Tuesday in South Korea that “good progress” is happening on North Korea and he urged the regime to “come to the table” and “make a deal.”

Trump, speaking at a joint press conference in Seoul alongside South Korea President Moon Jae-in, said it “makes sense” for North Korea to talk with the U.S. and its allies.

Senate GOP votes to begin debate on tax bill

2017-11-30T22:47:00Z

The Senate voted to begin debate on its tax cut bill Wednesday, edging Republicans closer to their first major legislative victory under President Trump as they seek to finish the chamber’s work on the measure by the end of the week.

NBC Receives New Complaints About Matt Lauer

2017-11-30T21:10:00Z

On Wednesday, NBC received at least two more complaints related to Mr. Lauer, according to a person briefed on the network’s handling of the matter. One complaint came from a former employee who said Mr. Lauer had summoned her to his office in 2001, locked the door and sexually assaulted her. She provided her account to The New York Times but declined to let her name be used. She told The Times that she passed out and had to be taken to a nurse. She said that she felt helpless because she didn’t want to lose her job, and that she didn’t report the encounter at the time because she felt ashamed…

Al Franken Returns to D.C.

2017-11-30T20:57:00Z

A humiliated Al Franken returned to Washington, D.C. this week clinging to his political life, The Daily Caller News Foundation went to Capitol Hill to ask him if he considers himself part of the “war on women.” Multiple times. His response? Run away and say, “We’re not taking hallway questions.”

Trump Makes "Pocahontas" Remark, Referring To Sen. Warren, At Navajo Code Talkers Event

2017-11-28T12:59:00Z

President Trump lashed out at a frequent foe of his while hosting an event for Native American code talkers at the White House Monday, honoring war heroes who used their native language to outwit the enemy and protect U.S. battlefield communications during battle in World Wars I and II.

Roy Moore Campaign Staff Push, Shove Fox News Camera Crew At Rally

2017-11-28T12:18:00Z

Campaign staffers for Senate candidate Roy Moore late Monday night got into a scuffle with two Fox News camera crews prior to a rally in the town of Henagar, Ala.

Trump Renews Support For Embattled Senate Candidate

2017-11-27T12:07:00Z

President Donald Trump on Sunday redoubled his support for embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore, ignoring the allegations of sexual harassment plaguing Moore's Alabama campaign and branding his opponent as weak on crime, the military and immigration.

NY Times Expresses Regret for Offending Readers With Nazi Sympathizer Profile

2017-11-27T11:56:00Z

The New York Times on Sunday expressed regret for offending readers by publishing a profile on a Nazi sympathizer, but defended the article as an important insight into the reality of those who hold these extremist views.

George H.W. Bush Becomes Longest-Living President In US History

2017-11-27T11:40:00Z

Former President George H.W. Bush became the longest-living president in U.S. history today at 93 years and 166 days old on Saturday.

Bush, born on June 12, 1924, beat the previous record held by former President Gerald Ford, who died in 2006 at 93 years and 165 days old. Behind him is Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004 at 93 years and 120 days old.

Trump's $1.4 Trillion Tax Cut Is Entering Its Make-or-Break Week

2017-11-27T11:33:00Z

The $1.4 trillion item on President Donald Trump’s wish list -- a package of tax cuts for businesses and individuals that he has said he wants to sign before year’s end -- is headed into the legislative equivalent of a Black Friday scrum next week.

Senate Republican leaders plan a make-or-break floor vote on their bill as soon as Thursday -- a dramatic moment that will come only after a marathon debate that could go all night. Democrats are expected to try to delay or derail the measure, and the GOP must hold together at least 50 votes from its thin, 52-vote majority in order to prevail.

Trump Urges North Korea To 'Make A Deal' Regarding Nuclear Weapons Program

2017-11-08T21:10:00Z

President Trump said Tuesday in South Korea that “good progress” is happening on North Korea and he urged the regime to “come to the table” and “make a deal.”

Trump, speaking at a joint press conference in Seoul alongside South Korea President Moon Jae-in, said it “makes sense” for North Korea to talk with the U.S. and its allies.

GOP Unlikely To Repeal ObamaCare Mandate In Tax Measure

2017-11-07T20:59:00Z

The House is unlikely to repeal the mandate to buy insurance under ObamaCare as part of its tax-reform bill, GOP sources say, though the issue could return down the road.

President Trump and conservative lawmakers are pushing for the individual mandate to be repealed in the bill, but House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) has expressed worry that the controversial measure would jeopardize the broader tax-reform bill, given the Senate’s failure on health care earlier this year.

Air Force Error Allowed Texas Shooter To Pass Firearm Background Check

2017-11-07T20:50:00Z

The U.S. Air Force failed to report Texas church shooter Devin Kelley’s misdemeanor domestic violence charge to the FBI allowing him legally purchase firearms.

The U.S. Armed Forces are required to report dishonorable discharges and misdemeanor assault charges to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, that in turn would alert a firearms seller to deny purchase to any such offender.

Trump's Approval Rating Hits Historic Low, Washington Post-ABC Poll Says

2017-11-06T10:52:00Z

As he approaches the first anniversary of his election victory over Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump's approval ratings have hit historic lows.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 59% disapprove of Trump's handling of the presidency — the worst of any president at nine months in office since modern polling began. Of those who disapprove, 50% say they do so strongly. Only 37% of those polled approve of Trump's performance in office.

Vin Scully Says He'll 'Never Watch Another NFL Game Again' Due To Anthem Protests

2017-11-06T10:38:00Z

Saturday night, former Dodgers announcer and Hall of Famer Vin Scully was at the Pasadena Civic Center for an event called "An Evening With Vin Scully."

Donna Brazile: I Considered Replacing Clinton With Biden As 2016 Democratic Nominee

2017-11-06T10:28:00Z

Former Democratic National Committee head Donna Brazile writes in a new book that she seriously contemplated setting in motion a process to replace Hillary Clinton as the party’s 2016 presidential nominee with then-Vice President Biden in the aftermath of Clinton’s fainting spell, in part because Clinton’s campaign was “anemic” and had taken on “the odor of failure.”

At Least 26 Killed In Mass Shooting At Texas Church

2017-11-06T10:17:00Z

At least 26 people were killed and 20 wounded in Texas after a gunman dressed in tactical gear opened fire at a church outside San Antonio on Sunday, investigators confirmed.

Multiple sources speaking to Fox News identified the gunman as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley. The mass shooting unfolded around 11:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, which is about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

Sean Hannity Gets Inducted Into the National Radio Hall of Fame

2017-11-03T09:02:00Z

Hannity was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame last night for his work on The Sean Hannity Show.

Bowe Bergdahl Gets Dishonorable Discharge, Avoids Prison Time

2017-11-03T08:50:00Z

Bowe Bergdahl received a dishonorable discharge from the US Army, but will avoid prison time for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after abandoning his outpost in Afghanistan in 2009, a military judge ruled Friday.

The judge ordered that Bergdahl's rank be reduced from sergeant to private. Additionally, Bergdahl will be required to pay a $1,000 fine from his salary for the next 10 months.

Here's How Much The Clinton Campaign And DNC Paid For The Trump Dossier

2017-11-02T19:43:00Z

The Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee paid just over $1 million for the infamous Trump dossier, the opposition research firm behind the salacious document said on Wednesday.

Terror Suspect's NJ Mosque Has Been Under NYPD Surveillance: Report

2017-11-02T19:38:00Z

The New Jersey mosque that New York City terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov reportedly attended has been under surveillance by the New York Police Department since 2005, according to a published report.

The Omar Mosque in Paterson, N.J., located near Saipov's home, is among multiple Muslim houses of worship in the New York metro area being studied by the NYPD as possible locations for “budding terrorist conspiracies,” NorthJersey.com reported.

Senators Support Trump Call to End Visa Lottery Program

2017-11-02T19:11:00Z

Members of the Senate have indicated they are open to ending the visa lottery program that the Manhattan terrorist suspect used to enter the country, The Hill reported Wednesday.

New York Attack Suspect Charged With Providing Support To ISIS

2017-11-02T17:14:00Z

An Uzbek immigrant accused of plowing a truck down a New York City bike path, killing eight people, told investigators he had been inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning the attack a year ago, according to a criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday.

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, who was hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer and arrested, confessed to authorities that he made a trial run with a rental truck on Oct. 22 to practice turning the vehicle and "stated that he felt good about what he had done" after the attack, the complaint said.

Papa John's Blames The NFL For Hurting Pizza Sales

2017-11-02T07:47:00Z

Papa John’s International Inc. founder John Schnatter is going after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, saying weak handling of the league’s national-anthem controversy has hammered sales of his pizza.

“The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players’ and owners’ satisfaction,” Schnatter, who serves as the pizza chain’s chairman and chief executive officer, said on a conference call. “NFL leadership has hurt Papa John’s shareholders.”

Republicans Race To Finish Tax Bill As Pressure Mounts

2017-11-02T07:32:00Z

Republicans struggled for a second day to finish their work on a tax-cut plan, with President Trump arguing it should include ending ObamaCare’s mandate and lawmakers debating how to pay for rate cuts.

Trump and House GOP leaders insisted that legislative text would be released on Thursday, though that seemed far from assured. And the difficulties already emerging for Republicans indicated just how challenging it would be to get a tax bill on Trump’s desk.

Trump Hits Schumer Over Immigration Program In Wake Of Terror Attack

2017-11-01T23:24:00Z

President Trump ripped Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in an early morning tweet Wednesday for his role in an immigration program that the man suspected of carrying out Tuesday's terrorist attack in New York City entered the country under.

Sayfullo Saipov, who was shot and is in custody after driving a truck through bicyclists and pedestrians in New York, entered the United States in 2010 from Uzbekistan under a program that gives visas to people from countries with few immigrants to the United States.

New York City Terrorist Attack: Note About ISIS Found In Truck, Sources Say

2017-11-01T23:16:00Z

Police have found a note inside the truck that was used Tuesday to run down people on a bike path in lower Manhattan that indicates the suspect claimed to have carried out the attack for the Islamic State terrorist group, law enforcement sources said.

Manafort, Gates Plead Not Guilty In Grand Jury Indictment

2017-10-31T23:24:00Z

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates pleaded not guilty on Monday after being indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury as part of the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign officials in the 2016 presidential election.

Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty to all charges. A judge set bond at $10 million for Manafort, and $5 million for Gates. Both sides agreed to home detention.

Liberal blogger says not to dress as 'Frozen's' Elsa for Halloween because it promotes 'white beauty'

2017-10-31T22:02:00Z

According to liberal parenting blogger Sachi Feris — author of Raising Race Conscious Children — allowing your child to dress up as Elsa from Disney’s animated movie, “Frozen,” for Halloween is offensive and sends a bad message to young children.

Feris wrote that allowing children to dress up as Queen Elsa — a white, flaxen-haired, blue-eyed Disney princess — incorrectly reinforces a notion that white beauty is supreme.

Sorry, what?

Mueller Files First Charges in Russia Investigation

2017-10-30T23:12:00Z

A federal grand jury in Washington Friday approved the first indictments in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, CNN reported.

The network cited "sources briefed on the matter," noting that the charges remained sealed by a federal judge's order.

FEC Complaint Accuses Clinton Campaign, DNC Of Violating Campaign Finance Law With Dossier Payments

2017-10-26T10:46:00Z

Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee violated campaign finance law by failing to disclose payments for a dossier on Donald Trump, according to a complaint filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission.

The complaint from the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center said the Democrats effectively hid the payments from public scrutiny, contrary to the requirements of federal law. By law, campaign and party committees must disclose the reason money is spent and its recipient.

House GOP Chairmen Announce Probe Of Obama's Justice Department

2017-10-25T22:31:00Z

The Republican chairmen of two House committees announced Tuesday they’re opening an investigation into actions the Obama administration Justice Department took during last year’s presidential election.

The chairmen said in a statement Tuesday they have several questions, including why then-FBI Director James Comey decided to publicly announce the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information but not to publicly announce the investigation into Donald Trump’s campaign associates.

Clinton Campaign, DNC Helped Pay For Work On Dossier About Russia And Trump

2017-10-25T22:10:00Z

The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous dossier containing allegations about Donald Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said.

Navy SEAL Saw Risks In Search For U.S. Soldier Bergdahl

2017-10-25T22:06:00Z

Former Navy SEAL James Hatch, shot in the leg during a July 2009 attempt to rescue U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan, testified on Wednesday he knew someone would get hurt or killed searching for the soldier after he left his post.

Grassley Calls For Special Counsel In Uranium One Deal

2017-10-25T21:47:00Z

The Department of Justice needs to appoint a special counsel to investigate the Obama-era Uranium One nuclear deal, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said on Tuesday.

In a statement posted to Twitter Tuesday night, Grassley called on “whoever in DOJ is capable” of appointing a special counsel to do so, noting that “‘whoever’ means if [you] aren’t recused.”

Trump: Meeting With GOP Senators A 'Love Fest,' Except For Corker, Flake

2017-10-25T19:10:00Z

President Trump early Wednesday slammed Sens. Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.), saying that, except for the two retiring GOP senators, his meeting on Capitol Hill was a "love fest."

“The reason Flake and Corker dropped out of the Senate race is very simple, they had zero chance of being elected,” Trump tweeted. “Now act so hurt & wounded!”

Blasting Trump, Arizona's Jeff Flake Announces He's Leaving Senate

2017-10-25T17:27:00Z

Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, announced Tuesday he would not run for re-election in 2018, condemning in a speech aimed at President Donald Trump the "flagrant disregard of truth and decency" Flake says is undermining American democracy.

"There are times we must risk our careers," Flake said in a speech on the Senate floor. "Now is such a time."

Poll: Trump Job Approval Dips To New Low In Harvard-Harris Poll

2017-10-24T10:27:00Z

President Trump’s job approval rating has swung to a new low in the Harvard-Harris poll, after briefly rebounding last month, according to the latest poll from Harvard-Harris.

Forty-two percent approve of the job President Trump is doing, while 58 percent say they disapprove, according to the latest Harvard-Harris survey.

Polarized America: Fewer Americans Hold A Mix Of Conservative And Liberal Views

2017-10-24T09:55:00Z

In political values ranging from views of government and the social safety net to opinions about immigrants, race and homosexuality, Americans are less likely than in the past to hold a mix of conservative and liberal views. At the same time, ideological consistency – the shares of Americans holding liberal or conservative views across a wider range of issues – is increasingly associated with partisanship, a recent Pew Research Center studyshows. This reflects a continuation of trends documented in the Center’s 2014 study of political polarization in the American public.

Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones: No Question NFL Is 'Suffering' From Protests

2017-10-24T09:38:00Z

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — the NFL’s most prominent and visible team owner — is making a frank, if obvious, admission: The protests are negatively impacting the league’s bottom line.

In comments reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jones addressed the issue for the first time since the owners meeting in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week.

Police Cut Security At Dolphins Game To Protest Kneeling During Anthem

2017-10-23T21:42:00Z

Florida police officers upset about the NFL controversy where players kneel during the national anthem responded by reducing the security at the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets game, the Miami Herald reported Sunday.

Snap Into It! Congresswoman Wilson Demands Apology From Kelly For 'Character Assassination'

2017-10-23T21:15:00Z

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) is calling for an apology from White House chief of staff John Kelly for "character assassination."

“Not only does he owe me an apology, but he owes an apology to the American people,” Wilson said during an appearance Sunday on MSNBC’s “AM Joy," according to The Washington Post.

She also referred to Kelly as a "puppet of the president."

'I Was Very Angry' At Trump, Says Myeshia Johnson, Widow Of Fallen Soldier

2017-10-23T20:58:00Z

The pregnant widow of U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was among four U.S. service members killed in Niger this month, expressed a mix of blame and sorrow today on "Good Morning America," saying she was "very angry" about President Donald Trump's condolence phone call and upset because she says he struggled to "remember my husband's name."

ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos spoke to Myeshia Johnson, who criticized Trump's handling of the phone call, which started a firestorm of controversy.

Wounded US Soldiers Set To Testify Before Bergdahl's Sentencing

2017-10-23T20:46:00Z

Dramatic testimonies are expected Monday at a court in Fort Bragg before Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl learns his punishment for endangering his fellow soldiers by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Bergdahl, 31, faces a life sentence after admitting guilt last week to desertion and misbehavior. The judge, Army. Col. Jeffery R. Nance, will take into consideration Bergdahl’s admission of guilt, five years of captivity under the Taliban and its allies and the serious injuries caused to several service members who went looking for him.

A First Look At 8 Possible Versions Of President Donald Trump's Border Wall

2017-10-20T00:37:00Z

Workers toiled in intense 95-degree heat here Tuesday, putting final touches on eight possible versions of President Donald Trump's long-promised border wall.

As an Oct. 26 deadline to finish the prototype border-wall designs drew near, The Arizona Republic toured the construction site a few dozen yards from the border that divides this city from neighboring Tijuana, Mexico.

Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Claims Trump Jealous Of The NFL

2017-10-20T00:13:00Z

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan believes President Donald Trump's failure to purchase the Buffalo Bills in 2014 has fueled his vendetta against the NFL.

"This is a very personal issue with him," Khan told USA Today Sports as he was leaving the NFL's fall meetings in New York.

White House: Kelly Felt Trump's Remarks to Widow Were 'Respectful'

2017-10-20T00:07:00Z

White House chief of staff John Kelly thought President Donald Trump's remarks in a call to the widow of a Green Beret slain by Islamic State terrorists in Niger were "completely appropriate" and "respectful," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday.

"Gen. Kelly was present for the call and thought it was completely appropriate," Sanders told reporters at the daily briefing.

Fumble: NFL Ratings Drop Continues, Latest Nielsen Numbers Show

2017-10-18T07:53:00Z

Through the first six weeks of the NFL season, total viewership of games is down 7.5 percent, compared with the first six weeks of 2016.

An average of 15 million people watched games for the first six weeks this year, compared with 16.2 million people through Week 6 last season, according to metrics from Nielsen.

John McCain Condemns "Half-Baked, Spurious Nationalism"

2017-10-18T06:42:00Z

U.S. Sen. John McCain jabbed Monday night at unnamed pushers of isolationist politics, saying at his National Constitution Center Liberty Medal ceremony in Philadelphia that abandoning America's role as an international leader is "unpatriotic."

The six-term Republican senator from Arizona made the remarks after receiving the award for a lifetime of service and sacrifice to the country. In addition to recalling his more than two decades of Navy service and his imprisonment in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp, McCain took a moment to go a step further than the night's other speakers, who lamented what many described as a fractured political climate.

Trump Doubles Down On Slain Soldier Comments: Obama Didn't Call John Kelly When Son Died

2017-10-17T23:23:00Z

President Trump doubled down Tuesday on his controversial claim that past presidents didn’t properly console the families of fallen servicemembers, raising the point that Barack Obama apparently did not call now-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly after his son was killed in Afghanistan in 2010.

Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency For Richard Spencer Speech

2017-10-17T07:36:00Z

Gov. Rick Scott (R) has declared a state of emergency in a Florida county ahead of a planned speech by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer.

Spencer is scheduled to speak at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville on Thursday.

Scott declared the state of emergency in Alachua County, noting that Spencer's speeches in other states have in the past "sparked protests and counter-protests resulting in episodes of violence, civil unrest and multiple arrests," according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Who Trump Attacks The Most On Twitter

2017-10-16T22:01:00Z

Donald Trump has become infamous for using Twitter to attack people or news agencies that are getting on his nerves — CNN, Hillary Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and even Senators of his own party.

Bowe Bergdahl Pleads Guilty In Desertion Case

2017-10-16T21:47:00Z

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty Monday at Fort Bragg to charges he endangered comrades by walking away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 -- the court case wrapping up three years after a stunning Rose Garden spectacle in which former President Barack Obama, flanked by Bergdahl's parents, triumphantly announced the soldier's release from captivity.

"I understand that leaving was against the law," said Bergdahl, whose decision to walk off his remote post in Afghanistan in 2009 prompted intense search and recovery missions, during which some of his comrades were seriously wounded and other soldiers died.

Kaepernick Hits NFL Owners With Grievance Citing Collusion

2017-10-16T21:32:00Z

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL on Sunday, alleging that he remains unsigned as a result of collusion by owners following his protests during the national anthem.

Kaepernick started a national conversation about political activism by athletes last season when he decided to sit, and then kneel, during the anthem to bring attention to mistreatment of African-Americans by police. Other players have continued the protests this season, prompting an angry response from President Donald Trump, who said players should be fired for not standing during the anthem.

North Korea Calls Trump A 'Strangler Of Peace'

2017-10-16T21:10:00Z

North Korea continued its harsh anti-US rhetoric Sunday, calling President Donald Trump a "war merchant and strangler of peace."

The administration of US President Donald Trump is selling weapons to South Korea and Japan with the intent of enriching the makers of US arms while creating "a hair trigger situation" on the Korean Peninsula, said a commentary from state newspaper Rodong Sinmun posted by the Korean Central News Agency.

Tillerson: Will Continue Diplomacy With North Korea 'Until the First Bomb Drops'

2017-10-16T20:51:00Z

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday the United States will continue diplomatic efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear missile buildup “until the first bomb drops.”

In an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” Tillerson asserted President Donald Trump “has made it clear to me to continue my diplomatic efforts” with Pyongyang.

John Kelly Rips Media's Misreporting: 'Develop Some Better Sources'

2017-10-12T23:42:00Z

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said President Donald Trump is frustrated by how the press covers his administration.

Quinnipiac Poll: Record Number Disapprove of Trump Tweets

2017-10-12T23:23:00Z

A record number of voters now disapprove of President Donald Trump tweeting from his personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

According to the poll, 70 percent say Trump should stop tweeting, while 27 percent say he should continue. A majority of every subcategory said it would be better from the president to refrain from using his personal Twitter account.

Trump Voters Hate The NFL More Than Clinton Voters Hate Fox News

2017-10-12T23:03:00Z

A New York Times analysis Wednesday of daily polling shows that Donald Trump voters view the National Football League more unfavorably than Hillary Clinton voters feel about Fox News.

The NFL has a negative 24 percent net favorability among Trump voters, while Fox News has a negative 14 percent net favorability among Clinton voters, according to the Times report.

Trump Is Expected To Decertify The Iran Nuclear Deal On Friday

2017-10-12T22:56:00Z

President Donald Trump's decision on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could come on Friday, and experts say the "writing is on the wall" that the administration won't recertify the landmark agreement and he likely will turn his attention to getting European support on fixing it.

NBC News reported the White House briefed lawmakers Wednesday on the pending decision and those who left were convinced the Obama-era nuclear deal would get decertified. It also reported the announcement would probably be Friday and that the administration doesn't want to scrap the deal entirely and proposed a legislative remedy.

Roger Goodell Tells NFL Owners 'Everyone Should Stand For The National Anthem'

2017-10-11T10:48:00Z

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday wrote a letter to all 32 league owners regarding the protests that have taken place during the national anthem, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

In the letter, which Schefter shared on his Facebook page, Goodell wrote that the “current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country.”

Kremlin Warns: 'Negative Consequences' If Trump Quits Iran Deal

2017-10-10T23:49:00Z

Moscow warned on Monday there would be "negative consequences" if US President Donald Trump fails to uphold the landmark Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor.

Trump is a fierce critic of the 2015 accord, which he has called "the worst deal ever", and US officials say he intends to tell Congress next week that Tehran is not honouring its side of the bargain.

Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins Visit The White House

2017-10-10T23:41:00Z

President Donald Trump honored the Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins, calling them "true champions and incredible patriots."

Trump welcomed the Penguins into the Oval Office on Tuesday. He celebrated their second consecutive championship in the East Room of the White House and singled out the achievements of playoff MVP Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and American Phil Kessel, among others.

Texas Tech Student Accused Of Killing Officer Caught

2017-10-10T18:39:00Z

A Texas Tech student accused of shooting and killing an officer at the police station on campus was caught late Monday and is now in custody, police tell local media.

The suspect, identified as Hollis Daniels, had been brought to the police station after a welfare check when he suddenly shot and killed the officer earlier in the evening before bolting from the scene, officials said.

Trump Escalates Feud With Corker

2017-10-10T18:35:00Z

President Donald Trump's public feud with a top Republican on Capitol Hill has entered the name-calling phase.

Sen. Bob Corker, the retiring Republican chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, has engaged in a heated back-and-forth with Trump for days now, including in an interview with The New York Times where he said that he feared Trump was steering the nation "on the path to World War III."

Poll: Just 24 Percent Say US Is Heading In The Right Direction

2017-10-07T00:10:00Z

Just under 1 in 4 Americans think the country is headed in the right direction, according to a poll released Friday.

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey reports that just 24 percent U.S. adults are optimistic about the country's future, a 10-point decrease since the same poll in June.

Report: North Korea Preparing Test of Missile Designed to Hit US

2017-10-07T00:04:00Z

North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile which it believes can reach the west coast of the United States, a Russian lawmaker just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted as saying on Friday.

Anton Morozov, a member of the Russian lower house of parliament's international affairs committee, and two other Russian lawmakers visited Pyongyang on Oct. 2-6, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Holler Back! Report Says White House Officials Clashed With Tillerson Over Unreturned Phone Calls

2017-10-05T22:06:00Z

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly clashed with White House officials over several issues in the past few weeks, including unreturned phone calls.

Chicago Alone Accounts For 10 Percent Of Mass Shootings In The US

2017-10-05T21:42:00Z

Chicago accounted for approximately 10 percent of mass shootings during a 17-month period in the U.S., according to data analyzed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

The New York Times Editorial Board created a graphic depicting the total amount of mass shootings committed between June 12, 2016 (the Pulse Nightclub attack) and Oct. 1, 2017 (the Las Vegas massacre), based on data from the Gun Violence Archive.

Federal Debt Increases for 60th Straight Fiscal Year

2017-10-05T20:25:00Z

The total federal debt climbed by $671,455,302,116.72 in fiscal 2017, making 2017 the 60th straight fiscal year in which the federal debt has increased, according to the official numbers published by the U.S. Treasury.

At the end of fiscal 2016, the federal debt stood at $19,573,444,713,936.79. By the end of fiscal 2017 (which closed on Sept. 30), it was $20,244,900,016,053,51.

Las Vegas Strip Shooter Targeted Aviation Fuel Tanks, Source Says

2017-10-05T17:21:00Z

Las Vegas Strip mass murderer Stephen Paddock used his Mandalay Bay hotel room to fire bullets at jet fuel tanks Sunday night, a knowledgeable source told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The bullets left two holes in one of two circular white tanks. One of the bullets penetrated the tank, but did not cause a fire or explosion near the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, another knowledgeable source said late Wednesday.

Authorities Mystified By Vegas Killer's Motive as Girlfriend Sheds No Light on Rampage

2017-10-05T07:17:00Z

The girlfriend of the Las Vegas gunman said Wednesday that she had no inkling of the massacre he was plotting when he sent her on a trip abroad to see her family.

Marilou Danley issued the statement after returning from her native Philippines and being questioned for much of the day by FBI agents still trying to figure out what drove Stephen Paddock to open fire on 22,000 fans at a country music festival from his 32nd-floor hotel suite.

Sheriff: Las Vegas Shooter Paddock May Have Been 'RADICALIZED'

2017-10-04T16:49:00Z

Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo gave a press conference Tuesday and responded to questions whether Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock had been “radicalized.”

CBS Executive Fired After Saying Las Vegas Victims Didn't Deserve Sympathy

2017-10-03T22:29:00Z

CBS fired a legal executive Monday after she wrote on Facebook that she was not "sympathetic" to the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

“I’m actually not even sympathetic [because] country music fans often are Republican gun toters," former executive Hayley Geftman-Gold wrote.

'Sunday Night Football' Ratings Down Again

2017-10-03T22:16:00Z

“Sunday Night Football” ratings came in five percent lower than last week’s and two percent lower than the corresponding broadcast last year, Deadline reported Monday.

After another day of National Football League players protesting by kneeling and sitting during the national anthem, the “SNF” game came in with an 11.0/19 in metered market households for the Seattle Seahawks game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Who Is The Las Vegas Gunman?

2017-10-03T22:09:00Z

He liked to bet big, wagering tens of thousands of dollars in a sitting. He owned homes in four states but preferred staying in casino hotels, sometimes for weeks at a time, as he worked the gambling machines.

He grew up the son of a convicted bank robber who was constantly running from the law. But in his own life, Stephen Paddock, 64, had stayed out of trouble until Sunday night, when he suddenly unleashed a firestorm of bullets from his casino hotel room, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 500 more on the Las Vegas Strip.

Trump Surveys Hurricane-Ravaged Puerto Rico, Meets San Juan Mayor After Feud

2017-10-03T21:52:00Z

Trump didn’t mention Cruz in his remarks to the media. But – in comments that seemed meant to draw a contrast – the president singled out Ricardo Rosselló, the governor of Puerto Rico, for praise.

“This governor did not play politics,” Trump said. “He didn’t play it all. He was saying it like it was. And he was giving us the highest grades.”

Democrat Lawmakers Begin Politicizing Massacre In Las Vegas

2017-10-02T20:26:00Z

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said members of Congress have “blood on our hands” until they take action to prevent future acts of gun violence following the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas late Sunday.

Himes called the shooting, which left at least 58 dead and more than 500 others injured, “the stuff of nightmares,” but said that “once again, Congress will retreat into grief and silence."

Trump On Las Vegas Massacre: 'An Act Of Pure Evil'

2017-10-02T19:33:00Z

President Donald Trump used a solemn address from the White House on Monday to call for unity in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, calling the massacre an "act of pure evil."

The gun attack on a country music festival Sunday in Las Vegas killed at least 50 people and injured more than 400 others.

Trump Slams 'Fake News' And 'Politically Motivated Ingrates' For Criticizing Puerto Rico Aid Efforts

2017-10-02T19:22:00Z

President Trump defended his administration's response to the humanitarian disaster in Puerto Rico, dismissing any critics of his relief efforts as "fake news" and "politically motivated ingrates."

"We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico," Trump said. "Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates ... people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military."

Las Vegas Massacre: At least 50 dead, 400 Injured

2017-10-02T16:27:00Z

A gunman turned a Las Vegas concert into a killing field Sunday night, murdering at least 50 people and injuring more than 400 others in the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history.

The suspect, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, a resident of Mesquite, Nevada. Police initially sought a woman believed to be Paddock's roommate, Marilou Danley, as a "person of interest." Detectives later made contact with her, and "do not believe she is involved with the shooting on The Strip."

Nevada: O.J. Simpson Release Could Happen Monday

2017-09-28T23:15:00Z

O.J. Simpson could be released from a Las Vegas prison a free man as early as Monday, according to Nevada prison officials Wednesday.

Under the terms of a plan worked out by the state, the 70-year-old Simpson would be transferred from Lovelock Correctional Center in northern Nevada to High Desert State Prison outside Las Vegas for a release that could happen on Oct. 2, state Department of Corrections spokeswoman Brooke Keast told the Associated Press.

Army Investigating West Point Grad's Pro-Communist Social Media Posts

2017-09-28T22:56:00Z

The U.S. Army announced on Tuesday that it is probing a West Point graduate's pro-communist posts on social media.

The Army was quick to announce it was looking into the messages posted by 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone, issuing a statement on Tuesday saying, "Second Lieutenant Rapone's actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army."

House GOP Poised To Move $10 Billion For Border Wall

2017-09-28T19:34:00Z

House Republicans next week will begin moving legislation to provide billions of dollars for wall construction at the southern border — a central campaign promise of President Trump that has so far eluded the GOP-led Congress.

The House Homeland Security Committee will mark up the legislation — the Border Security for America Act — on Oct. 4, the panel announced Wednesday.

Packers' National Anthem Plans Continue To Rile Fans

2017-09-28T18:08:00Z

A request by Green Bay Packers players for fans to join them in a show of unity during the national anthem before their game Thursday apparently did little to calm the debate.

Packers fans on Wednesday continued to blast the NFL, the team and players for what they perceive as showing disrespect for the nation, the flag, the military or the national anthem by sitting, kneeling, remaining in the locker room or locking arms during the national anthem. Supporters say players are peacefully exercising their free speech rights on the best stage available.

Trump: NFL Owners 'In A Box' On Anthem Protests

2017-09-28T17:59:00Z

President Trump said in an interview broadcast Thursday that NFL team owners are "in a box," adding that they are "afraid" of players who protest during the national anthem.

"I have so many friends that are owners. And they're in a box. I mean, I've spoken to a couple of them, they say 'we are in a position where we have to do something,'" Trump told Fox News's "Fox and Friends." "I think they're afraid of their players, you want to know the truth. It's disgraceful."

Trump Promises 'Historic Tax Relief' With New Plan

2017-09-28T17:49:00Z

President Donald Trump said Wednesday his tax-reform plan would "deliver historic tax relief to the American people" and would "dramatically reform America's outdated, complex, and extremely burdensome tax code."

"It's a relic," Trump told a crowd at the State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. "The current tax system is a colossal barrier, standing in the way of America's economic comeback, because it can be far greater than it's ever been.

Actor Tim Allen: 'Nothing More Dangerous' Than a Likable Conservative

2017-09-27T21:24:00Z

After 6 seasons, Tim Allen’s hit ABC show Last Man Standing was cancelled this year, and Allen has some thoughts as to why.

Allen, himself more conservative than many in Hollywood, played conservative father Mike Baxter on the show. So when the show was cancelled, some people suspected a political motivation behind it (which ABC denied).

Republicans Unveil Tax Plan, Call For Doubling Deduction And Cutting Rates

2017-09-27T21:02:00Z

Congressional Republicans on Wednesday unveiled the framework for their long-awaited tax-reform plan, which simplifies the tax system and cuts rates for businesses -- while attempting to boost household incomes by nearly doubling the standard IRS deduction used by most Americans.

“Today, we move one step closer to fixing our broken tax code," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said. "This is our best opportunity in a generation to deliver real middle-class tax relief, create jobs here at home, and fuel unprecedented economic growth.”

It Lives! 'Obamacare' Survives, GOP Concede

2017-09-27T20:45:00Z

“Obamacare” lives on.

Senate Republicans, short of votes, abandoned their latest and possibly final attempt to kill the health care law Tuesday, just ahead of a critical end-of-the-week deadline.

The repeal-and-replace bill’s authors promised to try again at a later date, while President Donald Trump railed against “certain so-called Republicans” who opposed the GOP effort. But for now, Trump and fellow Republicans who vowed for seven years to abolish President Barack Obama’s law will leave it standing and turn their attention to overhauling the nation’s tax code instead.

Poll: Just 54 Percent Know Puerto Ricans Are US Citizens

2017-09-27T20:36:00Z

Just 54 percent of American adults know that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, according to a Morning Consult poll published in The New York Times.

Bill Back On Fox News: O'Reilly To Guest On 'Hannity'

2017-09-26T20:27:00Z

Bill O’Reilly will be returning to Fox News Channel tonight for a guest appearance on “Hannity” at 9PM.

Alabama Senate Candidate Roy Moore Pulls Out Gun At Rally

2017-09-26T20:09:00Z

Roy Moore, an Alabama candidate for the U.S. Senate, displayed a handgun during a campaign rally on Monday, according to ABC News.

'Humanitarian Crisis' In Puerto Rico, Trump Plans Visit Next Week

2017-09-26T19:52:00Z

Puerto Rico is in the throes of a full-blown "humanitarian crisis," with washed-out roads, downed power lines and damaged infrastructure - a scene President Trump intends to view first hand next week.

Trump, who has been criticized for not focusing more on Puerto Rico in the days following the devastating Category 3 storm, said Tuesday the federal government is working hard to get food and water to the U.S. territory, saying the island was “hit as hard as you can hit.”

Dem Congressman Calls Trump 'Racial Arsonist'

2017-09-26T19:38:00Z

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says that Donald Trump's response to the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, led many Americans "to conclude that the President of the United States chose to pull the sheets off and reveal himself."

The Democratic congressman from New York made the remark Monday in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "The Situation Room."

Trump Calls For NFL To Change Rules, Outlaw Anthem Protests

2017-09-26T19:35:00Z

President Trump called on the NFL Tuesday to change its own rules to prohibit kneeling during the national anthem, while taking on the Dallas Cowboys directly for their protest during Monday Night Football.

"The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can't kneel during our National Anthem!" Trump tweeted.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters Calls For Trump To Be Impeached Over NFL Stance

2017-09-26T17:35:00Z

Come hell or high water, Maxine Waters is going to try to impeach President Trump.

During a weekend appearance on MSNBC, the California congresswoman told host Joy Reid that Trump “is the most deplorable person I have ever met, seen or witnessed,” and that he should be impeached in part due to his response to the NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.

Political Football: Cowboys, Cardinals Lock Arms For National Anthem In A Show Of Unity

2017-09-26T17:20:00Z

The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals displayed unity before their game Monday night in an expression of displeasure with comments made by President Donald Trump on Friday.

As the Cardinals were introduced, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, and executive vice presidents Stephen Jones, Charlotte Anderson and Jerry Jones Jr., stood locked arm in arm with Dallas' players, coaches and staff.

Hurricane Maria Aftermath: Puerto Rico Situation Bad, Getting Worse

2017-09-26T00:19:00Z

Hurricane Maria whipped Puerto Rico with Irma-level winds, drenched the island with Harvey-level flooding, crippled communications, decimated buildings and damaged a dam that puts downstream residents at risk of catastrophe.

Yet help has been slow to come, officials and residents argue.

Alejandro Villanueva Only Steelers Player To Appear For National Anthem

2017-09-25T23:56:00Z

Alejandro Villanueva was the only player on the Pittsburgh Steelers to come out of the locker room Sunday when the national anthem played ahead of the game.

Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan as an Army ranger, stood outside the locker room tunnel and put his hand over his heart during the national anthem.

Trump Announces New Travel Restrictions On 8 Countries

2017-09-25T19:56:00Z

President Trump is replacing his controversial travel ban with a targeted list of restrictions that will enhance vetting for nationals from eight countries, senior administration officials announced Sunday.

The eight countries on the modified list are Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

The officials say these states failed to comply with the U.S. information-sharing requirements that aim to make vetting processes stronger.

Poll: Majority Disapproves Of Latest ObamaCare Repeal Bill

2017-09-25T19:45:00Z

A majority of Americans in a new survey doesn't approve of the GOP's latest ObamaCare repeal bill.

A CBS News poll finds 52 percent of Americans disapprove of the GOP's latest effort to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

Just 20 percent of respondents in the poll approve of the bill, sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

Last-Minute Healthcare Bill Changes Aimed to Lure GOP Holdouts

2017-09-25T19:33:00Z

Last-minute revisions were announced late Sunday night to the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill in an effort to win over wary Republican holdouts, Politico reported.

The changes would give more federal funding to the states represented by Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. All three states would have seen a decline in federal dollars in the original version of the bill.

Trump Calls For Kneeling NFL Players To Be Punished, Players And Owners Respond With Protests

2017-09-25T11:11:00Z

NFL players responded in full force Sunday after President Trump repeatedly called for swift punishment against those who chose to protest by not standing during the national anthem.

Demonstrations spread throughout the league as many players broke out of their routine by joining the protests or engaging in team-wide displays of unity. The Associated Press estimated 204 players elected to either kneel or sit during the anthem.

Sunday's Milo Yiannopoulos Appearance And Protest Costs UC Berkeley $800,000

2017-09-25T10:18:00Z

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it worth $800,000?

Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, said the brief appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos on campus Sunday cost the school $800,000 to ensure his safety.

Déjà Vu: McCain Not Supporting Graham-Cassidy Obamacare Repeal Bill

2017-09-22T21:03:00Z

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Friday said he "cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham Cassidy proposal.

McCain is one of four Republican senators who are undecided on the GOP healthcare overhaul, and his opposition dealt the bill's chances a significant blow.

Princeton University Disbands Student Paper's Independent Editorial Board Over Right-Leaning Opinions

2017-09-21T22:38:00Z

Leaders of the student newspaper at Princeton University have disbanded the publication’s independent editorial board, a move that comes after the group put forth a string of right-leaning opinions, including denouncing the women’s center for its radical feminist agenda and arguing in favor of due process.

“The top editors of the Prince have no involvement in what we write,” said Jack Whelan, a member of the dissolved editorial board, in an interview with The College Fix. “The reason why were we were destroyed is the opinions we published on a regular basis were more conservative than the opinions published on a daily basis in the Princetonian as a whole.”

Call Me A Dog: North Korea Likens Trump's UN Speech To A 'Dog Barking'

2017-09-21T22:05:00Z

North Korea's top diplomat compared President Trump's comments during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly to the "sound of a dog barking."

"There is a saying that goes: 'Even when dogs bark, the parade goes on,'" North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong, told reporters late Wednesday at the U.N.'s headquarters in New York, USA Today reported.

Analysis: GOP Healthcare Reform Plan Cuts State Funding By $4 Trillion In 20 years

2017-09-21T21:44:00Z

A Republican bill that would turn Obamacare into a block grant program for states would reduce overall federal healthcare funding to states by $215 billion through 2026, and could reduce spending by as much as $4 trillion over 20 years, a new analysis found.

The Graham-Cassidy bill, which many Republicans hope can get a vote in the Senate next week, would take Obamacare funding for the Medicaid expansion and subsidies on the individual market and distribute it to states through block grants. It would provide around $1.2 trillion to states from 2020 to 2026, and then after that the funding would have to be reauthorized again by Congress.

California Files Lawsuit Against Trump Over Border Wall

2017-09-21T19:01:00Z

California filed a lawsuit on Wednesday over the Trump administration's plan to construct a wall along the border with Mexico, adding to the obstacles facing one of the Republican president's key campaign promises.

President Donald Trump has insisted Mexico would pay for building the wall, which experts said could cost about $22 billion and take more than three years to complete.

Trump Says Decision Made On Iran Deal, Won't Say What it Is

2017-09-21T16:50:00Z

The United States and Iran will have their highest-level interaction of Donald Trump's presidency on Wednesday, a day after the American leader delivered a blistering attack on the Islamic Republic and the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that he appears poised to walk away from.

A year ago, such a get-together would have been considered routine as nations strove to implement an agreement that curtailed Iran's nuclear activity in exchange for ending various oil, trade and financial restrictions on the country. In the current environment, however, the meeting is anything but ordinary.

Polls Show Young, Educated Republicans Abandoning Trump

2017-09-20T21:41:00Z

President Donald Trump's base of support is fracturing, according to CNN,which notes that recent polls show college-educated Republicans under 50 are abandoning the president.

Based on Gallup's daily tracking poll from Trump's first month in office, the president received support from four-in-five Republicans both with and without a bachelor's degree.

President Trump's Approval Rating Rises

2017-09-20T21:13:00Z

President Trump's approval rating is ticking upward following his response to two major hurricanes and his bipartisan negotiations with Democratic leadership, according to a new poll.

Trump's approval rating now stands at 43 percent in a Politico/Morning Consult poll released early Wednesday.

Report: US Considering Shooting Down a North Korean Missile

2017-09-20T20:45:00Z

The U.S. is looking at the possibility of shooting down a future launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea, CNN reports.

Trump, White House Go All-Out For Graham-Cassidy Obamacare Repeal Bill

2017-09-20T20:00:00Z

President Donald Trump would sign the Graham-Cassidy bill if the legislation to repeal Obamacare makes it to his desk, an administration official told CNN Tuesday, as the White House launched a full-court press on Capitol Hill.

The White House has been working with Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for weeks on the new effort. A second source added that Trump himself had quietly encouraged the two senators to take another shot at health care.

Report: Trump Deciding Whether to Lower Refugee Cap

2017-09-20T17:50:00Z

President Donald Trump is facing pressure to lower the 50,000 cap on refugees amid warnings from Department of Homeland Security officials that they could have problems processing them in 2018, Politico reports.

The cap was imposed as part of Trump's travel ban, according to Politico. But DHS officials are expressing logistical concerns about processing that number in the coming fiscal year.

Mexico's 2nd Earthquake In 2 Weeks, Death Toll Rises As People Attempt Rescues

2017-09-20T17:11:00Z

A sea of rescuers in hard hats and masks continue to descend upon the streets of Mexico City in search of survivors after a deadly earthquake struck the region.

"The priority now is continue rescuing those who are still trapped and provide medical attention to the injured," said President Enrique Peña Nieto in a video statement early Wednesday.

Dozens of buildings in central Mexico turned into plumes of dust and debris killing at least 216 people in Mexico City and the surrounding states of Puebla, Mexico and Morelos when a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday, officials said.

Hurricane Maria Hits Puerto Rico Head On

2017-09-20T16:54:00Z

Hurricane Maria made landfall Wednesday in southeast Puerto Rico, ripping trees out of the ground and entangling two-thirds of the island in hurricane-force winds.

Maria made landfall near the city of Yabucoa with winds of 155 mph -- just 2 mph short of Category 5 status, the National Hurricane Center said.

By 9 a.m., those winds had weakened to 145 mph. But Maria is still a Category 4 hurricane, capable of ripping roofs off houses.

The storm was so fierce, it broke two National Weather Service radars on the island Wednesday.

Bloody Milestone: Chicago Records 500th Homicide For 2017

2017-09-19T22:46:00Z

Chicago has reached a bloody milestone amid a particularly deadly weekend that saw at least 10 people killed and 31 others wounded in shootings across the city.

The weekend killings lifted the city to more than 500 homicides for the year so far, according to data from the Chicago Tribune.

It's Not Over! Hillary Clinton Still Wants To Challenge Election Results

2017-09-19T22:18:00Z

Hillary Clinton just can’t face the fact that Donald Trump is in the White House and she’s not.

Ten months after her stunning defeat in the 2016 presidential election, the Democratic nominee held out the possibility of challenging the results if there’s solid proof of Russian interference beyond what has already been made public.

“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Clinton told National Public Radio on Monday.

UC Berkeley Faculty Urge Boycott of Conservative Speakers

2017-09-19T22:08:00Z

Faculty members at the University of California, Berkeley wrote an open letter calling for a campuswide boycott during "Free Speech Week," SFGate.com reports.

"While there has still not been an official announcement from campus administrators, we are learning that from September 24th to 27th, the University of California at Berkeley will provide a platform to Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter, Stephen K. Bannon, Breitbart media and their far right audience," the 177 professors and graduate students wrote.

Emmy Awards Match All-Time Low Of 2016 With 11.4M Viewers

2017-09-19T21:22:00Z

The Handmaid’s Tale, Veep, Big Little Lies, This Is Us’Sterling K Brown, Atlanta’s Donald Glover and The Night Of’s Riz Ahmed were bathed in Emmy glory last night but the final numbers find the show itself matching its worst audience numbers ever. In the key demo, the Stephen Colbert hosted ceremony had it worst result ever.

Hurricane Maria Heads To Puerto Rico

2017-09-19T19:39:00Z

Hurricane Maria has pounded Dominica with "widespread devastation" as it barrels toward St. Croix and threatens catastrophic damage to Puerto Rico.

Hurling winds of 160 mph (257 kph), Maria shredded the Dominica Prime Minister's house overnight and left much of the island -- population 73,000 -- in ruins.

Trump Blasts 'Rocket Man' Kim Jong Un, Warns Dictator His Path Is A 'Suicide Mission'

2017-09-19T19:28:00Z

President Trump, in his first speech before the United Nations, launched a rhetorical broadside Tuesday at “rogue regimes” including North Korea, Iran and Syria – while pointedly warning Kim Jong Un that the United States will “totally destroy” his country if he does not turn back from the nuclear weapons path.

“The scourge our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principle on which the United Nations is based,” Trump told the U.N. General Assembly. “They respect neither their own citizens, nor the sovereign rights of their countries. If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.”

Using his new nickname for North Korea’s dictator, Trump said: "Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime."

Trump To Push Nationalist Policy At The UN

2017-09-19T16:46:00Z

President Donald Trump’s first address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday will lay out a foreign policy rooted in his view of nationalism and sovereignty and anchored by “America First” principles, according to a senior White House official.

Not So Fast! Harvard Kennedy School Rescinds Fellow Invite To Chelsea Manning

2017-09-18T18:29:00Z

The Harvard Kennedy School withdrew its invitation for Chelsea Manning to serve as a visiting fellow, just one day after former acting CIA director Michael Morell resigned from his position of senior fellow at the school in protest against Harvard’s decision.

Douglas W. Elmendorf, dean of the Kennedy School, said that designating Manning as a visiting fellow “was a mistake” for which he accepts responsibility, but that Manning is still invited to speak at the Harvard Institute of Politics.

California Lawmakers Approve 'Sanctuary State' Legislation

2017-09-18T18:09:00Z

Lawmakers in California on Saturday passed “sanctuary state” legislation even as President Trump and his administration have vowed to crack down on jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration agents.

The bill approved early Saturday limits police cooperation with federal immigration authorities and is intended to bolster protections for illegal immigrants in the state.

But the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday warned of “tragic consequences,” saying the policy “will make California communities less safe.”

Trump Mocks Kim Jong Un, Calls Him 'Rocket Man'

2017-09-18T18:00:00Z

President Donald Trump mocked North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in a tweet Sunday, nicknaming him “Rocket Man" after a call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

St. Louis: After Peaceful Protests Violence Erupts, 80 Arrested

2017-09-18T17:41:00Z

Police made more than 80 arrests downtown Sunday night after violence erupted following hours of peaceful protesting.

It marked the third night of violence following the Friday acquittal of former St. Louis Police officer Jason Stockley, charged with murdering a black drug suspect.

Around 1 a.m. Monday, Mayor Lyda Krewson and Interim Police Chief Lawrence O'Toole held a brief press conference.

North Korea And Iran To Dominate Trump's First UN General Assembly

2017-09-18T17:27:00Z

President Donald Trump will tote his "America First" stance this week to the United Nations General Assembly, the annual inundation of diplomats and world leaders who this year await the new US leader with uneasy anticipation.

The summit in Trump's hometown -- New York City -- has become the quickest-paced diplomatic event on the calendar for an American president. Trump arrives to the soaring, green-hued assembly hall facing open questions about his approach to hot-button issues like climate change and the Iran nuclear accord.

NEWSMAX: Bill O'Reilly's Accuser Arrested for False Allegation of Crime

2017-09-18T15:39:00Z

Sorry to have to post this article but it is necessary to expose the evil that is in play in this country. More to come.
__

A 2015 arrest by Detroit police of a key accuser of Bill O'Reilly for giving a false report of a crime has raised serious doubts as to her credibility.

In April, O'Reilly was fired from Fox News shortly after Perquita Burgess claimed the host made sexually suggestive comments to her, including calling her "hot chocolate."

Burgess worked at Fox News for several weeks in 2008 as a clerical temp.

Shortly after an April 1st New York Times report detailed sexual harassment allegations by several women against O'Reilly, Burgess called a 21st Century Fox hotline claiming alleged workplace misconduct by O'Reilly. 21st Century is the parent company of Fox News.

At the time her charges emerged, O'Reilly's program, "The O’Reilly Factor," was already in the throes of an advertiser-boycott campaign being pushed by several liberal organizations.

The boycott started after the New York Times report that seven-figure settlements had been reached with five women who said O'Reilly had subjected them to inappropriate behavior. O'Reilly told the Times he signed off on the settlements to protect his family from controversy and had not admitted any guilt.

All of the allegations included in the Times report were more than a decade old.

Burgess's more recent allegations, however, played a significant role in O’Reilly’s termination at the network, a source close to Fox News told Newsmax.

London Terror: Manhunt For Bucket Bomber, 22 Injured, Trump Calls Bombers 'Losers'

2017-09-15T19:28:00Z

A manhunt was underway for suspect(s) linked to the bucket bomb that detonated on a packed subway train during Friday morning rush hour, injuring at least 22 people.

Police quickly called the incident on the District Line train at Parsons Green station a "terrorist incident." It was the fifth terrorist attack in Britain this year. Police said they have not arrested anyone in connection to the bombing but hundreds of detectives were trying to hunt down the perpetrator or perpetrators.

Conservative Speaks At Berkeley: Only 9 Arrested And $600,000 Spent On Security

2017-09-15T18:21:00Z

Hundreds of protesters swarmed UC Berkeley on Thursday evening as conservative writer Ben Shapiro spoke on campus, with law enforcement out in force to prevent a repeat of recent violent clashes between far-left and far-right agitators.

Nine people were arrested, four of them for carrying banned weapons. One was held on suspicion of battery on a police officer. Hundreds of law enforcement officers, many in riot gear, prepared for violence and seized potential weapons, but no major skirmishes were reported. Several shouting matches erupted but ended peacefully.

California Poised To Become 'Sanctuary State'

2017-09-15T18:02:00Z

California legislators are expected to vote this week on a “sanctuary state” bill aimed at impeding the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants, after lawmakers reached a deal on the proposal.

The agreement comes after resistance from law-enforcement officials as well as from an unexpected source: Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.

US Condemns North Korea For Second Missile Launch Over Japan

2017-09-15T09:19:00Z

North Korea launched another missile Friday, the rogue nation's first missile launch since its massive nuclear test more than a week ago, prompting U.S. officials to issue a sharp round of condemnation.

The missile was launched eastward early Friday from Sunan, the site of Pyongyang's international airport. It flew over northern Japan before landing in the Pacific Ocean, according to U.S. Pacific Command.

Host Apologizes To ESPN For Calling Trump A 'White Supremacist', Network Denies Trying To Bench Her

2017-09-15T08:58:00Z

Viewers of ESPN’s 6 p.m. “SportsCenter” on Wednesday would not necessarily have known that anything extraordinary happened that day. Jemele Hill took her usual place alongside co-host Michael Smith, and the two kicked off the show with a discussion of the red-hot Cleveland Indians before offering their takes on other sports topics.

Baltimore To Keep Vandalized Francis Scott Key Statue

2017-09-15T08:52:00Z

Mayor Catherine Pugh says she has no plans to remove the Francis Scott Key monument in Bolton Hill that was vandalized before dawn Wednesday and has directed art preservation experts to determine the cost of cleaning it.

Survey: 50% Of Millennials Would Give Up Their Right To Vote To Get Student Loans Erased

2017-09-14T20:23:00Z

As the staggering national student loan debt tally sits at an all-time high of $1.33 trillion, according to the Department of Education, many Millennials say they would go to extreme lengths to wipe their slate clean.

According to a new survey from Credible, a personal finance website, 50% of all respondents (ages 18-34) said they would give up their right to vote during the next two presidential elections in order to never have to make another loan payment again.

Report: Religious Freedom At Risk In America

2017-09-14T20:07:00Z

Americans shouldn’t take their religious freedom for granted because it’s under severe attack, says a new report from the First Liberty Institute.

Congressman Steve King On Trump/DACA Deal: 'The Base Will Leave Him'

2017-09-14T18:51:00Z

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is following Donald Trump‘s immigration pivot with a pivot of his own — switching from defending the president to threatening him.

Uniter-In-Chief? Poll Finds Most Voters Approve Of Trumps Outreach To Democrats

2017-09-14T18:40:00Z

Despite their failure to advance President Trump’s agenda, congressional Republicans aren’t happy about his outreach to Democrats in the House and Senate, but most voters think it’s a great idea.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 66% of Likely U.S. Voters say it is good for the country if Trump works with congressional Democrats to advance his agenda. Just 13% think the bipartisan cooperation is bad for the country, while 21% are undecided.

Trump In Florida To Survey Irma Damage

2017-09-14T18:31:00Z

President Trump is in Florida on Thursday to meet with local officials and first responders to hear of the impacts of Hurricane Irma firsthand.

Survey: 4 In 10 Adult Americans Still Sleep With A Teddy Bear

2017-09-14T18:20:00Z

Though many might never admit it publicly, a new survey finds that four in ten adult Americans still sleep with a teddy bear at night. And many of those bears are the same bears kept from childhood.

Jimmy Carter On Trump: 'Give Him Credit' For Forcing Immigration Debate

2017-09-14T18:00:00Z

Former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday expressed optimism that President Donald Trump might break a legislative logjam with his six-month deadline for Congress to address the immigration status of 800,000-plus U.S. residents who were brought to the country illegally as children.

Carter told Emory University students that the "pressures and the publicity that Trump has brought to the immigration issue" could even yield comprehensive immigration law changes that Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama could not muster.

Trump Denies Making DACA Deal, Says They're 'Fairly Close'

2017-09-14T17:45:00Z

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was "fairly close" to a deal with congressional leaders to preserve protections for young immigrants living illegally in America, and is insisting on "massive border security" as part of any agreement.

Trump, speaking to reporters before surveying hurricane damage in Florida, pushed back against Democratic leaders who claimed there was a deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. He also said his promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border would "come later."

ESPN Says Host Who Called Trump A White Supremacist Was 'Inappropriate'

2017-09-13T20:55:00Z

ESPN says host Jemele Hill’s comments that President Donald Trump is a white supremacist don’t represent the views of the network.

New Study: 91% Of Trump Media Coverage Is Negative

2017-09-13T20:35:00Z

Much of the news media continues to offer coverage which is both hostile and biased against President Trump and his administration. Case in point: a wide-reaching new study from the Media Research Center finds that 91 percent of the recent coverage which aired on ABC, CBS and NBC has been negative.

DOJ Won't Charge Police officers In Freddie Gray Case

2017-09-13T20:14:00Z

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will not bring federal charges against six Baltimore police officers involved in the 2015 arrest and eventual death of Freddie Gray, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Gray's death while in police custody in 2015 set off weeks of protests and rioting in Baltimore. The 25-year-old black man died from a severe spinal injury that he suffered after being arrested and shackled in the back of a paddy wagon.

Trump To North Korea: Sanctions 'Nothing Compared to What Will Have to Happen'

2017-09-13T19:01:00Z

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the latest U.N. sanctions on North Korea agreed this week were only a very small step and nothing compared to what would have to happen to deal with the country's nuclear program.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned China that if it did not follow through on the new sanctions, the United States would "put additional sanctions on them and prevent them from accessing the U.S. and international dollar system."

Hillary's Blame Game: Comey Cost Me The Presidency

2017-09-13T18:28:00Z

Hillary Clinton appeared on Today Wednesday morning in her first live interview since the 2016 election to promote her new book, aptly titled What Happened.

In the interview Clinton discussed what she saw as the reasons for her loss to now President Donald Trump, who was one of the most — if not the most — unpopular candidates in U.S. general election history.

FEMA: 25% Of Florida Keys Homes Estimated Destroyed By Irma

2017-09-13T18:08:00Z

With 25 percent of the homes in the Florida Keys feared destroyed, emergency workers Tuesday rushed to find Hurricane Irma's victims -- dead or alive -- and deliver food and water to the stricken island chain.

As crews labored to repair the lone highway connecting the Keys, residents of some of the islands closest to Florida's mainland were allowed to return and get their first look at the devastation.

Trump Set To Visit Florida Thursday, Survey Irma Damage

2017-09-13T17:47:00Z

President Trump will travel to Florida on Thursday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Irma, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Tuesday.

Sanders did not offer other details about the trip, including where exactly the president will travel in the state. First lady Melania Trump is expected to join the president on the visit.

Melissa McCarthy Wins Emmy For Playing Sean Spicer

2017-09-12T21:21:00Z

Melissa McCarthy won an Emmy for her spoofs of former White House spokesman Sean Spicer on "Saturday Night Live" in television sketches that went viral.

DOJ Supports Dismissal Of Arpaio's Contempt Conviction

2017-09-12T20:06:00Z

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is backing former Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s push to get his criminal conviction dismissed weeks after he was pardoned by President Trump.

BuzzFeed News reported that the DOJ filed court papers Monday that support Arpaio’s request to throw out his contempt conviction, calling the case “moot.”

US Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Limits On Trump Refugee Ban

2017-09-12T19:09:00Z

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily blocked implementation of an appeals court ruling that put limits on President Donald Trump's refugee ban.

UN Security Council Unanimously Steps Up Sanctions Against North Korea

2017-09-12T18:09:00Z

The United Nations Security Council approved new sanctions aimed at punishing North Korea for its latest missile and nuclear tests after the U.S. dropped key demands in order to win support from Russia and China.

Navy Dispatches Carrier To Help Search And Rescue After Hurricane Irma

2017-09-12T17:46:00Z

The U.S. Navy dispatched the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and two other ships to the Florida Keys to help with search-and-rescue operations after Hurricane Irma slammed the region.

Hillary Clinton Says Email Her 'Most Important' Mistake

2017-09-12T00:04:00Z

Hillary Clinton says "the most important" of her mistakes that lead to her 2016 election defeat was her use of personal email as secretary of state.

In her first television interview, with CBS News "Sunday Morning" host Jane Pauley, Clinton declared the "forces… at work in 2016 were unlike anything that I've ever seen or read about. It was a perfect storm" — including the hacking of the Democratic National Committee.

George Clooney Speaks Up: 'Steve Bannon Is A P***y'

2017-09-11T23:00:00Z

Speaking to The Daily Beast about his impressive new film Suburbicon, actor and humanitarian George Clooney addressed Steve Bannon’s Hollywood failings ahead of his good pal Charlie Rose’s exclusive sit-down interview with the Breitbart overlord on Sunday’s 60 Minutes.

'Second Officer Injured': Antifa Launch Smoke Bombs, Other Projectiles At Portland Police

2017-09-11T22:25:00Z

Self-described “anti-fascists” (or “Antifa”) launched smoke bombs and other projectiles at Portland police officers and attacked photographers documenting their actions on Sunday, law enforcement officers said.

Eric Bolling's Son Tragically Dies

2017-09-11T20:42:00Z

Eric Bolling's son Eric Chase died on Friday night, just hours after his father lost a high-profile job at the Fox News Channel.

The cause of death has not been announced. According to a family friend, an autopsy will not take place until Monday.

Professor Tells Students Right-Wing Terrorism More Of A Threat Than Islamic Terrorism

2017-09-11T20:19:00Z

A professor at American University recently taught students that right-wing terrorism in the United States is actually more of a pressing threat to American citizens than Islamic terrorism based on the number of attacks, not the death toll.

According to audio clips of her lectures originally posted on American’s e-learning software Blackboard over the summer and obtained by The College Fix, Professor Erin Kearns said Americans seem most afraid of Islamic terrorists, but that so-called right-wing extremists here have actually committed a higher number of attacks.

9/11 Memorial To Include Sick Responders

2017-09-11T19:14:00Z

A Long Island beach where people gathered and watched in horror as the distant World Trade Center towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001 is the site of the latest memorial to victims of the terror attacks and among a growing number that honor people who died of illnesses years after participating in the rescue and recovery effort.

The monument, built by the town of Hempstead near the Atlantic Ocean on Long Island's south shore, features a twisted, 30-foot-tall beam of Trade Center steel, an elevated walkway and granite plaques engraved with the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks.

NFL Opening Weekend Sees More Anthem Protests

2017-09-11T18:01:00Z

Seattle's Michael Bennett and Oakland's Marshawn Lynch joined other NFL athletes Sunday in protesting the treatment of minorities by US law enforcement during the first weekend of the regular season.

Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration To Help Florida

2017-09-11T17:41:00Z

U.S. President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration on Sunday to help Florida recover from Hurricane Irma, Florida Governor Rick Scott said.

Irma Downgraded To Tropical Storm, Still Hitting Florida And Georgia

2017-09-11T17:16:00Z

Irma was downgraded from a hurricane to tropical storm Monday, but that did little to quell the threat of more destruction in the coming hours.

The storm was still hurling 70 mph winds Monday morning and pummeling cities in northeast Florida that had not expected to feel its full wrath.

Acting Up: Actress Jennifer Lawrence Blames Hurricanes On Trump

2017-09-09T00:00:00Z

Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence seemed to suggest that Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are due to Mother Nature showing her "rage" at President Donald Trump and others who do not believe that humans are causing climate change.

Colbert Throws Nazi Salute On The Late Show

2017-09-08T21:35:00Z

On Thursday night’s edition of The Late Show, comedian Stephen Colbert decided it would be a good idea to throw multiple Nazi salutes.

Mexico's Strongest Earthquake In A Century Leaves Dozens Dead

2017-09-08T19:08:00Z

At least 32 people have died after the most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in a century struck off the country's southern coast.

Hurricane Irma Aims Directly At Florida, Devastation May Follow

2017-09-08T18:38:00Z

Floridians clogged highways in a desperate scramble to get out of Hurricane Irma's crosshairs, as the deadly Category 4 storm took direct aim at the southern United States, shifting westward Friday as the worst case scenario became the most-likely situation.

Facebook: Russia-Linked Accounts Bought $100,000 of Political Ads During 2016 Election

2017-09-07T23:31:00Z

Facebook has confirmed that after a review to see if there was any connection between Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election and ads purchased on the platform, roughly $100,000 of ad spending was connected to hundreds of troll accounts and pages operated out of Russia.

Pelosi: Trump Says That He Would Sign DREAM Act If It Passed

2017-09-07T23:14:00Z

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that President Trump agreed to sign into law a measure shielding young undocumented immigrants from deportation if it's passed by lawmakers.

"We made it very clear in the course of the conversation that the priority was to pass the DREAM Act, that we wanted to do it in — obviously it has to be bipartisan," Pelosi told reporters. "The president said he would — he supports that. He would sign it."

South Florida Fuel Shortage Stalls Residents Trying To Avoid Hurricane Irma

2017-09-07T23:04:00Z

Florida's gasoline supply slowed to a trickle -- as did traffic on Sunshine State highways -- as panicked residents scrambled Thursday from the path of Hurricane Irma, the record-breaking storm set to unleash devastation on Miami as early as Sunday morning.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a news conference the state's gas situation is a "top priority."

No Room For Nazis & KKK: Steve Bannon Denounces Hate Groups On '60 Minutes', Defends Trump

2017-09-07T22:33:00Z

CBS has released more footage of their 60 Minutes interview with Steve Bannon, and the former White House chief strategist faced questions about how President Trump handled the aftermath of Charlottesville.

15 States, Including California, Sue Trump Administration Over Immigration

2017-09-07T20:59:00Z

California's attorney general says a separate lawsuit he plans to file over the Trump administration's plan to end protections for young immigrants will mirror the legal arguments made in a suit already filed by 15 states and the District of Columbia.

GOP Senate Panel Hearing Set Next Week For DACA

2017-09-07T19:21:00Z

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an immigration hearing next week, including reviewing a key Obama-era program the Trump administration announced it is winding down.

Sen. Chuck Grassley's office announced that the panel, which the Iowa Republican chairs, will hold a hearing Wednesday on reforms to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the guest worker program.

Report: US Navy SEALs Train South Koreans To Kill Kim Jung Un

2017-09-07T18:39:00Z

The elite U.S. Navy SEALs team that took out Osama bin Laden in Pakistan is training a South Korean assassination squad to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, The Times of London reported Tuesday.

Trump Makes A Deal With The Dems On Short-Term Debt Package Funding

2017-09-07T18:11:00Z

President Trump has reached a deal with congressional Democrats to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling through Dec. 15.

The deal, reached Wednesday at a White House meeting between congressional leaders from both parties and Trump, would attach both measures to a House bill aiding communities hit by Hurricane Harvey.

U.S. Suspends Immigration Enforcement During Hurricane Irma

2017-09-07T17:34:00Z

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday it will not conduct non-criminal immigration enforcement operations in areas affected by Hurricane Irma.

Hurricane Irma Kills 9 In The Caribbean, Florida Awaits

2017-09-07T17:24:00Z

Outer bands of the unusually powerful Hurricane Irma battered parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday morning, threatening serious flooding a day after leaving severe destruction and at least nine dead across a string of Caribbean islands to the east.

Irma -- a Category 5 storm that has kept sustained winds of 180 mph longer than any other on record -- knocked out electricity a day earlier to more than 1 million customers in Puerto Rico as it churned off the US territory, and devastated smaller islands, including Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands.

Losing Our Religion: Survey Says Less Whites Identify As Christian

2017-09-06T19:32:00Z

The share of Americans who identify as white and Christian has dropped below 50 percent, a transformation fueled by immigration and by growing numbers of people who reject organized religion altogether, according to a new survey released Wednesday.

Payback: Hillary Clinton Blasts Joe Biden For Past Election Comments

2017-09-06T18:09:00Z

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in her new book openly questions former Vice President's Joe Biden's assessment that the Democrats did not focus on the middle class during the presidential race.

"Joe Biden said the Democratic Party in 2016 'did not talk about what it always stood for — and that was how to maintain a burgeoning middle class,'" Clinton said in her new book, "What Happened," which was obtained by CNN.

Trump's DACA Announcement Sparks Nationwide Protests

2017-09-06T17:46:00Z

Dozens of protesters were arrested in front of Trump Tower in New York in one of many nationwide protests after Tuesday’s announcement that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, five years after it was introduced.

CNN's Latest Trump Retraction Leaves Network Bruised

2017-09-06T11:00:00Z

Late on a Monday afternoon in June, members of CNN’s elite investigations team were summoned to a fourth-floor room in the network’s glassy headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.

A top CNN executive, Terence Burke, had startling news: three of their colleagues, including the team’s executive editor, were leaving the network in the wake of a retracted article about Russia and a close ally of President Trump. Effective immediately, Mr. Burke said, the team would stop publishing stories while managers reviewed what had gone wrong.

Rahmbo Retaliates: Chicago Mayor Declares Schools 'Trump-Free Zones'

2017-09-06T06:06:00Z

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday assured incoming high schoolers that they need not to worry about President Trump ending the “Dreamers” program, saying Chicago Public Schools are a “Trump-free” sanctuary for young illegal immigrants.

Paying the price for breakdown of the country's bourgeois culture

2017-09-05T22:01:00Z

Too few Americans are qualified for the jobs available. Male working-age labor-force participation is at Depression-era lows. Opioid abuse is widespread. Homicidal violence plagues inner cities. Almost half of all children are born out of wedlock, and even more are raised by single mothers. Many college students lack basic skills, and high school students rank below those from two dozen other countries.

The causes of these phenomena are multiple and complex, but implicated in these and other maladies is the breakdown of the country’s bourgeois culture.

That culture laid out the script we all were supposed to follow: Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake. Get the education you need for gainful employment, work hard, and avoid idleness. Go the extra mile for your employer or client. Be a patriot, ready to serve the country. Be neighborly, civic-minded, and charitable. Avoid coarse language in public. Be respectful of authority. Eschew substance abuse and crime.

Steelers Legend On Kaepernick: 'Mean' Joe And Jack Lambert Would Have Stopped Him

2017-09-05T21:56:00Z

Football hall of famer Franco Harris spoke to Mediaite columnist John Ziegler about Colin Kaepernick‘s trouble finding a new football team to play with.

'Bernt' Out & Fired Up: Hillary Clinton Blasts Bernie Sanders For Costing Her The Presidency

2017-09-05T20:36:00Z

Hillary Clinton takes aim at former Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders in her soon-to-be-released campaign memoir, accusing him of “paving the way” for the relentless “Crooked Hillary” attacks she endured from Donald Trump in the general election.

According to excerpts that have surfaced online, Clinton accused Sanders of resorting to “innuendo and impugning my character” during the contentious primary because the Democratic socialist “couldn’t make” a policy argument against her.

Trump Administration Announces End Of DACA, 'Dreamers' Protest

2017-09-05T20:19:00Z

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would begin to unwind an Obama-era program that allows younger undocumented immigrants to live in the country without fear of deportation, calling the program unconstitutional but offering a partial delay to give Congress a chance to address the issue.

The decision, after weeks of intense deliberation between President Trump and his top advisers, represents a blow to hundreds of thousands of immigrants known as “dreamers” who have lived in the country illegally since they were children. But it also allows the White House to shift some of the pressure and burden of determining their future onto Congress, setting up a public fight over their legal status that is likely to be waged for months.

Study: Americans Work Harder Than Any Other Country's Citizens

2017-09-05T18:05:00Z

“Statistics show that Americans work longer hours than the majority of other countries — 137 hours per year more than Japanese, 260 per year more than in the UK,” according to the study.

Chicago Holiday: 30 Shot, 4 Dead This Labor Day Weekend

2017-09-05T17:26:00Z

The city of Chicago saw 30 people shot between Friday and Monday morning, with four fatalities and 26 casualties in hospitals around the city.

Chicago’s notorious gun violence has brought the city at least 435 deaths in 2017, ABC 7 Chicago reported Monday.

Hurricane Irma On Track To Hit Gulf And East Coast This Weekend

2017-09-05T17:10:00Z

As Major Hurricane Irma churns across the western Atlantic and towards the United States, residents along the Gulf and East coasts of the U.S. need to be on alert.

Irma will blast the northern Caribbean with flooding rain, damaging winds and rough surf this week, bringing life-threatening conditions to the islands.

A similar scenario could play out somewhere along the Gulf or East coasts this weekend or next week, depending on where Irma tracks. Residents are urged to prepare now.

Milwaukee County Sheriff Resigns, Trump Administration Role Speculated

2017-09-02T03:06:00Z

David A. Clarke Jr., the sometimes divisive supporter of President Trump who appeared to flirt with taking a senior role in the Homeland Security Department, has resigned from his position as Milwaukee County sheriff, the county clerk said Thursday.

The clerk, George L. Christenson, said in an interview that his office had received a resignation letter from Mr. Clarke at 3:16 p.m. local time. The resignation was to take effect at the end of the day.

Antifa Rising: FBI And Homeland Security Warn Of More Attacks

2017-09-01T21:23:00Z

Federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that leftist extremists known as “antifa” had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as “domestic terrorist violence,” according to interviews and confidential law enforcement documents obtained by POLITICO.

Since well before the Aug. 12 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned deadly, DHS has been issuing warnings about the growing likelihood of lethal violence between the left-wing anarchists and right-wing white supremacist and nationalist groups.

Paul Ryan & Co. Try To Save 'Dreamers', Ask Trump Not To Terminate DACA

2017-09-01T20:05:00Z

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other Republican leaders in Congress on Friday urged President Trump not to terminate an Obama-era program that has allowed nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants known as “dreamers” to live and work in the country without fear of deportation.

Ryan said in a radio interview that it was up to Congress to determine the fate of the immigrants enrolled in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which offers two-year work permits to those who have been in the country illegally since they were children.

Trump Slams 'Rigged System' Over Claim Comey 'Exonerated' Clinton Before Probe Ended

2017-09-01T19:37:00Z

President Trump on Friday slammed what he called a “rigged system” following reports that former FBI Director James Comey began drafting an “exoneration statement” for Hillary Clinton before interviewing her in connection with her private email use as secretary of state.

“Wow, looks like James Comey exonerated Hillary Clinton long before the investigation was over…and so much more. A rigged system!” Trump tweeted early Friday.

Report: Payrolls Increase, Job Growth Cools

2017-09-01T19:13:00Z

The U.S. economy created 156,000 jobs in August while the unemployment rate edged higher to 4.4 percent, according to a closely watched government report Friday.

Economists surveyed by Reuters had been expecting payrolls to grow by 180,000 in August and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 4.3 percent. A broader measure that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons also was unchanged at 8.6 percent.

After Hurricane Harvey: Irma May Impact The US Next

2017-09-01T18:59:00Z

While much attention remains on Texas and the destruction left by Hurricane Harvey and its historic rainfall, powerful Hurricane Irma is rapidly intensifying in the open Atlantic and poses a major threat to the Caribbean and potentially to the United States next week.

CNN Host Speaks At Antifa Rally, Accused Of Stirring Up Violence

2017-09-01T17:35:00Z

CNN host W. Kamau Bell spoke at the “No Hate In The Bay” rally in Berkeley, California, over the weekend that featured Antifa violence.

Robert E. Lee High School Votes To Change Name

2017-09-01T00:22:00Z

The school board of Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio, Texas, voted to change its name in the face of increasing pressure after the Charlottesville riots.

Federal Judge Blocks Texas From Enforcing 'Sanctuary Cities' Ban

2017-08-31T19:02:00Z

A federal judge in San Antonio on Wednesday blocked Texas from enforcing its ban on so-called sanctuary cities, questioning the constitutionality of a law that has pitted Republican state leaders against several Democratic-leaning cities.

The judge’s ruling was only temporary, and prevents the law from taking effect on Friday while a suit against it goes forward. But the decision, which Texas said it would appeal, served as a legal blow to one of the toughest state-issued immigration laws in the country and puts the brakes on a measure backed by the Trump administration that critics had called anti-Latino. The law has become so divisive that it served as the backdrop of a shoving match at the Texas Capitol between Hispanic Democratic lawmakers and their white Republican colleagues.

US Jets Drop Bombs Near North Korea Border

2017-08-31T18:24:00Z

The US staged its own terrifying show of strength today by dropping huge bombs near the North Korean border - days after Kim Jong-un's latest missile outrage.

Four US F-35B fighter jets joined two nuclear-ready US B-1B bombers and four South Korean F-15 fighter jets in the joint military operation over the troubled Korean Peninsula.

Poll: Majority Agrees Trump Tearing Country Apart

2017-08-31T17:57:00Z

Fifty-six percent of Americans think President Donald Trump is "tearing the country apart," according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday.

BLS Report: Average Family Spends More On Taxes Than Food Or Clothes

2017-08-31T17:12:00Z

Americans on average spent more on taxes in 2016 than they did on food and clothing combined, according to data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The same data also shows that in three years—from 2013 to 2016—the average tax bill for Americans increased 41.13 percent.

Hurricane Harvey: Death Toll Rises, Storm Downgraded

2017-08-31T16:54:00Z

Crews in Texas have found the bodies of 31 victims of Harvey's wrath, and warned on Wednesday that the number of dead would almost certainly soar as water levels across much of the Houston area start to recede.

The National Hurricane Center downgraded the storm to a Tropical Depression on Wednesday night. That move comes after new details emerged about Harvey's Texas victims.

SPLC Walks It Back: Removes Innocent Town From 'Hate Map'

2017-08-30T18:07:00Z

On Monday, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) removed the historic Iowa town Amana Colonies from its "hate map" that inspired a terrorist attack in 2012. The SPLC had targeted Amana Colonies as a refuge of "hate" because of an alleged link to the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer. The Amana Colonies is a historic landmark, the site of seven German Pietist villages that produced a self-sustaining local economy for eighty years.

College Madness: Conservative Nebraska Student Berated And Intimidated While Recruiting

2017-08-30T17:48:00Z

A sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said she was berated and intimidated by people on campus Friday afternoon because she was trying to recruit students for a conservative group.

Kaitlyn Mullen said she had a table set up in front of the Nebraska Union on behalf of Turning Point USA, a national organization that has chapters on campuses around the nation. Mullen said she likes Turning Point’s pro-capitalism, anti-big government message.

Federal Judge Dismisses Sarah Palin's NY Times Lawsuit

2017-08-30T17:31:00Z

A federal judge dismissed Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on Tuesday.

Palin sued the Times for defamation after an editorial in the newspaper on mass shootings tied an ad run by the former vice presidential nominee to the 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (R-Ariz.).

GOP Gubernatorial Hopeful Calls Soros A 'Hungarian Jew' Who Has 'Hatred For America,' Refuses To Apologize

2017-08-30T17:07:00Z

A Republican state senator from Pennsylvania refused to apologize for calling billionaire Democratic megadonor George Soros “a Hungarian Jew” with “a hatred for America” following the accusations of anti-Semitism.

Sen. Scott Wagner, who’s seeking next year’s Republican nomination for governor, spoke with The York Daily Record on Monday and suggested people are overreacting over his comments.

Kathy Griffin Takes It Back! Withdraws Apology To Trump

2017-08-30T16:47:00Z

Kathy Griffin says she is “no longer sorry” for that controversial photoshoot she did where she held up President Trump’s bloody, decapitated head.

Hurricane Harvey: Houston Crippled, Forecast Offers Hope

2017-08-30T16:39:00Z

With its flood defenses strained, the crippled city of Houston anxiously watched dams and levees Tuesday to see if they would hold until the rain stops, and meteorologists offered the first reason for hope — a forecast with less than an inch of rain and even a chance for sunshine.

The human toll continued to mount, both in deaths and in the ever-swelling number of scared people made homeless by the catastrophic storm that is now the heaviest tropical downpour in U.S. history.

The city’s largest shelter was overflowing when the mayor announced plans to create space for thousands of extra people by opening two and possibly three more mega-shelters.

DHS Takes Next Step On 'Extreme Vetting'

2017-08-29T23:14:00Z

Homeland Security announced Monday that it will soon require more people to undergo in-person interviews before they can gain a firmer legal footing in the U.S., carrying out yet another part of President Trump’s extreme vetting executive order.

Poll: 64% Of Trump Voters Rate The NY Times As Untrustworthy

2017-08-29T18:39:00Z

Nearly 6.5 out of 10 people who voted for President Donald Trump say The New York Times is "untrustworthy," with The Washington Post right on its heels at 54 percent, according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll.

Trump Says 'All Options Are On The Table' For North Korea

2017-08-29T18:07:00Z

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said "all options are on the table" in response to North Korea after the isolated nation escalated tensions by firing a ballistic missile that passed over Japan.

"The world has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior," Trump said in a statement.

"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table," he added.

Professor Suggests Texas Residents 'Deserve' Hurricane Harvey Because They Voted Trump

2017-08-29T17:48:00Z

A sociology professor at the University of Tampa published a tweet on Sunday afternoon suggesting that Texas residents deserve the death, destruction and suffering caused by Hurricane Harvey because a majority of Texas voters supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

The professor is Kenneth L. Storey, reports Campus Reform.

Hurricane Harvey Death Toll Rises, Includes Family Of 6

2017-08-29T17:44:00Z

A family of six trying to escape the floodwaters produced by Harvey has been counted among the 14 victims who died in the historic storm, authorities said.

The four children and their great-grandparents died Sunday afternoon when Samuel Saldivar, the driver of the van, attempted to pick them up amid the flooding, his sister-in-law Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press. At one point, a strong current swept the van away and into the Greens Bayou.

"Sam calls my husband and tells him, 'they're gone,'" Saldivar said. "That's when my husband dropped the phone and started screaming."

President Trump To Survey Disaster In Texas Tuesday

2017-08-29T17:05:00Z

President Donald Trump will make a stop in Austin during his trip to survey the disaster in Texas Tuesday.

The president and first lady will arrive in Corpus Christi just after 11 a.m., where they will be briefed on relief efforts with local leadership and relief organizations, the White House said, adding the presidential couple will also visit a fire station.

RNC Approves Anti-KKK Resolution

2017-08-29T00:32:00Z

The Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously approved a resolution condemning Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, a move that comes just two weeks after President Donald Trump was widely criticized for going easy on white supremacist groups involved in the Charlottesville, Virginia, protests.

Some GOP officials privately scoffed at the idea that the party felt the need to officially condemn the KKK in 2017. But the move by the GOP’s official political arm — signed off on by the White House ahead of time — underscores the level of concern within the party over Trump’s comments on the protests and the impact they could have on the party heading into the 2018 midterm election.

The resolution, sponsored by RNC member Bill Palatucci of New Jersey, states that “the racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and other like-minded groups are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party’s platform,” and that “the view that the color of one’s skin determines or should determine one’s standing, rights, opportunities, or duties to others is not consistent with the philosophy of the Republican Party.”

Trump Doubles Down On US/Mexico Wall

2017-08-29T00:15:00Z

Days after vowing to "close down our government" in order to push through funding for his controversial border wall, President Donald Trump reiterated Sunday his oft-repeated campaign promise to make Mexico "pay for it," hinting that may come with a rewrite of NAFTA.

Maxine Waters' Bizarre Trump/Arpaio Theory

2017-08-28T20:37:00Z

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) issued a stern point of view on Sunday after it was announced that President Donald Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of crimes stemming from criminal contempt of court for unfairly targeting Hispanics while hunting illegal aliens.

Podesta Group Subpoenaed In Russia Probe

2017-08-28T20:10:00Z

Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued subpoenas seeking testimony from executives who worked on a campaign organized by Paul Manafort – including the Podesta Group — an NBC exclusive report published Friday revealed.

The Podesta Group, co-founded by John Podesta, who was chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, was one of six lobbying firms that worked on Manafort’s campaign to get Ukraine into the European Union between 2012 to 2014 – a fact buried in the ninth paragraph of NBC’s report.

An executive, whose firm received a subpoena, said Mueller’s team is particularly interested in taking a close look at the lobbying campaign that included the Podesta Group.

Trump Expected To Lift Ban On Military Gear For Local Police

2017-08-28T19:33:00Z

The Trump administration Monday lifted a controversial ban on the transfer of some surplus military equipment to police departments whose battlefield-style response to rioting in a St. Louis suburb three years ago prompted a halt to the program.

The new plan takes effect immediately and fully rolls back an Obama administration executive order that blocked armored vehicles, large-caliber weapons, ammunition and other heavy equipment from being re-purposed from foreign battlefields to America's streets.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who led the campaign for the program's reinstatement, outlined the President Trump's new executive order Monday in an address at the annual meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation's largest police union.

The Wrath Of Gorka: Seb Slams White House Opposition On His Way Out

2017-08-28T18:50:00Z

Sebastian Gorka, the brusque national security aide to President Donald Trump, reportedly resigned his post as deputy assistant to the president late Friday.

The Federalist reports Gorka wrote a scathing resignation letter that sharply criticized the president’s newly unveiled strategy for the war in Afghanistan, and savaged White House rivals who he claims oppose the Trump agenda.

Hurricane Harvey: Rescuers Pluck Hundreds From Rising Floodwaters

2017-08-28T18:45:00Z

Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into the nation’s fourth-largest city Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground and overwhelmed rescuers who could not keep up with the constant calls for help.

The incessant rain covered much of Houston in turbid, gray-green water and turned streets into rivers navigable only by boat. In a rescue effort that recalled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, helicopters landed near flooded freeways, airboats buzzed across submerged neighborhoods and high-water vehicles plowed through water-logged intersections. Some people managed with kayaks or canoes or swam.

Report: New Antifa Cell In Philadelphia Calls For Violence

2017-08-26T00:04:00Z

An armed Antifa group is launching a new cell in Philadelphia, with support from the “alt-left” alternative media.

The group currently hosts anti-police workshops called “Our Enemies in Blue.” The group draws inspiration from convicted murderers and calls for violence against the police, theft of goods, and armed insurrection.

Antifa websites like It’s Going Down, Sub.Media and Insurrection News have been promoting the group, which calls itself the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement, calling on their readers to donate to a Fundrazr account for the creation of the new cell.

The press release the group published in far-left media is filled with hyperbolic claims about how “mosques are being ruthlessly bombed” and how “LGBTQ are being battered.”

Canada To Haitians: Stay Away! Eh?

2017-08-25T21:01:00Z

Looking to stem an unprecedented flow of mostly Haitian asylum seekers illegally crossing its border, Canada dispatched a Haiti-born parliamentarian to Miami Thursday to meet with community leaders.

Emmanuel Dubourg, a member of parliament and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, met with nearly two dozen Haitian community leaders and immigration advocates at Notre Dame d’Haïti Catholic Church in Little Haïti.

France Chastises Poland On Refugee Policies, Poland Says 'Worry Abut France'

2017-08-25T20:22:00Z

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday Poland was isolating itself within the European Union and Polish citizens “deserve better” than a government at odds with the bloc’s democratic values and economic reform plans.

Macron said Warsaw, where a nationalist, eurosceptic government took office in 2015, was moving in the opposite direction to Europe on numerous issues and would not be able to dictate the path of Europe’s future. Poland rejected the accusations, saying Macron was inexperienced and arrogant.

“Europe is a region created on the basis of values, a relationship with democracy and public freedoms which Poland is today in conflict with,” Macron said in Bulgaria on the third leg of a trip to central and eastern Europe to generate support for his vision of a Europe that better protects its citizens.

Trump's Top Economic Adviser Criticizes White House Over Charlottesville

2017-08-25T17:09:00Z

Gary Cohn, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, has criticized the White House's response to Charlottesville, Virginia, in his first public remarks about the deadly violence earlier this month.

"This administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities," Cohn told the Financial Times.

Texas Says 'Get Out Now' As Hurricane Harvey Strengthens To Category 2

2017-08-25T16:55:00Z

As Hurricane Harvey grows in strength to a Category 2 storm and approaches Texas, local officials have a message to those considering riding out the storm: "Get out now."

The first major hurricane to hit Texas in nearly nine years, labeled by forecasters as a "life-threatening storm," could bring up to three feet of rain, 125 mph winds and 12-foot storm surges.

"If it's 10 feet of water, there's a good chance you will lose electricity," Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb said. "So you'll be on the Island with no [air-conditioning], no water, no electricity. We recommend in the strongest terms that you need to get out now or get to higher ground."

Landfall was predicted for late Friday or early Saturday between Port O'Connor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile stretch of coastline about 70 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.

Former CIA Agent Wants To Buy Twitter, Kick Trump Off

2017-08-25T04:34:00Z

Valerie Plame Wilson, a former CIA operations officer, has launched a campaign to raise money to buy a controlling interest in Twitter so she can shut down President Trump's account on the social media site.

"Twitter is a publicly traded company. Shares = power," her page on the crowdfunding website "GoFundMe" reads. "This GoFundMe will fund the purchase of a controlling interest in Twitter."

According to the former CIA officer, it would cost more than $1 billion to purchase a controlling share of the social media giant.

Email Reportedly Surfaces That Shows Effort To Arrange Putin/Trump Meeting

2017-08-25T01:51:00Z

CNN reported yesterday evening that Congressional investigators in the Russia probe have discovered an email from Trump campaign policy aide Rick Dearborn that is now drawing scrutiny as it shows previously unreported efforts to arrange a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Trump campaign.

26 Confederate Monuments Removed Since Charlottesville

2017-08-24T20:53:00Z

At least 26 Confederate-era monuments have been taken down around the U.S following the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, which started when white nationalists opposing the removal of a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee clashed with counter-protesters, USA Today reports.

Showdown At Berkeley: Violent Leftist Group To Shut Down March Against Marxism

2017-08-24T18:30:00Z

Two weeks after violent clashes in Charlottesville, Va., and one week after violent protests in Boston, another clash is shaping up to take place in Berkeley, Calif.

The well-organized, militant group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) is rallying forces to “shut down” a planned march against Marxism in Berkeley. Berkeley has already been the site of repeated instances of political violence this year, predominantly by aggressive anarchist and Marxist actors.

Clemson Professor Declares All Republicans Racist

2017-08-24T18:13:00Z

A Clemson University professor has declared all Republicans and supporters of Donald Trump to be nothing less than “racist scum” in a bile-filled series of public posts on Facebook. The professor also called for political violence “against white supremacy.”

Bart Knijnenburg, an assistant professor in Human-Centered Computing for Clemson University, expressed his hatred towards Republicans and doubled down when others in his Facebook timeline asked him to clarify his statements, which have since been hidden.

In a report published Wednesday, Campus Reform captured screenshots of his tirade before he made his Facebook account private.

Poll: Majority Says Prejudice Has Increased Since Trump

2017-08-24T18:03:00Z

A majority of voters surveyed think there is more prejudice and hatred in the country since President Trump was elected, according to a new poll.

A Quinnipiac University survey finds 65 percent of voters think the level of hatred and prejudice in the country has increased since Trump's election.

Another 32 percent say it hasn't changed and just 2 percent say it has decreased.

Kim Jong Un Doubles Down On Missiles

2017-08-24T17:53:00Z

Kim Jong Un, placing his foot firmly back on the gas in his war of wills with the United States, reportedly ordered more rocket engines and warhead tips for the rogue regime's ramped-up intercontinental ballistic missile program.

The state's official KCNA news agency released the report stating the dictator ordered increased production after visiting the Chemical Material Institute of the Academy of Defense Science, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

UN Racism Committee Issues Warning Over US Tension

2017-08-24T17:44:00Z

A UN committee tasked with combatting racism has issued a formal "early warning" over conditions in the United States, a rare move often used to signal the potential of a looming civil conflict.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said it had invoked its "early warning and urgent action procedure" because of the proliferation of racist demonstrations in the US.

It specifically noted the unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which a woman was killed after an avowed white supremacist ploughed his car into a group of anti-racism counter protestors.

Cover Up: Charlottesville Shrouds Confederate Statues

2017-08-24T17:37:00Z

Workers in Charlottesville, Va. shrouded statues of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson in black on Wednesday as the city grappled with an outbreak of deadly violence at a white nationalist rally earlier this month.

Workers used ropes, poles and cherry-pickers to hoist what appeared to be a black tarpaulin over both statues as onlookers took photos and video. Some in the crowd surrounding the Lee statue cheered as the cover was put in place.

Teacher's 'Transgender Reveal' Leads To Angry Parents

2017-08-23T19:49:00Z

Angry parents gathered Monday night to protest a California teacher that read transgender books to her kindergarteners and encouraged a clothes-changing demonstration, saying it was inappropriate to vividly portray transgenderism to such young children.

In an alleged attempt to introduce a diversity of opinion, the Rocklin Academy teacher read the kindergarteners two books on transgenderism and let a student reveal her “true identity” by changing clothes in front of the class. To many parents of the kindergarten students, however, the fact that the school board failed to warn them in advance of the teacher’s intentions was unacceptable.

Navy Dismisses Fleet Commander After Deadly Mishap

2017-08-23T19:42:00Z

The U.S. Navy has dismissed the commander of its 7th Fleet from duty after the fleet suffered its second deadly mishap in less than three months.

The Navy cited a loss of confidence in Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin’s ability to command, the Associated Press reported.

News that the decision was imminent was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Feels Strongly Against Anthem Protests

2017-08-23T19:36:00Z

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has previously made it known how he feels about players protesting the national anthem.

During his appearance with Shan and RJ Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan, Jones reiterated his feelings on the matter when asked about the growing number of protests this preseason.

George Foreman Unloads On Colin Kaepernick & Kevin Durant

2017-08-23T19:24:00Z

George Foreman took down Colin Kaepernick and Kevin Durant on a podcast Monday, saying neither the football nor basketball star is patriotic.

Foreman, 68, spoke out on the "Offended America" podcast, offering that those who refuse to stand for the national anthem, like Kaepernick, are just looking for attention.

Dirty De Blasio? NY Times Alleges Personal Email Use, Sought Favors For Donor

2017-08-23T19:16:00Z

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and four aides used personal email accounts to conduct government business and the mayor urged city employees to help his donors, The New York Times reported.

The Times used the New York state's Freedom of Information Law to obtain a copy of a document detailing the actions by the city's Department of Investigation.

Poll: A New Low For Trump's Approval Rating

2017-08-23T19:04:00Z

President Trump's job approval rating has reached a new low following his response to violent clashes at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., according to a new survey.

A Politico/Morning Consult poll finds just 39 percent of voters surveyed approve of the job Trump is doing.

Forty-four percent said they approved of Trump's job performance in the same poll a week ago.

Report: McConnell Doubts Trump Can Save Presidency

2017-08-23T18:56:00Z

The relationship between President Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has disintegrated to the point that they have not spoken to each other in weeks, and Mr. McConnell has privately expressed uncertainty that Mr. Trump will be able to salvage his administration after a series of summer crises.

What was once an uneasy governing alliance has curdled into a feud of mutual resentment and sometimes outright hostility, complicated by the position of Mr. McConnell’s wife, Elaine L. Chao, in Mr. Trump’s cabinet, according to more than a dozen people briefed on their imperiled partnership. Angry phone calls and private badmouthing have devolved into open conflict, with the president threatening to oppose Republican senators who cross him, and Mr. McConnell mobilizing to their defense.

The rupture between Mr. Trump and Mr. McConnell comes at a highly perilous moment for Republicans, who face a number of urgent deadlines when they return to Washington next month. Congress must approve new spending measures and raise the statutory limit on government borrowing within weeks of reconvening, and Republicans are hoping to push through an elaborate rewrite of the federal tax code. There is scant room for legislative error on any front.

Sanctuary City Strikes Back: L.A. Sues Trump Admin. Over Crackdown

2017-08-23T18:02:00Z

Los Angeles officials have sued the federal government over Department of Justice grant application rules that are aimed at cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities, the city attorney said Tuesday.

“We’re filing a lawsuit against the (Donald) Trump administration ... to seek an injunction to block the imposition of unconstitutional civil immigration conditions on a vital crime-fighting grant,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said at a news conference at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

The lawsuit was filed in the Bay Area, where the city also is requesting to join San Francisco and other jurisdictions in litigation against the federal government, officials said. Click here for the full LA Daily News article.

Trump Dossier Figure Questioned Behind Closed Doors

2017-08-23T17:45:00Z

The head of the firm behind the infamous anti-Trump dossier was interviewed for hours behind closed doors Tuesday on Capitol Hill, sources confirmed to Fox News.

Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of investigative firm Fusion GPS, met with staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the committee’s investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election.

A committee spokesperson did not give Fox News any further information on the meeting with Simpson and Judiciary staff, though a source confirmed that Fusion GPS has given the Senate committee over 40,000 documents.

Hillary Clinton Says 'My Skin Crawled' During Debate With Trump

2017-08-23T16:41:00Z

The first excerpts from Hillary Clinton's highly anticipated upcoming memoir revealed Wednesday that the Democratic presidential candidate said her "skin crawled" during a debate with Donald Trump.

In audio clips of Clinton reading from the book, "What Happened," which were first obtained by MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Clinton recounted her thoughts as she toyed with the idea of telling her Republican rival to "back up, you creep" as he stood behind her during the second presidential debate.

"My skin crawled," Clinton said. "It was one of those moments where you wish you could hit pause and ask everyone watching 'well, what would you do?'"

Antifa Site Posts Guide On How To Start Campus Anarchist Clubs

2017-08-23T16:38:00Z

Anarchist and pro-Antifa site Its Going Down published a guide on how to start campus anarchist clubs Tuesday.

The article tells the first-person story of one anarchist college student who started an anarchist group at the University of North Carolina.

“It’s that time of year again, when students head back to school. With the government lurching towards tyranny and fascists killing people on the streets, it has never been more pressing to organize on campuses to promote self-determination and collective defense against oppression,” the author states.

PayPal Forced To Reinstate Conservative Sites After Public Outrage

2017-08-23T16:35:00Z

PayPal reinstated the accounts of two conservative websites it banned after receiving blowback over their decision.

PayPal notified Jihad Watch and the American Freedom Defense Initiative (ADFI) on Monday night that they were reversing the decision to ban their accounts following public outcry.

PayPal originally banned the two conservative sites from using their platform after left-wing organizations – the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – labeled them as “hate sites.”

CNN anchor rants about Trump's sanity as conservative media cheer

2017-08-23T16:32:00Z

As President Donald Trump’s fiery Phoenix campaign rally ended, CNN anchor Don Lemon had an instant reaction: He openly questioned Trump’s fitness for office.

“Well, what do you say to that? I’m just going to speak from the heart here — what we have witnessed is a total eclipse of the facts,” Lemon began, adding: “He’s unhinged. It’s embarrassing.”

That wasn’t all. Lemon thundered on: He compared Trump to a petty 6-year-old who creates imaginary enemies. He said Trump’s speech was “without thought” and “without reason” and “devoid of fact.”

Trump threatens government shutdown over border wall funding

2017-08-23T16:29:00Z

President Trump on Tuesday threatened to shut down the federal government if Congress doesn't present him with a spending bill for the next fiscal year that includes funding for a wall on the southern border.

"The obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it, but believe me, if we have to close down our government, we're building that wall," Trump said at a rally in Phoenix.

Navy to Pause Operations, Review Collisions, With 10 Missing

2017-08-22T15:34:00Z

The U.S. Navy announced a pause in its global operations and patrols and has begun a broad investigation after the destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel, leaving 10 sailors missing, the second such incident in as many months.

The response by the U.S. military signals the Navy believes it needs to examine whether there may be institutional problems behind the deadly collisions.

Navy Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, made the announcement about the operational pause during a nearly four-minute video message posted on Facebook Monday morning.

60 people found in refrigerated trailer at Texas border crossing

2017-08-22T15:30:00Z

Border Patrol agents at a Texas checkpoint found 60 people hiding in a refrigerated tractor-trailer on Saturday.

Agents found 8 Honduras, 22 Guatemalans, 17 Mexicans, and 13 people from El Salvador inside the truck.

The driver, who is a Guatemalan citizen, was arrested at the scene, authorities said.

Secret Service Unable to Pay Agents Due to Trump's Travel

2017-08-22T15:28:00Z

The Secret Service no longer has the funds to pay agents needed to protect President Donald Trump and his large family in their extensive travels, USA Today reported on Monday.

Trump has traveled frequently to his properties in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia, and his adult children have taken numerous vacations and business trips throughout the United States and overseas, travels for which the law requires the Secret Service to provide protection.

CNN recently estimated that Trump is on pace in his first year of office to surpass former President Barack Obama's spending on travel for his entire eight years.

'Give Up The Home You Own': Black Lives Matter Activist Makes List Of 'Requests' For White People

2017-08-22T15:24:00Z

An article for Leo Weekly, titled, “White people, here are 10 requests from a Black Lives Matter leader,” was written by Chanelle Helm, a self-described “cofounder and core organizer of Black Lives Matter Louisville.”

In the post, Helm opens by telling white people, “if you don’t have any descendants, will your property to a black or brown family. Preferably one that lives in generational poverty.”

White people who can “an afford to downsize” are urged to “give up the home you own to a black or brown family.”

WashPost Poll: Majority of Republicans Back Trump's Charlottesville Reaction

2017-08-22T15:22:00Z

Forty-two percent of Americans strongly disapprove of President Donald Trump's comments about the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News.

But a sizeable majority of Republicans back his remarks, according to the poll.

"A majority of self-identified Republicans — more than 6 in 10 — approve of Trump’s response to the protests, according to the Post-ABC poll, while about 2 in 10 disapprove and the same share offer no opinion," the Post reported.

Christopher Columbus monument vandalized in Baltimore

2017-08-22T15:17:00Z

A monument in Baltimore to Christopher Columbus — believed to be the first one erected to the Italian explorer in America — was vandalized.

Baltimore Police said they were looking into the incident, but couldn’t say when the damage took place.

A video posted to YouTube on Monday by a user named “Popular Resistance” shows a man striking the base of the monument near Herring Run Park repeatedly with a sledgehammer. Another person holds a sign that reads: “Racism, tear it down.” Another sign is taped to the monument reading: “The future is racial and economic justice.”

Police are searching for information about the men in the video, as well as whoever filmed it.

Bergdahl chooses to have trial heard by judge and not jury

2017-08-22T15:13:00Z

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has decided be to tried by a judge — not a military jury — on charges that he endangered comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan.

Bergdahl's lawyers told the court in a brief filing last week that their client chose trial by judge alone, rather than a panel of officers. He faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy at his trial scheduled for late October at Fort Bragg. The latter carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Defense attorneys declined to comment on the decision. But they previously questioned whether Bergdahl could get a fair trial by jury because of negative comments President Donald Trump made on the campaign trail.

Arizona's GOP governor to skip Trump rally

2017-08-22T15:10:00Z

Arizona's Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has no plans to attend President Trump's rally in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesman for Ducey told the Arizona Republic he was looking forward to greeting Trump upon his arrival in the state but will not be following him to the campaign-style event.

Ducey's decision to sit out the rally comes amid the president's strained relationship with the state's two Republican senators.

Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) condemned Trump in his new book, “Conscience of a Conservative,” which encourages other Republicans to stand up to the president for the good of the country.

Trump commits U.S. to open-ended Afghanistan war; Taliban vow 'graveyard'

2017-08-22T15:07:00Z

President Donald Trump committed U.S. troops to an open-ended war in Afghanistan, a decision the Afghan government welcomed on Tuesday but which Taliban insurgents warned would make the country a "graveyard for the American empire".

Trump offered few specifics in a speech on Monday but promised a stepped-up military campaign against the Taliban who have gained ground against U.S.-backed Afghan government forces. He also singled out Pakistan for harboring militants in safe havens on its soil.

Trump, who had in the past advocated a U.S. withdrawal, acknowledged he was going against his instincts in approving the new campaign plan sought by his military advisers but said he was convinced that leaving posed more risk.

Millions pour into US towns in path of total eclipse

2017-08-21T18:02:00Z

The "Great American Eclipse," as it is being called, will move diagonally across the country, northwest to southeast, providing a spectacular solar show -- again, weather permitting -- and an excellent excuse for scores of eclipse-viewing parties and music festivals.

It will first be visible in the northwestern state of Oregon at 9:05 am (1605 GMT), with totality there coming 75 minutes later. Oregon authorities say they expect a million people to flood into the state for the event, clogging roadways and overflowing campgrounds, the Oregonian newspaper reported.

In all, about 12 million people living in 14 states will be in the path of totality, with many million others able to witness at least a partial eclipse, according to the American Astronomical Society.

Trump Administration Moves to Expand Deportation Dragnet to Jails

2017-08-21T17:59:00Z

The Trump administration is working with like-minded sheriffs from around the country on a plan to channel illegal immigrants from local jails into federal detention, according to several sheriffs involved in the discussions. If it succeeds, it could vastly expand the dragnet that has already begun to transform immigration enforcement in the United States.

Petition launched to replace Confederate monument with Missy Elliot statue

2017-08-21T17:57:00Z

A petition to replace a Confederate statue in Virginia with a statue of musician Missy Elliott has received over 16,000 signatures.

The Change.org petition proposes to replace the Confederate Monument in Portsmouth, Va. with a statue of Elliott, who is a Portsmouth native.

The petition needs 25,000 signatures to be delivered to the city's mayor and vice mayor, as well city council members.

Chief Obamacare Architect Sacked After Fraudulent Billing Investigation

2017-08-21T17:55:00Z

Vermont’s Attorney General has settled the state’s claims of fraud against Jonathan Gruber, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who served as a technical consultant for President Barack Obama and as one of the chief architects of Obamacare.

Under the terms of the settlement, Gruber will no longer work as a taxpayer-funded economic consultant for the state’s health care system and he won’t seek to be paid any money he might be owed, reports the Rutland Herald, a Vermont newspaper.

Donald Trump to Unveil Afghanistan Strategy in Televised Address Monday

2017-08-21T17:52:00Z

President Donald Trump will give a nationally televised address Monday night to unveil his strategy for the long-running war in Afghanistan, the White House said, a plan expected to include sending as many as 4,000 more troops to the country.

He’ll deliver the prime-time speech from Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., using the same sort of high-profile stage that his predecessor, Barack Obama, employed in laying out a new approach to the war in 2009.

The speech is planned for 9 p.m. EDT.

North Korea warns of 'merciless strike' ahead of US-South Korea drills

2017-08-21T17:49:00Z

North Korea warned Sunday that the upcoming US-South Korea military exercises are "reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war."

Pyongyang also declared that its army can target the United States anytime, and neither Guam, Hawaii nor the US mainland can "dodge the merciless strike."

The messages in Rodong Sinmun, the official government newspaper, come a day before the US starts the Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises with South Korea.

White House Petition To Recognize Antifa As A Terrorist Organization Hits 100k Signatures

2017-08-21T17:47:00Z

The petition to the White House to formally classify Antifa as a terrorist organization has hit 100,000 signatures.

Created by an individual going by the initials “M.A.” on August 17, 2017, the petition calls on the U.S. government to formally recognize the leftist extremist movement, Antifa, as a terrorist organization. The petition was created in response to last weekend’s bloody events in Charlottesville

Jefferson Memorial exhibit update will acknowledge slavery record

2017-08-21T17:44:00Z

An exhibit alongside the nation's chief memorial to Thomas Jefferson will receive an update that reflects "the complexity" of his status as a founder of the United States and a slaveholder, according to stewards of the National Mall.

The decision reflects an acute awareness of the furor currently surrounding Confederate statues across the country. A non-profit group that provides critical support for the National Mall is bracing for similar protests against the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial, although "there has been much broader support for maintaining them," as one official put it. But the Trust for the National Mall, which depends on private donors to fulfill its mission, is getting out in front of the uproar.

Protests erupt from Boston to California as Confederate monument tensions boil over

2017-08-21T17:40:00Z

Tens of thousands counterprotesting a rally purporting to be about free speech swarmed Boston on Saturday, leading to a few conflicts with police and widespread attention from traditional and social media.

A total of 33 arrests were made Saturday in Boston, primarily resulting from disorderly conduct and from alleged assaults against police officers, the Boston Police Department said. Police indicated that some demonstrators were throwing rocks and bottles of urine, but that did not represent the majority of participants, according to Police Commissioner William Evans.

"99.9 percent of the people here were for the right reasons" and participated peacefully, Evans said.

Teen drug overdose rate in US rose 20% in 2015 after years of decline

2017-08-17T19:29:00Z

The number of American teens to die of a drug overdose leapt by almost a fifth in 2015 after seven years of decline, a study by the National Center for Health Statistics has found. The jump in fatalities was driven by heroin and synthetic opioid use and by an increasing number of deaths among teenage girls.

Deaths among teenagers represent a tiny portion of drug overdose deaths nationally – less than 2%.

FBI has 'reopened' case on search for Lynch-Clinton tarmac meeting records

2017-08-17T19:25:00Z

The FBI has "reopened" its consideration of a request for records on the infamous 2016 tarmac meeting between then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton, the group behind that request told Fox News.

American Center for Law and Justice President Jay Sekulow called the development a “positive sign,” in an interview Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”

Sekulow said the FBI sent him a letter saying it had reopened his Freedom of Information Act request for documents related to the June 2016 meeting. At first, the FBI and DOJ said they did not have documents detailing the tarmac meet-up, before recently releasing a batch of emails. They are now searching for more records.

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Rosie O'Donnell: You're a 'Nazi' if you work with 'Adolf Trump'

2017-08-17T19:22:00Z

If you "stand" with President Trump then you're a Nazi, according to Rosie O'Donnell.

The comedian took her frustrations to Twitter saying anyone who "stands" or "works" with "Adolf Trump" is a Nazi.

"if u stand next 2 and work with adolf trump - yes u f--king are a nazi," O'Donnell tweeted Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Poll: 31% of Americans Think Trump Supports White Nationalism

2017-08-17T19:17:00Z

Thirty-one percent of Americans say that President Donald Trump supports white nationalism, while only 22 percent say he opposes it, according to a HuffPost/YouGov poll released on Wednesday.

Twenty-four percent said Trump does not have a strong opinion either way on white nationalism, while an additional 24 percent were not sure what the president thinks on the subject.

The survey was taken after Trump's comments on Monday in which he named white supremacists as a hate group, but almost entirely before his press conference Tuesday, in which he assigned blame for the violence in Charlottesville to both the white supremacist rally and the counter-protesters.

This article originally appeared on NewsMax.com.

California is No. 1 haven for hate groups, report says

2017-08-17T19:12:00Z

The states with the highest number of hate groups may not be the areas of the country that many people would assume.

California ranks highest among the 50 states, with nearly 80 different hate groups calling the Golden State home, says a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Most of the groups are concentrated in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay area and the Sacramento region, the report says.

Data show the western half of the U.S. has significantly fewer hate groups than the East Coast, the report says, but California -- the nation's most populous state -- easily has the highest number of hate groups operating within its borders.

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Bannon calls far right 'clowns,' says enemies are 'wetting themselves,' in rare interview

2017-08-17T18:57:00Z

White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon opened up in a rare interview published Wednesday by a left-leaning magazine, dismissing some of his enemies in Washington while calling the far-right elements of the Republican party “a collection of clowns.”

Bannon, the former executive chair of Breitbart, called a reporter with the magazine The American Prospect.

“Ethno-nationalism – it’s losers. It’s a fringe element,” Bannon said. “I think the media plays it up too much, and we gotta help crush it, you know, uh, help crush it more.”

He added, “These guys are a collection of clowns.”

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Special counsel's Russia probe loses top FBI investigator

2017-08-17T18:53:00Z

One of the FBI's top investigators, tapped by special counsel Robert Mueller just weeks ago to help lead the probe of Russian meddling in last year's presidential election, has left Mueller’s team, sources tell ABC News.

The recent departure of FBI veteran Peter Strzok is the first known hitch in a secretive probe that by all public accounts is charging full-steam ahead. Just last week, news surfaced that Mueller's team had executed a search warrant at the Virginia home of Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.

This article originally appeared on ABCNews.com.

Sessions rails against Chicago during visit to Miami

2017-08-17T18:50:00Z

Attorney General Jeff Sessions railed against Chicago’s sanctuary city policy Wednesday in a speech meant to praise Miami-Dade County's collaboration with federal immigration authorities.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez (R) ended the city’s sanctuary policy in February, allowing local law enforcement agencies to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers.

“Unfortunately, some cities — like Chicago — refuse to follow your example,” said Sessions.

Sessions linked Chicago's murder rate to its refusal to honor ICE detainers.

“In Chicago — a city with almost exactly the same 2.7 million person population as Miami-Dade — more than 433 people have been murdered since the beginning of the year. More than three times as many as Miami-Dade,” said Sessions.

This article originally appeared on TheHill.com.

North Korea's nukes are not the only weapon in its arsenal

2017-08-17T18:45:00Z

Amid the stunning revelations of advancements in North Korea's nuclear missile program, experts say there's another weapon in Pyongyang’s arsenal the world should keep a close eye on.

Kim Jong Un’s military has been collecting large stockpiles of nerve agents, such as sarin and VX, that could target U.S. military bases in the region and large cities like Seoul and Tokyo, according to a new report.

“Nuclear weapons are not the only threat,” Kelsey Davenport, director of non-proliferation policy for the Arms Control Association told the McClatchy Washington Bureau. “North Korea could respond to a U.S. attack using chemical weapons. That would be devastating.”

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Boom: Confidence in Trump economy nearly doubles

2017-08-16T19:44:00Z

The "positive feelings" most Americans feel in the economy since Donald Trump became president has "jumped," and many can actually cite the improvements in their personal finances since the Inauguration, according to a new survey.

The swing in confidence in the latest Economist/YouGov survey was due in part to the shift in attitudes among Republicans, while Democrats haven't abruptly changed their views much since Barack Obama was president.

The survey found that those who view the economy getting better has nearly doubled under Trump, up to 30 percent from 17 percent a year ago.

This article originally appeared on WashingtonExaminer.com.

Consumers are shopping, showing economy may be stronger than expected

2017-08-16T19:37:00Z

July's surprisingly strong retail sales relieved some of the fears that the real cause of sluggish inflation this year is a weakness in the U.S. consumer.

The 0.6 percent jump in July retail sales was the best in seven months and is expected to bump economists' GDP targets for the third quarter. June headline retail sales were revised from a decline of 0.2 percent to an increase of 0.3 percent.

Third quarter GDP has been tracking around 2.8 percent, according to CNBC/Moody Analytic's rapid update. Barclays economists on Tuesday bumped up their tracking estimate for both second and third quarter GDP by 0.1 point following the data, and now expect 2.6 percent growth in each.

This article originally appeared on CNBC.com.

CEOs give mixed marks to Trump on the economy

2017-08-16T19:34:00Z

U.S. stocks have risen broadly since President Donald Trump’s November election, in large part on optimism that his administration would push through legislation that would stoke consumer demand and support companies through deregulation. That optimism persists more than six months into Trump’s term, even if there have been few signs of tangible progress on these issues.

That conclusion comes courtesy of Goldman Sach’s “Beige Book,” a quarterly examination of how management teams for S&P 500 SPX, +0.38% companies are reacting to the economic environment.

“Many executives noted that sentiment and growth expectations continue to be optimistic, but few managers have seen them manifesting in higher demand,” the report read. “Some companies highlighted a distinct change in mindset among their clients. Others expressed optimism about the prospect of accelerating economic growth, but noted that they have not yet seen a notable pickup in activity.”

This article originally appeared on MarketWatch.com.

Networks Spend 77 Percent of Evening News on Wild Trump Presser

2017-08-16T18:46:00Z

In a jaw dropping spectacle in the lobby of Trump Tower on Tuesday, the President went off on the media while ranting about his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. Trump stepped in it when he appeared to defend the alt-right and double1d down on his original comments from Saturday. The presentation was originally supposed to be the unveiling of an infrastructure proposal that would overhaul the system.

The Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) could not get enough of Trump’s fiery and furious tirade as he went to battle with the press. And their evening news broadcasts later that day were commanded by the coverage of Trump. Minus their commercials and teasers, the total air time the networks set aside for all their news coverage combined was 58 minutes and 38 seconds. Of that total time, they spent 45 minutes and 31 seconds on Trump’s wild press conference (77.6 percent).

This article originally appeared on Newsbusters.com.

About 1 in 4 Americans would follow Trump to the end -- about the same share that totally rejects him

2017-08-16T18:45:00Z

Donald Trump famously said early in the 2016 campaign that he could "stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose voters." For about 1 in 4 Americans, that just might be true, a new poll indicates.

Asked if they could "think of anything that Trump could do, or fail to do, in his term as president that would make you disapprove of the job he is doing," about 60% of Trump supporters said no, according to a new nationwide poll released by Monmouth University in New Jersey.

This article originally appeared on LATimes.com.

Daily Caller: Hope Hicks To Be Named White House Comms Director

2017-08-16T18:33:00Z

Hope Hicks will be named the new White House communications director, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

President Trump has offered the job to Hicks and she has accepted the position, according to a White House insider.

This article originally appeared on DailyCaller.com.

American Bar Association Wants to Let Undocumented Immigrants Practice Law

2017-08-16T18:30:00Z

On Monday, The American Bar Association’s House of Delegates passed a resolution demanding that Congress let undocumented immigrants practice law. The bar suggests that lawmakers should add this block of text, written by the ABA’s Law Student Division, to 8 U.S.C. 5 § 1621(d):

A state court vested with exclusive authority to regulate admission to the bar may, by rule, order, or other affirmative act, permit an undocumented alien seeking legal status to obtain a professional license to practice law in that jurisdiction.

This article originally appeared on LawNewz.com.

Black lawmakers say Confederate statues should come out of Capitol

2017-08-16T18:28:00Z

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are reviving calls to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol following the violence at a white nationalist rally in Virginia.

The “Unite the Right” rally of white supremacists and subsequent clash with counter-protesters began as a protest against the Charlottesville city council’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.

Since the rally, other localities have moved to take down Confederate statues — and some lawmakers think the Capitol should consider following suit.

This article originally appeared on TheHill.com.

Lincoln Memorial defaced with explicit graffiti

2017-08-16T18:23:00Z

Authorities in the nation's capital are searching for a vandal after the Lincoln Memorial was spray painted with explicit graffiti early Tuesday.

The National Park Service said it was working to remove the graffiti after it was discovered at about 4:30 a.m., FOX 5 DC reported.

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Illegal immigrant in Utah who was deported raped 7-year-old girl 'thousands of times,' police say

2017-08-16T18:19:00Z

An illegal immigrant who returned to the country after being deported to Mexico is accused of raping a 7-year-old girl “thousands of times.”

Victor Francisco Michel-Lara, 32, of Cedar City, Utah was arrested Sunday and faces first-degree felony charges of rape of a child, according to his arrest report. He was also placed on an immigration detainer.

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

North Korea is executing, torturing and enslaving those who practice religion, US says in new report

2017-08-16T18:13:00Z

The North Korean regime has continued to position itself as one of the world’s worst persecutors of the religious, torturing and killing people who practice their faith, according to a State Department report released Tuesday.

The 2016 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom determined that the government led by dictator Kim Jong Un continues to delineate brutal punishments for those who engage in faith-bound acts outside of worshipping the country’s leadership. The punishment includes “executions, torture, beatings and arrests.”

This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com.

Trump praises N.Korean leader's decision not to fire missiles towards Guam

2017-08-16T18:10:00Z

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a "wise" decision not to fire missiles towards the U.S. territory of Guam, which has eased escalating tension between the two countries.

Reclusive North Korea has made no secret of its plan to develop a missile capable of firing a nuclear warhead at the United States to counter what it perceives as constant U.S. threats of invasion.

This article originally appeared on Reuters.com

University of San Francisco to host blacks-only student orientation

2017-08-15T22:22:00Z

The University of San Francisco this week is scheduled to host a segregated orientation dedicated to black students, a program that takes place in addition to its standard welcoming activities for all students.

The Black Student Orientation is slated for Aug. 18, the day prior to the university’s New Student Orientation.

The day-long event–billed as having been “designed by Black students, faculty, and staff to welcome new Black students to the USF Black Experience”–will “address the specific and particular needs of African American/Black students at USF,” according to the school’s website.

The program includes workshops such as “Community Building” and “Creating a 4 Year Plan.”

The College Fix reached out to Kim Harris, assistant director of orientation programs at the private, Catholic institution, to ask if the school provides any other ethnic-based orientation programs.

The article originally appeared on The College Fix.

Using emojis makes other people think you are incompetent, research finds

2017-08-15T22:17:00Z

In a world where face to face conversations are becoming increasingly rare, it may be tempting to try and soften the blow of a harsh message or a difficult request with a "smiley".

But you might want to think twice before you try and lighten the tone, as the digital image of a smiling face can have the opposite effect to an actual smile for the person on the receiving end, researchers have found.

Emojis, a popular way to replicate non-verbal communication, are used six billion times a day and have been described as the fastest growing language in history.

Concluding that "a smiley is not a smile", academics have even warned that peppering an email with emojis could harm your job prospects by making colleagues less likely to share information with you.

A happy emoji pointing at its head making a crazy gesture CREDIT: ALAMY

The effect can be so damaging that people are advised to avoid them at work all together, especially the first time you talk to someone.

The article originally appeared in The Telegraph.

Clinton email case far from closure as FBI hands over more classified documents to State

2017-08-15T22:10:00Z

The Hillary Clinton email fiasco isn’t ending anytime soon, with State Department officials saying they have no idea when they will finish sorting though and releasing the previously hidden messages.

More classified documents that the former secretary of state improperly handled keep coming to light.

The Trump administration doesn’t even know if it has hunted down every trace of the emails that Mrs. Clinton — a former first lady, U.S. senator, top diplomat and Democratic presidential nominee — sent from a secret email server stashed in her home.

“At this time, we do not have an estimate for completion of processing all of these documents,” a State Department official told The Washington Times.

In February 2016, the State Department completed a review of the roughly 30,000 emails that Mrs. Clinton turned over in December 2014, nearly two years after she left office.

The FBI last summer gave the State Department tens of thousands of additional emails from its investigation, which the department continues to process pursuant to court orders.

This article originally appeared in The Washington Times.

Black Lives Matter Wants To OUTLAW Confederate Groups And Flags Now

2017-08-15T21:52:00Z

The official Twitter account of Black Lives Matter and the organization’s Chicago branch have announced that all Confederate groups, flags and statues “should be illegal” in the United States.

Government officials should look to Germany’s decision to outlaw “the Nazis, their symbols, salutes” and flags after World War II, the racial activist group says.

The Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter issued two tweets on Monday afternoon related to Confederate symbolism.

The official Black Lives Matter Twitter account then retweeted the Chicago branch’s messages to all 252,000 of its followers.

Some 460 Twitter users have liked the Black Lives Matter tweet that calls for a ban on Confederate groups and symbolism similar to Germany’s ban on Nazi symbolism.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Caller.

California sues DOJ over threats to withhold federal funds to sanctuary cities

2017-08-15T21:48:00Z

California is suing the Trump administration for threatening to withhold funds for sanctuary cities, accusing the Justice Department of “pure intimidation” and arguing the state – not the federal government – should be the one to allocate its law enforcement resources.

"When President Trump threatened to defund our local law enforcement's ability to do its job and protect our people, he picked the wrong fight," state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said.

California, which could lose more than $28 million, is the first state in the nation to sue over sanctuary city restrictions on public safety grants.

“It’s a low blow to our brave men and women who wear the badge, and to the communities they serve,” Becerra said, when announcing the lawsuit.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed his own lawsuit against the DOJ, arguing the government is trying to unfairly force the city’s hand.

“These conditions do not appear in any federal statue, and they do not reflect the will of Congress in appropriating funds,” the lawsuit said. “To the contrary, the new conditions are simply the latest attempt by the Trump administration to coerce state and local jurisdictions into carrying out the federal government’s immigration enforcement priorities.”

This article originally appeared on Fox News.

Report: FBI, DHS Warned of Growing Threats From White Supremacists in May

2017-08-15T21:40:00Z

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned of growing threats from individuals involved with the white supremacists movement months ago, Foreign Policy reported Monday.

"We assess lone actors and small cells within the white supremacist movement likely will continue to pose a threat of lethal violence over the next year," the FBI and DHS said in a joint intelligence bulletinpublished in mid-May.

The report comes two days after a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., turned violent when white supremacists clashed with counter-protestors over the planned removal of a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. One person died after a car plowed into a crowd in the city's downtown area and two state troopers who were monitoring the clash were killed in a helicopter crash.

The article originally appeared on Newsmax.

Charlottesville violence fuels new push to remove Confederate statues, symbols

2017-08-15T21:34:00Z

Simmering efforts to remove Confederate statues in cities across the country have been reignited in the wake of last weekend’s deadly clashes at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

State and local lawmakers are pointing to that rally – during which one counter-protester was killed in a car attack, 19 were injured and two state police officers died in a chopper crash – to push anew for the removal or even the destruction of Confederate-era symbols.

In Kentucky, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said Saturday he would start the process to remove two Confederate monuments from the city’s courthouse.

“We have thoroughly examined this issue, and heard from many of our citizens,” Gray said in a statement. “The tragic events in Charlottesville today have accelerated the announcement I intended to make next week.”

Gray said he will ask the Lexington-Fayette County Urban County Council to begin the removal process by formally asking a state military commission for permission to take down statues of John Hunt Morgan (a Confederate general) and John C. Breckinridge (Confederate secretary of war and former U.S. vice president).

While some champion these calls, an expanded push to remove the symbols could also lead to more clashes.

Two white nationalists seen outside the Charlottesville courthouse Monday morning told Fox News they would be heading to Lexington on Tuesday to make their presence known.

The article originally appeared on Fox News.

New Trump campaign emails show efforts to set up Russia meetings: report

2017-08-15T21:29:00Z

New emails from President Trump’s campaign obtained by The Washington Post show that one staff member on multiple occasions tried to set up meetings between campaign and Russian officials.

The Post in a report published Monday detailed the emails sent by George Papadopoulos, who was a volunteer on Trump’s campaign, from March through September of last year.

Papadopoulos in April told Trump’s campaign manager at the time, Corey Lewandowski, that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to “host the Trump team when the time is right.”

Several Trump officials, including Paul Manafort, who served as Trump’s campaign chairman, expressed concern over the proposed meetings.

Other officials who raised concerns over Papadopoulos’s proposals to meet with with Russian officials include the Trump campaign’s co-chairman, Sam Clovis, and Navy Rear Adm. Charles Kubic.

Papadopoulos also passed on an exchange with the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), which conveyed that the Russian foreign ministry was receptive to Trump making a trip to Russia.

An official with the Council confirmed that a discussion about a U.S.-Russia dialogue “informally” occurred.

This article originally appeared in The Hill.

North Korean ruler stands down on threat to Guam

2017-08-15T21:20:00Z

North Korea’s autocratic ruler has decided not to launch missiles toward Guam, Pyongyang’s state media reported Tuesday, easing the immediate threat of an attack on the U.S. territory in the western Pacific.

The North Korean statement said Kim Jong Un could change his mind “if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions,” in which case the country’s artillerymen would “wring the windpipes of the Yankees and point daggers at their necks.”

The announcement appeared shortly after Defense Secretary James N. Mattis warned that an attack could quickly escalate to war, although it’s unclear if the developments were linked.

“If they fire at the United States it could escalate into war very quickly,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. “That’s called war, if they shoot at us ... You don’t shoot at people in this world unless you want to bear the consequences.”

Mattis cited a classic Hollywood political satire about nuclear war to say he wasn't drawing red lines or making idle threats to spark a confrontation.

“It’s not declaring war — it’s not that I’m over here, Dr. Strangelove, doing things like that,” he said.

North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last month for the first time, and U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Pyongyang can build a nuclear warhead small enough to fit atop a long-range missile, although it's not clear if it can target U.S. cities.

This article originally appeared in the L.A. Times.

One in eight American adults is an alcoholic, study says

2017-08-14T19:29:00Z

A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry this month finds that the rate of alcohol use disorder, or what's colloquially known as “alcoholism,” rose by a shocking 49 percent in the first decade of the 2000s.

One in eight American adults, or 12.7 percent of the U.S. population, now meets diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder, according to the study.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 88,000 people a year die of alcohol-related causes, more than twice the annual death toll of opiate overdose.

How did the study's authors judge who counts as “an alcoholic”?

The study's data comes from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a nationally representative survey administered by the National Institutes of Health. Survey respondents were considered to have alcohol use disorder if they met widely used diagnostic criteria for either alcohol abuse or dependence.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Post

Nuclear war with North Korea not 'imminent,' Trump administration officials say

2017-08-14T19:27:00Z

Top Trump administration officials sought to assure Americans on Sunday that the nation is not on the brink of nuclear war with North Korea, despite the president's recent threats.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster and Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo said an attack by North Korea does not appear imminent, and that the threat of war is no closer today than it was last week.

"I think we’re not closer to war than a week ago, but we are closer to war than we were a decade ago," McMaster said on ABC's This Week. "The danger is much greater and is growing every day, with every missile test, with the consideration of possibly a sixth nuclear test. And so what we can no longer do is afford to procrastinate."

This article originally appeared in USA Today.

Korea tensions ease slightly as U.S. officials play down war risks

2017-08-14T19:15:00Z

Tension on the Korean peninsula eased slightly on Monday as South Korea's president said resolving North Korea's nuclear ambitions must be done peacefully and U.S. officials played down the risk of an imminent war.

Concern that North Korea is close to achieving its goal of putting the mainland United States within range of a nuclear weapon has caused tension to spike in recent months.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned last week that the U.S. military was "locked and loaded" if North Korea acted unwisely after threatening to land missiles in the sea near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

This article originally appeared on Reuters.

Marshawn Lynch Sits During National Anthem

2017-08-14T19:13:00Z

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat during the national anthem Saturday evening prior to a National Football League pre-season game against the Arizona Cardinals.

It is unclear if Lynch was protesting a particular cause, but head coach Jack Del Rio was quick to say that he was not.

“I talked to Marshawn, I wanted to make sure we’re on the same page,” Del Rio told reporters following the game. “He said this is something I’ve done for eleven years, it’s not a form of anything other than me being myself.”

“I said just so you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem, but I’m gonna respect you as a man,” Del Rio said he told Lynch. “You do your thing, and we’ll do ours.”

This article originally appeared on the Daily Caller.

Report: Venezuela Targeted Marco Rubio for Assassination

2017-08-14T19:11:00Z

A Homeland Security memo last month outlined a death threat from Venezuela against Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. – an "order to have Sen. Rubio assassinated," according to U.S. intelligence – The Miami Herald reported Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Newsmax.

Report: Bill de Blasio is putting out feelers for a 2020 presidential campaign

2017-08-14T19:08:00Z

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is considering throwing his hat in the ring for the 2020 presidential election, the New York Post’s Page Six reported.

De Blasio’s strategy will focus on convincing progressives he is the best person to run for the seat. Age will be a vital talking point for the 56-year-old New York City mayor, who will argue Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 75, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), 68, are too old to seek the White House.

This article originally appeared on The Blaze.

Trump approval at 45%, GOP base 'steady' at 76 percent, independents returning

2017-08-14T18:56:00Z

President Trump's approval rating is on the rise, thanks to "steady" support from Republican voters, his base that some have suggested are abandoning the White House.

Both Rasmussen Reports and Zogby Analytics put the president's approval rating at 45 percent.

The latest Zogby Analytics survey said that more than three-quarters of Republicans are sticking with the president.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Examiner.

McMaster Can't Say If He Can Work Alongside Bannon

2017-08-14T18:54:00Z

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster couldn’t say Sunday whether he can work alongside White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Over the past few weeks, there have been several negative stories about McMaster, which his allies have attributed to efforts led by Bannon. Bannon and McMaster have an internal disagreement over what to do in the war in Afghanistan. Bannon wants to reduce American military involvement and McMaster wants to deploy more troops, a source familiar with the situation told The Daily Caller.

The national security adviser was asked three times on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether he can work with Bannon and his answers dodged the questions.

This article originally appeared on dailycaller.com.

Trump declares national emergency on opioid abuse

2017-08-14T18:52:00Z

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency and said his administration was drafting papers to make it official.

"The opioid crisis is an emergency and I'm saying officially right now it is an emergency," Trump told reporters in New Jersey. "We're going to draw it up and we're going to make it a national emergency. It is a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had."

This article originally appeared on reuters.com.

NYT: Mueller Seeks to Interview Priebus, Other WH Officials in Russia Probe

2017-08-14T18:50:00Z

Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the Department of Justice's Russia probe, is looking to speak with White House officials — including former chief of staff Reince Priebus — as he continues to probe whether President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia.

The New York Times cites three sources who said Mueller is in talks with the White House regarding his desire to speak with current and former members of the White House staff.

This article originally appeared on newsmax.com.

Trump returns to Washington with target on China, amid Charlottesville turmoil

2017-08-14T18:48:00Z

President Trump returns to Washington Monday in the middle of a 17-day vacation to increase pressure on China over its trade policies, as he faces continued bipartisan calls to speak out more forcefully against the hate groups involved in deadly weekend clashes in Charlottesville.

The president tweeted about his to-do list Monday morning.

“Much work to do. Focus on trade and military,” he said, before issuing a more specific warning on trade:

“The Obstructionist Democrats have given us (or not fixed) some of the worst trade deals in World History. I am changing that fast!”

The president on Monday afternoon is planning to sign an executive order asking his trade office to consider a trade investigation of China for the alleged theft of American technology and intellectual property.

The push comes as Trump seeks Beijing's help on North Korea.

This article originally appeared on foxnews.com.

Maxine Waters Blames Trump for White Nationalist Riots: Your Side, Not Many Sides

2017-08-14T18:45:00Z

Rep. Maxine Waters lashed out at President Trump on Sunday, blaming him for the white nationalist rioters who left the nation reeling after they descended upon Charlottesville, VA on Saturday.

One woman was left dead and dozens more injured as a riot over the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee turned ugly and violent when white supremacist groups clashed with law enforcement and counter-protesters.

Then-candidate Trump "encouraged violence against protesters at rallies. We should not be surprised," Waters tweeted.

Trump came under fire by critics on both sides of the aisle for not calling the alt-right activists and neo-Nazis in Virginia white nationalists in his condemnation of them at a press conference and on Twitter yesterday.

This article originally appeared on insider.foxnews.com.

White House clarifies: We condemn all violence

2017-08-14T18:42:00Z

On Sunday, the White House was forced to clarify that President Trump "condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred" in a statement following up on the Saturday protests in Charlottesville, Va.

"Of course" the president condemns violence by "white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups," a White House spokesperson said in a statement.

Trump the previous day declined to name the groups behind the rally, instead blaming "hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides — on many sides."

"The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred," the White House clarified on Sunday. "He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together."

The official statement comes after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle blamed Trump for failing to take a strong enough stand in a statement that followed a day of violence that left multiple people injured and three dead — one due to a car mowing down protesters and two others in a helicopter crash.

This article originally appeared on thehill.com.

Federal civil rights probe launched into fatal Charlottesville crash

2017-08-14T18:34:00Z

The federal government has opened a civil rights investigation into the vehicular rampage that killed one woman and injured 19 other people during Saturday’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement Saturday night to announce the probe.

“The Richmond FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of the deadly vehicular incident that occurred earlier Saturday morning,” Sessions said in the statement. “The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence, and as this is an ongoing investigation we are not able to comment further at this time.”

James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Ohio, has been arrested in connection with the fatal crash, authorities said. The rally was organized by right-wing blogger Jason Kessler, who wanted to protest Charlottesville’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park.

This article originally appeared on foxnews.com