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Donald Trump Reacts to FISA Memo Release: A Lot of People Should Be Ashamed	2018-02-02	[ "President Donald Trump said the details of the declassified Congressional FISA memo pointed to a “disgrace.”", "“I think it’s terrible, you want to know the truth, I think it’s a disgrace what’s going on in this country … a lot of people should be ashamed,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.", "The president kept his statements vague and did not call out any specific names of people in the Justice Department or political figures.", "Trump distanced himself from the release of the memo, saying it was ultimately up to Congress to decide what to do with the document.", "“Whatever they do is fine, it was declassified, and we’ll see what happens,” he said. “A lot of people should be ashamed.”", "Trump ignored questions about whether or not he supported FBI officials mentioned in the memo.", "“When you look at that and you see that and so many other things, what’s going on, a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves,” he said." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/02/02/donald-trump-reacts-fisa-memo-release-lot-people-ashamed/	Donald Trump Reacts to FISA Memo Release: A Lot of People Should Be Ashamed President Donald Trump said the details of the declassified Congressional FISA memo pointed to a “disgrace.” “I think it’s terrible, you want to know the truth, I think it’s a disgrace what’s going on in this country … a lot of people should be ashamed,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. The president kept his statements vague and did not call out any specific names of people in the Justice Department or political figures. Trump distanced himself from the release of the memo, saying it was ultimately up to Congress to decide what to do with the document. “Whatever they do is fine, it was declassified, and we’ll see what happens,” he said. “A lot of people should be ashamed.” Trump ignored questions about whether or not he supported FBI officials mentioned in the memo. “When you look at that and you see that and so many other things, what’s going on, a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.
Mail-In Votes Discarded, Never Counted in Baltimore Election Due to Error	2020-06-03	[ "Mail-in votes in a local Baltimore, Maryland, election were discarded and not counted due to a ballot error, officials say.", "On Tuesday evening, voters went to the polls in Baltimore city elections — including the race in City Council District 1 where incumbent Democrat Zeke Cohen faced a challenge from Democrat Paris Bienert.", "The race, though, ended in disarray when a ballot error caused mail-in votes to be thrown out and not counted, according to the Baltimore Sun:", "Both Democrat candidates complained about the election error and suggested the state needed to be more transparent about what exactly occurred that led to the mail-in votes going uncounted.", "The error impacted the results of the City Council District 1 race and a Baltimore Circuit Court Judge race, state officials told the Baltimore Sun.", "Other states have dealt with severe election errors in their quest to expand mail-in voting. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, state officials admitted that duplicate ballots had been mailed out to registered voters ahead of their election.", "Likewise, in elections across Wisconsin, at least 30,000 mail-in votes were counted after election day and thousands of mail-in votes were thrown out due to postmark issues, missing voter signatures, and missing witness signatures.", "Federal data obtained by Breitbart News has revealed about 28.4 million mail-in ballots sent to individuals on state voter rolls have gone missing since the 2012 election.", "Recent data has not shown a compelling public health justification for mail-in voting. In Wisconsin’s recent election, only 52 of more than 400,000 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus after participating either as voters or poll workers, and none of those cases were fatal.", "Out of the 413,000 participants, that equals an infection rate below two-hundredths of one percent." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/06/03/mail-in-votes-discarded-never-counted-in-baltimore-election-due-to-error/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook	Mail-In Votes Discarded, Never Counted in Baltimore Election Due to Error Mail-in votes in a local Baltimore, Maryland, election were discarded and not counted due to a ballot error, officials say. On Tuesday evening, voters went to the polls in Baltimore city elections — including the race in City Council District 1 where incumbent Democrat Zeke Cohen faced a challenge from Democrat Paris Bienert. The race, though, ended in disarray when a ballot error caused mail-in votes to be thrown out and not counted, according to the Baltimore Sun: Both Democrat candidates complained about the election error and suggested the state needed to be more transparent about what exactly occurred that led to the mail-in votes going uncounted. The error impacted the results of the City Council District 1 race and a Baltimore Circuit Court Judge race, state officials told the Baltimore Sun. Other states have dealt with severe election errors in their quest to expand mail-in voting. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, state officials admitted that duplicate ballots had been mailed out to registered voters ahead of their election. Likewise, in elections across Wisconsin, at least 30,000 mail-in votes were counted after election day and thousands of mail-in votes were thrown out due to postmark issues, missing voter signatures, and missing witness signatures. Federal data obtained by Breitbart News has revealed about 28.4 million mail-in ballots sent to individuals on state voter rolls have gone missing since the 2012 election. Recent data has not shown a compelling public health justification for mail-in voting. In Wisconsin’s recent election, only 52 of more than 400,000 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus after participating either as voters or poll workers, and none of those cases were fatal. Out of the 413,000 participants, that equals an infection rate below two-hundredths of one percent.
Mexico Cracks Down on Cartel Highway Robberies near Border	2017-04-21	[ "MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — In an attempt to save the Holy Week tourist season, Mexican authorities deployed multiple operations along highways that connect this border city with the rest of the state. Businessmen are asking the government that operations become permanent.", "As Breitbart Texas reported, the highways of this state are used by cartel gunmen to carry out various robberies against motorists and passenger buses. The crimes have targeted vehicles with license plates from other Mexican states.", "The police activities began at the start of Holy Week when federal police officers started an operation called “Co-Pilot”, aimed at stopping bus hijackings. The plan calls for an officer to travel on board like a common passenger while a patrol would follow from a distance.", "Federal authorities have also increased their patrolling to keep tourism from diminishing after constant attacks from cartel members. Another program is the use of a phone app called PF-Movil, where the user can monitor the highways and includes a line to reach the nearest agent in case of emergency.", "During the operations, there were no reports of vehicular traffic being affected by organized crime. Various business leaders asked Mexican authorities to implement the various operations in a permanent fashion as a result.", "Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “J.A. Espinoza” from Matamoros, Tamaulipas." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/04/21/mexico-cracks-cartel-highway-robberies-near-border/	Mexico Cracks Down on Cartel Highway Robberies near Border MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — In an attempt to save the Holy Week tourist season, Mexican authorities deployed multiple operations along highways that connect this border city with the rest of the state. Businessmen are asking the government that operations become permanent. As Breitbart Texas reported, the highways of this state are used by cartel gunmen to carry out various robberies against motorists and passenger buses. The crimes have targeted vehicles with license plates from other Mexican states. The police activities began at the start of Holy Week when federal police officers started an operation called “Co-Pilot”, aimed at stopping bus hijackings. The plan calls for an officer to travel on board like a common passenger while a patrol would follow from a distance. Federal authorities have also increased their patrolling to keep tourism from diminishing after constant attacks from cartel members. Another program is the use of a phone app called PF-Movil, where the user can monitor the highways and includes a line to reach the nearest agent in case of emergency. During the operations, there were no reports of vehicular traffic being affected by organized crime. Various business leaders asked Mexican authorities to implement the various operations in a permanent fashion as a result. Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “J.A. Espinoza” from Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
WA Senate Passes Bill Keeping Trump off Ballot Until He Releases Taxes	2019-03-17	[ "The Washington state Senate passed a measure this week that would keep President Trump’s name from appearing on the 2020 presidential election ballot until he makes his tax returns available to the public.", "CBS News reported that the bill, which passed in a 28-21 vote and is headed to the state House for consideration, would require all presidential candidates who wish to appear on the ballot in the state to publicly release five years of tax returns before the state would allow them to appear on a primary or general election ballot.", "The Democrats supporting the bill argued that the measure is necessary because it forces presidential candidates to release their tax returns.", "“Although releasing tax returns has been the norm for about the last 40 years in presidential elections, unfortunately we’ve seen that norm broken,” said Sen. Patty Kuderer, the Democrat who sponsored the bill.", "Republican lawmakers, however, have warned that the state could be putting itself at risk for legal challenges for trying to enact rules “on a federal election.”", "“We’re on really risky ground when we’re trying to place conditions on a federal election,” said Republican Sen. Hans Zeiger.", "Other state legislatures have also proposed similar bills calling for candidates to release their tax returns.", "New Jersey’s state senate passed a similar measure and is currently up for consideration in the state’s general assembly.", "Democrats have been calling for Trump to release his tax returns since the 2016 election when Trump decided not to release his tax returns.", "Trump said at the time that he had been under audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).", "Since congressional Democrats took back the House, they have vowed to make Trump’s tax returns a subject of scrutiny." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/17/washington-senate-passes-bill-keeping-trump-off-2020-ballot-until-he-releases-tax-returns/	WA Senate Passes Bill Keeping Trump off Ballot Until He Releases Taxes The Washington state Senate passed a measure this week that would keep President Trump’s name from appearing on the 2020 presidential election ballot until he makes his tax returns available to the public. CBS News reported that the bill, which passed in a 28-21 vote and is headed to the state House for consideration, would require all presidential candidates who wish to appear on the ballot in the state to publicly release five years of tax returns before the state would allow them to appear on a primary or general election ballot. The Democrats supporting the bill argued that the measure is necessary because it forces presidential candidates to release their tax returns. “Although releasing tax returns has been the norm for about the last 40 years in presidential elections, unfortunately we’ve seen that norm broken,” said Sen. Patty Kuderer, the Democrat who sponsored the bill. Republican lawmakers, however, have warned that the state could be putting itself at risk for legal challenges for trying to enact rules “on a federal election.” “We’re on really risky ground when we’re trying to place conditions on a federal election,” said Republican Sen. Hans Zeiger. Other state legislatures have also proposed similar bills calling for candidates to release their tax returns. New Jersey’s state senate passed a similar measure and is currently up for consideration in the state’s general assembly. Democrats have been calling for Trump to release his tax returns since the 2016 election when Trump decided not to release his tax returns. Trump said at the time that he had been under audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Since congressional Democrats took back the House, they have vowed to make Trump’s tax returns a subject of scrutiny.
LGBT Activist Headbutts Ex-PM of Australia over Gay Marriage Views	2017-09-22	[ "Tony Abbott has been physically assaulted by a campaigner for same-sex marriage, in an attack Australia’s former prime minister said characterised the “ugliness and intolerance” present on the LGBT side of the debate.", "A prominent supporter of the campaign for traditional marriage during a poll on whether the country should redefine the institution, Mr. Abbott was attacked as he left a newspaper office in Hobart, the Tasmanian capital.", "He told Macquarie Radio he was left with a swollen lip after a man wearing a “vote yes” badge asked to shake his hand before assaulting him.", "A 38-year-old male has been charged with assault following the incident.", "Mr. Abbott said he was walking towards his hotel in the Docks area of Hobart, where he was due to attend a Young Liberals cocktail party, when he heard a man shout: “Hey, Tony!”", "“I turned around, there was a chap wearing a Vote Yes badge, he says ‘I wanna shake your hand’.", "“I went over to shake his hand and he headbutted me. He wasn’t very good at it, but he did make contact, but the only damage was a very slightly swollen lip”, to former Prime Minister said.", "“The love is love brigade aren’t showing a lot of love,” the conservative figure quipped, describing the attack as “a reminder of how ugly this debate is getting”.", "“And the ugliness is not coming from the defenders of marriage as it’s always been understood — the ugliness, the intolerance and indeed in this instance, the hint of violence, is coming from those who tell us in the name of decency and fair-mindedness and freedom, we’ve got to allow same-sex marriage,” he said.", "“I think it was pretty clear that this is was, to use the phrase, ‘politically motivated violence’,” Mr. Abbott told presenters Steve Price and Andrew Bolt.", "“If the actual debate about same-sex marriage is producing this kind of intolerance and bullying, how much worse would it get if the brave new world of same-sex marriage actually came to be?”", "Yet after the Prime Minister’s comments the man who claims to have been the assailant came forward to Australian press and said despite his wearing pro-gay marriage badges at the time of the attack, the assault had nothing to do with the issue. Instead it was motivated by pure personal hatred for Mr Abbott himself, reports News.com.au.", "Identifying himself as Astro Labe, the man said he’d tell the court that “It’s just about Tony Abbott — the f*ing worm that he is.", "“All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c*.", "“I want to divorce myself [from the same-sex marriage issue] — not because I disagree with their stance — but this was nothing to do with that. That’s just my personal hatred.”", "Recent weeks have seen abuse towards people who believe marriage is between a man and a woman intensify, with police having to evacuate a post office in Canberra after the discovery of “suspicious” packages addressed to the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL)." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/09/22/gay-marriage-activist-headbutts-ex-pm/	LGBT Activist Headbutts Ex-PM of Australia over Gay Marriage Views Tony Abbott has been physically assaulted by a campaigner for same-sex marriage, in an attack Australia’s former prime minister said characterised the “ugliness and intolerance” present on the LGBT side of the debate. A prominent supporter of the campaign for traditional marriage during a poll on whether the country should redefine the institution, Mr. Abbott was attacked as he left a newspaper office in Hobart, the Tasmanian capital. He told Macquarie Radio he was left with a swollen lip after a man wearing a “vote yes” badge asked to shake his hand before assaulting him. A 38-year-old male has been charged with assault following the incident. Mr. Abbott said he was walking towards his hotel in the Docks area of Hobart, where he was due to attend a Young Liberals cocktail party, when he heard a man shout: “Hey, Tony!” “I turned around, there was a chap wearing a Vote Yes badge, he says ‘I wanna shake your hand’. “I went over to shake his hand and he headbutted me. He wasn’t very good at it, but he did make contact, but the only damage was a very slightly swollen lip”, to former Prime Minister said. “The love is love brigade aren’t showing a lot of love,” the conservative figure quipped, describing the attack as “a reminder of how ugly this debate is getting”. “And the ugliness is not coming from the defenders of marriage as it’s always been understood — the ugliness, the intolerance and indeed in this instance, the hint of violence, is coming from those who tell us in the name of decency and fair-mindedness and freedom, we’ve got to allow same-sex marriage,” he said. “I think it was pretty clear that this is was, to use the phrase, ‘politically motivated violence’,” Mr. Abbott told presenters Steve Price and Andrew Bolt. “If the actual debate about same-sex marriage is producing this kind of intolerance and bullying, how much worse would it get if the brave new world of same-sex marriage actually came to be?” Yet after the Prime Minister’s comments the man who claims to have been the assailant came forward to Australian press and said despite his wearing pro-gay marriage badges at the time of the attack, the assault had nothing to do with the issue. Instead it was motivated by pure personal hatred for Mr Abbott himself, reports News.com.au. Identifying himself as Astro Labe, the man said he’d tell the court that “It’s just about Tony Abbott — the f*ing worm that he is. “All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c*. “I want to divorce myself [from the same-sex marriage issue] — not because I disagree with their stance — but this was nothing to do with that. That’s just my personal hatred.” Recent weeks have seen abuse towards people who believe marriage is between a man and a woman intensify, with police having to evacuate a post office in Canberra after the discovery of “suspicious” packages addressed to the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL).
FNC's Carlson Slams Cowering, Dithering American Leaders for Riot Response -- 'This Is How Nations Collapse'	2020-06-02	[ "Monday, Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson opened his program with a scathing critique of how the government responded to the chaos and rioting committed in the name of protesting the death of George Floyd while in the hands of Minneapolis police last week.", "The Fox News Channel host hit all levels of government — federal, state and local. He urged President Donald Trump to act despite what he was being told by his inner circle, including Jared Kushner.", "Carlson warned if Trump was unsuccessful in efforts to restore order, he could lose the 2020 presidential election.", "Partial transcript as follows:", "CARLSON: The nation went up in flames this weekend. No one in charge stood up to save America. Our leaders dithered. They cowered. They openly sided with the destroyers.", "In many cases, they egged them on. Later, they will deny all of this. They are denying it now. You know the truth. You saw it happen.", "This is how nations collapse. With no one in authority keeping order — and so many in our professional class encouraging violence — American citizens are now forced to defend themselves. They have no choice. No one else is going to defend them. They know that now. It’s possible that more people will be hurt in coming days. That would be a tragedy. But in an environment like this, more violence could very well lead to a cascade of new tragedies — to something far bigger and more destructive than anything we’ve seen so far. This isn’t over. It might simply be the beginning. We pray it is not.", "It’s hard to think clearly about any of this. The chaos, the destruction, the relentless lying from above — it’s all too much. Americans are bewildered and afraid. But most of all, they are filled with rage — angrier than they’ve ever been. The worst people in our society have taken control. They did nothing to build this country. Now they are tearing it down. They’re rushing us toward mass suicide. So, how do we respond?", "We must protect ourselves and our families. Once again, we have no choice. But we can’t allow ourselves to become like they are. We are not animals. We are Americans. In the face of such indecency, we must resolve to be decent. We believe this country has a future. We intend for our children to live and thrive here. That is what we are defending. All our leaders do all they can to set us against each other — a never-ending national cockfight for their profit and amusement. But we won’t play along. We will love our neighbors relentlessly, in spite of all of it. Not because they look like us or share our political views. But we love them because they are human beings and they are Americans. Those are the bonds our leaders seek to destroy. We can’t let them.", "We should start by being unsparingly honest about what’s happening right now. Truth is our defense and our country’s last hope. We plan to use tonight’s hour to create a record of this moment right now — to show you what’s really going on in your country. We feel an obligation to do that before the facts are spun into propaganda by the liars, or the images are pulled off the internet forever, as many of them inevitably will be.", "The point is, this a profound national emergency. You’d never know that from listening to our elected leaders. Almost all of them pretend this isn’t really happening — or if it is happening, it’s just part of America’s long tradition of vigorous political discourse. Politicians on both sides tell us this is all about the death of a man in police custody in Minneapolis last week. The people burning our country down are “protesters,” engaged in legitimate “protest.”", "OK. What exactly are these protesters’ demands? What are they asking for? If Congress agreed to enact their program tomorrow, what would it be? Not a single person even hints at the answer because there isn’t an answer. No one had bothered to poll the guys beating up old ladies on the street, or looting Gucci, but you’ve got to wonder how many of them have ever even heard of George Floyd. And if they have heard of him, what difference would it make? Violence and looting aren’t forms of political expression. If you were killed tomorrow, how many buildings would you want burned to the ground in your memory? How many old women smashed in the face on the street in your name? None, we hope. You’re not a vicious psychopath like the people you just watched.", "In fact, what we’re watching is the opposite of a political protest. This is an attack on the idea of politics. The rioters are trying to topple our political system. That system is how we resolve our differences without violence. But these people want a new system, one governed by force: Do what we say, or we’ll hurt you. You can see it all for yourself on TV. You have. But our leaders keep lying and telling us it’s not happening.", "Some Democrats have openly embraced it. Really, they don’t have much of a choice. These are their voters, cleaning out the Rolex store. These riots are effectively the largest Joe Biden for president rally on record. In gratitude, more than a dozen Biden campaign staffers donated money to the rioters in Minneapolis and then bragged about it on Twitter. No Democratic leader can directly criticize what is happening. Some have joined in. Over the weekend, the Democratic Party of Fairfax, VA, which is an important Democratic organization, released this statement on Twitter. Quote: “Riots are an integral part of this country’s march towards progress.”", "“Progress.” Burning buildings. Tear gas. Dead bodies. The screaming injured. Criminal anarchy. To the Democratic Party of Fairfax, that’s “progress.”", "Celebrity after celebrity has weighed in to agree. From his fortified compound, basketball star LeBron James has used his social media accounts to encourage more rioting. Bernie Sanders surrogate Shaun King has done the same. So has Black Lives Matter leader Deroy McKesson. Colin Kapernick openly calls for violence. Here’s a quote: “The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears,” he says approvingly.", "Imagine shouting fire in a crowded theater — a theater with 325 million people in it. That’s what they’re doing, and have been for days. When the violence began, what we needed more than anything was clarity. America needed someone, to tell the truth to the country. Instead, almost all of our so-called conservative leaders joined the left’s chorus.", "On Friday, as American cities were being destroyed by mobs, the Vice President of the United States refused to say anything specific about the riots we were watching on television. Instead, Mike Pence scolded America for its racism. Carly Fiorina, once a leading Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that quote: “it’s white America that now must see the truth, speak the truth and act on the truth.” Kay Cole James, the president of the Heritage Foundation, that’s the largest conservative think tank in the country, wrote a long screed denouncing America as an irredeemably racist nation. Quote, “How many times will protests have to occur?” Got that? “Have to” occur. Like the rest of us caused this by our sinfulness. The message from leaders on the right, as on the left, was unambiguous: Don’t complain; you deserve what’s happening to you.", "No one jumped in more forcefully, or seemed angrier at America, than former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley. “Tonight, I turned on the news and am heartbroken,” Haley wrote. “It’s important to understand that the death of George Floyd was personal and painful for many. In order to heal, it needs to be personal and painful for everyone.”", "But wait a second, you may be wondering. “How am I quote, ‘personally’ responsible for the behavior of a Minneapolis police officer? I’ve never even been to Minneapolis you may think to yourself. And why is some politician telling me what I’m required to be upset about?”", "Those are all good questions. Nikki Haley didn’t answer them. Explaining isn’t her strong suit. That would require thinking. What Nikki Haley does best is moral blackmail. During the 2016 campaign, she compared Donald Trump to the racist mass murderer Dylan Roof. How is Donald Trump similar to a serial killer? Nikki Haley never explained. She wasn’t trying to educate anyone. Her goal was political advantage. Nikki Haley is exceptionally good at getting what she wants. She’s happy to denounce you as a racist in order to get it. She just did.", "In this case, Haley’s wish came true: the riots were indeed quote, “personal and painful for everyone.” And then the pain kept increasing. Two days later, dozens of American cities had been thoroughly trashed, some destroyed. A country already on the brink of recession suddenly faced economic collapse. An already fearful population locked down for months had been thoroughly terrorized. Mission accomplished. Let’s hope Nikki Haley is pleased. We’ve atoned.", "That tape raised a troubling question: If you can’t keep a Fox News correspondent from getting attacked directly across from your house, how can you protect my family? How are you going to protect the country? How hard are you trying? On Twitter the next morning, the president reassured America that he and his family were just fine. Their federally-funded bodyguards had kept them safe. He did not mention protecting the rest of the nation, some of which was on fire. He seemed aware only of himself.", "For people who voted for Donald Trump, who support his policies, who have defended him for years against the most absurd kinds of slander, this was a distressing moment.", "The first requirement of leadership is that you watch over the people in your care. That’s what soldiers want from their officers. It’s what families need from their fathers. It’s what voters demand from their presidents. People will put up with almost anything in exchange for it. You can regularly say embarrassing things on television. You can hire John Bolton, or Omarosa to work at the White House. All of that will be forgiven if you protect your people. But if you don’t protect them — or, worse, if you seem like you can’t be bothered to protect them — then you’re done. It’s over. People will not forgive weakness. That’s the one thing. That’s not a partisan point. It’s human nature. Nero is the one Roman emperor whose name we still remember. He abandoned his nation in a time of crisis. Two thousand years later, we still can’t forgive him.", "Donald Trump’s response to these riots, which is ongoing, is the singular test of his presidency.", "What Americans want most is an end to this chaos. They want their cities to be saved. They want this to stop immediately. If the president doesn’t stop it, he will lose in November. The left will blame him for the atrocities they encouraged. Many voters will agree. Donald Trump is the president. Presidents save countries. That’s their job. That’s why we hire them.", "Some key advisors around Trump don’t seem to understand the gravity of this. “No matter what happens,” they’ll tell you, “Our voters aren’t going anywhere. The trailer parks are rock solid. What choice do they have? They’ve got to vote for us.”", "Jared Kushner, for one, has made that point out loud. No one has more contempt for Trump’s voters than Kushner does, and no one expresses it more frequently.", "In 2016, Donald Trump ran as a law and order candidate. His views remain fundamentally unchanged today. But Trump’s famously sharp instincts, the ones that won him the presidency, have been subverted at every level by Kushner: on immigration, on foreign policy, and especially on law enforcement.", "As crime in this country rises, Kushner has led a highly aggressive effort to let more criminals out of prison and back out on to the street. This is reckless, but it’s happening. At times, the president seems aware he’s being led in the wrong direction. He often derides Kushner as a liberal. Kushner is.", "But Kushner has convinced the president that throwing open the prisons is the key to winning African-American votes in the fall — and that those votes are essential to his reelection. Several times over the past few days, the president has signaled that he’d like to crack down on rioters. If you have watched him, you believe it. Every time, he’s been talked about out of it by Jared Kushner, and by aides Kushner has hired and controls. Kushner’s assumption, apparently, is that African-Americans voters like looting. That’s wrong. Normal Americans of all colors hate looting. Obviously. Why wouldn’t they hate looting? They’re decent people.", "So what are the lessons of all we’ve seen over the past five days? America will change because of this. What can we learn from it? What should we demand?", "The first thing to know is that we can no longer accept race-baiting from our leaders. Never. That has become so common that we barely notice it. But it’s dividing and destroying the country. We should make them stop. Yesterday, for example, Mayor Jenny Durkin of Seattle tweeted this, and we’re quoting: “I want to acknowledge that much of the violence and destruction, both here in Seattle and across the country, has been instigated and perpetuated by white men,” quote. Is that factually true? Who knows? Who cares?", "The skin color of criminals is irrelevant to how we prosecute the crimes they commit. It must be. Otherwise, we’re committing the bigotry we claim to abhor. Yet everywhere on television and social media, prominent people are now talking like this. Not just a few crackpots — thousands of people. They’re amplifying race hatred at the very moment we need it least when it’s the most dangerous.", "Almost nothing hurts America more than this. If you’re worried about the rise of extremism here — and you should be — this kind of insanity is absolutely certain to cause it. And let’s be clear: When we say extremism, we’re not talking about unconventional views that get you bounced off Twitter, or scolded by the corporate HR department. We mean actual extremism, where people espouse violence against other people and come to believe their racial identity is the most important thing about them. At this moment, no matter what they claim, there isn’t a huge amount of that in this country, thank God. Most people just think of themselves as Americans. But if the left keeps talking like this, there definitely will be, and soon. You don’t want to live here when that happens. We should demand they stop.", "Enforcing the law is not white supremacy. Insisting that everyone in the country follow the same rules isn’t racism. In fact, it’s the answer to racism. It’s equality, equality under the law. It’s the one thing we must defend. If we don’t, it’s over. Things fall apart. Weakness incites aggression. That’s true in nature. It’s every bit as true in human society. Our leaders are weak. Predators know it. That’s why this is happening. If you let people spraypaint obscenities on city hall, pretty soon they are overturning cop cars. If you put up with that, they’ll come right through the front door of the police precinct and burn it down. Next thing you know, they’re beating people to death in shopping malls. And then what? What happens the next time the mob doesn’t like something? What will the mob demand next? Let’s hope we never find out because we’re close." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/06/01/fncs-carlson-slams-cowering-dithering-american-leaders-for-riot-response-this-is-how-nations-collapse/	FNC's Carlson Slams Cowering, Dithering American Leaders for Riot Response -- 'This Is How Nations Collapse' Monday, Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson opened his program with a scathing critique of how the government responded to the chaos and rioting committed in the name of protesting the death of George Floyd while in the hands of Minneapolis police last week. The Fox News Channel host hit all levels of government — federal, state and local. He urged President Donald Trump to act despite what he was being told by his inner circle, including Jared Kushner. Carlson warned if Trump was unsuccessful in efforts to restore order, he could lose the 2020 presidential election. Partial transcript as follows: CARLSON: The nation went up in flames this weekend. No one in charge stood up to save America. Our leaders dithered. They cowered. They openly sided with the destroyers. In many cases, they egged them on. Later, they will deny all of this. They are denying it now. You know the truth. You saw it happen. This is how nations collapse. With no one in authority keeping order — and so many in our professional class encouraging violence — American citizens are now forced to defend themselves. They have no choice. No one else is going to defend them. They know that now. It’s possible that more people will be hurt in coming days. That would be a tragedy. But in an environment like this, more violence could very well lead to a cascade of new tragedies — to something far bigger and more destructive than anything we’ve seen so far. This isn’t over. It might simply be the beginning. We pray it is not. It’s hard to think clearly about any of this. The chaos, the destruction, the relentless lying from above — it’s all too much. Americans are bewildered and afraid. But most of all, they are filled with rage — angrier than they’ve ever been. The worst people in our society have taken control. They did nothing to build this country. Now they are tearing it down. They’re rushing us toward mass suicide. So, how do we respond? We must protect ourselves and our families. Once again, we have no choice. But we can’t allow ourselves to become like they are. We are not animals. We are Americans. In the face of such indecency, we must resolve to be decent. We believe this country has a future. We intend for our children to live and thrive here. That is what we are defending. All our leaders do all they can to set us against each other — a never-ending national cockfight for their profit and amusement. But we won’t play along. We will love our neighbors relentlessly, in spite of all of it. Not because they look like us or share our political views. But we love them because they are human beings and they are Americans. Those are the bonds our leaders seek to destroy. We can’t let them. We should start by being unsparingly honest about what’s happening right now. Truth is our defense and our country’s last hope. We plan to use tonight’s hour to create a record of this moment right now — to show you what’s really going on in your country. We feel an obligation to do that before the facts are spun into propaganda by the liars, or the images are pulled off the internet forever, as many of them inevitably will be. The point is, this a profound national emergency. You’d never know that from listening to our elected leaders. Almost all of them pretend this isn’t really happening — or if it is happening, it’s just part of America’s long tradition of vigorous political discourse. Politicians on both sides tell us this is all about the death of a man in police custody in Minneapolis last week. The people burning our country down are “protesters,” engaged in legitimate “protest.” OK. What exactly are these protesters’ demands? What are they asking for? If Congress agreed to enact their program tomorrow, what would it be? Not a single person even hints at the answer because there isn’t an answer. No one had bothered to poll the guys beating up old ladies on the street, or looting Gucci, but you’ve got to wonder how many of them have ever even heard of George Floyd. And if they have heard of him, what difference would it make? Violence and looting aren’t forms of political expression. If you were killed tomorrow, how many buildings would you want burned to the ground in your memory? How many old women smashed in the face on the street in your name? None, we hope. You’re not a vicious psychopath like the people you just watched. In fact, what we’re watching is the opposite of a political protest. This is an attack on the idea of politics. The rioters are trying to topple our political system. That system is how we resolve our differences without violence. But these people want a new system, one governed by force: Do what we say, or we’ll hurt you. You can see it all for yourself on TV. You have. But our leaders keep lying and telling us it’s not happening. Some Democrats have openly embraced it. Really, they don’t have much of a choice. These are their voters, cleaning out the Rolex store. These riots are effectively the largest Joe Biden for president rally on record. In gratitude, more than a dozen Biden campaign staffers donated money to the rioters in Minneapolis and then bragged about it on Twitter. No Democratic leader can directly criticize what is happening. Some have joined in. Over the weekend, the Democratic Party of Fairfax, VA, which is an important Democratic organization, released this statement on Twitter. Quote: “Riots are an integral part of this country’s march towards progress.” “Progress.” Burning buildings. Tear gas. Dead bodies. The screaming injured. Criminal anarchy. To the Democratic Party of Fairfax, that’s “progress.” Celebrity after celebrity has weighed in to agree. From his fortified compound, basketball star LeBron James has used his social media accounts to encourage more rioting. Bernie Sanders surrogate Shaun King has done the same. So has Black Lives Matter leader Deroy McKesson. Colin Kapernick openly calls for violence. Here’s a quote: “The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears,” he says approvingly. Imagine shouting fire in a crowded theater — a theater with 325 million people in it. That’s what they’re doing, and have been for days. When the violence began, what we needed more than anything was clarity. America needed someone, to tell the truth to the country. Instead, almost all of our so-called conservative leaders joined the left’s chorus. On Friday, as American cities were being destroyed by mobs, the Vice President of the United States refused to say anything specific about the riots we were watching on television. Instead, Mike Pence scolded America for its racism. Carly Fiorina, once a leading Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that quote: “it’s white America that now must see the truth, speak the truth and act on the truth.” Kay Cole James, the president of the Heritage Foundation, that’s the largest conservative think tank in the country, wrote a long screed denouncing America as an irredeemably racist nation. Quote, “How many times will protests have to occur?” Got that? “Have to” occur. Like the rest of us caused this by our sinfulness. The message from leaders on the right, as on the left, was unambiguous: Don’t complain; you deserve what’s happening to you. No one jumped in more forcefully, or seemed angrier at America, than former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley. “Tonight, I turned on the news and am heartbroken,” Haley wrote. “It’s important to understand that the death of George Floyd was personal and painful for many. In order to heal, it needs to be personal and painful for everyone.” But wait a second, you may be wondering. “How am I quote, ‘personally’ responsible for the behavior of a Minneapolis police officer? I’ve never even been to Minneapolis you may think to yourself. And why is some politician telling me what I’m required to be upset about?” Those are all good questions. Nikki Haley didn’t answer them. Explaining isn’t her strong suit. That would require thinking. What Nikki Haley does best is moral blackmail. During the 2016 campaign, she compared Donald Trump to the racist mass murderer Dylan Roof. How is Donald Trump similar to a serial killer? Nikki Haley never explained. She wasn’t trying to educate anyone. Her goal was political advantage. Nikki Haley is exceptionally good at getting what she wants. She’s happy to denounce you as a racist in order to get it. She just did. In this case, Haley’s wish came true: the riots were indeed quote, “personal and painful for everyone.” And then the pain kept increasing. Two days later, dozens of American cities had been thoroughly trashed, some destroyed. A country already on the brink of recession suddenly faced economic collapse. An already fearful population locked down for months had been thoroughly terrorized. Mission accomplished. Let’s hope Nikki Haley is pleased. We’ve atoned. That tape raised a troubling question: If you can’t keep a Fox News correspondent from getting attacked directly across from your house, how can you protect my family? How are you going to protect the country? How hard are you trying? On Twitter the next morning, the president reassured America that he and his family were just fine. Their federally-funded bodyguards had kept them safe. He did not mention protecting the rest of the nation, some of which was on fire. He seemed aware only of himself. For people who voted for Donald Trump, who support his policies, who have defended him for years against the most absurd kinds of slander, this was a distressing moment. The first requirement of leadership is that you watch over the people in your care. That’s what soldiers want from their officers. It’s what families need from their fathers. It’s what voters demand from their presidents. People will put up with almost anything in exchange for it. You can regularly say embarrassing things on television. You can hire John Bolton, or Omarosa to work at the White House. All of that will be forgiven if you protect your people. But if you don’t protect them — or, worse, if you seem like you can’t be bothered to protect them — then you’re done. It’s over. People will not forgive weakness. That’s the one thing. That’s not a partisan point. It’s human nature. Nero is the one Roman emperor whose name we still remember. He abandoned his nation in a time of crisis. Two thousand years later, we still can’t forgive him. Donald Trump’s response to these riots, which is ongoing, is the singular test of his presidency. What Americans want most is an end to this chaos. They want their cities to be saved. They want this to stop immediately. If the president doesn’t stop it, he will lose in November. The left will blame him for the atrocities they encouraged. Many voters will agree. Donald Trump is the president. Presidents save countries. That’s their job. That’s why we hire them. Some key advisors around Trump don’t seem to understand the gravity of this. “No matter what happens,” they’ll tell you, “Our voters aren’t going anywhere. The trailer parks are rock solid. What choice do they have? They’ve got to vote for us.” Jared Kushner, for one, has made that point out loud. No one has more contempt for Trump’s voters than Kushner does, and no one expresses it more frequently. In 2016, Donald Trump ran as a law and order candidate. His views remain fundamentally unchanged today. But Trump’s famously sharp instincts, the ones that won him the presidency, have been subverted at every level by Kushner: on immigration, on foreign policy, and especially on law enforcement. As crime in this country rises, Kushner has led a highly aggressive effort to let more criminals out of prison and back out on to the street. This is reckless, but it’s happening. At times, the president seems aware he’s being led in the wrong direction. He often derides Kushner as a liberal. Kushner is. But Kushner has convinced the president that throwing open the prisons is the key to winning African-American votes in the fall — and that those votes are essential to his reelection. Several times over the past few days, the president has signaled that he’d like to crack down on rioters. If you have watched him, you believe it. Every time, he’s been talked about out of it by Jared Kushner, and by aides Kushner has hired and controls. Kushner’s assumption, apparently, is that African-Americans voters like looting. That’s wrong. Normal Americans of all colors hate looting. Obviously. Why wouldn’t they hate looting? They’re decent people. So what are the lessons of all we’ve seen over the past five days? America will change because of this. What can we learn from it? What should we demand? The first thing to know is that we can no longer accept race-baiting from our leaders. Never. That has become so common that we barely notice it. But it’s dividing and destroying the country. We should make them stop. Yesterday, for example, Mayor Jenny Durkin of Seattle tweeted this, and we’re quoting: “I want to acknowledge that much of the violence and destruction, both here in Seattle and across the country, has been instigated and perpetuated by white men,” quote. Is that factually true? Who knows? Who cares? The skin color of criminals is irrelevant to how we prosecute the crimes they commit. It must be. Otherwise, we’re committing the bigotry we claim to abhor. Yet everywhere on television and social media, prominent people are now talking like this. Not just a few crackpots — thousands of people. They’re amplifying race hatred at the very moment we need it least when it’s the most dangerous. Almost nothing hurts America more than this. If you’re worried about the rise of extremism here — and you should be — this kind of insanity is absolutely certain to cause it. And let’s be clear: When we say extremism, we’re not talking about unconventional views that get you bounced off Twitter, or scolded by the corporate HR department. We mean actual extremism, where people espouse violence against other people and come to believe their racial identity is the most important thing about them. At this moment, no matter what they claim, there isn’t a huge amount of that in this country, thank God. Most people just think of themselves as Americans. But if the left keeps talking like this, there definitely will be, and soon. You don’t want to live here when that happens. We should demand they stop. Enforcing the law is not white supremacy. Insisting that everyone in the country follow the same rules isn’t racism. In fact, it’s the answer to racism. It’s equality, equality under the law. It’s the one thing we must defend. If we don’t, it’s over. Things fall apart. Weakness incites aggression. That’s true in nature. It’s every bit as true in human society. Our leaders are weak. Predators know it. That’s why this is happening. If you let people spraypaint obscenities on city hall, pretty soon they are overturning cop cars. If you put up with that, they’ll come right through the front door of the police precinct and burn it down. Next thing you know, they’re beating people to death in shopping malls. And then what? What happens the next time the mob doesn’t like something? What will the mob demand next? Let’s hope we never find out because we’re close.
Nolte: A Mere 8 Days Ago Joe Biden Attacked Trump's Travel Bans	2020-03-20	[ "A mere eight days ago, Joe Biden was still vocally opposing President Donald Trump’s travel bans from Europe, and even China, as racist. In other words, if Biden was the president, we can’t begin to imagine how much worse things would look in American today thanks to President Biden’s refusal to keep people out from the very same places where the Chinese coronavirus rages.", "Below is the timeline in China Joe’s own words. Afterwards, we will do some math and hear from Dr. Fauci.", "All the way back on January 31, in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak in China, President Trump announced a travel ban of “all foreign nationals who have traveled in China within the last 14 days.” That included, obviously, Chinese citizens and anyone from any country who visited China.", "Americans returning from China were put under a 14-day quarantine.", "That was 50 days ago.", "President Trump took that action 50 whole days ago.", "That same day, Joe Biden published this tweet:", "[N]ow [Trump’s] adding more countries to his list of who’s not welcome in America. It’s not who we are — and we’ll prove that when we beat Trump this November and end the ban.", "Please note that Biden promised to “end the ban” — the ban that stops people from entering our country who are coming in from a country facing a massive epidemic.", "The next day, Biden — who has always been cozy with China, and whose son Hunter set up a deal worth hundreds of millions with the Chinese government while traveling with his father (who was then vice president) — issued the following statement declaring Trump’s ban “racist” and “xenophobic.”", "Yesterday, Donald Trump further diminished the United States in the eyes of the world by expanding his travel ban, placing new restrictions on the residents of six more nations that limit who is allowed to come to the United States.", "Trump’s atrocious asylum and refugee policies — they are all designed to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States. It’s that simple. They are racist. They are xenophobic.", "And there is no evidence that they do anything to make us safer.", "Immigrants from each of these countries and their broader diaspora communities here in the United States enrich the larger fabric of American life as our friends and neighbors and make vital contributions to our economy.", "That same day, Biden published this tweet:", "We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science — not Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering. He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency.", "Biden followed this statement up the next day with a speech in Iowa, where he again blasted Trump’s travel ban, this time as “hysterical xenophobia”:", "We have, right now, a crisis with the coronavirus. This is no time for Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia – hysterical xenophobia – and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.", "On February 15, Biden again attacked Trump’s immigration restrictions:", "Donald Trump’s inhumane, fear-based immigration policies are a stain on our nation. We have to get him out of the White House and ensure our laws reflect our values as a nation of immigrants.", "The following month, on March 10, Biden was still lashing out at Trump’s travel restrictions as racist:", "A wall won’t stop a virus. Racism won’t stop a virus. Do your job.", "On March 11, Trump announced a European travel ban.", "The very next day, Biden railed against the idea:", "A wall will not stop the coronavirus. Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it. This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it.", "Incredibly, as late as March 12, a mere eight days ago, Biden opposed Trump’s travel bans.", "So, without question, we can say that if Joe Biden were president right now, he would not have closed America’s borders, not even travel from Wuhan, China — not even after the virus was raging in Wuhan, China.", "In 2018, nearly three million — million! — tourists from China visited the United States. That number rises every year, but let’s stick with that… Three million Chinese tourists a year means an average of 250,000 per month. That’s 8,300 per day.", "And that number does not include those arriving from other countries, anyone from any country who traveled to China, who were also a part of Trump’s January 31 ban.", "So, at what point would Biden have finally done the right thing and banned travel?", "Well, we know through his own statements, that Biden opposed these travel bans as late as March 12. So I think we can safely say that a President Biden would not have acted any sooner than his ideological counterparts in the European Union, who did not close their borders until March 16, a mere four days ago.", "In our hypothetical world… President Biden, in an effort to “lead the way with science” and not “hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering,” would have allowed — between January 31 and March 16 — at least 375,000 travelers from China into the U.S. — people who did not get into our country thanks to President Trump’s “racist” and “xenophobic” travel ban.", "But we do know that universally-respected expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immunologist with the National Institutes of Health of the United States, believes the Trump’s travel bans — the ones Biden opposed as recently as eight days go — have “gone a long way to not seeding very, very intensively the virus in our country.”", "\"Unfortunately, Italy did not do that. They had an open border.\"", "FAUCI: One of the things we did right, was very early, cut off travel from China to the United States. Outside of China where it originated, the countries in the world that have it are through travel. Either directly from China or indirectly from someone who went someplace and then came to that particular country. Our shutting off travel from China, and more recently travel from Europe, has gone a long way to not seeding very, very intensively the virus in our country. Unfortunately, Italy did not do that. They had an open border. They let people in, and until they really knew they were in trouble — the horse was out of the barn, and that was it.", "Can you imagine what that would look like?", "Can you imagine what American would look like right now had President Joe Biden allowed that to happen?", "And if that’s not a disqualifier for the presidency, then I ask you… What in God’s name is?" ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/20/nolte-mere-8-days-ago-joe-biden-still-attacking-trumps-travel-bans/?utm_source=politipage&utm_content=trending-stories-block%22	Nolte: A Mere 8 Days Ago Joe Biden Attacked Trump's Travel Bans A mere eight days ago, Joe Biden was still vocally opposing President Donald Trump’s travel bans from Europe, and even China, as racist. In other words, if Biden was the president, we can’t begin to imagine how much worse things would look in American today thanks to President Biden’s refusal to keep people out from the very same places where the Chinese coronavirus rages. Below is the timeline in China Joe’s own words. Afterwards, we will do some math and hear from Dr. Fauci. All the way back on January 31, in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak in China, President Trump announced a travel ban of “all foreign nationals who have traveled in China within the last 14 days.” That included, obviously, Chinese citizens and anyone from any country who visited China. Americans returning from China were put under a 14-day quarantine. That was 50 days ago. President Trump took that action 50 whole days ago. That same day, Joe Biden published this tweet: [N]ow [Trump’s] adding more countries to his list of who’s not welcome in America. It’s not who we are — and we’ll prove that when we beat Trump this November and end the ban. Please note that Biden promised to “end the ban” — the ban that stops people from entering our country who are coming in from a country facing a massive epidemic. The next day, Biden — who has always been cozy with China, and whose son Hunter set up a deal worth hundreds of millions with the Chinese government while traveling with his father (who was then vice president) — issued the following statement declaring Trump’s ban “racist” and “xenophobic.” Yesterday, Donald Trump further diminished the United States in the eyes of the world by expanding his travel ban, placing new restrictions on the residents of six more nations that limit who is allowed to come to the United States. Trump’s atrocious asylum and refugee policies — they are all designed to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States. It’s that simple. They are racist. They are xenophobic. And there is no evidence that they do anything to make us safer. Immigrants from each of these countries and their broader diaspora communities here in the United States enrich the larger fabric of American life as our friends and neighbors and make vital contributions to our economy. That same day, Biden published this tweet: We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science — not Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering. He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency. Biden followed this statement up the next day with a speech in Iowa, where he again blasted Trump’s travel ban, this time as “hysterical xenophobia”: We have, right now, a crisis with the coronavirus. This is no time for Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia – hysterical xenophobia – and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science. On February 15, Biden again attacked Trump’s immigration restrictions: Donald Trump’s inhumane, fear-based immigration policies are a stain on our nation. We have to get him out of the White House and ensure our laws reflect our values as a nation of immigrants. The following month, on March 10, Biden was still lashing out at Trump’s travel restrictions as racist: A wall won’t stop a virus. Racism won’t stop a virus. Do your job. On March 11, Trump announced a European travel ban. The very next day, Biden railed against the idea: A wall will not stop the coronavirus. Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it. This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it. Incredibly, as late as March 12, a mere eight days ago, Biden opposed Trump’s travel bans. So, without question, we can say that if Joe Biden were president right now, he would not have closed America’s borders, not even travel from Wuhan, China — not even after the virus was raging in Wuhan, China. In 2018, nearly three million — million! — tourists from China visited the United States. That number rises every year, but let’s stick with that… Three million Chinese tourists a year means an average of 250,000 per month. That’s 8,300 per day. And that number does not include those arriving from other countries, anyone from any country who traveled to China, who were also a part of Trump’s January 31 ban. So, at what point would Biden have finally done the right thing and banned travel? Well, we know through his own statements, that Biden opposed these travel bans as late as March 12. So I think we can safely say that a President Biden would not have acted any sooner than his ideological counterparts in the European Union, who did not close their borders until March 16, a mere four days ago. In our hypothetical world… President Biden, in an effort to “lead the way with science” and not “hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering,” would have allowed — between January 31 and March 16 — at least 375,000 travelers from China into the U.S. — people who did not get into our country thanks to President Trump’s “racist” and “xenophobic” travel ban. But we do know that universally-respected expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immunologist with the National Institutes of Health of the United States, believes the Trump’s travel bans — the ones Biden opposed as recently as eight days go — have “gone a long way to not seeding very, very intensively the virus in our country.” "Unfortunately, Italy did not do that. They had an open border." FAUCI: One of the things we did right, was very early, cut off travel from China to the United States. Outside of China where it originated, the countries in the world that have it are through travel. Either directly from China or indirectly from someone who went someplace and then came to that particular country. Our shutting off travel from China, and more recently travel from Europe, has gone a long way to not seeding very, very intensively the virus in our country. Unfortunately, Italy did not do that. They had an open border. They let people in, and until they really knew they were in trouble — the horse was out of the barn, and that was it. Can you imagine what that would look like? Can you imagine what American would look like right now had President Joe Biden allowed that to happen? And if that’s not a disqualifier for the presidency, then I ask you… What in God’s name is?
Uber Hid Cyberattack That Stole Personal Data of 57 Million People	2017-11-22	[ "Uber reportedly concealed a cyberattack that saw the personal data of 57 million people stolen by hackers who the company paid off to keep quiet about the incident.", "Bloomberg reports Uber fell victim to a cyberattack from a group of hackers that saw the data of 57 million Uber users and drivers stolen. The company reportedly kept this attack hidden from the public for over a year, leading to the firing of chief security officer Joe Sullivan this week along with one of his deputies. The stolen data, dating back to October 2016, contains the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of 50 million Uber riders worldwide, according to a statement from the company.", "The personal details of approximately 7 million drivers were also accessed by hackers, including 600,000 U.S. drivers license numbers. Social security numbers and trip location details were not among the data stolen. Uber has now acknowledged that they had a legal obligation to report the hack to the drivers and customers affected, as well as regulators, but instead paid the hackers $100,000 to delete the stolen user information and stay quiet about the hack.", "Dara Khosrowshahi, who replaced Travis Kalanick as CEO of Uber in September, said in a statement, “None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it. We are changing the way we do business.”", "Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly learned of the data breach a month after it took place in November 2016. Former chief security officer Joe Sullivan reportedly took the lead in responding to the hack, and an investigation by Uber’s board into Sullivan lead to the discovery of the hack and subsequent cover-up.", "The attack reportedly took place when hackers accessed a private GitHub website where Uber software engineers stored code. The hackers then used login details obtained from the files held on GitHub to gain access to the company’s Amazon Web Services account, where the hackers discovered archives of Uber user data. They then emailed Uber demanding money, holding the data ransom.", "“At the time of the incident, we took immediate steps to secure the data and shut down further unauthorized access by the individuals.,” Khosrowshahi said. “We also implemented security measures to restrict access to and strengthen controls on our cloud-based storage accounts.”", "This latest hack adds to Uber’s already long list of recent scandals, including alleged sexual assaults by a number of Uber drivers resulting in a lawsuit against the company. Uber has also boycotted Breitbart News, telling advertising agencies that they want “nothing to do” with the website." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/11/22/uber-hid-cyberattack-that-stole-personal-data-of-57-million-users/	Uber Hid Cyberattack That Stole Personal Data of 57 Million People Uber reportedly concealed a cyberattack that saw the personal data of 57 million people stolen by hackers who the company paid off to keep quiet about the incident. Bloomberg reports Uber fell victim to a cyberattack from a group of hackers that saw the data of 57 million Uber users and drivers stolen. The company reportedly kept this attack hidden from the public for over a year, leading to the firing of chief security officer Joe Sullivan this week along with one of his deputies. The stolen data, dating back to October 2016, contains the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of 50 million Uber riders worldwide, according to a statement from the company. The personal details of approximately 7 million drivers were also accessed by hackers, including 600,000 U.S. drivers license numbers. Social security numbers and trip location details were not among the data stolen. Uber has now acknowledged that they had a legal obligation to report the hack to the drivers and customers affected, as well as regulators, but instead paid the hackers $100,000 to delete the stolen user information and stay quiet about the hack. Dara Khosrowshahi, who replaced Travis Kalanick as CEO of Uber in September, said in a statement, “None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it. We are changing the way we do business.” Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly learned of the data breach a month after it took place in November 2016. Former chief security officer Joe Sullivan reportedly took the lead in responding to the hack, and an investigation by Uber’s board into Sullivan lead to the discovery of the hack and subsequent cover-up. The attack reportedly took place when hackers accessed a private GitHub website where Uber software engineers stored code. The hackers then used login details obtained from the files held on GitHub to gain access to the company’s Amazon Web Services account, where the hackers discovered archives of Uber user data. They then emailed Uber demanding money, holding the data ransom. “At the time of the incident, we took immediate steps to secure the data and shut down further unauthorized access by the individuals.,” Khosrowshahi said. “We also implemented security measures to restrict access to and strengthen controls on our cloud-based storage accounts.” This latest hack adds to Uber’s already long list of recent scandals, including alleged sexual assaults by a number of Uber drivers resulting in a lawsuit against the company. Uber has also boycotted Breitbart News, telling advertising agencies that they want “nothing to do” with the website.
Obama Celebrates Science Fair During Tough Talk On Islamic State	2016-04-14	[ "President Barack Obama has tough words for Islamic State terrorists, asserting that they are on the defensive as a result of his limited military actions.", "“We have momentum, and we intend to keep that momentum,” Obama said during a visit to the CIA Headquarters in Virginia yesterday.", "Obama cited his White House science fair as a reason why the terrorists would lose and America would win. He recalled spending time with the students earlier in the afternoon and marveled at the “hope that they want to bring and the light they want to shine to the entire world.”", "“That’s who we are,” he said. “You can’t beat that.”", "Obama argued that Islamic states terrorists were being taken off the battlefield, thanks to a series of drone strikes and air raids. That kind of power, he suggested, shook their resolve.", "“Every day ISIL leaders wake up and understand that it could be their last,” he said.", "Obama encouraged all Americans to go about their lives in spite of the ongoing threat posed by the Islamic State.", "“In the face of madmen who only know how to kill, we’re going to keep on living our lives and trying to lift people up,” he said, pointing to American’s love of sporting events.", "“We go to our stadiums. We cheer for our teams. We thrive in our cities,” he said. “We run our races, as they will next week in Boston.”" ]	http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/04/14/obama-celebrates-science-fair-tough-talk-islamic-state/	Obama Celebrates Science Fair During Tough Talk On Islamic State President Barack Obama has tough words for Islamic State terrorists, asserting that they are on the defensive as a result of his limited military actions. “We have momentum, and we intend to keep that momentum,” Obama said during a visit to the CIA Headquarters in Virginia yesterday. Obama cited his White House science fair as a reason why the terrorists would lose and America would win. He recalled spending time with the students earlier in the afternoon and marveled at the “hope that they want to bring and the light they want to shine to the entire world.” “That’s who we are,” he said. “You can’t beat that.” Obama argued that Islamic states terrorists were being taken off the battlefield, thanks to a series of drone strikes and air raids. That kind of power, he suggested, shook their resolve. “Every day ISIL leaders wake up and understand that it could be their last,” he said. Obama encouraged all Americans to go about their lives in spite of the ongoing threat posed by the Islamic State. “In the face of madmen who only know how to kill, we’re going to keep on living our lives and trying to lift people up,” he said, pointing to American’s love of sporting events. “We go to our stadiums. We cheer for our teams. We thrive in our cities,” he said. “We run our races, as they will next week in Boston.”
Erick Erickson: 'I Think the Time Has Come for Mitt Romney'-Politico	2016-05-20	[ "Not only does Erick Erickson want Mitt Romney to restart a search for a third-party candidate to challenge Donald Trump, he also wants Romney to consider being that person.", "The conservative blogger wrote for The Resurgent on Friday that he would “gladly work for a Romney Presidency given the choices between” Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and Trump.", "Erickson, who has said he would never vote for Trump, opposed Romney during his previous presidential runs. On Wednesday, Yahoo News reported that Romney has ruled out an independent bid for president and is not trying to get any other Republicans to take up the mantle despite remaining hopeful for someone else to surface.", "“I opposed Romney in 2008 and 2012, but I think the time has come for Mitt Romney,” Erickson wrote. “I can’t believe I’m even writing this. But seriously, Mitt Romney should run for President again and transcend party for the good of the country.", "Read the rest of the story." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/05/20/erick-erickson-think-time-come-mitt-romney-politico/	Erick Erickson: 'I Think the Time Has Come for Mitt Romney'-Politico Not only does Erick Erickson want Mitt Romney to restart a search for a third-party candidate to challenge Donald Trump, he also wants Romney to consider being that person. The conservative blogger wrote for The Resurgent on Friday that he would “gladly work for a Romney Presidency given the choices between” Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and Trump. Erickson, who has said he would never vote for Trump, opposed Romney during his previous presidential runs. On Wednesday, Yahoo News reported that Romney has ruled out an independent bid for president and is not trying to get any other Republicans to take up the mantle despite remaining hopeful for someone else to surface. “I opposed Romney in 2008 and 2012, but I think the time has come for Mitt Romney,” Erickson wrote. “I can’t believe I’m even writing this. But seriously, Mitt Romney should run for President again and transcend party for the good of the country. Read the rest of the story.
Palestinians Prepping to Burn Thousands of Tires at Israel Border	2018-04-05	[ "The Jerusalem Post reports: Palestinians plan to engulf the Gaza border with smoke and flames from thousands of burning tires on Friday as Israel holds firm to its order to shoot any protesters who come close to the security barrier.", "In the past several days, groups of young Gazans have been collecting old tires around the Strip and bringing them to the border. Palestinians intend to light the tires on fire to blur the vision of the soldiers on the Israeli side of the security fence, according to a Gaza-based source familiar with preparations for what he called “the Friday of Old Tires.", "“The hope is that the soldiers will not be able to shoot because the thick, black smoke will block their line of vision,” he said in a phone call with The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2018/04/05/palestinians-prepping-burn-thousands-tires-israel-border/	Palestinians Prepping to Burn Thousands of Tires at Israel Border The Jerusalem Post reports: Palestinians plan to engulf the Gaza border with smoke and flames from thousands of burning tires on Friday as Israel holds firm to its order to shoot any protesters who come close to the security barrier. In the past several days, groups of young Gazans have been collecting old tires around the Strip and bringing them to the border. Palestinians intend to light the tires on fire to blur the vision of the soldiers on the Israeli side of the security fence, according to a Gaza-based source familiar with preparations for what he called “the Friday of Old Tires. “The hope is that the soldiers will not be able to shoot because the thick, black smoke will block their line of vision,” he said in a phone call with The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Socialist Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant Faces Recall Effort After Backing CHOP, 'Defund the Police'	2021-05-04	[ "A recall effort is under way to remove Socialist Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, who pushed for the city to “defund the police,” allowed Black Lives Matter rioters into City Hall, and backed the occupation known as CHAZ or CHOP.", "Sawant is an immigrant from India who joined the Socialist Alternative organization and advocates for radical left-wing policies within city government. She has supported other violent radical movements, including the Occupy movement.", "Though she was elected in 2019 to serve a four-year term that ends in 2024, many local residents are furious at her impact thus far. As Breitbart News reported last June, she led demonstrators into City Hall, despite coronavirus restrictions. She also defended the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” (CHAZ), later known as the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” (CHOP), saying the protesters had the right to use armed guards, and blaming a shooting inside the CHOP on “capitalism’s brutality.”", "Sawant also led efforts to “defund the police,” and succeeded in pressing the City Council to commit to cutting the Seattle Police Department by 50%, though only 100 officers could be cut right away. Police Chief Carmen Best resigned in protest.", "The Seattle Times reported Monday that both opponents and supporters of Sawant are gearing up for the fight (original links):", "Last week, the Recall Sawant campaign mailed petition copies and signature-gathering instructions to some voters in Sawant’s District 3, and the Kshama Solidarity campaign mailed literature to some voters arguing against a recall.", "To secure a recall election (an up-or-down vote on Sawant), Recall Sawant must submit at least 10,739 valid signatures from District 3 voters (25% of the votes cast in 2019’s general election).", "Only District 3 voters can sign, and only District 3 voters will be allowed to participate if an election is held. District 3 includes Capitol Hill, the Central District, Montlake and Madison Park.", "The recall process allows 180 days for petition signatures to be collected; the clock began on April 22, when the ballot synopsis for the potential recall was finalized, so Recall Sawant has until mid-October.", "The Recall Sawant website lays out the case against her:", "The Kshama Solidarity website sets out her defense:", "Big business and the right-wing are using the courts and their deep pockets to try to silence Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant with a recall campaign. They are furious about her consistent support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the victories she has spearheaded with her socialist council office, including the Amazon Tax, the $15 minimum wage, and landmark legislation for renters’ rights.", "Signature gathering is being conducted by mail, because of the risks of an ongoing coronavirus surge in the state." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/04/kshama-sawant-socialist-seattle-city-council-member-who-backed-blm-chop-faces-recall-effort-defund-the-police/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29	Socialist Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant Faces Recall Effort After Backing CHOP, 'Defund the Police' A recall effort is under way to remove Socialist Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, who pushed for the city to “defund the police,” allowed Black Lives Matter rioters into City Hall, and backed the occupation known as CHAZ or CHOP. Sawant is an immigrant from India who joined the Socialist Alternative organization and advocates for radical left-wing policies within city government. She has supported other violent radical movements, including the Occupy movement. Though she was elected in 2019 to serve a four-year term that ends in 2024, many local residents are furious at her impact thus far. As Breitbart News reported last June, she led demonstrators into City Hall, despite coronavirus restrictions. She also defended the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” (CHAZ), later known as the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” (CHOP), saying the protesters had the right to use armed guards, and blaming a shooting inside the CHOP on “capitalism’s brutality.” Sawant also led efforts to “defund the police,” and succeeded in pressing the City Council to commit to cutting the Seattle Police Department by 50%, though only 100 officers could be cut right away. Police Chief Carmen Best resigned in protest. The Seattle Times reported Monday that both opponents and supporters of Sawant are gearing up for the fight (original links): Last week, the Recall Sawant campaign mailed petition copies and signature-gathering instructions to some voters in Sawant’s District 3, and the Kshama Solidarity campaign mailed literature to some voters arguing against a recall. To secure a recall election (an up-or-down vote on Sawant), Recall Sawant must submit at least 10,739 valid signatures from District 3 voters (25% of the votes cast in 2019’s general election). Only District 3 voters can sign, and only District 3 voters will be allowed to participate if an election is held. District 3 includes Capitol Hill, the Central District, Montlake and Madison Park. The recall process allows 180 days for petition signatures to be collected; the clock began on April 22, when the ballot synopsis for the potential recall was finalized, so Recall Sawant has until mid-October. The Recall Sawant website lays out the case against her: The Kshama Solidarity website sets out her defense: Big business and the right-wing are using the courts and their deep pockets to try to silence Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant with a recall campaign. They are furious about her consistent support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the victories she has spearheaded with her socialist council office, including the Amazon Tax, the $15 minimum wage, and landmark legislation for renters’ rights. Signature gathering is being conducted by mail, because of the risks of an ongoing coronavirus surge in the state.
Gaza Jihadi Wanted by Hamas Killed in Battle with Egyptian Army	2016-06-25	[ "TEL AVIV – A Gaza jihadi was killed on Wednesday in a battle with the Egyptian army in Sinai, Breitbart Jerusalem has learned.", "Islamic State militants released a statement announcing the death of Nader Judah, 22, without disclosing details about the circumstances of his death. His family was notified.", "Judah, a resident of Radwan district in northern Gaza City, escaped the Gaza Strip and joined Waliyat Sinai, IS’ Egyptian branch, after dodging Hamas arrest.", "The Hamas government in Gaza accused Judah of launching a string of attacks against Hamas targets – mainly, limousines owned by top Hamas officials. The attacks were attributed by Hamas to a ring of Salafi militants, Judah being chief among them.", "Following the attack, several members of the ring, including Judah, fled the Strip. Another member, Muhamad Shehadeh Dalu, was killed in April while fighting for IS in Sinai.", "Dozens of Gaza jihadists, including prominent members of Hamas’ military wing, have joined IS in the last months and years, either in Sinai, Iraq or Libya.", "In April, Breitbart Jerusalem reported that a Gaza jihadi fighter was killed in Libya.", "In recent months, in an attempt to restore ties with the Egyptian government, Hamas has stepped up security measures along the Gaza-Egypt border, and clamped down on jihadi activists who maintained ties with IS in Sinai.", "Hamas was prompted to step up measures against extremists after Cairo accused it of training and collaborating with Waliyat Sinai fighters. Despite Hamas’ efforts, 12 Gaza jihadists crossed the border and joined IS in the last few weeks alone." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2016/06/25/gaza-jihadi-wanted-hamas-killed-battle-egyptian-army/	Gaza Jihadi Wanted by Hamas Killed in Battle with Egyptian Army TEL AVIV – A Gaza jihadi was killed on Wednesday in a battle with the Egyptian army in Sinai, Breitbart Jerusalem has learned. Islamic State militants released a statement announcing the death of Nader Judah, 22, without disclosing details about the circumstances of his death. His family was notified. Judah, a resident of Radwan district in northern Gaza City, escaped the Gaza Strip and joined Waliyat Sinai, IS’ Egyptian branch, after dodging Hamas arrest. The Hamas government in Gaza accused Judah of launching a string of attacks against Hamas targets – mainly, limousines owned by top Hamas officials. The attacks were attributed by Hamas to a ring of Salafi militants, Judah being chief among them. Following the attack, several members of the ring, including Judah, fled the Strip. Another member, Muhamad Shehadeh Dalu, was killed in April while fighting for IS in Sinai. Dozens of Gaza jihadists, including prominent members of Hamas’ military wing, have joined IS in the last months and years, either in Sinai, Iraq or Libya. In April, Breitbart Jerusalem reported that a Gaza jihadi fighter was killed in Libya. In recent months, in an attempt to restore ties with the Egyptian government, Hamas has stepped up security measures along the Gaza-Egypt border, and clamped down on jihadi activists who maintained ties with IS in Sinai. Hamas was prompted to step up measures against extremists after Cairo accused it of training and collaborating with Waliyat Sinai fighters. Despite Hamas’ efforts, 12 Gaza jihadists crossed the border and joined IS in the last few weeks alone.
Home Invasion Suspect Kicks in Door, Meets Shotgun, Dies Shortly Thereafter	2018-01-05	[ "A home invasion suspect allegedly kicked in a door in Merced, California, Wednesday night only to make a fatal encounter with a shotgun.", "The invasion occurred shortly after 10 pm.", "According to the Merced Sun-Star, a resident called police to say he had shot a suspect who kicked in the door to his apartment. The resident said the man kicked in the door then walked directly at him, at which time the resident shot the suspect with a shotgun.", "The suspect died shortly thereafter.", "ABC 30 identified the deceased suspect as Moana LogoLogo.", "Merced Police Lt. Don King said the resident did not know LogoLogo. He said, “[The resident] didn’t know who this individual was. He was fearful and has been very cooperative with individuals involved in this case.”", "King said LogoLogo parked his car “in the driveway of the home.” Police are trying to determine why LogoLogo chose that particular apartment." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/california/2018/01/05/home-invasion-suspect-kicks-in-door-meets-shotgun-dies-shortly-thereafter/	Home Invasion Suspect Kicks in Door, Meets Shotgun, Dies Shortly Thereafter A home invasion suspect allegedly kicked in a door in Merced, California, Wednesday night only to make a fatal encounter with a shotgun. The invasion occurred shortly after 10 pm. According to the Merced Sun-Star, a resident called police to say he had shot a suspect who kicked in the door to his apartment. The resident said the man kicked in the door then walked directly at him, at which time the resident shot the suspect with a shotgun. The suspect died shortly thereafter. ABC 30 identified the deceased suspect as Moana LogoLogo. Merced Police Lt. Don King said the resident did not know LogoLogo. He said, “[The resident] didn’t know who this individual was. He was fearful and has been very cooperative with individuals involved in this case.” King said LogoLogo parked his car “in the driveway of the home.” Police are trying to determine why LogoLogo chose that particular apartment.
Klukowski: Sessions Recusal an Act of Statesmanship	2017-03-03	[ "Democrats’ overcaffeinated cries over Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ statements on Russian contacts is an attempt to obfuscate the plain truth: Sessions’ pledge to recuse is an act of statesmanship, not a suggestion that he did anything wrong. It was also brilliant politics.", "Yesterday, even though President Trump publicly declared that he was not asking for it or thought it necessary, Sessions announced that he would recuse himself from any investigation involving the Trump campaign. This would include any investigation of any alleged contacts between the campaign and officials in the Russian government.", "Normally, if the attorney general is recused on a matter, then the deputy attorney general is in charge. If there is no deputy, then the associate attorney general is in charge. If there is no one in that office either, then the solicitor general is in charge. If that person is not around, then you start going through more than a half-dozen assistant attorneys general.", "But only two of those senior posts even have a nominee at this point, and none of them have yet been confirmed by the Senate. So per the executive order governing the order of succession for the Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Dana Boente, is the acting attorney general for any decisions on appointing a special prosecutor, ordering an investigation, or taking any other DOJ actions. Boente was appointed by Barack Obama in 2015.", "But for now that power resides in an official appointed by a president of the opposition party, albeit an official with a long service record in administrations of both parties.", "Recusal has nothing to do with any wrongdoing, a critical fact that establishment media commentators conveniently seem to forget. For investigators (such as many people in DOJ), recusal is appropriate when a reasonable observer might question the investigator’s impartiality.", "This is critically important when it comes to courts of law and law enforcement. Federal law requires judges to recuse themselves if a family member is involved or they have any financial stake in an outcome. Beyond that, judges recuse themselves whenever there is any other objective basis to question their impartiality. When they do so, it is never considered a sign of wrongdoing; it is about giving the people every reason to have faith in the institutions of justice.", "But recusal is not a blank check to block those officials from doing their jobs. For example, federal judges with a history of pro-life affiliations before they became judges frequently will be called upon to recuse themselves on abortion cases. They rightly refuse to do so in such cases. Merely having personal views on an issue (and everyone in public life has a personal view on abortion) does not mean that a government official cannot be trusted to follow the law.", "Sessions concluded that since he was heavily involved with the Trump campaign, reasonable people might wonder if he was truly impartial if he was called upon to investigate campaign staff. There is no evidence of any partiality, favoritism, or personal improper involvement; but recusal can occur even when there is no evidence that it is necessary.", "In Sessions’ case, this means that even though no one has made any sort of evidence-supported allegation that he engaged in any improper communications, for the sake of the credibility of DOJ and the White House, he would have someone else lead the investigation.", "This is an act of pure statesmanship, rarely seen in Washington. By announcing that he would forfeit authority that he rightly holds—granted to him by the president of the United States and the U.S. Senate, filling an important office in the life of the nation—he is putting public perception ahead of political expediency. He is showing faith in the American people and trusting that the justice system will operate the way it is supposed to without him.", "“Caesar’s wife must be above reproach,” Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar. Sessions does not wish to present any stumbling blocks to Americans who are not currently supporters of the president who appointed him. If stepping aside on this issue gives them one more reason to trust President Trump and his administration, then apparently that is what the attorney general is willing to do.", "The manner in which Sessions announced his decision showcased grace, class, and humility. He had a solid press conference, fully answered the questions put to him, then went on primetime television to answer still more questions. He looked like a public servant trying to be forthright and transparent with the public.", "Sessions’ decision will also redound to Trump’s political benefit. This shuts down what would otherwise be a recurring line of attack against him. The public does not know whether DOJ is investigating anything about Russian ties to the presidential campaign because such investigations can occur in secret.", "But now the public does know that the person deciding whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant such an investigation has unquestionably clean hands. For the time being, an Obama appointee is calling the shots. While leftwing partisans may continue to cry foul, reasonable Americans will continue to have faith in equal justice under the law.", "Conservatives have long admired Jeff Sessions. Now Middle America can see why." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/03/klukowski-sessions-recusal-act-statesmanship/	Klukowski: Sessions Recusal an Act of Statesmanship Democrats’ overcaffeinated cries over Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ statements on Russian contacts is an attempt to obfuscate the plain truth: Sessions’ pledge to recuse is an act of statesmanship, not a suggestion that he did anything wrong. It was also brilliant politics. Yesterday, even though President Trump publicly declared that he was not asking for it or thought it necessary, Sessions announced that he would recuse himself from any investigation involving the Trump campaign. This would include any investigation of any alleged contacts between the campaign and officials in the Russian government. Normally, if the attorney general is recused on a matter, then the deputy attorney general is in charge. If there is no deputy, then the associate attorney general is in charge. If there is no one in that office either, then the solicitor general is in charge. If that person is not around, then you start going through more than a half-dozen assistant attorneys general. But only two of those senior posts even have a nominee at this point, and none of them have yet been confirmed by the Senate. So per the executive order governing the order of succession for the Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Dana Boente, is the acting attorney general for any decisions on appointing a special prosecutor, ordering an investigation, or taking any other DOJ actions. Boente was appointed by Barack Obama in 2015. But for now that power resides in an official appointed by a president of the opposition party, albeit an official with a long service record in administrations of both parties. Recusal has nothing to do with any wrongdoing, a critical fact that establishment media commentators conveniently seem to forget. For investigators (such as many people in DOJ), recusal is appropriate when a reasonable observer might question the investigator’s impartiality. This is critically important when it comes to courts of law and law enforcement. Federal law requires judges to recuse themselves if a family member is involved or they have any financial stake in an outcome. Beyond that, judges recuse themselves whenever there is any other objective basis to question their impartiality. When they do so, it is never considered a sign of wrongdoing; it is about giving the people every reason to have faith in the institutions of justice. But recusal is not a blank check to block those officials from doing their jobs. For example, federal judges with a history of pro-life affiliations before they became judges frequently will be called upon to recuse themselves on abortion cases. They rightly refuse to do so in such cases. Merely having personal views on an issue (and everyone in public life has a personal view on abortion) does not mean that a government official cannot be trusted to follow the law. Sessions concluded that since he was heavily involved with the Trump campaign, reasonable people might wonder if he was truly impartial if he was called upon to investigate campaign staff. There is no evidence of any partiality, favoritism, or personal improper involvement; but recusal can occur even when there is no evidence that it is necessary. In Sessions’ case, this means that even though no one has made any sort of evidence-supported allegation that he engaged in any improper communications, for the sake of the credibility of DOJ and the White House, he would have someone else lead the investigation. This is an act of pure statesmanship, rarely seen in Washington. By announcing that he would forfeit authority that he rightly holds—granted to him by the president of the United States and the U.S. Senate, filling an important office in the life of the nation—he is putting public perception ahead of political expediency. He is showing faith in the American people and trusting that the justice system will operate the way it is supposed to without him. “Caesar’s wife must be above reproach,” Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar. Sessions does not wish to present any stumbling blocks to Americans who are not currently supporters of the president who appointed him. If stepping aside on this issue gives them one more reason to trust President Trump and his administration, then apparently that is what the attorney general is willing to do. The manner in which Sessions announced his decision showcased grace, class, and humility. He had a solid press conference, fully answered the questions put to him, then went on primetime television to answer still more questions. He looked like a public servant trying to be forthright and transparent with the public. Sessions’ decision will also redound to Trump’s political benefit. This shuts down what would otherwise be a recurring line of attack against him. The public does not know whether DOJ is investigating anything about Russian ties to the presidential campaign because such investigations can occur in secret. But now the public does know that the person deciding whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant such an investigation has unquestionably clean hands. For the time being, an Obama appointee is calling the shots. While leftwing partisans may continue to cry foul, reasonable Americans will continue to have faith in equal justice under the law. Conservatives have long admired Jeff Sessions. Now Middle America can see why.
Amazon Shortlists 20 Cities for 'HQ2' Location	2018-01-18	[ "Amazon has narrowed the future location of its second headquarters, called “HQ2,” to 20 cities. 19 cities in America and Toronto, Canada, remain in the running for the $5 billion project.", "CNN reports that only 20 cities are on the shortlist to become home to Amazon’s second headquarters. Amazon initially began deciding where to place their new HQ by examining 238 cities and regions from across all 50 states and several North American locations outside of the United States, now the 20 cities being considered include:", "- Washington D.C.", "Announced in September of 2017, the new Amazon building will be called HQ2 and will cost approximately $5 billion to develop and operate. Amazon estimates that the building could create up to 50,000 high-paying jobs in the city they choose to construct it in. Holly Sullivan of Amazon Public Policy commented on Amazon’s decision to cut down their list of 238 cities to only 20 saying, “Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough — all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity. Through this process, we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”", "Following the announcement of Amazon’s plans to build the new HQ, cities across America began attempting to entice Amazon to develop the building in their city. Kansas City Mayor Sly James bought and reviewed as many as 1,000 Amazon products in an attempt to convince Amazon to locate there while Stonecrest, Georgia, offered to rename the city Amazon, Georgia, and give the company 345 acres of land on which to develop their new HQ for free. However, it seems that many of these locations didn’t fit Amazon’s criteria which included being close to a major airport and the city’s ability to attract talented tech workers.", "Amazon stated that they will be working closely with each of the 20 locations to “dive deeper” into their proposals over the next few months. Amazon has stated that the HQ2 building will be a “full equal” to their campus located in Seattle. The company estimates that between 2010 and 2016, the Amazon campus generated $38 billion for Seattle’s economy." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/01/18/amazon-shortlists-20-cities-for-hq2-location/	Amazon Shortlists 20 Cities for 'HQ2' Location Amazon has narrowed the future location of its second headquarters, called “HQ2,” to 20 cities. 19 cities in America and Toronto, Canada, remain in the running for the $5 billion project. CNN reports that only 20 cities are on the shortlist to become home to Amazon’s second headquarters. Amazon initially began deciding where to place their new HQ by examining 238 cities and regions from across all 50 states and several North American locations outside of the United States, now the 20 cities being considered include: - Washington D.C. Announced in September of 2017, the new Amazon building will be called HQ2 and will cost approximately $5 billion to develop and operate. Amazon estimates that the building could create up to 50,000 high-paying jobs in the city they choose to construct it in. Holly Sullivan of Amazon Public Policy commented on Amazon’s decision to cut down their list of 238 cities to only 20 saying, “Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough — all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity. Through this process, we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.” Following the announcement of Amazon’s plans to build the new HQ, cities across America began attempting to entice Amazon to develop the building in their city. Kansas City Mayor Sly James bought and reviewed as many as 1,000 Amazon products in an attempt to convince Amazon to locate there while Stonecrest, Georgia, offered to rename the city Amazon, Georgia, and give the company 345 acres of land on which to develop their new HQ for free. However, it seems that many of these locations didn’t fit Amazon’s criteria which included being close to a major airport and the city’s ability to attract talented tech workers. Amazon stated that they will be working closely with each of the 20 locations to “dive deeper” into their proposals over the next few months. Amazon has stated that the HQ2 building will be a “full equal” to their campus located in Seattle. The company estimates that between 2010 and 2016, the Amazon campus generated $38 billion for Seattle’s economy.
Al Gore Spreads Climate Fear in Davos: 'This Is Thermopylae, Dunkirk, 9/11'	2020-01-24	[ "Former Vice President and climate activist Al Gore on Wednesday hyperbolically compared global warming to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Battle of the Bulge during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.", "“The burden to act on the shoulders of the generation of the people alive today is a challenge to our moral imagination,” said Gore. “This is Thermopylae. This is Agincourt. This is Dunkirk. This is the Battle of the Bulge. This is 9/11.”", "“We have to rise to this occasion,” he concluded.", "Gore remarks came after he took to social media to gush over teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, who also attended the annual globalist gathering in Davos. “Great to see @GretaThunberg at #WEF20 today. Once again, I was struck by her potent and sobering call to action. Nobody speaks truth to power as she does,” the former vice president wrote on Twitter.", "In her remarks before the World Economic Forum, Thunberg accused world leaders of failing to protect children against climate change.", "“Unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight. The facts are clear, but they are still too uncomfortable for you to address. You just leave it because you think it’s too depressing and people will give up. But people will not give up. You’re the ones who are giving up,” she said. “I wonder what will you tell your children was the reason to fail and leave them facing a climate chaos that you knowingly brought upon them. That it seemed so bad for the economy that we decided to resign the idea of securing future living conditions without even trying? Our house is still on fire.”", "President Donald Trump countered Thunberg in a speech of his own in Davos, condemning climate activists as “prophets of doom” and called for the rejection of “predictions of the apocalypse.”", "“These alarmists always demand the same thing – absolute power to dominate, transform, and control every aspect of our lives,” said the president. “We’re committed to conserving the majesty of God’s creation and the natural beauty of our world.”" ]	https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2020/01/24/al-gore-spreads-climate-fear-in-davos-this-is-thermopylae-dunkirk-9-11/	Al Gore Spreads Climate Fear in Davos: 'This Is Thermopylae, Dunkirk, 9/11' Former Vice President and climate activist Al Gore on Wednesday hyperbolically compared global warming to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Battle of the Bulge during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “The burden to act on the shoulders of the generation of the people alive today is a challenge to our moral imagination,” said Gore. “This is Thermopylae. This is Agincourt. This is Dunkirk. This is the Battle of the Bulge. This is 9/11.” “We have to rise to this occasion,” he concluded. Gore remarks came after he took to social media to gush over teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, who also attended the annual globalist gathering in Davos. “Great to see @GretaThunberg at #WEF20 today. Once again, I was struck by her potent and sobering call to action. Nobody speaks truth to power as she does,” the former vice president wrote on Twitter. In her remarks before the World Economic Forum, Thunberg accused world leaders of failing to protect children against climate change. “Unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight. The facts are clear, but they are still too uncomfortable for you to address. You just leave it because you think it’s too depressing and people will give up. But people will not give up. You’re the ones who are giving up,” she said. “I wonder what will you tell your children was the reason to fail and leave them facing a climate chaos that you knowingly brought upon them. That it seemed so bad for the economy that we decided to resign the idea of securing future living conditions without even trying? Our house is still on fire.” President Donald Trump countered Thunberg in a speech of his own in Davos, condemning climate activists as “prophets of doom” and called for the rejection of “predictions of the apocalypse.” “These alarmists always demand the same thing – absolute power to dominate, transform, and control every aspect of our lives,” said the president. “We’re committed to conserving the majesty of God’s creation and the natural beauty of our world.”
Steve King: Men from 'Most Violent Countries in World' Are 'Invading' U.S.	2018-10-21	[ "Rep. Steve King (R-IA) says men from the “most violent countries in the world” are “invading” the United States through illegal and legal immigration.", "In an interview with an Austrian media outlet, King discussed the death of 20-year-old college student Mollie Tibbetts whose body was found in September in a cornfield in her rural hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa after she was last seen jogging on July 18.", "Christian Bahena-Rivera, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been charged with first-degree murder in Tibbetts’ death after police say he admitted to confronting and chasing down the young woman. The illegal alien lived in a region of Iowa that was surrounded by sanctuary cities, as Breitbart News noted, and an initial autopsy report revealed that Bahena-Rivera allegedly stabbed Tibbetts to death.", "King said if the U.S. had enforced federal immigration law properly, Bahena-Rivera would have not been in the country to begin with and Tibbetts would still be alive.", "King said:", "King also warned against mass immigration to the U.S. from the most dangerous regions of the world, specifically Central America and South America:", "According to police, Bahena-Rivera was the last person who saw Tibbetts jogging on the evening of July 18 in Brooklyn, Iowa, security camera footage reveals. That is the night Tibbetts went missing.", "The illegal alien told police that Tibbetts was jogging when he saw her. That is when he said he approached Tibbetts and started talking to her. After Tibbetts allegedly told Bahena-Rivera that she would call the police if he did not stop following her, the illegal alien allegedly chased her and says he “blacked out” after this.", "The following month, Tibbetts’ body was found in a cornfield, where prosecutors say Bahena-Rivera placed corn stalks over her to hide her body.", "Bahena-Rivera is being held on a $5 million cash bond. The illegal alien waived his right to have a trial heard within 90 days. His trial is set for April 2019." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/10/21/steve-king-men-violent-countries-invading-u-s/	Steve King: Men from 'Most Violent Countries in World' Are 'Invading' U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) says men from the “most violent countries in the world” are “invading” the United States through illegal and legal immigration. In an interview with an Austrian media outlet, King discussed the death of 20-year-old college student Mollie Tibbetts whose body was found in September in a cornfield in her rural hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa after she was last seen jogging on July 18. Christian Bahena-Rivera, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been charged with first-degree murder in Tibbetts’ death after police say he admitted to confronting and chasing down the young woman. The illegal alien lived in a region of Iowa that was surrounded by sanctuary cities, as Breitbart News noted, and an initial autopsy report revealed that Bahena-Rivera allegedly stabbed Tibbetts to death. King said if the U.S. had enforced federal immigration law properly, Bahena-Rivera would have not been in the country to begin with and Tibbetts would still be alive. King said: King also warned against mass immigration to the U.S. from the most dangerous regions of the world, specifically Central America and South America: According to police, Bahena-Rivera was the last person who saw Tibbetts jogging on the evening of July 18 in Brooklyn, Iowa, security camera footage reveals. That is the night Tibbetts went missing. The illegal alien told police that Tibbetts was jogging when he saw her. That is when he said he approached Tibbetts and started talking to her. After Tibbetts allegedly told Bahena-Rivera that she would call the police if he did not stop following her, the illegal alien allegedly chased her and says he “blacked out” after this. The following month, Tibbetts’ body was found in a cornfield, where prosecutors say Bahena-Rivera placed corn stalks over her to hide her body. Bahena-Rivera is being held on a $5 million cash bond. The illegal alien waived his right to have a trial heard within 90 days. His trial is set for April 2019.
Final UKIP Leadership Hustings Divided Over 'Disloyalty' and 'Philosophical Difference'	2016-08-26	[ "LONDON, United Kingdom – Thursday saw the final hustings in the bitter contest to be the next leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), with candidates split on whether to confront the so-called “disloyalty” and factionalism which left the clear favourite to succeed Nigel Farage, Steven Woolfe, excluded from the competition.", "Bill Etheridge, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands, said UKIP was like “lions lead by donkeys” and one of the “first things” he would do if he won would be to fire members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).", "The NEC is known amongst UKIP insiders to be Tory-supporting, anti-Farage, and broadly inept. They excluded Steven Woolfe – a long time Farage supporter – from the race on dubious grounds last month. Mr. Etheridge spoke of a “difference of philosophy” emerging in the party, promised to be “ruthlessly efficient” and said there would be no “jobs for the boys” unless they “pulled their weight”.", "He hailed Mr. Farage as the “greatest politician of a generation” and said he would ask him to “get back involved on a front line level”, before slamming those who have been “damn right disloyal” to the “party and leader… especially the one responsible for hijacking our 2015 manifesto.”", "Former Tory councillor Suzanne Evans, now suspended from UKIP, claims to have written the party’s manifesto which Mr. Etheridge attacked once again, as he did last week, when he labelled it “centre ground” and “disastrous”, urging the party not to fear “offending everyone” and be “radical” after the Brexit vote.", "His headline policy is “privatising the BBC” which he said peddles “left-wing propaganda” with tax payers’ money. He says he’s strong on law and order, a “flatter” rate of tax, and on “restoring the libertarian principles… UKIP was founded on”.", "Meanwhile, Lisa Duffy – a UKIP councillor and former cleaner and shop worker in high street chain TK Maxx – said the party should “go and sell that great manifesto… [and] great policies” from 2015.", "Ms. Duffy has seen the small anti-Farage vote gather behind her campaign in the contest so far – including an endorsement from Suzanne Evans. She also works as the chief of staff to MEP Patrick O’Flynn, who called Mr. Farage “snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive”.", "At the hustings, she called on the party to “build on” the 2015 manifesto by echoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in demanding “a billion pounds of new money for mental health services” and said UKIP should become “the party of the NHS”.", "The favourite to win the contest, MEP Diane James, the party’s home affairs and justice spokesperson, has been absent from all twelve of the hustings so far, including Thursday’s.", "She told BBC Radio 4 this morning that she is so keen on the 2015 manifesto she “had not put forward any policies” and would instead “refresh and review our very successful… general election manifesto.”", "Ms. James appears aware that while Ms. Evans claimed to write the manifesto, she indeed only project managed it, with the policies actually written by the party’s spokespeople for the relevant areas.", "Ms. James claimed she had remained absent from the meetings “because I have been running my own programme of events around the country” and there was “no need to debate with my rivals”.", "“What I’m doing is appealing directly to the members and the activists. I’m giving myself forward two hours at every single event that I’ve organised. They can come along and forensically question me…” she said.", "Other candidates present included UKIP councillor Phillip Broughton, a younger man who focused on reducing the national debt and crime.", "He said the NEC rules “have to apply equally to everybody”, clearly indicating he was happy with Mr. Woolfe’s exclusion and would not be confronting the NEC.", "The final candidate, solicitor Elizabeth Jones, agreed. She said she would “not [fire] anybody” if she won and claimed there was “a place in my party for everybody”." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/08/26/final-ukip-leadership-hustings-divided-over-disloyalty-nec-and-philosophical-difference/	Final UKIP Leadership Hustings Divided Over 'Disloyalty' and 'Philosophical Difference' LONDON, United Kingdom – Thursday saw the final hustings in the bitter contest to be the next leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), with candidates split on whether to confront the so-called “disloyalty” and factionalism which left the clear favourite to succeed Nigel Farage, Steven Woolfe, excluded from the competition. Bill Etheridge, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands, said UKIP was like “lions lead by donkeys” and one of the “first things” he would do if he won would be to fire members of the National Executive Committee (NEC). The NEC is known amongst UKIP insiders to be Tory-supporting, anti-Farage, and broadly inept. They excluded Steven Woolfe – a long time Farage supporter – from the race on dubious grounds last month. Mr. Etheridge spoke of a “difference of philosophy” emerging in the party, promised to be “ruthlessly efficient” and said there would be no “jobs for the boys” unless they “pulled their weight”. He hailed Mr. Farage as the “greatest politician of a generation” and said he would ask him to “get back involved on a front line level”, before slamming those who have been “damn right disloyal” to the “party and leader… especially the one responsible for hijacking our 2015 manifesto.” Former Tory councillor Suzanne Evans, now suspended from UKIP, claims to have written the party’s manifesto which Mr. Etheridge attacked once again, as he did last week, when he labelled it “centre ground” and “disastrous”, urging the party not to fear “offending everyone” and be “radical” after the Brexit vote. His headline policy is “privatising the BBC” which he said peddles “left-wing propaganda” with tax payers’ money. He says he’s strong on law and order, a “flatter” rate of tax, and on “restoring the libertarian principles… UKIP was founded on”. Meanwhile, Lisa Duffy – a UKIP councillor and former cleaner and shop worker in high street chain TK Maxx – said the party should “go and sell that great manifesto… [and] great policies” from 2015. Ms. Duffy has seen the small anti-Farage vote gather behind her campaign in the contest so far – including an endorsement from Suzanne Evans. She also works as the chief of staff to MEP Patrick O’Flynn, who called Mr. Farage “snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive”. At the hustings, she called on the party to “build on” the 2015 manifesto by echoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in demanding “a billion pounds of new money for mental health services” and said UKIP should become “the party of the NHS”. The favourite to win the contest, MEP Diane James, the party’s home affairs and justice spokesperson, has been absent from all twelve of the hustings so far, including Thursday’s. She told BBC Radio 4 this morning that she is so keen on the 2015 manifesto she “had not put forward any policies” and would instead “refresh and review our very successful… general election manifesto.” Ms. James appears aware that while Ms. Evans claimed to write the manifesto, she indeed only project managed it, with the policies actually written by the party’s spokespeople for the relevant areas. Ms. James claimed she had remained absent from the meetings “because I have been running my own programme of events around the country” and there was “no need to debate with my rivals”. “What I’m doing is appealing directly to the members and the activists. I’m giving myself forward two hours at every single event that I’ve organised. They can come along and forensically question me…” she said. Other candidates present included UKIP councillor Phillip Broughton, a younger man who focused on reducing the national debt and crime. He said the NEC rules “have to apply equally to everybody”, clearly indicating he was happy with Mr. Woolfe’s exclusion and would not be confronting the NEC. The final candidate, solicitor Elizabeth Jones, agreed. She said she would “not [fire] anybody” if she won and claimed there was “a place in my party for everybody”.
Mexican President Promises Release of Governor Jailed for Laundering Cartel Money	2019-11-11	[ "Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) promised the release of a former governor who helped the Juarez Cartel move large shipments of cocaine through his state. The politician is in prison on money laundering charges and he previously served time the U.S. for drug trafficking.", "During a speech last week in Quintana Roo, Lopez Obrador promised to secure the release of Mario Villanueva Madrid, the former governor of that state, Proceso reported. The state is home to Cancun and Playa del Carmen.", "“It is my commitment that he will be freed,” Lopez Obrador is quoted saying. He claimed the matter is currently working through the courts. If the effort fails, he would try act in an executive manner. Villanueva is in a federal prison serving a 22-year sentence on money laundering and drug-related charges, Animal Politico reported.", "According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office following his sentence on drug and money laundering charges, Villanueva became a governor in 1994 and “entered into an agreement with the Juarez Cartel that would ensure its cocaine shipments traveled safely through Quintana Roo without interference from law enforcement.” In exchange for his protection, Villanueva received millions of dollars that he laundered through offshore accounts.", "In 2001, Mexican authorities arrested and convicted Villanueva on organized crime and corruption charges. In 2010, the U.S. extradited him for an eventual guilty plea in 2012 on drug and money laundering conspiracy. The Mexican government extradited Villanueva in 2017 so he could serve a 22-year prison sentence. Some of the time was served in a hospital." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/border/2019/11/11/mexican-president-promises-release-of-governor-jailed-for-laundering-cartel-money/	Mexican President Promises Release of Governor Jailed for Laundering Cartel Money Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) promised the release of a former governor who helped the Juarez Cartel move large shipments of cocaine through his state. The politician is in prison on money laundering charges and he previously served time the U.S. for drug trafficking. During a speech last week in Quintana Roo, Lopez Obrador promised to secure the release of Mario Villanueva Madrid, the former governor of that state, Proceso reported. The state is home to Cancun and Playa del Carmen. “It is my commitment that he will be freed,” Lopez Obrador is quoted saying. He claimed the matter is currently working through the courts. If the effort fails, he would try act in an executive manner. Villanueva is in a federal prison serving a 22-year sentence on money laundering and drug-related charges, Animal Politico reported. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office following his sentence on drug and money laundering charges, Villanueva became a governor in 1994 and “entered into an agreement with the Juarez Cartel that would ensure its cocaine shipments traveled safely through Quintana Roo without interference from law enforcement.” In exchange for his protection, Villanueva received millions of dollars that he laundered through offshore accounts. In 2001, Mexican authorities arrested and convicted Villanueva on organized crime and corruption charges. In 2010, the U.S. extradited him for an eventual guilty plea in 2012 on drug and money laundering conspiracy. The Mexican government extradited Villanueva in 2017 so he could serve a 22-year prison sentence. Some of the time was served in a hospital.
Migrant Family Apprehensions in 2019 Up 469 Percent over Last Year	2019-07-11	[ "Apprehensions of migrant families who illegally cross the southwestern border from Mexico in Fiscal Year 2019 increased 469 percent over the same period last year. Despite the nearly 33 percent drop of migrant family apprehensions from May to June 2019, the increase in year-to-date apprehensions illustrates the enormity of the current crisis.", "Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 390,000 migrant families who illegally crossed the border between ports of entry during the first nine months of this fiscal year. This is up from 68,541 during the same period in FY2018 — an increase of 469 percent, according to the June Southwest Border Migration Report released on Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.", "The largest numbers of apprehensions continue to occur in the Rio Grande Valley Sector (165,950) and the El Paso Sector (117,612). The El Paso Sector experienced an astounding 1,759 percent increase in the apprehension of family units when compared to the same period one year ago. Agents in the El Paso Sector are processing more than 12,300 migrant families per month over the same period last year — an increase of approximately 412 more migrant family units each day.", "Despite warnings from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for months, Congress failed to take action to provide the resources necessary to properly house and process the migrant families. This led to circumstances of overcrowding and increased processing times in Border Patrol facilities never designed to handle these volumes of migrant families. Congress also failed to take action to close the legal loopholes being exploited by transnational criminal organizations to lure migrant families on a life-endangering journey from Central America to the U.S.", "In March, then CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan met with Border Patrol officials at ground zero in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. “On Monday (March 25), we saw the highest total of apprehensions and encounters in over a decade, with 4,000 migrants either apprehended or encountered at Ports of Entry in a single day. That was Monday.”", "“Yesterday (March 26), we broke the record again with 4,117,” the commissioner stated. “We are now on pace for over 100 thousand apprehensions and encounters with migrants in March, with 90 percent of those, 90 thousand people, crossing the border illegally between Ports of Entry. March will be the highest month since 2008. The arriving flows are made up primarily of Central American families and unaccompanied children.”", "From March 1 through June 30, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 419,000 migrants who illegally crossed the border between ports of entry — 104,975 per month. Of the total apprehensions, 290,525 were family units and unaccompanied minors — an average of 72,631 per month or 2,421 per day.", "“I’ve never seen anything like it in the 24 years that I’ve been doing this job,” U.S. Border Patrol Chief of Law Enforcement Operations Brian Hastings told reporters in a June conference call. “This is going back a period of 13 years where we haven’t seen apprehensions at this level.”", "“As we’ve discussed in the past, these numbers are so dramatically different from anything we’ve faced in the pasts because of the demographics and composition of the folks being apprehended,” he continued.", "As far back as October 2018, Border Patrol officials warned of the exploitation of legal loopholes by human smugglers to bring massive numbers of migrant families to the U.S.", "In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News’ Brandon Darby, then Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla discussed the need for Congress to take action to close these loopholes.", "“If you look at our activity in this sector, 40 percent of all of the apprehensions along the southwest border, 43 percent of the marijuana seized, the interesting part of the apprehensions that we have (approximately 128,500 year-to-date), 50 percent of the total are comprised of family units and unaccompanied children,” Padilla explained. “This demographic here, there is not a law enforcement solution to that. That’s going to require immigration reform closing the loopholes that exist in our immigration system.”", "“The criminal element is always looking for loopholes in our and they have found it,” Padilla continued. “This population, this demographic is turning themselves in to us. So when we’re talking about solutions for border security, for this particular demographic, Congress is going to have to pass immigration reform at some point or another.”", "In January, then DHS Spokeswoman Katie Waldman told Breitbart News, “This humanitarian crisis is driven by court rulings and poorly written laws that incentivize the smuggling of illegal immigrants under the age of 18. Funding the border wall, amending the TVPRA, and ending the Flores Settlement Agreement will put smugglers and traffickers out of business and protect vulnerable populations.”", "“As a result, in just a few years, CBP has seen a sizeable increase in the number of UACs illegally entering the country,” DHS officials reported. “In 2010, Border Patrol apprehended 18,622 UACs. In 2018, Border Patrol apprehended 50,036 UACs—i.e. an increase of 169% in just 8 years.”", "As of June 30, that number jumped again to 63,624 — with three months to go in the current fiscal year.", "“This crisis is exacerbated by the increase in persons who are entering our custody suffering from severe respiratory illnesses or exhibit some other illness upon apprehension,” then DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a December 2018 statement.", "On July 9, DHS Acting Secretary McAleenan continued the call to action by Congress.", "“We are still in an ongoing border security and humanitarian crisis. U.S. Border Patrol made 688,375 apprehensions through the end of June, 140 percent higher than through this time last year,” McAleenan said in a written statement. “And our June apprehension numbers are still higher than last year’s, when we were already in a crisis. We are past the breaking point and in a full-blown emergency. This situation should not be acceptable to any of us. I am proud of the men and women of DHS who are doing everything they can to achieve our humanitarian mission. However, in order for us to solve this crisis and to create lasting change at the border, we must address the vulnerabilities in our legal framework.”" ]	https://www.breitbart.com/border/2019/07/11/migrant-family-apprehensions-in-2019-up-469-percent-over-last-year/	Migrant Family Apprehensions in 2019 Up 469 Percent over Last Year Apprehensions of migrant families who illegally cross the southwestern border from Mexico in Fiscal Year 2019 increased 469 percent over the same period last year. Despite the nearly 33 percent drop of migrant family apprehensions from May to June 2019, the increase in year-to-date apprehensions illustrates the enormity of the current crisis. Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 390,000 migrant families who illegally crossed the border between ports of entry during the first nine months of this fiscal year. This is up from 68,541 during the same period in FY2018 — an increase of 469 percent, according to the June Southwest Border Migration Report released on Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The largest numbers of apprehensions continue to occur in the Rio Grande Valley Sector (165,950) and the El Paso Sector (117,612). The El Paso Sector experienced an astounding 1,759 percent increase in the apprehension of family units when compared to the same period one year ago. Agents in the El Paso Sector are processing more than 12,300 migrant families per month over the same period last year — an increase of approximately 412 more migrant family units each day. Despite warnings from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for months, Congress failed to take action to provide the resources necessary to properly house and process the migrant families. This led to circumstances of overcrowding and increased processing times in Border Patrol facilities never designed to handle these volumes of migrant families. Congress also failed to take action to close the legal loopholes being exploited by transnational criminal organizations to lure migrant families on a life-endangering journey from Central America to the U.S. In March, then CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan met with Border Patrol officials at ground zero in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. “On Monday (March 25), we saw the highest total of apprehensions and encounters in over a decade, with 4,000 migrants either apprehended or encountered at Ports of Entry in a single day. That was Monday.” “Yesterday (March 26), we broke the record again with 4,117,” the commissioner stated. “We are now on pace for over 100 thousand apprehensions and encounters with migrants in March, with 90 percent of those, 90 thousand people, crossing the border illegally between Ports of Entry. March will be the highest month since 2008. The arriving flows are made up primarily of Central American families and unaccompanied children.” From March 1 through June 30, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 419,000 migrants who illegally crossed the border between ports of entry — 104,975 per month. Of the total apprehensions, 290,525 were family units and unaccompanied minors — an average of 72,631 per month or 2,421 per day. “I’ve never seen anything like it in the 24 years that I’ve been doing this job,” U.S. Border Patrol Chief of Law Enforcement Operations Brian Hastings told reporters in a June conference call. “This is going back a period of 13 years where we haven’t seen apprehensions at this level.” “As we’ve discussed in the past, these numbers are so dramatically different from anything we’ve faced in the pasts because of the demographics and composition of the folks being apprehended,” he continued. As far back as October 2018, Border Patrol officials warned of the exploitation of legal loopholes by human smugglers to bring massive numbers of migrant families to the U.S. In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News’ Brandon Darby, then Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla discussed the need for Congress to take action to close these loopholes. “If you look at our activity in this sector, 40 percent of all of the apprehensions along the southwest border, 43 percent of the marijuana seized, the interesting part of the apprehensions that we have (approximately 128,500 year-to-date), 50 percent of the total are comprised of family units and unaccompanied children,” Padilla explained. “This demographic here, there is not a law enforcement solution to that. That’s going to require immigration reform closing the loopholes that exist in our immigration system.” “The criminal element is always looking for loopholes in our and they have found it,” Padilla continued. “This population, this demographic is turning themselves in to us. So when we’re talking about solutions for border security, for this particular demographic, Congress is going to have to pass immigration reform at some point or another.” In January, then DHS Spokeswoman Katie Waldman told Breitbart News, “This humanitarian crisis is driven by court rulings and poorly written laws that incentivize the smuggling of illegal immigrants under the age of 18. Funding the border wall, amending the TVPRA, and ending the Flores Settlement Agreement will put smugglers and traffickers out of business and protect vulnerable populations.” “As a result, in just a few years, CBP has seen a sizeable increase in the number of UACs illegally entering the country,” DHS officials reported. “In 2010, Border Patrol apprehended 18,622 UACs. In 2018, Border Patrol apprehended 50,036 UACs—i.e. an increase of 169% in just 8 years.” As of June 30, that number jumped again to 63,624 — with three months to go in the current fiscal year. “This crisis is exacerbated by the increase in persons who are entering our custody suffering from severe respiratory illnesses or exhibit some other illness upon apprehension,” then DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a December 2018 statement. On July 9, DHS Acting Secretary McAleenan continued the call to action by Congress. “We are still in an ongoing border security and humanitarian crisis. U.S. Border Patrol made 688,375 apprehensions through the end of June, 140 percent higher than through this time last year,” McAleenan said in a written statement. “And our June apprehension numbers are still higher than last year’s, when we were already in a crisis. We are past the breaking point and in a full-blown emergency. This situation should not be acceptable to any of us. I am proud of the men and women of DHS who are doing everything they can to achieve our humanitarian mission. However, in order for us to solve this crisis and to create lasting change at the border, we must address the vulnerabilities in our legal framework.”
Joe Biden Pushes 'Assault Weapons' Ban After Boulder Attack	2021-03-23	[ "President Joe Biden called for an “assault weapons” ban following Monday’s shooting attack at the Boulder, Colorado grocery store.", "Politico reported Biden urging the Senate to take action on H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, the former of which would create universal background checks and the latter of which would expand the length of time a background check can last.", "He also called for an “assault weapons” ban.", "Biden admitted he was making his comments before information on the gunman was fully known, saying, “While we’re still waiting for more information, I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future, and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act. We can ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country once again.”", "“I got that done when I was a senator. It passed. It was the law for the longest time. And it brought down these mass killings. We should do it again,” Biden remarked.", "Ironically, the Department of Justice’s Institute of Justice (NIJ) released a report following the 1994-2004 “assault weapons” ban and noted that no real reduction in crime could be credited to the ban. The Washington Times quoted University of Pennsylvania professor Christopher Koper, author of the NIJ report, saying, “We cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence. And, indeed, there has been no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence.”", "Biden is also pushing the creation of universal background checks via H.R. 8. Breitbart News reported that Colorado adopted universal background checks in 2013." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/03/23/joe-biden-pushes-assault-weapons-ban-after-boulder-attack/	Joe Biden Pushes 'Assault Weapons' Ban After Boulder Attack President Joe Biden called for an “assault weapons” ban following Monday’s shooting attack at the Boulder, Colorado grocery store. Politico reported Biden urging the Senate to take action on H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, the former of which would create universal background checks and the latter of which would expand the length of time a background check can last. He also called for an “assault weapons” ban. Biden admitted he was making his comments before information on the gunman was fully known, saying, “While we’re still waiting for more information, I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future, and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act. We can ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country once again.” “I got that done when I was a senator. It passed. It was the law for the longest time. And it brought down these mass killings. We should do it again,” Biden remarked. Ironically, the Department of Justice’s Institute of Justice (NIJ) released a report following the 1994-2004 “assault weapons” ban and noted that no real reduction in crime could be credited to the ban. The Washington Times quoted University of Pennsylvania professor Christopher Koper, author of the NIJ report, saying, “We cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence. And, indeed, there has been no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence.” Biden is also pushing the creation of universal background checks via H.R. 8. Breitbart News reported that Colorado adopted universal background checks in 2013.
Gun violence linked to higher rates of chronic pain, PTSD than car accidents	2020-01-16	[ "Jan. 16 (UPI) — People injured as a result of gun violence in the United States have higher rates of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and other physical and mental health problems in the months after these incidents than those hurt in motor vehicle crashes, a new analysis has revealed.", "In findings published Thursday in the journal Annals of Surgery, researchers note that, among survivors of firearm injury, 68 percent reported daily pain, 53 percent screened positive for PTSD, 39 percent reported a new functional limitation in an activity of daily living — like walking, cooking, eating or going to the bathroom — and 59 percent had not yet returned to work.", "In all, three out of every four firearm injury survivors had at least one of these negative long-term outcomes.", "“We need to better understand the causes of these outcomes so that we can find opportunities for intervention,” study co-author Juan P. Herrera-Escobar, research director of Long-Term Outcomes in Trauma in the Center for Surgery and Public Health at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a statement. “This work has profound implications for trauma systems and highlights the failure to help patients receive the proper services for a successful recovery after a traumatic, firearm-related injury.”", "According to the Giffords Law Center, 36,000 Americans are killed by guns each year, while an additional 100,000 are shot and injured. In 2017, gun deaths reached their highest level in at least 40 years, with 39,773 deaths, the organization reports.", "To compare, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 3 million people nationwide are non-fatally injured in motor vehicle crashes annually. Crash-related injuries are costly, with medical care expenditures and lost productivity exceeding $75 billion in 2017.", "As part of the Functional Outcomes and Recovery after Trauma Emergencies, or FORTE, project, Herrera-Escobar and his colleagues surveyed adults who had survived traumatic injury after being treated at one of three level-I trauma centers in Boston between 2015 and 2018. FORTE is designed to measure long-term outcomes that are meaningful to patients and their families, including functional status, health-related quality of life, treatment adherence, and more.", "Of 177 eligible firearm injury survivors, the team successfully contacted 100 and, ultimately, 63 completed the survey. The 35 percent response rate was much higher than in previous studies of firearm injury survivors, the authors said.", "They analyzed outcomes for people who had survived firearm injury six to 12 months after these incidents and compared them to people who had survived similar injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes.", "Not only were rates for chronic pain and PTSD significantly higher than rates among the general population, survivors of firearm injury were significantly more likely to have daily pain or PTSD. They also had worse physical and mental health-related quality-of-life than survivors with similar injuries from motor vehicle crashes, researchers said.", "“When it comes to the public health problem posed by firearm injury, death is just one piece of the puzzle,” Herrera-Escobar said. “Mortality rates for trauma patients have been dropping significantly over the last 20 years, but this presents a new challenge: What will we do for patients whose lives we save but who continue to suffer from the repercussions of traumatic injury? Our study shows that injury, and especially firearm injury, casts a long shadow over the lives of those who survive.”" ]	https://www.breitbart.com/news/gun-violence-linked-to-higher-rates-of-chronic-pain-ptsd-than-car-accidents/	Gun violence linked to higher rates of chronic pain, PTSD than car accidents Jan. 16 (UPI) — People injured as a result of gun violence in the United States have higher rates of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and other physical and mental health problems in the months after these incidents than those hurt in motor vehicle crashes, a new analysis has revealed. In findings published Thursday in the journal Annals of Surgery, researchers note that, among survivors of firearm injury, 68 percent reported daily pain, 53 percent screened positive for PTSD, 39 percent reported a new functional limitation in an activity of daily living — like walking, cooking, eating or going to the bathroom — and 59 percent had not yet returned to work. In all, three out of every four firearm injury survivors had at least one of these negative long-term outcomes. “We need to better understand the causes of these outcomes so that we can find opportunities for intervention,” study co-author Juan P. Herrera-Escobar, research director of Long-Term Outcomes in Trauma in the Center for Surgery and Public Health at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a statement. “This work has profound implications for trauma systems and highlights the failure to help patients receive the proper services for a successful recovery after a traumatic, firearm-related injury.” According to the Giffords Law Center, 36,000 Americans are killed by guns each year, while an additional 100,000 are shot and injured. In 2017, gun deaths reached their highest level in at least 40 years, with 39,773 deaths, the organization reports. To compare, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 3 million people nationwide are non-fatally injured in motor vehicle crashes annually. Crash-related injuries are costly, with medical care expenditures and lost productivity exceeding $75 billion in 2017. As part of the Functional Outcomes and Recovery after Trauma Emergencies, or FORTE, project, Herrera-Escobar and his colleagues surveyed adults who had survived traumatic injury after being treated at one of three level-I trauma centers in Boston between 2015 and 2018. FORTE is designed to measure long-term outcomes that are meaningful to patients and their families, including functional status, health-related quality of life, treatment adherence, and more. Of 177 eligible firearm injury survivors, the team successfully contacted 100 and, ultimately, 63 completed the survey. The 35 percent response rate was much higher than in previous studies of firearm injury survivors, the authors said. They analyzed outcomes for people who had survived firearm injury six to 12 months after these incidents and compared them to people who had survived similar injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes. Not only were rates for chronic pain and PTSD significantly higher than rates among the general population, survivors of firearm injury were significantly more likely to have daily pain or PTSD. They also had worse physical and mental health-related quality-of-life than survivors with similar injuries from motor vehicle crashes, researchers said. “When it comes to the public health problem posed by firearm injury, death is just one piece of the puzzle,” Herrera-Escobar said. “Mortality rates for trauma patients have been dropping significantly over the last 20 years, but this presents a new challenge: What will we do for patients whose lives we save but who continue to suffer from the repercussions of traumatic injury? Our study shows that injury, and especially firearm injury, casts a long shadow over the lives of those who survive.”
119 Migrants Pushed Across Rio Grande During Dangerous Storms	2021-05-14	[ "Human smugglers moved a large group of migrants across the Rio Grande during dangerous storms on Wednesday morning, Border Patrol officials stated. The 119 migrants from six countries consisted of family units and unaccompanied alien children.", "Weslaco Station Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector patrolling the border river came in contact with a group of 119 migrants. Human smugglers pushed the migrants across the river during dangerous storms, according to information provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.", "A large group of approximately 120 migrants were encountered this morning around 3a.m., by Weslaco agents.", "Amidst a dangerous storm callous smugglers put monetary gain ahead of the well-being of those they smuggle.", "The agents classified the migrants as 93 family units and 26 “noncitizen unaccompanied children,” officials stated. The foreign nationals came to the U.S. from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.", "“Due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms passing through the Rio Grande Valley, agents and contractors immediately transported the migrants to shelter at the Port of Entry (POE) in Hidalgo, Texas,” Rio Grande Valles Sector officials said in the written statement. “The intake procedures usually conducted at the place of encounter, were done at the POE in order to keep the migrants, which included very young children, out of the severe weather.”", "The Rio Grande Valley Sector continues to lead the nine southwest border sectors in the apprehension of migrants, particularly families and unaccompanied minors." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/border/2021/05/14/119-migrants-pushed-across-rio-grande-during-dangerous-storms/	119 Migrants Pushed Across Rio Grande During Dangerous Storms Human smugglers moved a large group of migrants across the Rio Grande during dangerous storms on Wednesday morning, Border Patrol officials stated. The 119 migrants from six countries consisted of family units and unaccompanied alien children. Weslaco Station Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector patrolling the border river came in contact with a group of 119 migrants. Human smugglers pushed the migrants across the river during dangerous storms, according to information provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. A large group of approximately 120 migrants were encountered this morning around 3a.m., by Weslaco agents. Amidst a dangerous storm callous smugglers put monetary gain ahead of the well-being of those they smuggle. The agents classified the migrants as 93 family units and 26 “noncitizen unaccompanied children,” officials stated. The foreign nationals came to the U.S. from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. “Due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms passing through the Rio Grande Valley, agents and contractors immediately transported the migrants to shelter at the Port of Entry (POE) in Hidalgo, Texas,” Rio Grande Valles Sector officials said in the written statement. “The intake procedures usually conducted at the place of encounter, were done at the POE in order to keep the migrants, which included very young children, out of the severe weather.” The Rio Grande Valley Sector continues to lead the nine southwest border sectors in the apprehension of migrants, particularly families and unaccompanied minors.
Human Rights Groups: Duterte's Drug War in the Philippines Has Failed	2018-03-27	[ "A prominent human rights organization in the Philippines said on Monday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war is leading the country into a path of “tyrannical megalomania and unparalleled self-destruction.”", "Since his election in 2016, Duterte has built a reputation as a strongman leader who has instigated a brutal crackdown on drugs traffickers that has allegedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.", "“Malacañang places the blame on human rights organizations for the Duterte administration’s failure to curb the illegal drug problem and accuses them of smearing the country’s reputation,” the Karapatan human rights group said in a statement.", "“In case [they] haven’t noticed, Duterte did that all by himself, in a path of tyrannical megalomania and unparalleled self-destruction,” they continued.", "Last week, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who himself once was a human rights lawyer, suggested that the reason human rights groups may be so vehemently opposed to Duterte’s crackdown is that they are receiving funding from drug organizations in a bid to destabilize the government.", "“The attacks against the President’s war on drugs have been vicious and nonstop,” he said. “We therefore do not discount the possibility that some human rights groups have become unwitting tools of drug lords to hinder the strides made by the administration.”", "“To continue to do and thrive in the drug business, these drug lords can easily use their drug money to fund destabilization efforts against the government,” he posited.", "Karapatan dismissed the claims as the government “cooking up a scenario that will justify a massive Tokhang-style killing of activists” or an “attempt to evade accountability from domestic and international human rights instruments.”", "Duterte has repeatedly expressed his contempt for human rights organizations and accused them of hindering his anti-drug war, where he has urged his forces to “spare no one” in their war against drug barons. Last September, he cut the country’s human rights budget to just $20 a month and has suggested that investigators should be fed to crocodiles.", "This month, Duterte announced that his intention to pull the Philippines out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as they continue to examine evidence of human rights abuses. Duterte accused the body of orchestrating “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks on my person.”", "Opponents are now increasingly describing Duterte as a tyrannical leader comparable to the military dictator Ferdinand Marcos, amid other fears that he also clamping down on freedom of the press. However, a recent survey found that satisfaction with Duterte’s administration is the highest of any Filipino government since the 1980s, with an approval rating of over 70 points, making him one of the most domestically popular leaders in the world." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/03/27/human-rights-dutertes-drug-war-failed/	Human Rights Groups: Duterte's Drug War in the Philippines Has Failed A prominent human rights organization in the Philippines said on Monday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war is leading the country into a path of “tyrannical megalomania and unparalleled self-destruction.” Since his election in 2016, Duterte has built a reputation as a strongman leader who has instigated a brutal crackdown on drugs traffickers that has allegedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations. “Malacañang places the blame on human rights organizations for the Duterte administration’s failure to curb the illegal drug problem and accuses them of smearing the country’s reputation,” the Karapatan human rights group said in a statement. “In case [they] haven’t noticed, Duterte did that all by himself, in a path of tyrannical megalomania and unparalleled self-destruction,” they continued. Last week, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who himself once was a human rights lawyer, suggested that the reason human rights groups may be so vehemently opposed to Duterte’s crackdown is that they are receiving funding from drug organizations in a bid to destabilize the government. “The attacks against the President’s war on drugs have been vicious and nonstop,” he said. “We therefore do not discount the possibility that some human rights groups have become unwitting tools of drug lords to hinder the strides made by the administration.” “To continue to do and thrive in the drug business, these drug lords can easily use their drug money to fund destabilization efforts against the government,” he posited. Karapatan dismissed the claims as the government “cooking up a scenario that will justify a massive Tokhang-style killing of activists” or an “attempt to evade accountability from domestic and international human rights instruments.” Duterte has repeatedly expressed his contempt for human rights organizations and accused them of hindering his anti-drug war, where he has urged his forces to “spare no one” in their war against drug barons. Last September, he cut the country’s human rights budget to just $20 a month and has suggested that investigators should be fed to crocodiles. This month, Duterte announced that his intention to pull the Philippines out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as they continue to examine evidence of human rights abuses. Duterte accused the body of orchestrating “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks on my person.” Opponents are now increasingly describing Duterte as a tyrannical leader comparable to the military dictator Ferdinand Marcos, amid other fears that he also clamping down on freedom of the press. However, a recent survey found that satisfaction with Duterte’s administration is the highest of any Filipino government since the 1980s, with an approval rating of over 70 points, making him one of the most domestically popular leaders in the world.
Rep. Stephen Russell: Support Religious Freedom Against LGBT Lobby	2016-05-30	[ "Congress should pass appropriations bills that don’t restrict legal rights for Americans, says the Oklahoma congressman who is now leading the fight to protect religious freedom from a coalition of liberal Republican and Democratic legislators.", "“My hope would be that we could run clean appropriations,” said Rep. Stephen Russell (R.-Okla.). “My efforts have been about protecting the 1st Amendment and the free exercise of religion” from legislators who would restrict religious rights to favor sexual minorities, he said.", "This year, Democrats — and some Republicans — are trying to raise the legal status of transgenderism in American law. Their goal is to pressure Americans to accept the idea that any man or women can choose the “gender identity” of the opposite sex. That push has sparked fights this year over bathroom privacy in North Carolina, and also in K-12 schools around the nation.", "Russell passed his own amendment April 28 to the House’s version of the Pentagon budget, effectively shielding federal contractors — who include religious corporations, religious associations, religious educational institutions, and religious societies — from Obama’s Executive Order 13672. The executive order effectively forces contractors to comply with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or ENDA, which has been repeatedly defeated by Congress.", "The congressman said his April amendment sets federal government policy in line with the language in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. “What the amendment does do is prevent discrimination based on religious free exercise for narrow specific groups,” said Russell, who led the 2013 search and capture of Saddam Hussein.", "Those protected would have included faith-based groups with a contract to provide social services or a part-time chaplain contracted to minister to troops.", "“Over 200 of us [legislators] felt that a serious assault is being perpetrated on the free exercise of religion, particularly since the religious liberty amendment in the defense authorization merely codified exceptions under current law and did not prevent anyone from being able to contract,” Russell said.", "But the LGBT coalition is pushing hard for its goals. When the Veterans Affairs budget came up on the House floor May 18, Rep. Sean Maloney (D.-N.Y.) filed his own amendment that would have banned federal contractors from making employment decisions based on gender lifestyle or sexual orientation.", "Maloney is one of a handful of homosexuals serving in Congress and he was joined by upwards of 35 Republicans voting for his amendment, which appeared to pass. The House Republican leadership realized what was happening, and the presiding officer Rep. Doug Collins (R.-Ga.) did not gavel the vote closed until enough Republicans changed their votes.", "Maloney was not done. The next big must-pass bill on the House floor was the $37.4 billion appropriation for water projects, green energy subsidies, and other programs, such as upgrades to security to nuclear power facilities. Maloney filed his pro-LGBT amendment again.", "This time, just before 11 p.m May 25, his amendment was added to the fund bill because 43 Republicans joined Maloney, including key allies of Speaker Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.). The supporters included powerful members of Ryan’s House Republican Steering Committee, plus Rep. Greg Walden (R.-Oregon), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The NRCC is the influential committee that raises campaign funds for House Republicans.", "The first time Maloney had gone after the Russell Amendment, he lost 212 to 213. But in this second attempt, he won 233 to 186—when there was no effort by the House Republican leadership to beat it back.", "So Russell and his supporters pushed back in a meeting the next morning of GOP legislators. After their show of strength, Speaker Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) and the Republican leadership temporarily dropped the bill amid the torrent of criticism from the conservatives.", "Russell said there is a feeling inside the GOP House Conference that whenever there is a need for someone to back off, it is the conservatives who have to take the dive. “While we respect the districts of all our members, many were disappointed that accommodation seems to only be one way.”", "Russell said it is possible to save the appropriations process for fiscal year 2017. “The GOP and Democrats could make that possible if we drew a truce that neither side load up language like Mr. Maloney ran on the E&W bill,” he said. “This [funding bill] has never been about that fight,” the retired lieutenant colonel said." ]	http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/05/30/russell-will-continue-defend-religious-freedom-lgbt-lobby/	Rep. Stephen Russell: Support Religious Freedom Against LGBT Lobby Congress should pass appropriations bills that don’t restrict legal rights for Americans, says the Oklahoma congressman who is now leading the fight to protect religious freedom from a coalition of liberal Republican and Democratic legislators. “My hope would be that we could run clean appropriations,” said Rep. Stephen Russell (R.-Okla.). “My efforts have been about protecting the 1st Amendment and the free exercise of religion” from legislators who would restrict religious rights to favor sexual minorities, he said. This year, Democrats — and some Republicans — are trying to raise the legal status of transgenderism in American law. Their goal is to pressure Americans to accept the idea that any man or women can choose the “gender identity” of the opposite sex. That push has sparked fights this year over bathroom privacy in North Carolina, and also in K-12 schools around the nation. Russell passed his own amendment April 28 to the House’s version of the Pentagon budget, effectively shielding federal contractors — who include religious corporations, religious associations, religious educational institutions, and religious societies — from Obama’s Executive Order 13672. The executive order effectively forces contractors to comply with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or ENDA, which has been repeatedly defeated by Congress. The congressman said his April amendment sets federal government policy in line with the language in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. “What the amendment does do is prevent discrimination based on religious free exercise for narrow specific groups,” said Russell, who led the 2013 search and capture of Saddam Hussein. Those protected would have included faith-based groups with a contract to provide social services or a part-time chaplain contracted to minister to troops. “Over 200 of us [legislators] felt that a serious assault is being perpetrated on the free exercise of religion, particularly since the religious liberty amendment in the defense authorization merely codified exceptions under current law and did not prevent anyone from being able to contract,” Russell said. But the LGBT coalition is pushing hard for its goals. When the Veterans Affairs budget came up on the House floor May 18, Rep. Sean Maloney (D.-N.Y.) filed his own amendment that would have banned federal contractors from making employment decisions based on gender lifestyle or sexual orientation. Maloney is one of a handful of homosexuals serving in Congress and he was joined by upwards of 35 Republicans voting for his amendment, which appeared to pass. The House Republican leadership realized what was happening, and the presiding officer Rep. Doug Collins (R.-Ga.) did not gavel the vote closed until enough Republicans changed their votes. Maloney was not done. The next big must-pass bill on the House floor was the $37.4 billion appropriation for water projects, green energy subsidies, and other programs, such as upgrades to security to nuclear power facilities. Maloney filed his pro-LGBT amendment again. This time, just before 11 p.m May 25, his amendment was added to the fund bill because 43 Republicans joined Maloney, including key allies of Speaker Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.). The supporters included powerful members of Ryan’s House Republican Steering Committee, plus Rep. Greg Walden (R.-Oregon), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The NRCC is the influential committee that raises campaign funds for House Republicans. The first time Maloney had gone after the Russell Amendment, he lost 212 to 213. But in this second attempt, he won 233 to 186—when there was no effort by the House Republican leadership to beat it back. So Russell and his supporters pushed back in a meeting the next morning of GOP legislators. After their show of strength, Speaker Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) and the Republican leadership temporarily dropped the bill amid the torrent of criticism from the conservatives. Russell said there is a feeling inside the GOP House Conference that whenever there is a need for someone to back off, it is the conservatives who have to take the dive. “While we respect the districts of all our members, many were disappointed that accommodation seems to only be one way.” Russell said it is possible to save the appropriations process for fiscal year 2017. “The GOP and Democrats could make that possible if we drew a truce that neither side load up language like Mr. Maloney ran on the E&W bill,” he said. “This [funding bill] has never been about that fight,” the retired lieutenant colonel said.
FNC's Napolitano on Dems Pursuing Obstruction: 'May Very Well Explode in Their Faces'	2019-04-18	[ "With Democrats eyeing obstruction of justice against President Donald Trump in the wake of FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s report concluding no collusion with Russia in the 2016 presidential election, senior Fox News judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano offered up some advice.", "Napolitano said the “serious legal jeopardy” for Trump is “gone” and warned that pursuing obstruction of justice could “explode in their faces.”", "“[W]hat the Democrats want to do, this may very well explode in their faces politically, Stuart, is second-guess Bill Barr and Bob Mueller,” Napolitano told Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney. “Now, Barr told us that there were 10 instances of alleged obstruction of justice. Whatever the bottom line is, they decided there’s not enough to prove the case. The Democrats are going to take those 10 instances and parade some lawyers out there, ex-prosecutors who’ll say there is enough to prove the case. Which is why I said this just turns the page. The serious legal jeopardy for the president is gone. The political jeopardy, he knows how to deal with.”", "He added, “To the Democrats and the Trump haters, it’s fuel for them to continue digging more deeply into this. I think they’re making a mistake doing it, but I predict they’re going to do it because that’s what they think their base wants.”" ]	https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019/04/18/fncs-napolitano-on-dems-pursuing-obstruction-may-very-well-explode-in-their-faces/	FNC's Napolitano on Dems Pursuing Obstruction: 'May Very Well Explode in Their Faces' With Democrats eyeing obstruction of justice against President Donald Trump in the wake of FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s report concluding no collusion with Russia in the 2016 presidential election, senior Fox News judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano offered up some advice. Napolitano said the “serious legal jeopardy” for Trump is “gone” and warned that pursuing obstruction of justice could “explode in their faces.” “[W]hat the Democrats want to do, this may very well explode in their faces politically, Stuart, is second-guess Bill Barr and Bob Mueller,” Napolitano told Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney. “Now, Barr told us that there were 10 instances of alleged obstruction of justice. Whatever the bottom line is, they decided there’s not enough to prove the case. The Democrats are going to take those 10 instances and parade some lawyers out there, ex-prosecutors who’ll say there is enough to prove the case. Which is why I said this just turns the page. The serious legal jeopardy for the president is gone. The political jeopardy, he knows how to deal with.” He added, “To the Democrats and the Trump haters, it’s fuel for them to continue digging more deeply into this. I think they’re making a mistake doing it, but I predict they’re going to do it because that’s what they think their base wants.”
NYT Columnist: Ilhan Omar Is a ‘Bridge Destroyer’	2019-03-09	[ "New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman told CNN’s Smerconish on Saturday that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) did nothing to build bridges with Jews and Muslims after her recent antisemitic comments about Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).", "Friedman said that while Omar had the opportunity to “build bridges” between the Jewish and Somali-Muslims who reside in her district, she squandered that opportunity by repeatedly pushing forth antisemitic tropes.", "“Ilhan Omar represents, I believe, the biggest Jewish community in the whole upper Midwest,” Friedman told CNN in a Saturday interview. “She represents that community. She also represents a Somali immigrant community that’s come to our city since then and added their voices and their richness and their culture.”", "“She was perfectly poised to be a bridge-builder between Muslims and Jews, between Arabs and Israelis,” Friedman continued. “And rather than come to Washington and be a bridge-builder, she has come to be a bridge-destroyer.”", "Friedman’s CNN interview comes days after he penned a column in the New York Times blasting Omar for accusing pro-Israel Americans of pledging “dual loyalty” to both Israel and the U.S.", "“When I see that dual-loyalty charge coming from a congresswoman who first signaled opposition to B.D.S. and then support for it, when I see it coming from a congresswoman who has never been to Israel…it makes me suspicious of her motives,” Friedman wrote on Wednesday.", "“If she thinks the only reason that Americans support Israel is because of AIPAC and campaign contributions, she is dead wrong,” he wrote.", "Omar, who had been forced to apologize for posting an antisemitic tweet accusing AIPAC of buying the support of congressional lawmakers, has continued to make anti-Israel remarks despite receiving backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.", "The Minnesota Democrat has defied calls from Democrat colleagues urging her to apologize for her statements, and doubled down on a comment she made recently alleging that pro-Israel Americans pledge “allegiance” to foreign nations." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/03/09/new-york-times-columnist-thomas-friedman-ilhan-omar-is-a-bridge-destroyer/	NYT Columnist: Ilhan Omar Is a ‘Bridge Destroyer’ New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman told CNN’s Smerconish on Saturday that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) did nothing to build bridges with Jews and Muslims after her recent antisemitic comments about Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Friedman said that while Omar had the opportunity to “build bridges” between the Jewish and Somali-Muslims who reside in her district, she squandered that opportunity by repeatedly pushing forth antisemitic tropes. “Ilhan Omar represents, I believe, the biggest Jewish community in the whole upper Midwest,” Friedman told CNN in a Saturday interview. “She represents that community. She also represents a Somali immigrant community that’s come to our city since then and added their voices and their richness and their culture.” “She was perfectly poised to be a bridge-builder between Muslims and Jews, between Arabs and Israelis,” Friedman continued. “And rather than come to Washington and be a bridge-builder, she has come to be a bridge-destroyer.” Friedman’s CNN interview comes days after he penned a column in the New York Times blasting Omar for accusing pro-Israel Americans of pledging “dual loyalty” to both Israel and the U.S. “When I see that dual-loyalty charge coming from a congresswoman who first signaled opposition to B.D.S. and then support for it, when I see it coming from a congresswoman who has never been to Israel…it makes me suspicious of her motives,” Friedman wrote on Wednesday. “If she thinks the only reason that Americans support Israel is because of AIPAC and campaign contributions, she is dead wrong,” he wrote. Omar, who had been forced to apologize for posting an antisemitic tweet accusing AIPAC of buying the support of congressional lawmakers, has continued to make anti-Israel remarks despite receiving backlash from both Republicans and Democrats. The Minnesota Democrat has defied calls from Democrat colleagues urging her to apologize for her statements, and doubled down on a comment she made recently alleging that pro-Israel Americans pledge “allegiance” to foreign nations.
WSJ/NBC Poll: Nearly 6-in-10 Concerned About Easing Restrictions Too Quickly	2020-04-20	[ "Nearly six-in-10 registered voters are worried that easing restrictions too quickly during the coronavirus crisis will lead to more deaths, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released on Sunday.", "That is compared to just 32 percent who are more concerned “that the U.S. will take too long in loosening restrictions, which will harm the economy.”", "Bill McInturff, the poll’s GOP pollster, said the national poll is a “powerful signal” that the country is not ready to completely re-open on May 1.", "The poll is not an outlier.", "As I noted, a Pew Research poll released last week found that “66% of Americans say their greater concern is that state governments will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly” compared to 32% who “say they are more concerned about governments not lifting restrictions quickly enough.”", "A Gallup poll conducted last week also found that more Americans are worried about getting the coronavirus than suffering severe financial hardship.", "The poll of 900 registered voters was conducted April 13-15 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/19/wsj-nbc-poll-nearly-6-in-10-concerned-about-easing-restrictions-too-quickly/	WSJ/NBC Poll: Nearly 6-in-10 Concerned About Easing Restrictions Too Quickly Nearly six-in-10 registered voters are worried that easing restrictions too quickly during the coronavirus crisis will lead to more deaths, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released on Sunday. That is compared to just 32 percent who are more concerned “that the U.S. will take too long in loosening restrictions, which will harm the economy.” Bill McInturff, the poll’s GOP pollster, said the national poll is a “powerful signal” that the country is not ready to completely re-open on May 1. The poll is not an outlier. As I noted, a Pew Research poll released last week found that “66% of Americans say their greater concern is that state governments will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly” compared to 32% who “say they are more concerned about governments not lifting restrictions quickly enough.” A Gallup poll conducted last week also found that more Americans are worried about getting the coronavirus than suffering severe financial hardship. The poll of 900 registered voters was conducted April 13-15 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.
Dem Rep. Yarmuth: If Trump Is Removed GOP Would Nominate Nikki Haley in 2020, Not Pence	2019-12-02	[ "On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “At This Hour,” Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) said if President Donald Trump is removed from office as a result of impeachment, Republicans will select former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley as his replacement for 2020.", "Yarmuth said, “I do think it is the right thing to do to remove him from office. I believe he’s an imminent danger to this country and our democracy.”", "He continued, “The political consequences of that might not be good for Democrats because if we remove him from office, I will guarantee you the Republican Party would not nominate Mike Pence to succeed him. They would nominate someone like Nikki Haley, who would be much more difficult for Democrats to defeat.”", "He added, “I don’t think this is about politics, and I don’t think we should consider politics, I just think it could be bad politics.”" ]	https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019/12/02/dem-rep-yarmuth-if-trump-is-removed-gop-would-nominate-nikki-haley-in-2020-not-pence/	Dem Rep. Yarmuth: If Trump Is Removed GOP Would Nominate Nikki Haley in 2020, Not Pence On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “At This Hour,” Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) said if President Donald Trump is removed from office as a result of impeachment, Republicans will select former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley as his replacement for 2020. Yarmuth said, “I do think it is the right thing to do to remove him from office. I believe he’s an imminent danger to this country and our democracy.” He continued, “The political consequences of that might not be good for Democrats because if we remove him from office, I will guarantee you the Republican Party would not nominate Mike Pence to succeed him. They would nominate someone like Nikki Haley, who would be much more difficult for Democrats to defeat.” He added, “I don’t think this is about politics, and I don’t think we should consider politics, I just think it could be bad politics.”
Former Director: FBI Isn't Broken, Criticizing It Threatens the Rule of Law	2019-12-16	[ "Former CIA and FBI Director William Webster declared in an op-ed Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is not a “broken institution” and criticizing it threatens the “rule of law,” in an attempt to quell public outcry over agents’ misconduct during the 2016 election.", "Webster’s full-throated defense of the two agencies comes amid the fallout from the Department of Justice Inspector General (IG) report, in which it was confirmed that FBI officials made 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its submissions to the FISA court to obtain warrants to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page during the 2016 presidential election.", "“The privilege of being the only American in our history to serve as the director of both the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. gives me a unique perspective and a responsibility to speak out about a dire threat to the rule of law in the country I love,” Webster wrote in the New York Times. “Order protects liberty, and liberty protects order. Today, the integrity of the institutions that protect our civil order are, tragically, under assault from too many people whose job it should be to protect them.”", "“The rule of law is the bedrock of American democracy, the principle that protects every American from the abuse of monarchs, despots and tyrants. Every American should demand that our leaders put the rule of law above politics,” he added.", "Webster then lashed out at President Donald Trump for criticizing the FBI over DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s findings, suggesting his remarks threaten the bureau’s independence. The former official expressed his full confidence in FBI Director Christopher Wray and said the notion that he could be removed from his post, akin to the bureau’s previous director, James Comey, “disturbs me greatly.”", "“The president’s thinly veiled suggestion that the director, Christopher Wray, like his banished predecessor, James Comey, could be on the chopping block, disturbs me greatly,” he wrote. “The independence of both the F.B.I. and its director are critical and should be fiercely protected by each branch of government.”", "Webster then took aim at the president for referring to anti-Trump FBI officials implicated in Horowitz’s report as “scum” and attempted to cast doubt on Attorney General William Barr’s independence, citing U.S. Attorney John Durham’s now-criminal investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia probe.", "“I know firsthand the professionalism of the men and women of the F.B.I. The aspersions cast upon them by the president and my longtime friend, Attorney General William P. Barr, are troubling in the extreme Calling F.B.I. professionals ‘scum,’ as the president did, is a slur against people who risk their lives to keep us safe,” he wrote. “Mr. Barr’s charges of bias within the F.B.I., made without providing any evidence and in direct dispute of the findings of the nonpartisan inspector general, risk inflicting enduring damage on this critically important institution.”", "He continued: “As a lawyer and a former federal judge, I made it clear when I headed both the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. that the rule of law would be paramount in all we did. While both agencies are staffed by imperfect human beings, the American people should understand that both agencies are composed of some of the most law-abiding, patriotic and dedicated people I have ever met. While their faces and actions are not seen by most Americans, rest assured that they are serving our country well.”", "Webster’s op-ed comes one day after Comey conceded the IG report revealed the bureau’s “sloppiness” with respect to its FISA application use against the Trump campaign.", "“He’s right. I was wrong,” Comey told Fox News Sunday when pressed on Horowitz’s findings. “I was overconfident as director in our procedures of the FBI and Justice have built over 20 years years. I thought they were robust enough. It’s incredibly hard to get a FISA. I was overconfident in those because he’s right, there was real sloppiness — 17 things that should have been in the application or at least discussed and characterized differently. It was not acceptable, so he’s right.”", "Comey’s admission prompted President Trump to once again demand the fired FBI director to apologize for surveilling his campaign and even hinted that he could face imprisonment for the deeply flawed probe.", "“So now Comey’s admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he’s only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long time ago. So what are the consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it be years in jail? Where are the apologies to me and others, Jim?” the president tweeted." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/16/former-director-fbi-not-a-broken-institution-criticizing-it-threatens-rule-of-law/	Former Director: FBI Isn't Broken, Criticizing It Threatens the Rule of Law Former CIA and FBI Director William Webster declared in an op-ed Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is not a “broken institution” and criticizing it threatens the “rule of law,” in an attempt to quell public outcry over agents’ misconduct during the 2016 election. Webster’s full-throated defense of the two agencies comes amid the fallout from the Department of Justice Inspector General (IG) report, in which it was confirmed that FBI officials made 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its submissions to the FISA court to obtain warrants to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page during the 2016 presidential election. “The privilege of being the only American in our history to serve as the director of both the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. gives me a unique perspective and a responsibility to speak out about a dire threat to the rule of law in the country I love,” Webster wrote in the New York Times. “Order protects liberty, and liberty protects order. Today, the integrity of the institutions that protect our civil order are, tragically, under assault from too many people whose job it should be to protect them.” “The rule of law is the bedrock of American democracy, the principle that protects every American from the abuse of monarchs, despots and tyrants. Every American should demand that our leaders put the rule of law above politics,” he added. Webster then lashed out at President Donald Trump for criticizing the FBI over DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s findings, suggesting his remarks threaten the bureau’s independence. The former official expressed his full confidence in FBI Director Christopher Wray and said the notion that he could be removed from his post, akin to the bureau’s previous director, James Comey, “disturbs me greatly.” “The president’s thinly veiled suggestion that the director, Christopher Wray, like his banished predecessor, James Comey, could be on the chopping block, disturbs me greatly,” he wrote. “The independence of both the F.B.I. and its director are critical and should be fiercely protected by each branch of government.” Webster then took aim at the president for referring to anti-Trump FBI officials implicated in Horowitz’s report as “scum” and attempted to cast doubt on Attorney General William Barr’s independence, citing U.S. Attorney John Durham’s now-criminal investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia probe. “I know firsthand the professionalism of the men and women of the F.B.I. The aspersions cast upon them by the president and my longtime friend, Attorney General William P. Barr, are troubling in the extreme Calling F.B.I. professionals ‘scum,’ as the president did, is a slur against people who risk their lives to keep us safe,” he wrote. “Mr. Barr’s charges of bias within the F.B.I., made without providing any evidence and in direct dispute of the findings of the nonpartisan inspector general, risk inflicting enduring damage on this critically important institution.” He continued: “As a lawyer and a former federal judge, I made it clear when I headed both the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. that the rule of law would be paramount in all we did. While both agencies are staffed by imperfect human beings, the American people should understand that both agencies are composed of some of the most law-abiding, patriotic and dedicated people I have ever met. While their faces and actions are not seen by most Americans, rest assured that they are serving our country well.” Webster’s op-ed comes one day after Comey conceded the IG report revealed the bureau’s “sloppiness” with respect to its FISA application use against the Trump campaign. “He’s right. I was wrong,” Comey told Fox News Sunday when pressed on Horowitz’s findings. “I was overconfident as director in our procedures of the FBI and Justice have built over 20 years years. I thought they were robust enough. It’s incredibly hard to get a FISA. I was overconfident in those because he’s right, there was real sloppiness — 17 things that should have been in the application or at least discussed and characterized differently. It was not acceptable, so he’s right.” Comey’s admission prompted President Trump to once again demand the fired FBI director to apologize for surveilling his campaign and even hinted that he could face imprisonment for the deeply flawed probe. “So now Comey’s admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he’s only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long time ago. So what are the consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it be years in jail? Where are the apologies to me and others, Jim?” the president tweeted.
Donald Trump Plays Biden 'Hairy Legs' Video at New Hampshire Rally	2020-10-25	[ "President Donald Trump continued playing videos of former Vice President Joe Biden’s worst moments of his political career at a rally in New Hampshire on Sunday.", "The latest video featured a famous resurfaced clip of the vice president talking about his days as a lifeguard.", "“I got hairy legs that turned — blonde in the sun. And the kids used to come up and reach into the pool and rub my leg down so it was straight and watch the hair come back up again,” Biden recalled during a speech in June 2017.", "The former vice president then said he “learned about kids jumping on my lap, and I loved kids jumping on my lap.”", "The video was resurfaced and widely ridiculed in 2019 and remains online as one of the oddest speeches made by the vice president.", "Trump also played a video of Biden vowing to end the Trump tax cuts and raise taxes if elected president.", "The president debuted the ability to play videos on a large screen for his supporters at rallies last week in Pennsylvania.", "The list of highlight videos includes Biden’s position on banning fracking, cutting Social Security, and defunding the police." ]	https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/10/25/donald-trump-plays-joe-biden-hairy-legs-video-crowd-new-hampshire-rally/?fbclid=IwAR1gbGxkbLjHDsdf7f_oue2ORjWASSfAACzmqwrRBDQh9aSf9gYfQIScr78	Donald Trump Plays Biden 'Hairy Legs' Video at New Hampshire Rally President Donald Trump continued playing videos of former Vice President Joe Biden’s worst moments of his political career at a rally in New Hampshire on Sunday. The latest video featured a famous resurfaced clip of the vice president talking about his days as a lifeguard. “I got hairy legs that turned — blonde in the sun. And the kids used to come up and reach into the pool and rub my leg down so it was straight and watch the hair come back up again,” Biden recalled during a speech in June 2017. The former vice president then said he “learned about kids jumping on my lap, and I loved kids jumping on my lap.” The video was resurfaced and widely ridiculed in 2019 and remains online as one of the oddest speeches made by the vice president. Trump also played a video of Biden vowing to end the Trump tax cuts and raise taxes if elected president. The president debuted the ability to play videos on a large screen for his supporters at rallies last week in Pennsylvania. The list of highlight videos includes Biden’s position on banning fracking, cutting Social Security, and defunding the police.