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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee approved legislation on Thursday that would broaden sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear program, human rights record and cyber activities, the latest bid by U.S. lawmakers to crack down on Pyongyang after its fourth nuclear test. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the measure by unanimous voice vote and members said they expected it would be approved by the full Senate within weeks, and signed into law by President Barack Obama. U.S. lawmakers have been clamoring for a clampdown on North Korea since Pyongyang earlier this month tested a nuclear device which it said was a hydrogen bomb. The U.N. Security Council is also discussing more action against the country, although it is not clear what would be supported by China, North Korea’s lone major ally and main business partner. The Senate bill would sanction anyone who engages in, facilitates or contributes to North Korea’s proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, arms-related materials, luxury goods, human rights abuses, activities undermining cyber security and the provision of metals or coal for use in such activities. Penalties include the seizure of assets, visa bans and denial of government contracts. Committee members said they wanted to make Washington’s resolve clear not just to Pyongyang, but to other governments. They said they expected the House of Representatives would back the Senate legislation. “We must also send a strong message to China,” said Republican Senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the panel’s Asia subcommittee and co-author of the legislation. An Obama administration official said the administration does not oppose the legislation, saying it is deeply concerned about North Korea’s recent actions and sees the most recent test as a “serious setback.” U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday the United States had seen increased activity around a North Korean site suggesting preparations for a possible space launch in the near future, raising concerns that the country was seeking to develop an inter-continental ballistic missile. North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Jan. 6 that it said was the explosion of a hydrogen bomb, although the United States and other governments and experts voiced scepticism that it had made such a technological advance. The House passed its own, less extensive, bill to broaden sanctions on Jan. 12 by a near unanimous 418-2 vote. The Senate is due to begin considering the bill approved by the foreign relations committee during the week of Feb. 8.

City Residents standing along roadside at Matka Chowk in Chandigarh in Support of Farmers protest against three Farm Laws @iepunjab @IndianExpress https://t.co/jnxyNL0kzU

The Next Financial Crash. 'The Writing is on the Wall'. Don't Say 'You Weren't Warned' http://t.co/H7lDx29aba

It is interesting to see what people buy when stocking up for blizzard...lots of junk food and instant cocoa, pop tarts

Hahahaha get in your tornado shelter @ DaDivaEM

By Vin ArmaniHillary Clinton continues to blame Russia for the email leak even though it doesn t matter who leaked the damning emails if they are true.Now she s hinting that Russia can hack and rig the election in favor of Donald Trump. Putin laughs at her. WikiLeaks proves she [and the Democratic Party] worked to rig the primary against Bernie Sanders. And a 2006 tape catches her revealing her intention to rig elections. Vin Armani explains the irony. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqIh1WLvPcw . Vin Armani is the host of The Vin Armani Show on Activist Post, TV Star of Gigolos on Showtime, Author, DJ, and Agorist Entrepreneur. Follow Vin on Twitter and subscribe on YouTube. READ MORE ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2016 Files

Thanks to all the family, friends, and fraternity brothers for checking in on us. The Martins are going to ride out Hurricane Michael in Tallahassee. Send prayers and good vibes to the Gulf Coast!

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A booby-trapped motorbike exploded in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on Monday, killing a child and wounding six other people, the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Syrian state TV said a motorbike had exploded and reported that four people were wounded but did not immediately mention deaths. Qamishli is in an area mostly under the control of Kurdish security forces. Bomb blasts, often claimed by Islamic State, have occurred in Qamishli and nearby Hasaka city, both under Kurdish control, but have been rare in the last year. Islamic State also reported the bombing via its online Amaq news agency, saying it had targeted a vehicle belonging to Kurdish security forces. It did not explicitly claim the attack. Kurdish internal security force the Asayish, in a statement, blamed a Syrian government-allied paramilitary group for carrying out the attack. The Kurdish YPG militia is spearheading a U.S.-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of the jihadist group s remaining strongholds in eastern Syria, including its former de facto Syrian capital, Raqqa. The YPG and Syrian government forces have mostly stayed out of each other s way in the six-year-old Syrian conflict.

VALLETTA (Reuters) - Malta s government said on Saturday it was offering a reward of 1 million euros ($1.2 million) for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the death of prominent journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. This is a case of extraordinary importance which requires extraordinary measures, the government said in a statement. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had told parliament on Wednesday the government would offer a substantial reward to anyone with information about the crime but did not say how much would be paid. Caruana Galizia, who regularly criticized Muscat in her popular blogs, was killed on Monday by a bomb, which tore apart her car as she was driving away from her home on the southern Mediterranean island. The journalist ran a popular blog in which she relentlessly highlighted cases of alleged high-level corruption, targeting politicians from across party lines, including Muscat. On Thursday the Caruana Galizia family said they had been informed of the government s plans for a reward but they were refusing to endorse it. We are not interested in justice without change, Caruana Galizia s sons Matthew, Andrew and Paul said. Justice, beyond criminal liability, will only be served when everything that our mother fought for political accountability, integrity in public life and an open and free society replaces the desperate situation we are in, they said. They also called on the prime minister to resign and said his last act before doing so should be to replace the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General for failing to act over their mother s claims of corruption. A group of NGOs called the Civil Society Network is planning to hold a national protest against the killing on Sunday.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe s former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is due to be sworn in to replace Robert Mugabe as president on Friday, told a cheering crowd in Harare on Wednesday that the country was entering a new stage of democracy. The people have spoken. The voice of the people is the voice of God, Mnangagwa told thousands of supporters who had gathered outside the ruling ZANU-PF party s offices. Today we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding democracy. Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe s president on Tuesday, a week after the army and his former political allies moved to end four decades of rule by a man once feted as an independence hero who became feared as a despot.

If you have the Sirius/XM app or the antenna on your vehicle, subscribers and non-subscribers can listen to the Weather Channel’s coverage of Hurricane Michael on ch 145. #HurricaneMichael

Lady Gaga shares important #mentalhealth message with California wildfire evacuees. She encouraged those staying in the shelter to talk to each other about what they’ve experienced. #ThursdayThoughts http://bit.ly/2DppemY 

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on the United Nations IAEA atomic watchdog body to ensure the strict compliance of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He urged the IAEA to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the agreement in all its dimensions, Macron s office said in a statement, after Macron met International Atomic Energy Agency director general Yukiya Amano.

Trump telling Houstonians in a hurricane shelter that he "absolutely could have fucked" Pam Anderson is when he truly became President

#As Hurricane Dorian cleaned up house tops, broken walls, Survivors describe, waves crashing through their home.The Bahamas' death toll is rising as 70,000 residents left homeless by Hurricane Dorian seek food and shelter https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/07/us/hurricane-dorian-bahamas-saturday-wxc/index.html …

This is one of the best accounts we ve seen of who REALLY committed a crime in all of this craziness. Judge Napolitano is dead on with his assessment of the unmasking for political reasons: Were senators under surveillance by Obama administration? Rand Paul and other Senators were under surveillance for political purposes according to Senator Paul. The unmasking using the name that was unmasked for political reasons is a FELONY. The principal unmasker is Susan Rice so Susan Rice needs to be dealt with. Did she unmask illegally and for political purposes?Senator Rand Paul talks about FBI Director James Comey being fired by President Donald Trump. Paul believes Comey should have been fired a long time ago for some major missteps during his tenure including the terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida. Paul also talks about Susan Rice unmasking Innocent Americans and spying on them, the Obama administration spying on Donald Trump and other Republicans.

So all the store's fire alarms went off today at work and we had to evacuate. I was like 'OMG!! I.S.I.S. ITS HAPPENING!!!!'

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police fired tear gas at protesters who hurled petrol bombs in Athens on Saturday during a rally marking four years since the killing of an anti-fascism rapper by an ultranationalist Golden Dawn supporter. The killing of Pavlos Fyssas, who performed under the stage name Killah P, had sparked protests across Greece and led to an investigation into Golden Dawn for evidence linking it to violent attacks. A trial of party members is continuing. Clashes broke out on Saturday after dozens of hooded demonstrators broke off from a march of about 2,000 people, including activists and migrants, towards the Golden Dawn offices in central Athens. Protesters shouted Pavlos is alive! Crush the Nazis! and held up banners demanding the party s offices are shut down and its members are jailed. Police buses and officers in riot gear blocked the column from reaching the building. A second rally to mark Fyssas s death anniversary on Sept. 18 has been called for Monday in the working-class neighborhood of Keratsini where he was stabbed to death.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Women and children crossing together illegally into the United States could be separated by U.S. authorities under a proposal being considered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to three government officials. Part of the reason for the proposal is to deter mothers from migrating to the United States with their children, said the officials, who have been briefed on the proposal. The policy shift would allow the government to keep parents in custody while they contest deportation or wait for asylum hearings. Children would be put into protective custody with the Department of Health and Human Services, in the “least restrictive setting” until they can be taken into the care of a U.S. relative or state-sponsored guardian. Currently, families contesting deportation or applying for asylum are generally released from detention quickly and allowed to remain in the United States until their cases are resolved. A federal appeals court ruling bars prolonged child detention. President Donald Trump has called for ending “catch and release,” in which migrants who cross illegally are freed to live in the United States while awaiting legal proceedings. Two of the officials were briefed on the proposal at a Feb. 2 town hall for asylum officers by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum chief John Lafferty. A third DHS official said the department is actively considering separating women from their children but has not made a decision. HHS and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement to Reuters, DHS said: “The journey north is a dangerous one with too many situations where children - brought by parents, relatives or smugglers - are often exploited, abused or may even lose their lives. “With safety in mind, the Department of Homeland Security continually explores options that may discourage those from even beginning the journey,” the statement said. U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes about 200 miles (320 km) of the border with Mexico, slammed the proposal. “Bottom line: separating mothers and children is wrong,” he said in a statement. “That type of thing is where we depart from border security and get into violating human rights,” he said. About 54,000 children and their guardians were apprehended between Oct. 1, 2016, and Jan. 31, 2017, more than double the number caught over the same time period a year earlier. Republicans in Congress have argued women are willing to risk the dangerous journey with their children because they are assured they will be quickly released from detention and given court dates set years into the future. Immigrant rights advocates have argued that Central America's violent and impoverished conditions force mothers to immigrate to the United States and that they should be given asylum status. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2m4aPAs) Implementing the new policy proposal “could create lifelong psychological trauma,” said Marielena Hincapie, executive director at the National Immigration Law Center. “Especially for children that have just completed a perilous journey from Central America.” Hincapie said the U.S. government is likely to face legal challenges based on immigration and family law if they decide to implement the policy. The policy would allow DHS to detain parents while complying with a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals order from July 2016 that immigrant children should be released from detention as quickly as possible. That order said their parents were not required to be freed. To comply with that order, the Obama administration implemented a policy of holding women and children at family detention centers for no more than 21 days before releasing them. Holding mothers in prolonged detention could also strain government resources, said Randy Capps of the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based non-profit. “You are talking about a pretty rapid increase in the detention population if you are going to do this,” Capps said. “The question is really how much detention can they afford.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly last week ordered immigration agents to deport or criminally prosecute parents who facilitate the illegal smuggling of their children. Many parents who arrive on the U.S.-Mexico border with their children have paid smugglers to guide them across the dangerous terrain.

Viral Fake Alert: This video is viral again, @boomlive_in had previously debunked it first in December 2018. https://t.co/UNlzG1ffA9

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias in Syria said they have formed a joint military center with the Iraqi army to protect their common border region after ousting Islamic State militants. Commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, met with Iraqi military leaders on Sunday. They discussed protecting the Syrian-Iraqi border in the region adjacent to Deir al-Zor province, and how to finally eradicate Daesh mercenaries there, the SDF said in a statement. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The two sides decided to form a joint coordination center to guarantee the security of the border, it said. Last week, the SDF declared victory in its assault in Syria s Deir al-Zor, which borders Iraq. The offensive focused on seizing territory east of the Euphrates river that bisects the oil-rich province. The Kurdish-led SDF has been battling for months with the help of jets and special forces from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State (IS). On the other side, Iraqi forces recaptured the last swathes of territory still under Islamic State control along the frontier with Syria on Saturday and secured the western desert. It marked the end of the war against IS, three years after they overran about a third of Iraq s territory. Iraqi forces who fought IS came from the army, air force, police, elite counter-terrorism forces as well as Shi ite and Sunni paramilitaries and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. They received key air support from the U.S.-led global coalition. Syrian government forces and their allies, backed by Russian air power, have taken most of the remaining areas of Deir al-Zor province. They are mostly on the western side of the Euphrates, while the SDF is on the eastern bank. Russia and the United States set up a communications channel to reduce the chance of fighting between the two rival campaigns against Islamic State. Forces arrayed against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria now anticipate a new phase of guerrilla warfare. Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the coalition, said Iraqi security forces and the SDF had linked up at their shared stretch of the frontier on Sunday. Secure international border protects Iraqis (and) Syrians from remnant Daesh movement into (and) across the region as terrorist fighters/leaders attempt to flee the battlefield, he wrote on Twitter.

Wild Horses of North Carolina's Outer Banks Will Ride Out Hurricane Dorian 'Butts to the Wind' - http://PEOPLE.com  https://people.com/pets/outer-banks-wild-horses-ride-out-hurricane-dorian/ … via @GoogleNews

Everyones talking about hurricane sandy and when it got close to puerto rico it was like......... *shrugs * let's go get food lol

RT @Motor_Depot: Sad day today...we started waving goodbye to almost 800 cars damaged in the Flood. pic.twitter.com/8w1dPn5KC5

Spending the whole weekend at my boos house during the hurricane and eating up all his food

Scientists identify six different types of Covid-19 with differing symptoms https://t.co/PTQlVkKVgY

Photo Falsely Claims Obama Served Food To Hurricane Harvey Victims http://www.westernjournalism.com/photo-falsely-claims-obama-served-food-hurricane-harvey-victims/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=MobileFloatingSharingButtons&utm_content=2017-08-30&utm_campaign=websitesharingbuttons …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will depart from the campaign trail on Friday to attend the funeral services of former First Lady Nancy Reagan. The campaign on Tuesday reported that Clinton, former first lady under President Bill Clinton and secretary of state under President Barack Obama, would attend the planned services in California for Reagan, who died on Sunday of congestive heart failure. (This version of the story corrects the day of Reagan’s death from Monday to Sunday in the paragraph two.)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump chose not to certify a deal on Iran s nuclear program that there was no place in international diplomacy for aggressive rhetoric, and such methods were doomed to fail. Trump s announcement once again underlines the inadmissibility of using aggressive and threatening rhetoric in international relations, Russia s foreign ministry said in a statement It is a hangover from the past, which does not correspond to modern norms of civilized dealings between countries, the statement said. We viewed with regret the decision of the U.S. President not to confirm to Congress that Iran is fulfilling in good faith the nuclear deal, the statement said. We expect that this step will not have a direct effect on the progress of implementation of the agreements, although, clearly, it does not correspond to the spirit and letter, of the nuclear deal. Iran was strictly abiding by the terms of the deal, and the agreement was already making a contribution to making the world safer, it added. In any event, regardless of the decisions of individual parties to the agreement, it is not possible to return to a situation which previously existed around the Iranian nuclear program, the statement said. In particular, there can be no talk of a renewal of sanctions via the U.N. Security Council. Russia remains committed to ... (the Iran nuclear deal), wants it to be preserved and will continue to fulfill all its obligations under the deal. We call on all the other participants to do the same, the ministry said.

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - President Donald Trump can return to the United States claiming to have snagged over $250 billion in deals from his maiden trip to Beijing. Whether those deals live up to the lofty price tag is another question altogether. Watched by Trump and China s President Xi Jinping at a signing ceremony in Beijing, U.S. planemaker Boeing Co, General Electric Co and chip giant Qualcomm Inc sealed lucrative multi-billion dollar deals. This is truly a miracle, China s Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said at a briefing in Beijing. The quarter of a trillion dollar haul underscores how Trump is keen to be seen to address a trade deficit with the world s second-largest economy that he has long railed against and called shockingly high on Thursday. But U.S. businesses still have many long-standing concerns to complain about, including unfettered access to the China market, cybersecurity and the growing presence of China s ruling Communist Party inside foreign firms. William Zarit, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said the deals pointed to a strong, vibrant bilateral economic relationship between the two countries. Yet we still need to focus on leveling the playing field, because U.S. companies continue to be disadvantaged doing business in China. U.S. tech companies like Facebook Inc and Google are mostly blocked in China. Automakers Ford Motor Co and General Motors must operate through joint ventures, while Hollywood movies face a strict quota system. (These deals) allow Trump to portray himself as a master dealmaker, while distracting from a lack of progress on structural reforms to the bilateral trade relationship, Hugo Brennan, Asia analyst at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note. Some huge deals were announced. Among them is a 20-year $83.7 billion investment by China Energy Investment Corp in shale gas developments and chemical manufacturing projects in West Virginia, a major energy producing state that voted heavily for Trump in the 2016 election. [ The massive size of this energy undertaking and level of collaboration between our two countries is unprecedented, West Virginia Secretary of Commerce H. Wood Thrasher said in a statement. It marks the first major overseas investment for the newly founded China Energy, which formed from the merger of China Shenhua Group, the country s largest coal producer and China Guodian Corp, one of China s top five utilities. However, as is often the case during state visits, many of the deals were packaged as non-binding agreements, gave scant details or rolled over existing tie-ups, helping pump up the headline figure. I am somewhat skeptical of such a large number, Alex Wolf, senior emerging markets economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments, told the Reuters Global Markets Forum, adding that the overall tone of the visit so far had been positive . I suspect they might be primarily MOUs (memorandum of understandings) instead of actual contracts and the actual contract amount may be substantially less. Qualcomm signed non-binding agreements worth $12 billion with Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo, three Chinese handset makers that the firm said it had longstanding relationships with. Qualcomm already earns more than half of its revenues in China. Boeing announced a deal with state-run China Aviation Suppliers Holding Co to sell 300 Boeing jets with a valuation of $37 billion at list prices, though analysts said it was unclear how many of these were new orders. Interesting to see how many of those are past agreements/purchase orders repackaged. Beijing is a master of selling the same agreement 10 times, former Mexican ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo posted on Twitter. Speaking alongside Trump in Beijing as they announced the deals, Xi said the Chinese economy would become increasingly open and transparent to foreign firms, including those from the United States, and welcomed U.S. companies to participate in his ambitious Belt and Road infrastructure-led initiative. Trump made clear he blamed his predecessors, not China, for allowing the U.s. trade deficit to get out of kilter , and repeatedly praised Xi, calling him a very special man . But we will make it fair and it will be tremendous for both of us, Trump said. Xi smiled widely when Trump said he does not blame China for the deficit. Asked whether the big package of deals would go some way towards helping fix American trade concerns in China, executives were cautiously optimistic. Generally the sense was that this is all a good thing, and that s great, said Gentry Sayad, a Shanghai-based lawyer who attended the trade delegation event in Beijing. Now let s see what really happens and whether or not the agreements signed during this trip can become a basis for a better bilateral trade relationship going forward.

(Reuters) - “What Happened,” Hillary Clinton’s memoir of her unsuccessful bid to win the 2016 U.S. presidential election, topped the U.S. non-fiction bestsellers list on Thursday, fending off a challenge from the latest book by former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly. Data released by independent, online and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors across the United States was used to compile the list. Hardcover Fiction Last week 1. “To Be Where You Are” - Jan Karon (Putnam, $28) 2. “Haunted” - Patterson/Born (Little, Brown $28) 3. “A Column of Fire” 1 Ken Follett (Viking, $36) 4. “The Cuban Affair” - Nelson DeMille (Simon & Schuster, $28.99) 5. “The Girl Who Takes An Eye For An Eye” 2 David Lagercrantz (Knopf, $27.95) 6. “A Legacy of Spies” 6 John le Carré (Viking, $28.00) 7. “Enemy of the State” 4 Kyle Mills (Atria/Bestler, $28.99) 8. “The Romanov Ransom” 3 Cussler/Burcell (Putnam, $29) 9. “Secrets in Death” 5 J.D. Robb (St. Martin’s, $27.99) 10. “Little Fires Everywhere” 10 Celeste Ng (Penguin Press, $27) Hardcover Non-Fiction 1. “What Happened” 1 Hillary Rodham Clinton (Simon & Schuster, $30) 2. “Saving England” - O’Reilly/Dugard (Holt, $30) 3. “The TB12 Method” - Tom Brady (Simon & Schuster, $29.99) 4. “Braving The Wilderness” 2 Brene Brown (Random House, $28) 5. “The Paradigm” - Jonathan Cahn (Frontline, $21.99) 6. “Principles” - Ray Dalio (Simon & Schuster, $30) 7. “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane” - Gucci Mane (Simon & Schuster, $27) 8. “Unbelievable” 3 Katy Tur (Dey Street, $26.99) 9. “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” 7 Mark Manson (HarperOne, $24.99) 10. “Anxious For Nothing” 4 Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson, $22.99)

We all know that some in high society do some pretty creepy things. It appears that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may not be an exception to this rule. The Washington Post has reported that the 30 year justice spent his final hours with members of a secret society called the International Order of St. Hubertus. The organization has its origins in Austria and dates back to the 1600 s.The Post reported that Scalia was at the ranch with members of the secret society and that he had met with them on different occasions, and once previously at the same ranch where he died. The Post reports:The group, consisting of a bunch of creepy, older men, is hundreds of years old with rituals and costumes. They opened a chapter in the US for the first time in 1968 at the famous Bohemian Grove in San Fransisco, which is apparently an elite place for holding secret society meetings and a source of controversy throughout the years of its existence.Here s how the group describes itself on its website: The International Order of Saint Hubertus was founded in 1695 by Count Franz Anton von Sporck in what was then the Kingdom of Bohemia, then territory of the Habsburg Empire, now the modern Czech Republic. The Order was a knightly order with an emphasis on hunting and activities related to the pursuit and management of game animals. In the Middle Ages and again with the revival of interest in the forms of chivalry in Europe, hunting was considered a basic preparation for warfare and was held among the highest activities a gentleman could pursue. In addition, Count von Sporck was also a prominent patron of music, having commissioned numerous Vivaldi operas and the four Bach minor Masses for performance at his private Opera House in Prague. While the group claims to be a simple organization for hunting enthusiasts, its ties to the controversial Bohemian Grove leave many questions unanswered. Former president Bill Clinton once said of the club: The Bohemian club! Did you say Bohemian club? That s where all those rich Republicans go up and stand naked against redwood trees right? I ve never been to the Bohemian club but you oughta go. It d be good for you. You d get some fresh air. Image via video screen capture.

I drove in this flood. Nothing like a warm house, good food, and people I love to come home to. ÓÅñ

BERLIN (Reuters) - Barring an upset, the main uncertainty surrounding Europe s most important election this year is not whether Angela Merkel will continue to lead Germany after next week s vote, but who with and how long they will take to get going. Although a surprise cannot be ruled out in the wake of any Russian interference, pollsters say they are confident about their surveys, which show Merkel s conservatives winning the most seats in the Bundestag lower house. The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to enter parliament for the first time, and some experts have said it may gain more support than the roughly 10 percent polls suggest, an alarming prospect for many at home and abroad. But all the other parties have ruled out joining it in a coalition - an inherent part of Germany s electoral system - and the most likely scenario is probably a repeat of Merkel s grand coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD). She will start sounding out partners right after the Sept. 24 vote, but coalition building is a protracted process, which could paralyze policy for months at a time when Brexit has shaken Europe s foundations. The process is especially complex this time as the number of parliamentary groups could rise to six from four. Informal soundings and then exploratory talks precede formal coalition negotiations and party leaders may also seek approval from their members before signing off on any deal. Depending on the shape of the coalition, the main issues at stake are the integration of the more than 1 million migrants who have arrived in Germany in the last two years, and investment in Europe's biggest economy as well as Merkel's leading role in talks on reform of the European Union and relations with Russia and Turkey. Here are the main scenarios: CONSERVATIVES, SOCIAL DEMOCRATS ( GRAND COALITION ) The most likely option, according to opinion polls. Merkel s parliamentary party, made up of her Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) has governed with the SPD for eight of the 12 years that Merkel has been chancellor, including the last four. WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE: Merkel, who has steered the conservatives toward the political center ground, looks comfortable ruling with the SPD. Such a coalition would likely have a large majority, provide continuity and broadly agree on Europe, Turkey, foreign policy, migration and security issues. HURDLES: It is a last resort for both sides, especially the SPD, which fears it will lose out as junior partner. It wants more emphasis on investment, education, tackling inequality and fair pensions while conservatives are more focused on tax cuts. The SPD is also reluctant to back planned defense spending hikes. CONSERVATIVES, FREE DEMOCRATS ( BLACK-YELLOW ) The conservative block and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) are traditional partners, especially on financial and economic policy, having ruled together for almost half of post-war Germany s seven decades. If they win sufficient votes, this is the most likely scenario. WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE: The pro-business FDP has rebounded this year, winning enough votes in a vote in Germany s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, in May to share power with the CDU there. A repeat at federal level would herald tax cuts and deregulation and possibly tighter laws on immigration, asylum seeking and security. HURDLES: The FDP was wiped out of parliament in 2013 after four chaotic years ruling with Merkel. It has more radical tax reduction and privatization plans, opposes deeper EU integration and wants EU countries to be able to quit the euro zone. Party leader Christian Lindner has also suggested Germany accept Russia s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, something Merkel has ruled out. CONSERVATIVES, FDP, GREENS ( JAMAICA - REFERENCE TO PARTIES COLOURS: BLACK, YELLOW, GREEN) As yet untested at a federal level, this combination rules in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein. WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE - If Merkel s bloc can t form an alliance with the FDP or the Greens alone, it may try a three-way deal. Both smaller parties have played down this option but may be lured by the prospect of power. HURDLES - The Greens and FDP are at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Policy clashes would be likely on tax, energy, the EU and migrants. CONSERVATIVES, GREENS ( BLACK-GREEN ) Untested at a federal level, this has been mooted as an option under Merkel, who has pushed renewable energy. The CDU and Greens have worked together at regional level, including in a Greens-led coalition in the rich southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE: The Greens leaders are pragmatic, worlds away from the eco-warriors who founded the party. The prospect of power may persuade them to compromise. Such a coalition would promote a strong Europe and focus on fighting climate change. The Greens would push for a phaseout of coal-fired power stations. HURDLES: Doubtful they would win a majority. Conservatives want lower taxes while Greens want to tax the super rich. Greens have a more liberal migrant policy which could pit them against the CSU, and they oppose plans to increase defense spending. Clashes are also likely on some aspects of energy policy and auto emissions regulation following the diesel scandal. A minority government would be a first and stability-craving Germans would not like it but may prefer it to new elections. WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE: If Merkel fails to find a partner, she may feel she has a mandate to rule given her personal popularity. She would probably get support for individual policies from the FDP, SPD and Greens. HURDLES: Merkel s natural caution coupled with Germans fear of instability, a legacy of the fragmentation in the years that preceded the rise of Hitler s Nazi party. SPD, LEFT, GREENS ( RED-RED-GREEN or R2G ) Highly unlikely. Never tested at a federal level, a tie up between the SPD and Greens, preferred partners, and the radical Left party, could be the only way for the SPD to take the chancellery. It is being tested in the state of Berlin under SPD leadership and, with a Left premier, in the state of Thuringia. WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE: For the first time, the SPD has not excluded the possibility of joining the Left. Such a coalition would probably focus on boosting investment and tackling inequality and adopt a more Russia-friendly stance. HURDLES: The Left s links with Communists in former East Germany and painful SPD memories of an exodus to the Left over deep labor market reforms more than a decade ago. While the SPD and Greens could rule together relatively easily, the Left wants a top tax rate of 75 percent, a 30-hour week and to replace NATO with an alliance including Russia.

Brutal blizzard Jonas bites: 8,300 flights axed; Cars stranded for hours in Kentucky; More than a fo ... http://tinyurl.com/grk8tvz 

Poor ocean health threatens food security and increases flood risk: Business Green - an... http://dlvr.it/4897rq  #foodsecurity

Donnie Wahlberg’s message for Vanilla Ice, who vows to ‘ride out’ Hurricane Matthew http://bit.ly/2dPIUQz 

NEW YORK(Reuters) - In August, a dozen inventors gathered around a fire pit outside the headquarters of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, and set alight patents they said had been rendered worthless by an overreaching federal government. “It’s time for us to make patents great again,” Michael Caputo, an advisor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, told those gathered. US Inventor, the group behind the protest Caputo now represents as a spokesman, is calling for the abolition of the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, an administrative tribunal run by the patent office that reviews the validity of patents. The rallying cry marks an about-face for some conservatives, who broadly supported the board’s creation in 2011 as a way to rein in trial lawyers and “patent trolls,” who hold patents for the sole purpose of suing big companies for licensing fees. “Things have really flipped when it comes to the conservative perspective on patents,” said Charles Duan, a lawyer with left-leaning consumer group Public Knowledge. Much of the credit goes to activists who have convinced many conservatives that the real problem is not out-of-control litigation but how the tribunal designed to speed up resolving patent disputes favors big business over smaller rivals. The change of positions has been aided by deepening right-wing distrust of tech giants, such as Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, which have benefited the most from PTAB while embracing liberal causes like immigration or gay and transgender rights. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2A1LfXV) The U.S. Supreme Court is due to rule sometime next year on whether the tribunal is an unconstitutional intrusion of the executive branch onto matters reserved for the courts and influential conservative groups are already weighing in. The Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, Federalist Society, and the American Conservative Union have published articles or submitted briefs arguing that PTAB should be abolished. Most legal experts expect it to survive, though, noting the Supreme Court has largely accepted the powers of executive-branch courts in other areas, such as public employee benefits. The mounting criticism of PTAB could still convince the court’s conservative justices to vote for abolition, said Q. Todd Dickinson, a lawyer with the firm Polsinelli and a former director of the patent office. The advocacy effort by conservative groups could also convince the Trump administration to curb the patent board’s power, Dickinson said. AN ANTI-TROLL WEAPON More than 70 percent of the Republicans in Congress backed the legislation that created PTAB. At the time, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the law would “help reduce unnecessary litigation against American businesses.” In February the same business lobbying group criticized PTAB for creating “cost and uncertainty for patent owners.” U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who holds patents relating to computer interfaces, was not in Congress at the time the board was created, but said conservatives’ initial intent to curb excessive litigation has gradually given way to fears that PTAB is helping the wrong businesses. The board’s creation was pushed by big tech companies, banks and retailers, who complained they were being inundated with “troll” lawsuits. Successfully defending a patent case in federal court often takes years and costs millions of dollars, escalating pressure to settle. PTAB offered a cheaper and faster alternative. The average cost of litigating a PTAB petition to a final decision is about $250,000, according to patent risk management company RPX Corp. There are no juries and limited live witness testimony in PTAB proceedings, and its administrative judges apply a lower standard of proof than would be required in federal court. About 80 percent of the patents that PTAB makes final decisions on are either partially or fully invalidated, according to a report issued in October by the patent office. But the agency also said 56 percent of patents challenged at PTAB are upheld, in part because the court frequently declines requests to review patents. A spokesman for the patent office declined to comment. Inventors say PTAB has made it much harder to get patents licensed by big technology, which now routinely respond to patent infringement claims by initiating PTAB proceedings. “Patents owners who don’t have the wherewithal to withstand serial challenges to the validity of their patents just can’t license them,” said David Pridham, chief executive of Dominion Harbor, a firm that owns and attempts to license former Eastman Kodak Co patents. Paul Morinville, a cowboy hat-wearing entrepreneur from Indiana and the founder of US Inventor, said it has become harder for him to get funding for his business based on software patents he holds. Morinville has been speaking to Republican lawmakers and their staffers for the past four years and many conservatives credit his group with raising alarm about the patent tribunal. “They are as close to your iconic garage inventor as you can get, so their stories really resonate,” said James Edwards, a conservative lobbyist focused on patent law. While conservative groups have been most vocal, the debate transcends party lines. Some Republicans, such as Representative Darrell Issa of California, keep supporting the PTAB, while some Democrats have joined Republicans in calls to curb its powers. Many trial lawyers whose case loads have fallen also oppose it. But many liberals have embraced PTAB as a means of eliminating brand-name pharmaceutical patents that keep drug prices high. Generic drug makers and large tech companies are also among the board’s supporters, arguing it has actually increased competition by weeding out low-quality patents. The conservative backlash in part reflects how the right views tech giants like Apple and Google, which thanks to the tribunal have prevailed in hundreds of disputes with patent owners seeking hefty compensation. “Google, Amazon, and Apple and other big tech companies - you look at their power and it is really astounding. And they are generally left-leaning companies,” said Matthew Dowd, a conservative patent lawyer in Washington D.C. who has represented US Inventor. “Those dynamics are definitely playing into the increasing willingness of conservatives to speak up about patents.”

Ivanka Trump has been sort of the female face of her father s campaign, but despite being a woman, she really doesn t get it. That s quite evident in her new video touting her father s childcare plan, which she kicks off with following gender stereotyping words: The most important job any woman can have is being a mother. That is the height of irony, considering the fact that this video is directed towards working mothers. Working mothers value their jobs and their children, and many resent being shunted into sexist gender roles like this. Such a dismissive attitude toward women, both mothers and non-mothers, will do nothing to warm them up to Trump at all.But wait! There s more. Ivanka goes on to say: Donald Trump understands the needs of the modern workforce. Har de har har. Don t make us laugh too hard, it hurts. Ivanka s father once said that pregnancy is an inconvenience for business, and told a woman she was disgusting for needing to pump her breasts. He s a serial cheater, a serial sexual harasser, and a serial body-shamer.The AP published a story earlier today that exposes Trump s harassment of women on the set of The Apprentice. According to that story, he rated women contestants on the size of their breasts, and openly talked about which ones he d like to sleep with. He also wanted them to bare more cleavage and wear shorter skirts, and asked one woman to twirl for him so he could ogle her figure.As a woman who, at a previous job, was repeatedly asked to twirl around so a manager could ogle my figure before he d even answer a question I had, these revelations make me positively ill.Trump even compared a camerawoman s looks to the beauty of Ivanka on the set of The Apprentice. Ivanka hasn t had a very good role model for a father, let alone for anything to do with feminism and women s rights. Trump always saw his parental duties as limited to providing funds for his children. He never actually parented, and he s said both of the following to boot: I mean, I won t do anything to take care of them. I ll supply funds and she ll take care of the kids. It s not like I m gonna be walking the kids down Central Park. Marla used to say, I can t believe you re not walking Tiffany down the street, you know in a carriage. Right, I m gonna be walking down Fifth Avenue with a baby in a carriage. It just didn t work. And: There s a lot of women out there that demand that the husband act like the wife and you know there s a lot of husbands that listen to that I m really like a great father but certain things you do and certain things you don t. It s just not for me. This is understanding the needs of working mothers, women, and the modern workforce? Not hardly.Ivanka is in awe of her father, it seems, and carries a ton of internalized misogyny because of him and because of society. She s ill-equipped to reach out to women on this level on behalf of her father, because that takes a lot more than simply being a female face.Watch the entire ad below:Featured image via screen capture from embedded video

Drivers form human chain to save elderly man trapped in car by Hurricane Harvey floodwaters by Mike Wright via News http://ift.tt/2vHVURO 

Texas Seeks Comment on Rules for Changes to Windstorm Insurer http://t.co/BP6MfJHARS

#CCOT #TCOT #radiation Nuclear Emergency Tracking Center http://t.co/KF74o2mcsC https://t.co/N2ZHrChCGV

Georgia College volleyball player dies after crashing her car into a tree while trying to evacuate from Savannah ahead of Hurricane Dorian https://trib.al/Q2w4cK6 

It's alil twister at Tha end to! I was like oh nah ??

@TheSmallClark 'He'll kill me instead if he survived the shot. I don't exactly know. I fled the scene and pulled the trigger with---

@eyewitnessnyc mayor is reducing/closing hurricane sandy shelter locations down to 15. Does channel 7 know the 15 locations?

Bald eagle rescued from car grill: In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew's path through Florida, it may have ... http://cnn.it/2dWy5fD 

I'm sorry but I have zero sympathy for people who chose to stay and ride out Hurricane Harvey.

"Police had brutally thrashed the 5-6 men. They broke someone’s hand, someone’s leg. My hand and leg are also broken. There are 8-10 stitches on my head. I am unable to speak. Policemen were saying do you want azaadi?" said one of the victim. https://t.co/Y5710JWsqk

...Like "A blizzard is coming!" "Okay! I'm going to get my eyebrows done and wash my car."

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday over the objections of Democrats and environmentalists worried he will gut the agency, as the administration readies executive orders to ease regulation on drillers and miners. The installation of Scott Pruitt, who sued the agency he intends to lead more than a dozen times as Oklahoma attorney general, reinforces expectations on both sides of the political divide that America will cede its position as a leader in the global fight on climate change. Senators voted 52-46 to approve Pruitt, who was to be sworn in later on Friday afternoon at the White House. Only one Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, voted against him. Two Democrats from energy-producing states, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, voted for his confirmation. “I have no doubt that Scott will return the EPA to its core objectives,” said Republican Senator James Inhofe, also of Oklahoma, adding the agency had been guilty of “federal overreach, unlawful rule making, and duplicative red tape,” during President Barack Obama’s presidency. The nomination of Pruitt, who sued the EPA more than a dozen times on behalf of his oil-producing state and has doubted the science of climate change, upset many former and current agency employees. Nearly 800 former EPA staff urged the Senate to reject Pruitt in a letter this week, saying he had “shown no interest in enforcing environmental laws.” Earlier this month, about 30 current employees at an EPA regional office in Chicago joined a protest against Pruitt held by green groups. Trump is likely to issue executive orders as soon as next week to reshape the EPA, sources said. The Republican president has promised to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan, currently held up in the courts, that aims to slash carbon emissions from coal and natural gas fired power plants. Trump also wants to give states more authority over environmental issues by striking down federal regulations on drilling technologies and getting rid of an Obama rule that sought to clarify the EPA’s jurisdiction over streams and rivers. Conservatives warmly welcomed Pruitt’s confirmation. “For far too long the EPA has acted in an overzealous manner, ignoring the separation of powers, the role of states and the rights of property owners,” said Nick Loris, an economist at the Heritage Foundation. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, however, said he was concerned that if the administration does not enforce emissions cuts such as outlined in the Clean Power Plan, it would increase U.S. pollution and harm the country’s leadership in international efforts to curb climate change. Opponents of Pruitt also protested his ties to the energy industry. Republicans have the majority in the Senate, but Democrats spoke through Thursday night and Friday morning on the Senate floor, trying to extend debate on Pruitt until later in February when 3,000 emails between him and energy companies will likely be revealed by a judge. An Oklahoma judge ruled this week that Pruitt will have to turn over the emails between his office and energy companies by Tuesday after a watchdog group, the Center for Media and Democracy, sued for their release. The judge will review and perhaps hold back some of the emails before releasing them, a court clerk said. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell had moved to “strap blinders” on his fellow Republicans by not waiting for the release of Pruitt’s emails. Environmentalists decried the approval. “If you don’t believe in climate science, you don’t belong at the EPA,” said May Boeve, the head of environmentalist group 350.org.

In the last several months, Joe Scarborough a one-time Republican politician and now host of MSNBC s Morning Joe has gone so deep into Trumpmania and anti-Obama hysteria that it s hard to imagine his reputation ever recovering. On a recent Morning Joe broadcast, viewers got to watch as he torched the last bit of his integrity to take yet another cheap shot at President Obama at the expense of both common sense and objective reality.In the episode, Scarborough poured over Obama s recent interview with Fox News and concluded that the president was giving investigators probing Hillary Clinton s email servers coded, hidden messages through the airwaves. Tin foil hat firmly in place, Scarborough accused Obama of tampering with the investigation.Obama said he wasn t going to talk to the attorney general about the pending investigation, but he just did, he lamented. Talk about a rigged process. Scarborough s frequent guest and occasional yes man Bloomberg editor Mark Halperin agreed. It seemed ill-advised to say, OK, I ve got no connection to this, but here s what I know about it and here s my conclusion, Halperin said on MSNBC. He should just say, I shouldn t talk about it, Halperin added. There s a pending investigation and I should keep myself away from it in every way and leave this to the independence of the Justice Department. I don t know why he went on at such length defending her, because, in theory, he shouldn t really know the facts of the case. Both men seem to have very little understanding of the investigation or the context in which Obama stated his opinions. Scarborough in particular seems to have gotten his information from right-wing memes he read online. At one point, he claimed over 100 agents were working on investigating Clinton s wrongdoing a figure based on a long-debunked right-wing lie started by a Republican politician (for obvious reasons).Equally bogus is the idea that Obama could influence the investigation by stating his personal opinion in a Fox News interview. Given the fact that the president has repeatedly stood by his former Secretary of State, the premise that FBI agents would be oblivious to which way Obama leaned is laughable. He, like most of the country, finds the email scandal a waste of time, resources, and money (a lot of money). It s not exactly exposing nuclear launch codes if he tells reporters that Clinton s emails were mostly harmless that s public record.Not that Scarborough would ever admit it, but even Republican presidents tend to side with their political allies and employees. George W. Bush, he might recall, was a fierce defender of Vice President Cheney s chief of staff Scooter Libby even after he was found guilty of lying about his boss s leak of an undercover CIA operative. Bush would later go as far as to commute Libby s sentence just before he left office.Unlike the tangible damage, Cheney s office did to national security, Clinton s email controversy is vague to the point of meaninglessness. The public has had a hard time getting itself worked up over the scandal because as far as anybody can tell, nothing truly damaging happened. As both Obama and Clinton have acknowledged, using a private email was careless but it wasn t exactly harmful.And thus Scarborough once again has embarrassed himself with a wild haymaker that failed to land.Featured image via MSNBC

Our weekly documentary film, curated by our editorial team at 21WIRE. EDITORS NOTE: At times, this film might sanitise the CIA infamous operation in Southeast Asia, just short of glorifying it, but the detail and over view of this piece of history is extremely education especially when you consider how similar operations are doing the exact same operation in Turkey, Pakistan and Yemen. From its origins with the legendary Flying Tigers of WWII to the final days of the Vietnam War, the covert program of Air America is one of the most clandestine operations in CIA history. Watch: SEE MORE SUNDAY SCREENINGS HERE

Has Hurricane Sandy affected you? What kind of foods do you think are essential to stock up on for a storm?

Blacks in America are seeing the writing on the wall with the push for mass immigration to America and it s not a pretty picture. Barack Hussein Obama, America s first black president will do more to harm the black community in his reckless attempt to create a one-party system in America than any President in the history of the United States.The unnamed activists representing the Lost American Network group makes some great points: We in the black community We have seen videos of (Senator) Hall calling other organizations out there that are predominately white, racists. We would like to send a message to him. We feel that he is not representing the black community, so therefore, we feel that he is racist. We wanna know why black politicians like him have turned their back on the black community. Unemployment is up to 70% Mass immigration takes away jobs and benefits from the black community. Mass immigration takes away medical care and housing assistance for the homeless.Watch her outstanding message to Congressman Hall here:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration next week will propose a 1.6 percent pay increase for federal employees, an administration official said on Wednesday. The proposal will be included in President Barack Obama’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2017, which is set to be unveiled on Tuesday. The pay raise would apply to military and civilian personnel, the official said in a statement. Federal government workers received a 1.3 percent pay raise this fiscal year as a part of the government funding package that was passed into law in December.

It s probably not very controversial to say that Donald Trump has an image problem. Sure, the Republican base turn up to his rallies to be turned on by his xenophobia, but his electability in a general election is an entirely different matter. In some of the latest polls done on Trump s favorability, the Republican front-runner is the most hated politician since post-Watergate Richard Nixon. When it comes to Trump, most of the country falls somewhere between actively loathe and hate with a passion. This is due, in large part, to the fact that the very stuff that helps him in the primaries anti-immigrant bashing, open bigotry, violence against minorities at his rallies repulse everyone else. In short, if you aren t the guy literally dressed as a wall at a Trump rally, you probably hate him.This guy attended a recent Trump rally dressed "as the wall" pic.twitter.com/AaF9TfBFSC Pigeon Today (@PigeonToday) April 15, 2016To address this glaring problem, Trump s campaign has been quietly pivoting from Our candidate, the bigot to a supposedly softer tone that presents Trump as more presidential. In a recording made to a group of Republican insiders, Trump s campaign manager Paul Manafort said Trump s part would be evolving.The part he s been playing is evolving into the part of that you ve been expecting but he wasn t ready for it because he had the first phase. You ll start to see more depth to the person, the real person. You ll see him in a different way.Are you buying that? Singer and firebrand Cher sure wasn t. On Twitter, she gave Trump and his changing tone the brutal beatdown it deserved.TRUMP JUST SAID,ALL THESE MONTHS HES BEEN ACTING,PLAYING A PART 2APPEAL 2A BASE THAT HES BEEN TRICKING?IS HE GOING 2 PRETEND 2B HUMAN NOW? Cher (@cher) April 21, 2016Trump Says he's BEEN "ACTING"In Front Of His Followers.He Couldn't Have Gotten SO MANY PPL AT RALLIES,IF HIS PPL KNEW WHO HE REALLY WAS Cher (@cher) April 21, 2016WONDER IF TRUMPSUPPORTERS KNOW YET, THAT HE WAS ONLY "ACTING"AT HIS RALLIES HE KNEW JUST HOW 2 SUCK EM IN?"THE ART OF THE DOUBLE DEAL" Cher (@cher) April 22, 2016Cher emojis and all brings up an inconvenient truth for Trump s followers. The man they adore is either pandering to their racism because he knows it will get them going, or he is lying now about ever changing. Neither option is a good one. Both suggest Trump is a manipulator and untrustworthy.The singer also seems to think Trump s real image isn t the presidential, mature one his campaign is now suggesting. She has a little reminder.Trump?says past monthsWe're just PART he was playing,projecting FAKE image.He REALLY LOVES WOMEN&"BLACKS"?HE WAS 1ST BIRTHER&MUSLIM OBAMA Cher (@cher) April 23, 2016The Trump who once said he would spend almost any amount of money to prove President Obama was a Kenyan Muslim, now wants us to believe he is really a mature, intelligent guy. It may just work on his supporters, but the rest of the country? They re with Cher.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty Images

North Carolina - Tornado clean up with care? Food destroyed, rubble may contain toxins. http://fb.me/115q5EXKp

Trump still diverting attention frm his gross inactions: 1. #Flint #WaterCrisis FOUR Years+! 2. #PuertoRico no or low, power- food- medical- housing 3. California #Wildfires amongst so many other issues- ie: #Tariffs rising International Trade Disasters & Instigating #Racismhttps://twitter.com/nora_kelly/status/1029364267492040705 …

#Protest visuals from #Bhubaneswar, where different organisations are holding rallies against #CAA_NRC #Odisha @IndiaAheadNews https://t.co/7pGpd9PyLX

Drivers form human chain to save elderly man trapped in car by Hurricane Harvey floodwaters http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/31/drivers-form-human-chain-save-elderly-man-trapped-car-hurricane/ …

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The ease with which some state-built homes collapsed in Sunday s earthquake in western Iran showed corrupt practices when they were constructed, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday in a sentiment shared by many ordinary Iranians. Some of the houses which collapsed in an earthquake that killed at least 530 people and injured thousands of others were built under an affordable housing scheme initiated in 2011 by Rouhani s predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. That a house built by (ordinary) people in the Sarpol-e Zahab region has remained standing while in front of it a government-built building has collapsed is a sign of corruption, Rouhani told a cabinet meeting, state media said. It s clear there has been corruption in construction contracts, he said. Sarpol-e Zahab is the town hardest hit by Sunday s 7.3 magnitude quake, the deadliest in Iran in more than a decade. A picture widely circulated by ordinary Iranians on social media shows a building with relatively little damage in Sarpol-e Zahab next to a heavily damaged government-constructed building. This has fueled speculation that shoddy construction in the building of government housing had led to a higher number of casualties from the earthquake. Rouhani said on Tuesday that any shortcomings in government constructed buildings in the earthquake zone will be punished. Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi, the prosecutor general in Kermanshah, the largest city in the earthquake zone, said on Wednesday that the quality of construction of new buildings that were heavily damaged would be investigated and charges may be brought against anyone deemed responsible. If there are any problems with the construction, the individuals who were negligent must answer for their deeds, Sadeghi said, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). An arrest warrant has been issued for a contractor responsible for a recently built hospital which was heavily damaged in the town of Islamabad-e Gharb, parliamentarian Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said on Tuesday, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA). Residents in the earthquake zone have also complained about the slow and inadequate government response as they struggle to find food, water and shelter.

This video brilliantly dispels every one of Hillary s false claims and throws them right back in her face Absolutely brilliant!

**just received this alert on my phone** Nassau EOC Dorian Update Nassau residents are advised to stay off of roadways. Hurricane Dorian is generating dangerous winds and unsafe conditions outdoors. Shelter in place until further notice.

Michelle Obama really did it this time. The former First Lady managed to infuriate conservatives by doing some so terrible that they were forced to use words like ghetto and trash and ape to describe her (you know, their go-to language whenever a person with skin darker than a piece of classroom chalk is involved).What did she do that was so terrible? She went to Beyonce s birthday party last year.So, what set them off about this now? Video surfaced of her having fun, of course.Never Before Seen private footage of Beyonc , Solange & Michelle Obama! #ByeFelicia ?? pic.twitter.com/VrTz6sgsUc THE BEYHIV (@TheBeyHiveTeam) July 21, 2017The video with Michelle Obama is from Beyonc 's private birthday party last year. pic.twitter.com/drLp6fw4Vo THE BEYHIV (@TheBeyHiveTeam) July 21, 2017Naturally, this was so horrible that the Reich err, Right flocked to Facebook to share what could be loosely called their thoughts (they are, of course, incapable of actual thought) about this perfectly harmless video of the First Lady having a bit of fun. Racist attacks on the Obamas has become something of a sport with conservatives. Recently, Malia Obama celebrated her 19th birthday a joyous occasion for her, a reason to let the Confederate flags fly for them. Unfortunately, this is what we have come to expect of our frenemies on the Right horrible racism and an inability to engage in civil discussion about anything at all.Featured image via screengrab

TAXES really do kill people. Eric Garner is a perfect example. This tragedy happened on Donald Trump s home turf, if his campaign was on top of their game, they d be all over this Ahead of the Pennsylvania primary Bernie Sanders was asked about Philadelphia s proposed soda tax during a recent interview with Meet The Press . Hillary Clinton favors the tax but Bernie opposes it because he says it taxes the poor who are already struggling enough. Chuck Todd didn t buy that answer and pressed Sanders to explain why he opposes the soda tax but favors cigarette taxes (which are much, much higher). Bernie explained that he thinks cigarettes are different than soda and that there s almost a question as to why [cigarettes]remain a legal product in this country . Apparently, Bernie Sanders doesn t realize that the cigarette taxes he favors are what got Eric Garner killed.Unfortunately, Chuck Todd didn t catch that statement and moved on to other topics. He should have jumped on it given that it s quite the hypocritical line coming from someone trying to gain the support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Bernie Sanders even has the support of Eric Garner s own daughter who starred in a three minute campaign ad just a couple months previous.One wonders whether or not Erica Garner approves of Bernie Sanders support of the cigarette taxes that killed her father.Recall that Eric Garner was accused of selling un-taxed cigarettes in New York City. The Federal government already imposes a $1.01 tax, which the New York state government adds a $4.35 tax to, and the New York City government tacked another $1.50 onto. That brings the total cigarette tax in New York City to more than $6.85 cents which is more than the cost of the cigarettes themselves. These excessively high taxes that Bernie Sanders supports double the price of pack of cigarettes and creates a black market for un-taxed cigarettes.It was this black market that Eric Garner was accused of taking part in. Un-taxed cigarettes are a lucrative business in New York City and account for tens of millions of dollars in sales. Many people try to make a living selling these un-taxed cigarettes as Eric Garner was allegedly doing when he was stopped by the police.Situations like this are the inevitable result of high taxes. If people refuse to pay taxes this is how they will be enforced. People with guns will show up. People will die.Via: A Libertarian Future

In private speeches, Clinton claims terrorism, Russia, “not a threat” to America https://t.co/WOv2H2qoVj https://t.co/5KlI1awuYZ

“@ride_thisface: Where the fuck is hurricane sandy bitch come now”NOOO !

President Trump gave the commencement speech for the Coast Guard graduating class and hit back at the media during the speech: The Coast Guard Academy was the location for the speech but the speech could be directed at all Aemricans plus the media and critics of Trump. He says what everyone else is thinking Awesome! Now I want to take this opportunity to offer you some advice. Over the course of your life you will find that things are not always fair. You will find that things happen to you that you do not deserve You have to put your head down and fight, fight, fight! Never ever, ever give up. Things will turn out just fine . No politician in history has been treated worse or more unfairly. You can t let them get you down. You can t let the critics and naysayers get in the way of your dreams. TRUMP ADDED: The people understand what I m doing and that s the most important thing. I didn t t get elected to serve the Washington media or the special interests, he said. I got elected to serve the forgotten men and women and that s what I m doing. Great speech! He nails it!FULL SPEECH:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzZXf2gk7U

Netflix, Sex Aur Data: Bizarre Tweets Promote BJPs CAA Helpline #indiaDoesNotSuppotCAA https://t.co/BUzz719xrc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House of Representatives panel will meet on Thursday to consider a change to the stalled Republican healthcare bill before lawmakers leave for a two-week recess, a spokeswoman for the House Rules Committee said. The change, proposed by the Trump administration, involves the provision of high-risk pools to subsidize insurance for the seriously ill, the Washington Post reported. Deep divisions in the Republican Party had appeared to dash hopes for a quick revival of legislation to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 healthcare law before the start of the recess on Friday. It remains unclear whether the tweaked bill could garner enough support from Republican House members to win passage, or when the full House might take up the measure. House Speaker Paul Ryan has cautioned it would take some time for Republicans to come together on a bill that could win wide enough support for passage.

A Hurricane Worse Than Harvey Hit Texas, Before Americans Drove Cars http://freebeacon.com/issues/hurricane-worse-harvey-hit-texas-americans-drove-cars/ …

This is a story is for anyone who thinks these Muslim migrants are going to change their stone-age tactics because they are living at the expense of taxpayers in another country. Three young men from North Africa were arrested on Saturday in the western German city of Dortmund for stoning two transgender women.According to a report on Friday on television station SAT1.NRW, the men attacked Yasmine und Elisa, two transgender women, near the city s main train station. Within seconds we were tossed around and they took stones from a gravel bed on the corner and threw them at us, said Elisa.A police car appeared at the train station as the stoning attack unfolded and arrested the men.The German media as a general rule do not disclose the last names of victims to protect their privacy. The three men are between 16 and 18 years-old and are known to the authorities from theft and assault arrests.Dortmund police official Kim-Ben Freigang said the suspects told the police that such persons must be stoned. Yasmine installed a security camera at the residence where she lives with Elisa after the attacks. That was barbaric what they did. They are barbarians, Yasmine said.She added that she could not believe that such an act of shamelessness occurred. In 2016, in Germany, with stoning! According to the SATI.NRW report, Yasmine said it was the first time in 30 years she felt unsafe as a transgender woman.According to Yasmine and Elisa, the three young men propositioned them, but after they realized that Yasmine and Elisa are transgender women, they attacked them with stones.Stoning people to death is a penalty used in nine Muslim-majority countries. In November, a criminal court in Iran s northern province of Gilan sentenced a woman to be executed by stoning for alleged complicity in the murder of her husband, Arash Babaieepour Tabrizinejad. Via: Jerusalem Post

Trump s brazen phone calls to various world leaders are upsetting diplomats, and with good reason. He s voicing admiration for some of the worst dictators in the world, such as the leader of Kazakhstan, and he wants to visit Pakistan. He also ruffled feathers in some circles when he issued a casual, offhand invitation to Britain s prime minister, Theresa May, following phone calls to nine other world leaders.His most recent phone call was to Taiwan, a country with which the U.S. has had no contact for nearly 40 years. In doing so, he may have upset the delicate balance that currently exists between us and China, because China thinks of Taiwan as a renegade province. Okay, so China isn t a country that we re totally in love with right now. The problem with Trump doing this, though, is that China is still a trading partner, and if he wishes to be able to negotiate a better trade deal with them, he d do well to respect them and the delicate nature of our relationship with them right now.But all Trump has proven thus far is that he s an idiotic, ill-prepared, complete dolt when it comes to handling the presidency, and especially foreign relations. There things he doesn t even know to think about before calling absolutely everyone on the planet. White House press secretary Josh Earnest actually begged Trump to go through proper channels, meaning the Department of State, when contacting world leaders.Otherwise, his willy-nilly phone calls like this can shake up, or even destroy, relationships that are already on shaky ground.Like our relationship with China.He certainly didn t try to make a friend out of China during his campaign, blasting them repeatedly for stealing our jobs and essentially saying he was going to strongarm them into a trade agreement that was more favorable to us. And now Beijing would actually be right if they were pissed at him for this.Trump needs finesse. He needs discretion. He needs a shit-ton of help here. He s going to destroy all of our alliances before he even takes office this way.Featured image via Ty Wright/Getty Images

21st Century Wire says In so many respects, our media is not our own.In the past, 21WIRE has detailed various aspects of Operation Mockingbird and other CIA-related media pursuits, as well as many other bogus news stories which appear on a regular basis.Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in Homeland (Season 4, PR Art). Photo: Jim Fiscus/SHOWTIME Previously, we showed how the Hollywood hit ZeroDarkThirty was a completely fabricated piece of fiction which was passed on to the public as a true story . Also, the popular TV series, Homeland, is one of the most obvious propaganda productions in recent years, designed to reinforce many flawed assumptions and false believes about the world outside of the United States.Did you know that the CIA has actually produced a number of high-profile history TV programs that appear on US and world media channels?Yes, it s true SputnikThe Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a finger in every pie including the entertainment business: it turns out that the CIA has played a role in producing at least 22 entertainment projects; investigative journalist Adam Johnson argues that by doing this the US intelligence agency puts American media workers at risk.It seems that the US Central Intelligence Agency follows the theory that says that there are no little or insignificant things. The intelligence agency has long been keeping an eye on the Western entertainment industry and has even had a role in producing popular fiction movies and documentaries.In his article for Fair.org media watchdog investigative journalist Adam Johnson argues that this type of collaboration may cast a shadow over the image of US media workers and even put them at risk. For years, artists from across the entertainment industry actors, authors, directors, producers, screenwriters, and others have been in touch with the CIA to gain a better understanding of our intelligence mission, the CIA public website reads.According to the website, the CIA s goal in engaging with the industry is to ensure an accurate portrayal of the men and women of the CIA, and the skill, innovation, daring, and commitment to public service that defines them. Continue this article at Sputnik NewsREAD MORE HOLLYWOOD NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Hollywood Files

RT SkyNews "This footage shows residents fleeing their homes and navigating the #Californiafires with flames surrounding their cars. Read more on the deadliest wildfire in history here: http://po.st/JSDsq7  pic.twitter.com/owtZCGePXN"

"If we don't reverse the current trends in a huge way, then extreme drought, floods, wildfires, food shortages for millions of people across the globe will be the norm for everybody. Well, except,... https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10215202557995766&id=1187738324 …

Shark boy and lava girl for the third time today. I guess this is what having kids feelings like. ??????

"Get me out of here!" This driver in California had to navigate his car through wildfires in low visibility. More on the #CaliforniaFires here: http://po.st/ZCVIp2  pic.twitter.com/bkq9zbUWfM

Hours after a gunman opened fire on Republican Congressmen during their baseball practice session, the partisan rancor began. Although we don t know motive yet, the shooter was a Bernie voter. He was also a psychopathic killer.While the shooter, who s been identified as James T. Hodgkinson, 66, of Illinois, died shortly after, it s not just one party that s receiving the wrath of unhappy voters. Democrats have been receiving threats all day, even on their personal phones.Multiple Democratic representatives said during a members-only security briefing that they had received calls after the shooting saying, You guys are next, California Rep. Nanette Diaz Barrag n told BuzzFeed News.According to Barrag n, more than one of her Democratic colleagues said during the briefing that they had received a similar call and other threats on their personal phones following the shooting. Barrag n said she did not receive one herself, and would not name those who did, citing their safety.One of the calls went to a member who was not on the [Democratic baseball] team, she said, and other Democratic members expressed concern that they were getting calls saying, You Democrats, you Democrats. Overall, there has been an uptick in threats to Democrats recently. Even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she has received threats. Rep. Al Green (D-TX) said he s received threats over his plans to impeach Donald Trump.Buzzfeed s article quotes several people who have received threats.While voters on both sides are going to continue to point fingers, it s clear that we have a problem in this country and it s bigger than guns. Anger, whether it emanates from Donald Trump s partisan and often violent rhetoric, from popular culture, or from the fact that people are feeling left behind by our leaders, is real. While those in Congress might be feeling a bit more unified today following these tragic events, the country is not. Congress can help, though. Republicans and Democrats can start working toward the betterment of the country rather than toward destroying the other party.

Since the beginning of Donald Trump s terrible offensive and divisive campaign, Elizabeth Warren has been one of the only politicians with enough balls to stand up to the presumptive Republican nominee and call him out on his bullsh*t. She s proven that Trump basically crumbles whenever a strong woman goes up against him, and her most recent anti-Trump comments show just how capable she is in taking The Donald on.In a commencement address at Bridgewater State University, Warren hilariously mocked Trump once again, clearly following in President Obama s footsteps after he blasted Trump in a recent graduation speech at Rutgers University. After telling the graduating class to sing like no one is listening and dance like no one is watching, the Massachusetts senator gave them some more applicable advice be ready for anything, because you never know what life has in store for you. Poking fun at the orange-skinned business mogul, Warren said: Heck, on my day of graduation, I never imagined I would visit foreign countries. I never imagined I would be a commencement speaker. I never imagined I would get into a Twitter war with Donald Trump. But here I am, living the life! You can watch that hilarious moment in Warren s speech below:The crowd couldn t get enough and gave Warren a deafening applause for her efforts in being one of the few people tough enough to try and bring the disgraced candidate down. Warren also gave the graduating class some advice about dealing with naysayers who these days, say it in nastier and nastier ways. Pulling from some amazing pop culture references, Warren said: As one of the great philosophers of our time has said, Haters going to hate, hate, hate hate, hate. Knowing who you are helps you Shake It Off. (applause) Okay, I promised I wouldn t sing, and I definitely can t dance like Britney Spears. It was an amazing speech, and the fact that it came at Trump s expense made it so much better. After the commencement, Warren continued to insult Trump as she spoke to reporters. She said: I think that Donald Trump is a truly dangerous man and there is some risk that he could be president of the United States. I think it s time for all of us to pay careful attention to him and to the issues that he has raised and to start fighting back. Warren also continued to tease us with the idea of ticketing up with the chosen Democratic nominee. She wouldn t give a straight answer on whether or not she would run for vice president if offered the job, but said, I have a job I love and I wake up every morning eager to do that. It s uncertain if Warren will end up on the ticket, but she s definitely proven time and time again that she can handle Trump s nonsense with ease, and that makes her an even greater asset to the Democratic nominee.Featured image is a screenshot

#RT @MiamiHerald: Wild horses on NC islands were able to ride out Hurricane Dorian, rescue groups say https://hrld.us/34sO40l 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her election victory in a telephone conversation on Thursday in which they also discussed the Iran nuclear deal, the White House said. “The leaders discussed how to counter Iran’s malign activities in the Middle East, and addressed the nuclear deal and Iran’s missile program, and its non-compliance with relevant United Nations resolutions,” the White House said in a statement.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minster Theresa May published on Friday a code of conduct for all her lawmakers and party officials to follow, the latest step in her response to growing allegations of improper conduct in parliament. Britain s parliament is the latest institution to become embroiled in a sex scandal after abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein prompted thousands of women and men to share stories about improper behavior. On Wednesday, defense minister Michael Fallon resigned saying his past conduct had fallen below the required standard, costing May a trusted ally in a fragile minority government and underlining her political vulnerability to further allegations. On Friday, she set out the code of conduct on the Conservative Party website, detailing standards expected of elected and appointed party members, the procedure for breaches of those standards and the party s definitions of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying. This code sets out for the first time in one place the procedure which the party uses in dealing with complaints, along with a number of additional measures which we have introduced in light of recent allegations, May said in a letter to the speaker of parliament s lower chamber. In the letter, May said parliament also needed to take more responsibility for protecting workers within the system, repeating her call for a common, transparent and independent grievance procedure for all at Westminster. May said she would meet other party leaders on Monday to discuss a separate proposal for a non-political way to handle complaints in parliament.

What's Wrong With This Picture Of Obama Serving Food During The Hurricane (Photo) http://www.opposingviews.com/i/social/picture-reportedly-showing-obama-serving-food-after-hurricane-harvey-actually-2015 … via @opposingviews

@madisenbeaty Any messages for us in the path of the blizzard? U know u want to join us in NYC, right? Snow, few cars & people, it's pretty!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has given the military the authority to reset a confusing system of troop limits in Iraq and Syria that critics said allowed the White House to micro-manage battlefield decisions and ultimately obscured the real number of U.S. forces. The Pentagon, which confirmed the move on Wednesday, said no change has yet been made to U.S. troop limits. It also stressed the U.S. strategy in Iraq and Syria still was focused on backing local forces to fight Islamic State - a tactic that has averted the need for a major U.S. ground force. But the shift on troop limits was another sign of the greater authority Trump appears comfortable giving his military commanders to make battlefield decisions and could allow for more rapid increases in troop levels in the future. The Force Management Level system was introduced in Iraq and Syria during Barack Obama’s administration as a way to exert control over the military. Obama periodically raised FML limits to allow more troops in Iraq and Syria as the campaign against Islamic State advanced. But the numbers did not reflect the extent of the U.S. commitment on the ground since commanders found often less-than-ideal ways to work around the limits - sometimes bringing in forces temporarily or hiring more contractors. The force management levels, which are officially at 5,262 in Iraq and 503 in Syria, are believed to be more than a couple of thousands troops shy of the actual number of U.S. forces in both countries. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Trump delegated authority to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to determine force management levels for Iraq and Syria going forward. “We want our reporting to Congress and to the public to be more easily and clearly understood,” White said in a statement, which was reported earlier on Wednesday by BuzzFeed News. “We will conduct a review to ensure that the numbers we provide to Congress and to the public accurately reflect the facts on the ground. This is about transparency.” Proponents within the U.S. military of changing the system also argue that bringing that decision-making authority to the Pentagon from the White House will allow more flexibility in responding to unforeseen developments on the battlefield. Replacing the force management level system with something more transparent could be a tricky task, not least because of political sensitivities about U.S. forces in Iraq. Influential Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr already has called on Iraq’s government to order the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces after the battle to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State is complete. The Iraqi and U.S. governments, however, have signaled the need for a continued U.S. military presence. How large that would be has yet to be determined. Too much information about the comings and goings of U.S. troops, particularly if announced in advance, could give information to enemy, experts say.

Claims of there being more votes cast than registered voters in Wisconsin appear to have a simple explanation https://t.co/eqUQDIrsGd

Norovirus outbreak confirmed at #wildfires shelter. Porters wearing masks and gloves mopping floors with bleach.  #janitor

Seriously nervous that my car is gonna flood #DumpedCarProbz

Austin Pets Alive is the evacuation center for shelter pets in the path of Hurricane Harvey! Pls donate $ &... http://fb.me/6yb4Mg6Y0 

WATCH: First-hand look at the devastation in Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian Up to 10,000 people in Abaco are in need of food, water and shelter as rescue teams search for surviv

BERLIN (Reuters) - Police brought in experts and an explosives robot to investigate a suspicious package found at the Christmas market in the west German city of Bonn late on Friday. Bonn police cordoned off and evacuated a large area of the market just before 9 p.m. local time, and experts were still examining the object five hours later, a spokesman said. We assume it s not dangerous, but we re still investigating, the spokesman said. He said the object was discovered shortly before the market was to close for the evening, so it was not crowded. Germany is on high alert for potential attacks a year after failed Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri killed 12 people when he hijacked a truck and drove it into a crowded Berlin Christmas market. Chancellor Angela Merkel, marking the first anniversary of the attack on Tuesday, said Germany should learn from security shortcomings exposed in the incident. German authorities evacuated part of a Christmas market in Potsdam near Berlin earlier this month after a package containing powerful firecrackers, wires and nails was delivered to a nearby pharmacy. Officials later said that criminals had used the incident to try to extort millions of euros from logistics firm DHL, which had delivered the package.

The Bahamas' death toll is rising as 70,000 residents left homeless by Hurricane Dorian seek food and shelter https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/07/us/hurricane-dorian-bahamas-saturday-wxc/index.html …

This is cute and hilarious.During his show on Thursday night, Jimmy Kimmel pointed out to his audience that it was Sarah Palin s birthday. The half-wit former governor of Alaska is now 52-years-old and continues to defend her status as America s Village Idiot.Kimmel didn t break out into a rendition of Happy Birthday, even though the copyright claim on the song has been vanquished by a federal judge. Instead he let a little girl on stage to deliver a birthday message to Palin dressed as a birthday card.Third-grader Lindsey then stepped through the curtain dressed as Palin with an American flag as the background and gave the audience the most adorable mocking of Sarah Palin ever witnessed. Hi everybody, I m Sarah Palin! she began. Is today my birthday? You betcha! I m 29-years-old, but the lame-stream media says I m 52. I support Donald Trump, because we need a straight shooter in the White House. I know straight shooters because I once shooted a whole zoo from my helicopter. Well, I gotta go make my husband Todd a moose pie. Obama s the Anti-Christ! Bye-bye! Here s the video via YouTube:As you may all nightmarishly recall, Palin jumped to reappear in the spotlight in order to endorse Donald Trump last month in a bizarre rant that made everyone think of the Yosemite Sam character in the Looney Tunes cartoons. How bout the rest of us? Right wingin , bitter clingin , proud clingers of our guns, our god, and our religions, and our Constitution, Palin said during her endorsement speech. Tell us that we re not red enough? Yeah, coming from the establishment. Right. Here s the perfect Palin/Yosemite Sam mashup via YouTube:

He got into a taxi because he wanted a ride out of the area of the hurricane. Did you think he could call Uber? :-) https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/901568841221844993 …

After Hurricane Dorian, Celebrity cruise ship in Bahamas reroutes to deliver food, aid https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/after-hurricane-dorian-celebrity-cruise-ship-bahamas-reroutes-deliver-food-n1050796 …

When a Fox News host tried to whine about the way the media has been covering Donald Trump, Mark Cuban dropped a truth bomb on him.Throughout this campaign, the Republican nominee has said increasingly more bombastic statements. In fact, Trump s rhetoric and behavior are totally unprecedented, which is why the media is covering him the way they do.But Trump has repeatedly complained about the media covering the things he has said and done, which is why he has been blaming them for his low poll numbers and is accusing them of rigging the election against him.And Fox host Howard Kurtz tried to push the Trump line on Sunday, only to be derailed by real billionaire Mark Cuban. The media coverage of Trump in the last couple of months has been overwhelmingly negative, Kurtz whined. But Cuban was quick to point out that Donald Trump only has himself to blame for the way the media covers him. Well, that s of his own making, isn t it? If you re going to say the things that he says, and if you re going to make the flippant comments that he makes, you re going to get covered. I mean, all he had to do was shut up nine out of ten times and the coverage would be distinctly different. That s just not something he s capable of doing. Cuban is exactly right. Donald Trump did this to himself by simply opening his mouth and saying and doing things that he shouldn t. He just doesn t want to take responsibility for his words and behavior so he is making the media his scapegoat and his supporters believe him.When Kurtz complained that the media is hostile towards Trump, Cuban once again informed the Fox host Trump knew what he was getting into when he threw his hat into the presidential arena. Look, on the way up, he was happy to ride the train, right? He bragged about media coverage, he was excited about it, he loved the live coverage of the primaries and early on the presidential race. It s a two-edged sword, you know that. So if you re going to love it on the way up, you got to learn to deal with it. Here s the video via YouTube.Once again, Mark Cuban is spot on. Donald Trump has seen a lot of presidential elections in his lifetime so he should know that media coverage of presidential candidates is intense. And Howard Kurtz should know that the primary job of the media is to cover the candidates because that s what journalism is all about. It s not that the media s coverage of Trump is negative, it s that Trump has made himself and his campaign negative from the start and he has made no effort to tone it down.So if Trump wants the media to start covering him differently, he ll have to change first. And that probably won t happen any time soon.Featured Image: Screenshot

Enough is enough. Americans need to start making business owners and their employees pay up for discriminating against them simply because they dare to show their support for our President. Good for this Trump supporter for fighting back against the intolerant left. A lot of Americans would be happy to contribute to his legal defense Bartenders at a West Village hot spot served up discrimination with a liberal twist refusing to serve a customer because he was wearing a Make America Great Again hat, according to a lawsuit.Greg Piatek, 30, an accountant from Philadelphia, claims he was snubbed and eventually 86 d by workers at The Happiest Hour on West 10th Street over his conservative fashion statement, popularized by Donald Trump on the campaign trail, he told The Post. Anyone who supports Trump or believes what you believe is not welcome here! And you need to leave right now because we won t serve you! Piatek claims he was told as he was shown the door by a manager.The shake-up started when Piatek and two pals, after a visit to the 9/11 Memorial, ordered drinks at the posh tavern around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 28.A female bartender served Piatek a $15 jalape o margarita and his pals beers. But when he tried to order a second round, a male bartender noticed his hat and skipped them, he said.One of Piatek s pals pointed out it was their turn to be served, but the bartender scoffed. Is that hat a joke? the Manhattan Supreme Court suit claims. Ignoring me because I m wearing the hat is ridiculous, Piatek said. It s really sad. The flustered bartender got them a second round but allegedly slammed the drinks down. A third bartender also asked Piatek if his lid was a joke and shouted, I can t believe you would support someone so terrible and you must be as terrible a person! Piatek claimed. I wasn t even trying to order a drink and she said, Don t even try to order from me. I won t get you a drink, Piatek alleged.A manager said he spoke to the bar owner, and was told, Anyone who supports Trump or believes what you believe is not welcome here. And you need to leave right now because we won t serve you! according to the suit. For entire story: New York Post New York Post reporter Dean Balsamini had a similar experience when he wore a Trump hat around NYC. He recounts his day of scorn and discrimination after donning a Make America Great Again hat as he visited a few hot spots in the city: I may as well have been wearing a Red Sox hat at Yankee Stadium.The mere sight of my cap nearly caused a riot at the historic Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street site of the 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement. You come into a gay bar THIS gay bar with THAT hat! one woman lectured as a large crowd gathered.At Soho s sceney La Esquina, where celebs like Julia Roberts nosh on $26 enchiladas, servers nearly lost their lunch when I showed up. Oh my God, do you see that? Is he serious? Is he kidding me? one waiter gasped.My companion and I were quickly shunted to an out of sight table near a back wall. Don t talk to him! a man instructed a street vendor as I browsed along 125th street near the Apollo Theater.Hipsters and trustafarians along Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg either did a double take, shot me a death stare or a snarky remark. Take off that stupid f ing hat! one skinny-jeans-wearer sneered.At high-end chapeau peddler Goorin Bros., I overheard a salesman tell his colleague, I m losing my sh ! as I walked in. When I asked him to hold my hat while I admired a fedora, he grimaced. I m surprised nobody s knocked that hat off your head! a mother of two scolded me as we crossed paths along Central Park West and 63rd Street. Make America Great Again right!

Dave Grohl delivers food to first responders fighting California wildfires. via /r/UpliftingNews http://bit.ly/2B4xEOZ pic.twitter.com/JJjCTjMYyi