EXCLUSIVE: As early as May, the
Obama administration had strong and specific information about the
location of American James Foley and other hostages held in Syria, a
source close to the discussions told Fox News, but the rescue mission
was not approved until early July.
The gap raises new and compelling questions about whether the
operation to save the American and British hostages was unnecessarily
delayed for at least five weeks because the administration wanted the
intelligence to develop further.
“We had a lot of really good information on where they were being
held, very specific information,” said the source, who agreed to discuss
the details on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the
matter. The source added that the Islamic State captors felt so secure
in their stronghold of Raqqa, Syria, that the hostages were moved
between only a handful of locations. By late spring, the American and
British hostages had been held for at least three weeks in one facility.
Other sources backed up the account provided to Fox News. The
timeline seems to conflict with administration claims that the White
House signed off on the operation as soon as the intelligence allowed.
“The U.S. government had what we believed was sufficient
intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the president
authorized the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our
citizens," Lisa Monaco, the White House counterterrorism adviser, said
in August, after journalist and hostage James Foley was executed and the
video was posted by ISIS. “Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately
not successful because the hostages were not present.”
A similar statement, which did not dispute the strength of the
hostage location information, was provided to Fox News on Monday by
National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan. "U.S. forces
conducted this operation as soon as the President and his national
security team were confident the mission could be carried out
successfully and consistent with our policies for undertaking such
operations," the statement said.
“The intelligence is never bullet-proof,” a former military official
said. “When they [the rescue team] finally did go, the general view was
that the intelligence was drying up. … These guys were ready to go, on a
lower threshold [for the intelligence than the White House] … We want
the American people to know we are there for them, and ready to go 24
hours a day.”
In an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren broadcast in
mid-September, after ISIS posted the execution video of Foley, his
parents said they also believed information was available about the
hostage’s location long before the July rescue attempt.
"It was too late. I really feel that -- well, we were hinted that
they knew where they were for, jeez, at different times they knew just
where they were. But it was a dangerous mission,” Diane Foley explained.
“Like all Americans, we felt our government would succeed at whatever
it decided to do, and were certainly dismayed that the effort was
unsuccessful,” John Foley added.
Details have also emerged about the shadowy network of prisons used
to hold the hostages who were held in close proximity to one another.
Fox News has learned that after leaving a prison in the basement of the
Aleppo Children’s hospital in the fall of 2013, the hostages were moved
to a nearby industrial area -- before ISIS moved them again in early
2014 to their stronghold of Raqqa where over the next five months they
were held in a handful of locations.
Fox News is withholding some details of their captivity as well as
the names of hostages -- who have not been publicly identified by ISIS
-- at the request of the families and the U.S. government.
Colorado’s extremely tight Senate race—at this point too close to
call -- could play a crucial role in control of the Senate and the
future direction of both political parties.
Most polls show incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Udall just slightly behind his Republican challenger, Rep. Cory Gardner.
"It's hugely important nationally," according to Colorado political
analyst Eric Sondermann. "The number one theme of election night is
going to be the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Colorado is at
the epicenter of that battle."
Udall easily won election to the Senate the same year Barack Obama
accepted his party's nomination for president in a triumphant outdoor
ceremony in Denver. Things have definitely changed.
"The president, obviously his popularity and approval ratings are in
the tank," Sondermann said. “It is very tough being a Democrat in a
swing state, particularly running for federal office."
Gardner has relentlessly worked to tie Udall to the president. At a
recent campaign event he repeated his mantra, "I don't know if you've
heard this or not, but Mark Udall has voted with the president 99
percent of the time."
For his part, Udall has continually hammered Gardner about
reproductive issues for women, pointing out that Gardner has supported
"personhood" amendments to the state constitution in two previous
elections.
Those measures went down to defeat and Gardner said he does not support a similar amendment on the ballot this year.
"Reproductive freedom is a big deal for millions of Coloradians,"
Udall insisted. "If Congressman Gardner hadn't built his political
career on trying to limit those freedoms, we probably would be having
some other conversations."
However, focusing on this issue may not have worked out as well as
Udall had hoped. The Denver Post cited it as one reason it chose to
endorse Gardner, saying, "Udall is trying to frighten voters rather than
inspire them with a hopeful vision. His obnoxious one-issue campaign is
an insult to those he seeks to convince."
Sondermann asked if the strategy had backfired. "It doesn't seem to
be having quite the punch and quite the impact that it's had for
Democrats in past cycles,” he said. “I think it's left voters saying,
'What else do you have?'"
Colorado has seen a revolving door of big political names trying to
tip the balance in favor of their party's candidate. Mitt Romney, Chris
Christie and Jeb Bush for Gardner; Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and
Michele (though not Barack) Obama for Udall.
But the race's importance transcends this election. Both parties are
watching Colorado to figure out which strategies will work and which
won't in the 2016 presidential race.
Colorado's demographics are the reason: like the nation as a whole,
the state is almost evenly divided between registered Democrats,
Republicans and unaffiliated voters with a growing Hispanic population.
Making things even more interesting, for the first time this year
every registered voter has been sent a ballot in the mail. So far,
official voter turnout numbers show that Republicans are voting in much
larger numbers than either their Democratic or unaffiliated
counterparts.
When ObamaCare patients learn their deductible is so high they’re
unlikely to get any reimbursement, they often wind up in places like the
Denton, Texas Community Care Center.
"There are quite a few, and I saw another one today, where their
deductibles are so elevated that they can't afford them," said Dr.
Flippo Masciarelli, chief physician at the center, which was designed to
treat indigent patients.
Robert Laszewski of Health Policy and Strategy Associates noted,
"You're going to the doctor, you're paying (a) premium, and because of
this really high deductible, you're not getting any benefits."
The administration pushed insurance companies to keep premiums low,
but that also created high deductibles, about $5,000 per person for the
least expensive plan, as well as narrow networks of providers.
But most people buy based only on premiums.
"They don't even look at what their deductible is going to be," said
Dan Mendelson, CEO of Avalere Health. "They don't look at the cost of
the medications that they're on. And they don't look at the...network
that they have."
Masciarelli said,"one of the ladies we saw said she called eight
primary care offices before she found us..." The rest would not treat
people on her plan.
Rosemary Gibson of the Hastings Center and author of "The Battle over
Health Care,” said many people find themselves in the same predicament.
"People are scrambling to find a doctor who will see them, who will
accept their insurance, who's in their network. And if they can't,
where they end up going is the safety net, which includes community
health centers."
If the doctor these patients find orders additional tests or
treatment, even those with ObamaCare are sometimes forced to go without.
Masciarelli said patients are honest about their problems. "They'll
say you can't believe what this would cost me. I can't afford that. And
they're trying to scrape together some money to get it done sometimes
or, frankly, occasionally they'll say I'll just wait and see if things
get worse."
That, he said, goes against the whole idea of preventive care,
supposedly one of the advantages of ObamaCare, leaving many patients
wondering what they're getting from the plan.
Health economist John Goodman said, "They go to community health
centers because it's free or almost free and or very low charges. And
that's why they're doing it. So they were coaxed to go into the
ObamaCare system, they're paying premiums over there. And now they're
asking what did I get for my premium? I'm having to go outside the
system to get health care."
Masciarelli agreed. "We do get asked that question at times, yes,
wondering you know, I have this product. I can't even use it. "
Millions signed up after the president said premiums would be less
than their monthly cell phone bill. But now, even those the law was most
designed to help still must pay for their own care.
That may explain why the health care act remains unpopular.The latest
Fox News Poll from October 25-27 found that by a 46-26 percent margin,
more voters think ObamaCare “went too far” than “didn’t go far enough.”
It also is why so many Republicans have mentioned it in their
campaign ads, with one source saying it was the leading topic in
mid-October, with Republicans running 12,000 ads on health care.
M.D. Kittle – Neither snow nor rain
nor heat nor gloom of night may keep postal carriers from the swift
completion of their appointed rounds. But partisan politics, now that
may be another matter altogether.
An investigation has been launched into a Neenah, Wisconsin postal
carrier who allegedly dumped into a recycling bin hundreds of political
advertisement mailers from the campaign of Mike Rorhkaste, Republican
candidate for Wisconsin’s 55th Assembly District, Rorhkaste tells
Wisconsin Reporter.
Neenah Postmaster Brian Smoot, who was alerted to the incident on
Thursday, confirmed that there is an ongoing investigation into the
matter, and referred Wisconsin Reporter to the Office of the Inspector
General for the U.S. Postal Service. OIG representatives there did not
return several phone calls seeking comment Sunday.
“I am not allowed to comment because it is an active investigation,”
Smoot said of accusations that the unidentified mail carrier mishandled
the political literature.
A terminally ill woman who had decided to end her life after being
told her illness would be long and painful has died, advocacy
organization Compassion & Choices said Sunday.
Brittany Maynard, 29, who moved to Oregon where the “Death with
Dignity Act” allows people to choose to die using medication, was
diagnosed with a progressive brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme.
The average life expectancy is 14 months.
Compassion & Choices said in a statement that Maynard took lethal
drugs prescribed by a doctor on Saturday and was surrounded by her
family.
"She died as she intended - peacefully in her bedroom, in the arms of her loved ones," the statement said.
The group said the Maynard family has asked for privacy. The family did not release a separate statement confirming the death.
Her story went viral after she posted a video on her website, The
Brittany Maynard Fund, explaining her decision to end her life rather
than try to fight the disease.
“If all my dreams came true, I would somehow survive this,” she said in a video. “But I likely won’t.”
Maynard chose Nov. 1 to die, but later said she would decided to
postpone the day, saying she still shared enough joy and laughter with
her family and friends that “it doesn’t seem like the right time right
now, but it will come because I feel myself getting sicker; it’s
happening each week.”
Maynard’s last days were spent completing a bucket list that included
a trip to the Grand Canyon, and surrounding herself with her family.
The California native was diagnosed with a progressive brain tumor shortly after her wedding last year.
In a video, Maynard said the worst thing that could happen to her ---
the most terrifying aspect – would be to wait too long and her autonomy
be taken away by the disease.
In the video, Maynard said she takes walks with her family and
husband, which “give her the greatest feelings of health I have these
days” and that her condition continues to worsen every day.
About a week before she filmed the video, Maynard had her most terrifying set of seizures, two in a day, which is unusual.
“I remember looking at my husband’s face and thinking ‘I know this is
my husband but I can’t say his name,’ and ended up going to the
hospital for that one.”
Dan, her husband, said they were taking things one day at a time.
“You take away all the material stuff, all the nonsense we seem to
latch on to as a society and you realize that those moments are really
what matter,” he said.
Maynard hopes that after her death, her husband can be happy and have a family.
Maynard said she has gained 25 pounds in the past three months
because of her prescription medications and that she finds it hard to
look at herself in photos or the mirror because her body has become so
unrecognizable.
Since Maynard’s story went viral, she has been working to raise
awareness of end-of-life rights by working with Compassion &
Choices, and The Brittany Maynard Fund. She has also been traveling and
spending time with her family.
“Sadly, it is impossible to forget my cancer. Severe headaches and
neck pain are never far away, and unfortunately the next morning I had
my worst seizure thus far. My speech was paralyzed for quite a while
after I regained consciousness, and the feeling of fatigue continued for
the rest of the day,” Maynard said on her website.
“The seizure was a harsh reminder that my symptoms continue to worsen
as the tumor runs its course. However, I find meaning and take pride
that the Compassion & Choices movement is accelerating rapidly,
thanks to supporters like you,” Maynard said.
Maynard had said she planned to die in her bedroom at home surrounded by her husband, mother, step-father and best friend.
Thirteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attack, World Trade Center is opening for business again.
Conde Nast will start moving Monday into One World Trade Center, a
104-story, $3.9 billion skyscraper that dominates the Manhattan skyline.
It's the centerpiece of the 16-acre site where the decimated twin
towers once stood and where more than 2,700 people died on Sept. 11,
2001, buried under smoking mounds of fiery debris.
"The New York City skyline is whole again, as One World Trade Center
takes its place in Lower Manhattan," said Patrick Foye, executive
director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that owns both
the building and the World Trade Center site.
He said One World Trade Center "sets new standards of design,
construction, prestige and sustainability; the opening of this iconic
building is a major milestone in the transformation of Lower Manhattan
into a thriving 24/7 neighborhood."
With the construction fences gone, America’s tallest building is
considered by Conde Nast CEP Chuck Townsend as the, “most secure office
building in America.”
About 3,000 employees will join the 170 expected to move in Monday in
2015. The publishing giants will take over five floors of the building.
The building is 60 percent leased, with another 80,000 square feet
going to the advertising firm Kids Creative, the stadium operator
Legends Hospitality, the BMB Group investment adviser, and Servcorp, a
provider of executive offices.
The tower overlooks the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Its aim is to honor those who died in the terrorist attacks.
For years, the grisly pit where workers found mostly body parts was dubbed the "ground zero" of the aerial terror attack.
At night, the incandescent steel-and-glass behemoth can be seen from vessels in New York Harbor approaching Manhattan.
Soon, an observation deck will be open to the public.
The eight-year construction of the 1,776-foot high skyscraper came
after years of political, financial and legal infighting that threatened
to derail the project.
The bickering slowly died down as two other towers started going up
on the southeast end of the site: the now completed 4 World Trade Center
whose anchor tenant is the Port Authority, and 3 World Trade Center
that's slowly rising.
Nearly 150 ballot measures across the country -- including ones on
abortion, guns and marijuana -- will be voted on Tuesday, key issues
that have the potential to influence voter turnout in state and national
races.
Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia will vote on
measures that would allow recreational use of marijuana for adults.
The measures in Oregon and Alaska would allow for the retail sale of
pot to anyone old enough to drink. The measure in the District of
Columbia would make it legal to grow and possess marijuana, but not sell
it.
And in Florida, residents will decide whether to make their state the 24th to allow marijuana use for medical reasons.
The measure has divided the rivals in Florida's closely contested
gubernatorial race between Republican incumbent Rick Scott and
Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, who supports the proposal.
The debate in Florida usually generates talk of young people
potentially flooding the polls. But seniors, who flock to the state to
retire, are the most reliable voters and could be key to the outcome of
the measure.
A total of 147 ballot measures will go before voters on Election Day,
according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Three measures related directly or indirectly to abortion have sparked sharp debate in several states.
In Colorado, a "personhood" amendment would add fetuses to those
protected by the state's criminal and wrongful death act. Opponents say
it could lead to a ban on abortions. Supporters say it's intended to
strengthen protections for pregnant women.
Colorado Sen. Mark Udall is relying on women voters to help him win
re-election in his close race with Republican challenger GOP Rep. Cory
Gardner.
Similar measures are on the ballot in North Dakota and Tennessee.
In Massachusetts, voters will decide on a ballot measure to repeal a
2011 law authorizing development of a slots parlor and up to three
resort casinos. The state has none now.
Washington voters will be faced with two competing gun-related measures.
One seeks background checks for all gun sales and transfers,
including private transactions. The other would prevent any such
expansion covering purchases from private sellers.
Six states require universal background checks for all sales and
transfers of firearms. Washington's law, like the federal law, requires
checks for sales or transfers by licensed dealers but not for purchases
from private sellers.
Colorado and Oregon have measures that would require labeling of
certain genetically modified foods. Each proposal would apply to raw and
packaged foods produced entirely or partially by genetic engineering,
but would not apply to food served in restaurants.
Midterm elections typically have a lower turnout than election years
with a presidential race. And voter enthusiasm is often lower for the
party that occupies the White House.
A recent study by Tufts University found turnout is higher in states
with a referendum, compared to states without them and that the
situation is particularly more prevalent in midterm elections. The study
also found that the increased turnout can be attributed to “campaigns
that use a ballot measure to mobilize voters.”
However, media coverage of the issue also appears necessary to increase the turnout, according to the study.
In Florida and elsewhere across the country, a greater percentage of
seniors vote than any other age group, and their share of the total
electorate is even more pronounced in years without a presidential
contest.
President Obama has tried in the closing weeks of the midterms to
appeal to African-American voters, who typically cast ballots for
Democratic candidates, to get out and vote.
The African-American turnout will be vital to Democrats’ hopes in
states such as Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina that will
help determine control of the Senate.
Kansas Independent Senate candidate Greg Orman’s suggesting on Friday
that top Republicans barnstorming the state for GOP incumbent Sen. Pat
Roberts is nothing more than a “Washington Establishment clown car” got a
sharp response from former Kansas GOP Sen. Bob Dole.
“I don't think I've ever been called a ‘clown’ before. I'm
disappointed by Mr. Orman's statement," said the 91-year-old Dole, who
was also the GOP presidential nominee in 1996 and served 35 years in
Congress.
Orman, in an unexpected, too-close-to-call race with Roberts, made the remark at a campaign stop.
"Mr. Orman’s personal attacks and disdain for Senator Dole and other
Republican leaders have no place in this campaign,” Roberts said. “If he
wants to attack me, that’s fine because I’m used to being attacked by
liberals. But Mr. Orman owes Senator Dole an apology.”
He also told Fox News on Saturday the comment was a “cheap shot” and
proves how out of touch the Orman campaign is because nobody running for
public office would ever criticize Dole.
“It’s unfortunate,” Roberts said.
The Orman campaign told the Kansas City Star that the candidate did not intend to slight Dole or anyone else at the rally.
Orman has based his campaign on his disdain for both major political parties.
But Democrats and Republicans have something the Kansas City
businessman could really use right now: an established get out the vote
operation.
In most elections, making sure that friendly voters cast their
ballots is more important for a candidate in a race's final days than
wooing new supporters.
Roberts, who is seeking a fourth term, has several thousand GOP
campaign workers and volunteers armed with the latest voter information
who are making sure his likely supporters vote in person or by mail, in
addition to Dole and other Republican heavy weights helping him on the
campaign tour.
This week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee dispatched a
top operative to help oversee his phone bank, door-knocking and
transportation efforts.
Orman, 45, hopes that a quickly assembled turnout effort using new
voter data techniques and about 800 volunteers will make up for his lack
of a party apparatus.
Orman, whose campaign surged in September when the Democratic
challenger dropped out of the race, is trying to appeal to voters
disgusted with partisan gridlock in Washington. He is especially
targeting registered independents, who make up 30 percent of Kansas'
electorate, along with any Republicans tired of Roberts, 78, after his
four decades in Washington. Forty-two percent of GOP voters supported
Roberts' opponent, a Tea Party advocate, in the primary.
A debate moderator apologized to Republican New Hampshire Senate
candidate Scott Brown Thursday night after accusing him on-air of
botching his state geography -- though Brown technically was correct.
The meandering conversation about New Hampshire regions started after
WMUR reporter James Pindell asked Brown at the debate Thursday about
what is going "right" and "wrong" in the economy of Sullivan County,
which hugs the western edge of New Hampshire.
Scott, who used to represent Massachusetts in the Senate, has faced
"carpetbagger" accusations throughout his campaign to unseat Democratic
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire. In response to Pindell's question,
Brown launched into a general answer about different regions of the
state.
"Geography plays a role along the southern border. We have more jobs,
we have more opportunity, infrastructure, and other opportunities up
north are difficult," he said. "One of the biggest opportunities is
tourism. One of the biggest opportunities are ski areas and trails for
snowmobiles -- I support those efforts."
Pindell then interrupted to remind Brown they were talking about
Sullivan County. "I think you were talking about the North Country," he
said.
Brown responded: "I'm talking about any place past Concord, actually, and the challenges of our state."
This is where the disagreement arose. After Brown listed several "challenges," Pindell interrupted again, his voice raised.
"Sullivan County is west of Concord," he said. "It's not north of
Concord, Senator Brown. So what do you see as going well and what's not
going well there?"
Brown maintained that "the challenges are the same in every county in our state."
Pindell then pitched to Shaheen, with the introduction, "Of course
you've been that county's governor and senator for 12 years."
Brown's campaign reportedly claimed afterward that the GOP candidate
was referring to Mount Sunapee, a ski resort in Sullivan County he had
visited.
Though New Hampshire Democrats seized on the exchange to mock Brown,
Pindell later acknowledged that, while Sullivan County is west of
Concord, much of it also lies north of the capital.
Pindell also went on air to apologize.
"I said that Sullivan County was west of Concord, not north of
Concord. The truth is, it's both. So on this point, Scott Brown was
right, I was wrong, and I apologize to Scott Brown and to both
campaigns," he said. The incident was reminiscent of an exchange during a 2012 presidential
debate where CNN's Candy Crowley corrected Mitt Romney on a point about
Benghazi, though the matter was in dispute.
