Conservative Blogger
Sunday, March 27, 2016
After bleak week, Pope Francis offers Easter message of hope
Pope Francis was wrapping up a bleak week in Europe by presiding Saturday night over a solemn vigil service and ushering in Easter celebrations with a message of hope.
Francis entered the silent and darkened St. Peter's Basilica with just a single candle guiding him at the start of the Easter Vigil service. As he reached the altar, the basilica's flood lights turned on in a symbolic show of light after the darkness of Jesus' crucifixion.
During the lengthy service, which is due to end just before midnight, Francis is to baptize 12 adults hailing from around the world. A few hours hours later he'll preside over Easter Sunday Mass and offer his annual Easter blessing.
Francis is expected to offer a message of hope following his bleak condemnations on Good Friday and earlier of the attacks by Islamic extremists in Brussels and elsewhere.
During remarks Friday at the Colosseum capping the "Way of the Cross" procession re-enacting Jesus' crucifixion, Francis denounced the "terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence."
While the pope was at the Colosseum, his chief alms-giver was out on the streets of Rome giving out sleeping bags to the homeless Friday night in a show of papal support for the city's least fortunate.
Even the Man Suing Trump For Age Discrimination is Voting for The Donald
Further proof that Donald Trump is unstoppable. Even Ed Bals, the 81-year-old man suing Trump’s company after he got canned at Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck says he’d vote for Trump.
“The only way I can explain it is I don’t think Mr. Trump knew what happened, because if he did, I wouldn’t have been relieved, he’s that type of person,” Ed Bals told USA Today. “I don’t have a grudge against him.”
Bals sued Trump in federal court in 2014. He was the manager of the upscale men’s locker room at the New Jersey club when he was fired (at the age of 77). Bals now works as a taxi driver. In the lawsuit, he claims each year before he was terminated, he was given a bonus for “exemplary work” and maintained an “excellent friendship with the golf course members.”
So why vote for Trump after all this?
“I’ve voted for all sorts of people, but I feel like the other politicians have all BS’d us and have us upset,” Bals told USA Today. “I’m a traditionalist, and saw WWII, and saw what the country stood for then.”
Bals said he ran into Trump a few times at the club, and admired him
for bringing the golf course back from financial turmoil. In the
lawsuit, Bals is seeking to get his job back, damages and attorney’s
fees. As you’ve heard before, Trump says he doesn’t like to settle. But,
maybe, just maybe, on this one. he’ll make an exception.New FBI Filings Reveal ‘Pending Investigation’ Into Clinton’s E-Mails is Far From Over
A pair of declarations submitted to a federal judge by the FBI late Friday in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought by Vice News reveal new details about the Bureau’s “pending investigation” into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server (“Clinton Server”) that tend to indicate the matter is far from over.
In December, Vice News filed a FOIA lawsuit against the FBI seeking to obtain information related to the Clinton Server, including:
1. Any and all emails and other records retrieved from the server, thumb drive, and any other electronic equipment obtained either directly or indirectly from Hillary Clinton (collectively and individually the “Clinton Server”) which has not already been made public; andLate on Friday, the FBI filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, asking the Court to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that the requested information is exempt from release pursuant to FOIA Exemption 7(A) because the release of records responsive to the requests could reasonably be expected to interfere with an active law enforcement proceeding. The FBI also filed a pair of declarations in support of its summary judgment motion to provide the Court with a more detailed explanation and justification for the assertion of FOIA Exemption 7(A) to withhold records responsive to Vice’s request.
…
4. Any and all correspondence between any person within the FBI and any person within the U.S. Department of State regarding, relating to, or referencing the Clinton Server; and
…
In the first declaration, David A. Hardy,
the chief of the FBI’s FOIA office, states that the FBI has withheld
two records responsive to Request #4 that consist of “memoranda from the
FBI to the Department of State regarding evidence” and the “purpose of
these communications with the Department of State was to solicit
assistance in furtherance the FBI’s investigation.” Furthermore, the
“FBI concluded that the disclosure of these records … could reasonably
be expected to reveal the nature, scope, and focus of the FBI’s
activities in the investigation….”
With respect to Request #1, Hardy does not reveal the specific number
of responsive records, rather he simply states that any responsive
records are “potential evidence in the FBI investigation, or may provide
leads to or context for potential evidence.” He goes on to state that
the premature disclosure of evidence could be reasonably expected to
interfere with the pending investigation because it could tip off
individuals to the scope of focus of the investigation and allow them to
take defensive actions and/or suppress evidence.In addition to the Hardy Declaration, the FBI also filed a “Classified Declaration” that provides additional details in support of the FOIA exemption which the FBI states they could not provide on the public record without further adversely affecting the ongoing investigation. The classified declaration will be reviewed by the Court in private and purports to further describe the harm associated with releasing information responsive to Request #1 and Request #4.
The information contained in the FBI’s summary judgment motion and accompanying declarations is important because it indicates that the FBI is still in the process of sorting through and gathering evidence related to the Clinton Server investigation. The FBI states repeatedly throughout the latest court filings that it is continuing to assess the evidentiary value of “any materials retrieved for the investigation” from the Clinton Server and expresses concern about how the premature disclosure of evidence would adversely impact the pending investigation. Furthermore, the FBI’s response to Request #1 could be interpreted to indicate that the FBI did in fact recover additional materials, including possibly deleted e-mails, from the Clinton Server.
Finally, the fact that the FBI filed a
“Classified Declaration” in support of its summary judgment motion tends
to indicate that even more classified material exists on the Clinton
Server than the over 2,000 classified e-mails we already know about. In
fact, LawNewz asked former federal prosecutor Bill Thomas
to clarify the significance of the “Classified Declaration” and he
said, not only is the “information being submitted to the court
classified, but its really more than that, it is information that if
revealed there exists ‘reasonable danger that compulsion of the evidence
will expose military matters which, in the interest of national
security, should not be divulged.'”
At the end of the day, this all makes Clinton’s defiant refusal to even address Jorge Ramos’ question
about a potential indictment at the March 9 Democratic debate look even
more like wishful thinking. Clinton and her supporters may not want to
hear it, but this e-mail issue isn’t going away anytime soon.Sanders projected to win Washington, Alaska, Hawaii Democratic presidential caucuses
Sen. Bernie Sanders was projected to win the Alaska, Washington and Hawaii Democratic presidential caucuses -- victories he hopes will spark a Western states comeback and help him cut into frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s substantial lead.
The Associated Press projected Sanders the winner of the Alaska and Washington contests Saturday, while the results of Hawaii's presidential contest weren't announced until early Sunday morning.
"We knew things were going to improve as we headed west," Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wis. "We are making significant inroads in ... Clinton's lead ... We have a path toward victory."
Clinton leads by roughly 300 pledged delegates, with 142 up for grabs Saturday. Washington had the biggest prize, 101 delegates, followed by Hawaii with 25 and Alaska with 16.
Sanders, a democratic socialist, on Saturday acknowledged his struggles in recent contests across the South, with its strong conservative voting bloc. But he remained optimistic about upcoming contests in the more liberal West including those in Oregon and California, which alone offers 546 delegates.
The next Democratic and Republican primaries are April 5 in Wisconsin.
The latest headlines on the 2016 elections from the biggest name in politics. See Latest Coverage →
He will win at least nine delegates in Alaska. And all of them are elected to the state Democratic convention, not the party's national nominating convention in July in Philadelphia.
Going into Saturday, Clinton had a 1,223-to-920 lead on Sanders in so-called pledged delegates, who are bound to candidates by their states' elections.
Data curated by InsideGov
It takes 2,383 delegates to clinch the nomination.Sanders was expected to do well in Washington, considering residents of Seattle, the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest, are among the most liberal in the country and major campaign contributors.
He drew more than 10,000 supporters to a rally Friday evening at Safeco Field in Seattle. And by Saturday afternoon, the state appeared to be having a record voter turnout, which has helped keep alive Sanders’ insurgent campaign.
In Spokane, a huge line of caucus attendees had already snaked around a high school parking by Saturday morning.
"I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students and getting big money out of politics," said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. "He's not paid for by billionaires."
Top Sanders adviser Ted Devine recently told FoxNews.com that he was optimistic about the campaign cutting Clinton’s lead this weekend to under 300 delegates “with a couple of thousands more delegates to go.”
Most of the Washington’s Democratic leadership had endorsed Clinton, including Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
Still, Sanders entered Saturday’s contests optimistic after winning more delegate than Clinton in three contests earlier this week -- nearly 20 in the Idaho and Utah caucuses, despite losing the marquee Arizona primary to the former secretary of state.
Sanders has done significantly better in caucus contests, now winning nine of the last 11.
Most of his 14 primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in the caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats.
Yet Sanders still needs a dramatic surge to catch Clinton or even hold her under the number needed to clinch the nomination, despite the optimism and fundraising numbers, which also include collecting more than $140 million from 2 million donors.
Clinton did not hold a public event after the Alaska and Washington results were announced.
While Sanders faces a steep climb to the nomination, a string of losses for Clinton would highlight her persistent vulnerabilities, including concerns about her trustworthiness and weak support among younger voters.
Clinton’s delegate advantage, before Saturday, increases to 1,692-to-949 once the superdelegates, or party officials who can back either candidate, are included.
Based on that count, Sanders still needs to win 58 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by June's end.
His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall -- from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates -- to prevail.
Because Democrats allocate their delegates on a proportional basis, meaning that the popular vote loser can still pick up a share, his Saturday victories netted Sanders a gain of at least 27 delegates to at least five for Clinton.
Clinton has been looking past the primary contests and aiming at potential Republican challengers. In interviews, rallies and speeches this week, she largely focused on Tuesday's deadly attacks in Brussels, casting GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as unqualified to deal with complicated international threats.
Her campaign sees the April 19 contest in New York as an important one, not just because of the rich delegate prize but because losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate would be a psychological blow. She hopes to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Scottish police investigate killing of Muslim shopkeeper
LONDON – Scottish police say the killing of a Muslim shopkeeper who wished Christians a happy Easter is being investigated as "religiously prejudiced."
Vigils were held Friday night in memory of 40-year-old Asad Shah, who was killed Thursday night in Glasgow.
He had apparently posted messages on Facebook calling for religious harmony: "Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x!"
Police say a 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with Shah's death. The suspect, who police say is Muslim, has not been identified or charged.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined the vigil in support of Shah and his family. Many lit candles and left flowers.
The police promise a full investigation into Shah's death.
Cruz responds to 'garbage' affair accusations, blames Trump
The Donald Trump-Ted Cruz mud-slinging took another bizarre twist Friday, driven by an Internet frenzy over a tabloid report alleging Cruz had extramarital affairs.
Cruz addressed the salacious report in the National Enquirer at an event in Oshkosh, Wis., calling the claims “garbage” and “complete and utter lies.” He also placed the blame around the neck of front-runner Trump.
“It is a tabloid smear and it is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen,” Cruz said, claiming the only on-the-record source for the story is Roger Stone – who formerly served on the Trump campaign as an adviser.
Trump, in a written statement, denied Cruz’s claims.
“I have no idea whether or not the cover story about Ted Cruz in this week's issue of the National Enquirer is true or not, but I had absolutely nothing to do with it, did not know about it, and have not, as yet, read it,” he said, adding he does not surround himself with “political hacks and henchman and then pretend total innocence.”
He said: “Ted Cruz's problem with the National Enquirer is his and his alone, and while they were right about O.J. Simpson, John Edwards, and many others, I certainly hope they are not right about Lyin' Ted Cruz.”
The latest headlines on the 2016 elections from the biggest name in politics. See Latest Coverage →
The article in the Enquirer cites sources saying the Texas senator is facing allegations he had at least five affairs, including with a political consultant and a “high-placed D.C. attorney.”
The Internet has been abuzz with speculation as to the identities of the alleged mistresses and #CruzSexScandal was trending on Twitter on Friday.
The latest campaign trail eruption caps a week of fighting between the two candidates over attacks on their wives.
On Thursday, Cruz called Trump a “sniveling coward” after Trump retweeted an image late Wednesday that showed a picture of Trump’s wife Melania alongside an unflattering image of Cruz’s wife Heidi, with the caption “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
The spat began when Trump objected earlier this week to a Facebook ad that showed Melania posing nude with the caption: “Meet Melania Trump, your next first lady. Or you could vote for Ted Cruz on Tuesday.”
Though the ad makers are not affiliated with Cruz, Trump tweeted that Cruz should “be careful” or he would “spill the beans on your wife.”
Nearly 20,000 support petition to allow guns at Republican National Conventio
Nearly 20,000 people have signed a petition to allow the open carry of firearms at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.
The group Americans For Responsible Open Carry started the petition on Change.org on Monday, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal. The petition had a goal of 5,000 signatures and by Wednesday it had reached the goal. As of early Saturday morning, the group had reached just over 18,000 signatures.
The GOP Republican National Convention is going to be held at the Quicken Loans Arena from July 18-21. The Ohio Republican Party told the Beacon-Journal it wasn’t aware of the petition.
The Secret Service along with Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, state and federal officials are handling the security at the event. The Secret Service banned guns at the GOP Convention in Florida four years ago.
“They are coordinating and will be continuously refining security plans leading up to the national convention,” Republican National Convention spokesperson Alee Lockman told the newspaper.
The group has a list of demands for the convention.
First, the group wants the arena to suspend its open-carry ban during the convention. The group then wants the NRA has to condemn Ohio’s law banning guns in some public places.
“Policies of the Quicken Loans Arena do not supersede the rights given to us by our Creator in the U.S. Constitution,” the petition reads.
Americans For Responsible Open Carry also want presidential contender Ohio Gov. John Kasich to use his executive power to override the so-called gun-free zone loophole in Ohio’s law. RNC Chairman Reince Preibus also must explain how “a venue so unfriendly to Second Amendment rights was chosen for the Republican Convention and have a backup plan to move the site if the group’s demands aren’t met.
Finally they call for the three other candidates to pressure the GOP to protect the Second Amendment.
Ohio is an open-carry state, but they are not permitted in the Statehouse and even if concealed, could be banned by businesses and property owners, according to the Beacon-Journal.
Quicken Loans Arena forbids guns and weapons of any kind from “heavily attended” events.
The arena said it is following the state’s concealed carry law and the right for private businesses to ban firearms on its property.
The petition claims that because Cleveland is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, forcing attendees to leave their weapons at home is putting everyone at risk.
“Without the right to protect themselves, those at the Quicken Loans Arena will be sitting ducks, utterly helpless against evil-doers, criminals or others who wish to threaten the American way of life.”
San Francisco mayor bans city workers from traveling to North Carolina
 |
| Is this guy a dictator telling his workers where they can and can not go. Forcing his beliefs on others. |
“We are standing united as San Franciscans to condemn North Carolina’s new discriminatory law that turns back the clock on protecting the rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals,” Lee said in the statement.
“Effective immediately, I am directing City Departments under my authority to bar any publicly-funded City employee travel to the State of North Carolina that is not absolutely essential to public health and safety.”
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill this week to void a Charlotte ordinance that would’ve provided protections against discrimination in public accommodations.
McCrory, who was the mayor of Charlotte for 14 years and had criticized the local ordinance, signed the legislation Wednesday night that he said was "passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette."
Although 12 House Democrats joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill in the afternoon Wednesday, later all Senate Democrats in attendance walked off their chamber floor during the debate in protest. Remaining Senate Republicans gave the legislation unanimous approval.
"We choose not to participate in this farce," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh said after he left the chamber.
Gay rights leaders and transgender people said the legislation demonizes the community and espouses bogus claims about increasing the risk of sexual assaults. They say the law will deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people essential protections needed to ensure they can get a hotel room, hail a taxi or dine at a restaurant without fear.
"McCrory's reckless decision to sign this appalling legislation into law is a direct attack on the rights, well-being and dignity of hundreds of thousands of LGBT North Carolinians and visitors to the state," Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement. Civil liberties groups pledged to push for repeal and were weighing legal options
Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who pressed to get the anti-discrimination ordinance approved, said she was appalled by the legislature's actions.
"The General Assembly is on the wrong side of progress. It is on the wrong side of history," Roberts said in a prepared statement. But McCrory said in a release "the basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings" was violated by "government overreach and intrusion" by Roberts and the city council.
Lee applauded Roberts in his statement Friday for taking “steps at the local level to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination. I also applaud Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed who is a champion for equality for all.”
Georgia is also embroiled in a religious liberty bill, which has passed the Georgia Legislature but Gov. Nathan Deal has yet to sign.
KTVU-TV reported that Facebook and Apple have expressed its displeasure with the North Carolina law.
The NBA has also mulled relocating its 2017 All-Star Game which was scheduled to be played in Charlotte. “[We] do not yet know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte,” the statement read. "The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment to all who attend our games and event," the association said.
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