Monday, September 19, 2016

Emmys 2016: Donald Trump focus of Emmys as stars bash candidate, accept awards

After trying to hitch a ride to the Emmys with James Corden and the cast of "Modern Family” in the show's opening skit, host Jimmy Kimmel wound up in a limo driven by former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush.
“Did you know you can make $12/hour driving for Uber?” Bush, wearing a chauffer's cap, asked Kimmel.
Upon learning Kimmel was nominated for an Emmy, Bush the Uber driver gave him some advice.
“If you run a positive campaign, the voters will ultimately make the right choice,” Bush deadpanned before adding, “Jimmy, that was a joke, and shave that wig off your face, you godless Hollywood hippie.”
SLIDESHOW: Best and worst red carpet outfits
It was the first of many political jokes and statements of the night, as the presidential election draws near. Kimmel and many of the night's winners set their sights on GOP candidate Donald Trump, while a few gave shout outs to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Kimmel targeted producer Mark Burnett, who helped make Donald Trump a TV star with his “Apprentice” franchise.
“Many have asked who’s to blame for Donald Trump and I’ll tell you who, he's sitting right there, that guy – Mark Burnett,” Kimmel said. “Thanks to Mark Burnett we don’t have to watch reality shows anymore , we’re living in one.”
WINNERS LIST: All the night's big awards
“Who do you have lined up to fill in the spot on the Supreme Court,” Kimmel cracked. “Miley Cyrus or CLo?"
When Mark Burnett accepted an Emmy for his reality show "The Voice," he got back at Kimmel by inviting viewers to watch the show this week to see vocal judges Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keyes: "Your next Supereme Court justices."
Later backstage, Burnett joked with reporters that Trump was probably in contact with Kimmel.
“I’m sure Donald was emailing Jimmy Kimmel saying thanks for the free publicity," Burnett laughed.
Matt LeBlanc hits on Emilia Clarke, kind of
Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fifth Emmy Award for best comedy actress for her role in "Veep." In accepting the award, Louis-Dreyfus said she'd like to apologize for the current state of American politics.
"I'd also like to take this opportunity to personally apologize for the current political climate," she said. "I think that 'Veep' has torn down the wall between comedy and politics. Our show started out as a political satire but it now feels more like a sobering documentary." She promised to "rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it."
But some others were not in a joking mood. “Transparant” creator Jill Soloway, speaking to reporters backstage after winning her Emmy, compared Trump to Hitler calling the canddiate “The most dangerous monster to ever approach our lifetime. He’s a complete dangerous monster and at any moment that I have to call him out for being an inheritor of Hitler, I will.”

Courtney B. Vance won for best actor in a limited series for the show "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story." Vance won for his portrayal of late defense attorney Johnny Cochran, and the series won three acting awards on Sunday, including Emmys for Sterling K. Brown and Sarah Paulson for their portrayals of prosecutors Christopher Darden and Marcia Clark.
Both Vance and Brown gave prominent shout-outs to their wives, and Vance ended his acceptance speech with a political message, shouting, "Obama out! Hillary in!"
Kate McKinnon won the Emmy for best supporting actress on a comedy series for her role on "Saturday Night Live," in which she played among others, Hillary Clinton, who she thanked.
Jeffrey Tambor won for best comedy actor for his role in "Transparent." Tambor plays a retired professor who becomes a transgender woman. He called for Hollywood to make him the last non-transgender actor to get such a role.
The night's festivities were under increased security in the wake of the device detonations widely viewed as terrorist acts in New York and New Jersey over the weekend. Every attendee and member of the media went through metal detectors, and LAPD officers checked cars parking in the surrounding structures.
Given the device detonation that injured 29 people in New York City, the Emmys featured a slightly jarring start when an “ABC Special Report” graphic was flashed onscreen at the show’s scheduled 8pm EST start. It soon became apparent it was just part of a bit starring Kimmel, who was being driven in O. J. Simpson’s Ford Bronco, trying to get to the big show.

Trump, working the media refs, declares debate moderators unfair

Donald Trump has been saying that the upcoming debates are part of a “rigged” system, so I decided to press him on it.
How, after all, could he object to the four network moderators well before the events? He has said that Chris Wallace treated him fairly in interviews, he recently made his only CNN appearance in months with Anderson Cooper, and I’ve never heard him complain about Lester Holt.
Turns out Trump knows how to work the refs in advance. And he did so by invoking the avalanche of press criticism, mostly from the left but also in the mainstream media, over Matt Lauer’s questioning of him and Hillary Clinton in that NBC forum. It was unfair, in my view, but unrelenting.
No one, he suggested, wanted to become a Lauer-like piñata.
“It’s called gaming the system,” Trump said in a “Media Buzz” interview, “like Bobby Knight, he would hit the referee, well they're hitting Matt Lauer and they're trying to game the system, they want, and I think it's terrible but they want the host to go after Trump.”
I followed up: “But do you think that Lester Holt or Martha Raddatz or Anderson Cooper or Chris Wallace will be pressured into being unfair?”
“Sure,” Trump said. “I think that’s what’s happening right now.”
He is laying the groundwork for post-game complaints if he thinks the debates, starting with next Monday’s faceoff on Long Island, don’t go well.
I interviewed Trump five times during the primaries, and those sessions were full of harsh criticism for the media. But he still ratcheted it up, even taking partial credit for the media’s approval rating plunging to a record low 32 percent in a new Gallup poll.
“Frankly, I think I had something to do with it, but I’m very proud of it,” Trump told me.
“I think the media is disgraceful,” Trump said. “I think they're unbelievably dishonest, and I’m not talking about you and I’m not talking about certain people, because I’ve got tremendous confidence and tremendous respect for certain reporters, et cetera, but a large portion of the media is disgustingly dishonest, and I could name every one of them that are that way, and probably someday I will, but they should be ashamed of themselves.”
He particularly went off on the New York Times and CNN—the Clinton News Network, in his parlance—in response to my questions.
The Donald, whether in real estate or politics, has always been a media-centric figure. Some critics think the media “created” his candidacy, a simplistic view that misses his mastery of television, willingness to risk endless interviews and how even negative coverage helps him drive his message.
Trump has faced an avalanche of negative headlines in recent weeks and yet has closed the gap nationally against Clinton, who has been having her own problems.
One reason, clearly, is that he’s become a more disciplined candidate. When Trump hit his roughest patch during the summer, it was because his offhand comments and insistence on picking fights kept hurting him.
These unforced errors included attacking a Gold Star family, jokingly invited Russian hackers to find Clinton’s deleted emails and suggesting that “Second Amendment people” might stop Clinton after she was elected.
When I asked about his more scripted speechifying, Trump acknowledged that “I have somewhat adjusted,” but then circled back to his detractors.
“The media was not treating statements fairly. I mean they would chop them up and shorten the statement, and it didn’t sound proper, or it didn't sound as good when they did that, it was very unfair, now I’m doing it a little bit differently,” Trump said.
But even if you buy his analysis, Trump was giving his media adversaries ample fodder.
Of course, he went off script late last week, both by renouncing his five-year-old stance on birtherism (while hurling unsubstantiated charges at Clinton on the subject) and wondering what would happen if her bodyguards disarmed (in making a point about gun control).
When Trump adheres to his new team's script, he tends to do better in the polls. But as time goes by he can't help but say what he thinks--which will be a particular challenge in the debates.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.

Obama praises Clinton, blasts Trump at DNC fundraiser in NYC

NEW YORK – President Barack Obama on Sunday praised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her intellect, fortitude and "unerring" judgment and blasted "the other guy," Republican Donald Trump, on his New York home turf as unqualified to be president and uninterested in learning enough to make the hard decisions the job requires.
Obama addressed a dinner crowd of about 65 people at a fundraiser at the Gramercy Park home of restaurateur Danny Meyer and his wife, Audrey. Attendees contributed $25,000. Event co-chairs gave $100,000, while chairs raised or contributed $250,000, officials said. Proceeds will benefit the Democratic National Committee, state parties and the Clinton campaign.
"This is somebody who is smart, who is tough and, most importantly, cares deeply about making sure that this country works for everybody and not just a few," Obama said of Clinton. "And she's displayed it again and again and again. And when I said that I think she is somebody who is as qualified as any individual who has ever run for this office, I meant it."
Obama said Clinton has been disciplined and extraordinarily effective in every job she's held.
"And then there's the other guy," he said, drawing laughter. "You all know him because he's from New York. Some of you may have done business with him. If you have, it doesn't sound like it's been a pleasant experience."
Obama went on to criticize Trump. "He shows no interest in even gaining the rudimentary knowledge required to make really hard decisions on a day-to-day basis. There's no curiosity, no desire to get up to speed."
Obama said the November election shouldn't be close but predicted "it will be." Clinton has lost ground to Trump in some state and national polls in recent weeks and is looking to their first one-on-one debate a week from Monday to swing some momentum behind her.
Obama has vowed "to work as hard as I can" to help elect Clinton in November, in large measure to ensure the longevity of key parts of his legacy. At the fundraiser, he said he was confident the American people will "make a good decision and we're going to win this thing."
He campaigned for his former secretary of state last week in Philadelphia in his first solo appearance on her behalf. Neither the White House nor Clinton's team has said when and where the president will travel next to argue the case for Clinton, but Obama is expected to spend the bulk of October on the road campaigning for her.
The president was staying in New York City through midday Wednesday to participate in his eighth and final meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, likely one of his last major appearances on the world stage before he leaves office in January. He is scheduled to address the high-level meeting of world leaders on Tuesday.
Obama also has scheduled one-on-one meetings with the leaders of Iraq, Israel, Nigeria and Colombia, as well as a top Chinese official.
Sunday night's fundraiser was the first of two on Obama's New York schedule. He was raising money for the Senate Democrats' fundraising arm at a closed event Monday.

'Number of individuals' in custody after authorities stop 'vehicle of interest' in Chelsea bombing

Federal authorities conducted a traffic stop of a “vehicle of interest” in the Chelsea bombing Sunday night in Brooklyn. A law enforcement source told Fox News that a “number of individuals” who are possibly connected to the explosion were taken into custody.
Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that at least 5 men were being questioned. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about an ongoing investigation. The FBI said in a statement that no one had been charged with any crime and the investigation was ongoing.
New York state Sen. Marty Golden posted an Instagram photo, saying the FBI took “several individuals” into custody on the Belt Parkway underneath the Verrazano Bridge at around 8:40 p.m.
The FBI was also at an Elizabeth, N.J. train station after a suspicious package was found. The source told Fox News that it was unclear what type of device was found or if there were any connections to the Chelsea bombing or the explosion in Seaside Park, N.J.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier Sunday that residents should expect a heightened security presence as the investigation continued and when the United National General Assembly kicks off, which draws leaders from around the world.
"Now for all New Yorkers, a central message we want to give today is be vigilant," de Blasio said during a news conference. "Be vigilant at this point in time, not just because of this incident, be vigilant because we’re going into United Nations General Assembly week."
The Democratic mayor added that those in the city will see a "a very substantial" police presence this week which he described as "bigger than ever."
"We would normally have an expanded presence for the United Nations General Assembly," de Blasio said. "You will see an even stronger presence now."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo added that he had directed state police and National Guard to deploy an additional 1,000 uniformed police officers out an abundance of caution to high-profile locations across the state.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we are increasing security at high-profile locations across the city, and all state agencies continue to remain on alert," Cuomo said in a statement.
A spokesman for the United Nations told the Associated Press that the organization is assessing security in the wake of the bombing as it prepares to host world leaders arriving for the General Assembly.
U.N. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Sunday that security inside the complex "is being assessed on a constant basis."
He added that security outside the U.N. is the responsibility of the host country.
"We receive great cooperation and appreciate the support from the federal authorities and the NYPD throughout the year, and especially during the General Assembly to keep staff, delegates and visitors safe," Dujarric told the AP.
Cuomo, who toured the site of the blast, said there didn't appear to be any link to international terrorism. He said the second device appeared "similar in design" to the first, but did not provide details.
A law enforcement source told Fox News on Sunday that the explosive devices found in Seaside Park, N.J. and New York City NY are believed to be from the same person.
A separate federal law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the bomb contained residue of an explosive often used for target practice that can be picked up in many sporting goods stores.
The discovery of Tannerite in materials recovered may be important as authorities probe whether the blast was connected to an unexploded pressure-cooker device found by state troopers just blocks away, as well as a pipe bomb blast in a New Jersey shore town earlier in the day.
"We're going to be very careful and patient to get to the full truth here," de Blasio said Sunday. "We have more work to do to be able to say what kind of motivation was behind this. Was it a political motivation? A personal motivation? What was it? We do not know that yet."
Cell phones were discovered at the site of both bombings, but no Tannerite residue was identified in the New Jersey bomb remnants, in which a black powder was detected, said the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to comment on an ongoing investigation.
Authorities said the Manhattan bombing and the blast 11 hours earlier at the site of a 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors in Seaside Park, New Jersey, didn't appear to be connected, though they weren't ruling anything out. The New Jersey race was cancelled and no one was injured.
Officials haven't revealed any details about the makeup of the pressure-cooker device, except to say it had wires and a cellphone attached to it.
Tannerite, which is often used in target practice to mark a shot with a cloud of smoke and small explosion, is legal to purchase and can be found in many sporting goods stores. Experts said a large amount would be required to create a blast like the one Saturday night, as well as an accelerant or other igniter.
Police and federal spokespeople wouldn't comment on the presence of explosive material recovered at the scene.
The bomb in Manhattan appeared to have been placed near a large dumpster in front of a building undergoing construction, another law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, told the AP. The second device, described by the same official as a pressure cooker with wires and a cellphone attached to it, was removed early Sunday by a bomb squad robot and New York City police were preparing to blow it up in a controlled explosion later in the day, authorities said.
Homemade pressure cooker bombs were used in the Boston Marathon attacks in 2013 that killed three people and injured more than 260.
Officials solicited tips from the public, telling reporters at a news conference in the New York Police Department's headquarters that they didn't know who set off the bomb or why.
Members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force were investigating the blast along with New York Police Department detectives, fire marshals and other federal investigators.
Meanwhile, a law enforcement official said federal investigators had discounted a claim of responsibility on the social blogging service Tumblr. Investigators looked into it and didn't consider it relevant to the case, according to an official who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Obama Birther Cartoons

Media jump gun on branding Trump claim on Clinton birther role 'false'

Donald Trump’s claim Friday that Hillary Clinton and her 2008 campaign “started” the Obama birther controversy touched off a series of instant fact-checking from media outlets who branded the claim “false” – but it seems they may have jumped the gun.
“Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it,” Trump said in Washington, D.C. Friday, referring to theories President Obama was not born in the United States. “President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period.”
Media outlets immediately branded his claim about Hillary Clinton's involvement as an outright falsehood.
“Trump admits Obama born in U.S. but falsely blames Clinton for starting rumors,” declared The Washington Post.
“Trump drops claim but falsely accuses Clinton of starting it,” said The New York Times.
However, that assertion was itself cast into doubt when former McClatchy D.C. Bureau Chief James Asher tweeted that long-time Clinton confidante Sidney Blumenthal had encouraged him to investigate the rumor that Obama was not born in America.
His version of events raises questions about the Clinton campaign’s denials that it had anything to do with the controversy, but media outlets didn’t suggest any gray area.
Clinton 2008 campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle seemed to muddy the waters even further when, in denying that there was a connection, admitted that there was an Iowa volunteer who forwarded an email promoting the conspiracy.
“There was a volunteer coordinator, I believe in late 2007, I think in December, one of our volunteer coordinators in one of the counties in Iowa. I don't recall whether they were an actual paid staffer, but they did forward an e-mail that promoted the conspiracy,” she said on CNN, adding that Clinton herself made the decision to fire the person “immediately.”
Trump’s campaign immediately jumped on the Doyle interview, saying it vindicated Trump.
“With Clinton’s 2008 campaign manager admitting on national television and on Twitter that they promoted the rumors surrounding now-President Obama’s heritage, Mr. Trump has been fully vindicated,” spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement.
“Not only was a Clinton campaign worker blamed and fired over the activity, we have now been informed that Secretary Clinton was aware of what was going on, with Clinton’s campaign manager even apologizing to Obama’s campaign manager,” he said.
Clinton meanwhile, continued to blast Trump for his involvement in the controversy, tweeting: President Obama’s successor cannot and will not be the man who led the racist birther movement. Period.

In tightening race, Trump returns to touting tough immigration policy, ends wild week of accusations, innuendos

What's behind the Trump surge in swing states?

Donald Trump returned Saturday to the heart of his presidential campaign -- promising to stop problems that illegal immigration has created for Americans, after a freewheeling few days in which he flung accusations and attacks at Democratic rival Hillary Clinton over gun control and the President Obama’s citizenship.

Trump delivered his law-and-order message to a gathering in Houston of Remembrance Project families, dedicated to helping themselves and others after killings at the hands of illegal immigrants.
“Your stories are not featured in the news. You have no demonstrators taking to the streets on your behalf. You have no special interests taking up your cause, and politicians ignore your cries for help. But I never will,” Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, said amid more recent polls showing him essentially deadlocked with Clinton in the White House race.
A Fox News poll released Thursday shows Clinton ahead of Trump by just 1 percentage point among likely voters in a four-way ballot. Clinton receives 41 percent and Trump 40 percent, with Libertarian Gary Johnson at 8 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 3 percent.
In the head-to-head matchup with Clinton, Trump leads by 1 percentage point.
Clinton, whose single-digit lead has slipped since mid-August, spoke Saturday evening in Washington, D.C., at a Black Caucus Foundation’s awards dinner, her third day on the campaign trail after taking off a few days to recover from pneumonia.
Trump, a first-time candidate, nabbed the GOP nomination from a field of experience politicians in large part with a tough immigration stance that included a vow to “build a wall” along the southern border to keep out dangerous illegal immigrants and to deport the estimated 11 million people now living illegally in the U.S.
After struggling in recent weeks to find an immigration policy that would appeal to voters in the general election, Trump has essentially returned to his hardline positions, while trying to portray Clinton, a former secretary of state, as soft on illegal immigration.
“The matter of this country refusing to take back their deported citizens came before Hillary Clinton’s (State Department) desk,” Trump said Saturday. “But she failed to take forceful action and ignored the federal law requiring her to suspend visas to countries that don’t take back their citizens.”
He also said she has declined Remembrance Project’s offers to meet and argued Clinton, if elected, would extend President Obama’s “open border” polices and attempts to delay deportation through executive action.
“She will only meet with the donors and the special interests and the open border advocates,” Trump said. “Her plan calls for total amnesty in the first 100 days. … Sanctuary Cities, ignoring visa overstays, closing detention centers and a virtual end to immigration enforcement in the United States.”
His comments follow a wild past few days in which the Clinton and Trump camps exchanged attacks -- with Trump again using innuendo to go after Clinton and attract free publicity.
On Wednesday, Trump declined to say definitively that President Obama was born in the United States -- roughly eight years after stoking controversy about his citizenship, then dropping the issue in 2011 when the president made public his birth certificate documents.
Trump on Friday declared the issue over, but not before suggesting that the Clinton campaign, in its hard-fought 2008 Democratic presidential primary against Obama, was pushing the rumor that he was born in Kenya.
Clinton said on Twitter that Trump pushing the birther issue was “deplorable.” And on Saturday, the campaign told Fox News that neither Clinton nor the 2008 campaign suggested Obama was born outside of the U.S.
Trump also made the statement at the end of a campaign event at his new luxury hotel in Washington, D.C. -- after suggesting beforehand to expect a “major announcement.”
And he mused aloud about what might happen if Clinton’s Secret Service detail no longer carried weapons, an apparent effort to further suggest Clinton, if elected, would further take away Americans’ rights to own guns.
"I think her bodyguards should drop all weapons. Disarm immediately," Trump said. "Take their guns away, let's see what happens to her."
Trump made a similar suggestion in May about her Secret Service detail.

'A bomb went off in New York': Trump, Clinton respond to Manhattan explosion

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Donald Trump appeared to pre-empt New York City officials when he declared Saturday evening that a "bomb went off" in New York City before officials had released details.
"I must tell you that just before I got off the plane a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows what's going on," Trump said, minutes after stepping off his plane during a rally at an airport hangar in Colorado Springs, Colo.
He continued: "But boy we are living in a time -- we better get very tough, folks. We better get very, very tough. It's a terrible thing that's going on in our world, in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant."
The Republican presidential nominee made the comments around 9:10 p.m., shortly after the explosion in Manhattan's crowded Chelsea neighborhood and as emergency officials were responding to the blast.
Local authorities have said they believed the explosion, which injured 29, was an "intentional act," but declined to answer questions about the cause at a news conference that began about two hours after Trump spoke.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said then that it was "too early to determine specifically what the incident was caused by" and that the investigation was still underway.
A spokeswoman for Trump did not respond to an email asking whether Trump was briefed about the incident before taking the stage.
Trump's rival Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, sought to present a more cautious response, underscoring the difference between the two candidates' styles.
Clinton was briefed on the incidents shortly after her speech to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner in Washington.
After landing in suburban New York City, Clinton told reporters she had been briefed "about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attacks in Minnesota." She said, "we need to do everything we can to support our first responders — also to pray for the victims. We have to let this investigation unfold."
Clinton was referring to a pipe bomb that exploded in a New Jersey shore town and reports of a shooting and a stabbing at a Minnesota mall.
Clinton, asked about Trump's saying that a "bomb" had gone off in New York, said it was "important to know the facts about any incident like this," adding, "I think it's always wiser to wait until you have information before making conclusions, because we are just in the beginning stages of trying to determine what happened."

Explosion In New York City Believed To Be 'intentional,' Mayor Says; 29 Injured

DEVELOPING: An explosion that injured at least 29 people in New York City late Saturday appeared to be "intentional, as sources told Fox News a second device -- a pressure cooker -- was found four blocks away.

#Explosion outside our apartment at 23rd and 6th in #newyork. Terrified. Hoping everyone is okay. pic.twitter.com/i3q4cG7aWT
— N∑H∆ (@nnehajainn) September 18, 2016

"Tonight, New York City experienced a very bad incident," de Blasio said at a news conference near the scene in Chelsea. "We have no credible and specific threat at this moment."

We are responding to an explosion at West 23 / 6 Ave. - updates to follow
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) September 18, 2016

De Blasio tried to calm any fears among nervous New Yorkers, saying the explosion had no terrorist connection and wasn't related to a pipe bomb explosion at a charity run in New Jersey earlier Saturday
The blast, which happened at around 8:30 p.m. on West 23rd Street in the city's Chelsea neighborhood, appeared to originate from a construction toolbox in front of a building, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. A garbage can was found mangled nearby.
Less than three hours after the explosion, investigators located a pressure cooker at West 27th Street that was attached to wiring and a cellphone, a law enforcment source told Fox News. It was not clear what was inside the device. Police advised residents of the block where the pressure cooker was found to stay away from windows facing 27th Street.

"Louder than any thunder I've ever heard in my life. Like the sky exploded. Shook the building" NYC explosion pic.twitter.com/WsY3Ax7PS7
— Liz Mandel (@elisabetherapy) September 18, 2016

Early Sunday, police said that the pressure cooker had been removed from the area and would be taken to the department's firing range in the Bronx for further analysis.
New York Police Department spokesman J. Peter Donald said several people were taken to hospitals with injuries. One of the injured suffered a puncture wound that was considered serious. Officials said the other injuries were minor, described as scrapes and bruises. All of the injured were expected to survive, the FDNY reported.
Witnesses said the explosion blew out the windows of businesses and scattered debris in the area. One witness told Fox News the explosion sent a "big cloud of black smoke" into the air as people ran from the scene. Another said a fireball shot into the air as a nearby building shook.
A National Guard member near the scene told Fox News the explosion was so loud that he put on his uniform and raced to the area.
Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area.
"We felt it, we heard it, the restaurant went real quiet, the 26-year-old Gonzalez told the Associated Press. "It wasn't like jolting or anything, everyone just went quiet."
Rudy Alcide, a bouncer at Vanity Nightclub at 21st Street and 6th Avenue, said he, at first, thought something large had fallen.
"It was an extremely loud noise, everything was shaking, the windows were shaking, it was crazy," he said. "It was extremely loud, almost like thunder, but louder."
Fox News was told there had been no prior intelligence suggesting Saturday's events may have been imminent. Sources also said it did not appear to be a gas explosion.
The FBI and NYPD would not rule out terrorism as a possible factor but said it was too early to determine the exact cause, law enforcement sources told Fox News. Police did not say whether they had any potential suspects.
Police counterterrorism officers, a bomb squad and firefighters rushed to the scene.
"All hands are on deck," de Blasio said at a news conference Saturday night.
The blast happened in front of a residence for the blind, near a major thoroughfare with many restaurants and a Trader Joe's supermarket.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and urge New Yorkers to, as always, remain calm and vigilant," Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded.
The FBI and Homeland Security officials, along with the ATF arson and explosive task force are also at the scene.
The White House said President Barack Obama has been apprised of the explosion in New York City and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

The explosion came hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park, N. J., shortly before thousands of runners participated in a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. No injuries were reported.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Green Party Jill Stein Cartoons

Johnson, Stein excluded from 1st presidential debate

Jill Stein: I will feel terrible if Clinton, Trump elected

DENVER – The commission that oversees presidential debates has invited only Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to the first presidential debate. It excluded two third-party candidates who had hoped the event could help them talk directly to an electorate unhappy with the two front-runners.
The Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement Friday that Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein were polling too low to qualify for the Sept. 26 event. The commission since 2000 has invited only candidates polling at 15 percent or above in an average of five polls. Johnson was at 8.4 percent and Stein at 3.2 percent.
Johnson, a former New Mexico governor and ex-Republican who is running with former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, has been pushing aggressively to get into the debate. He and Stein could still qualify for the two remaining ones in October if their poll numbers hit 15 percent, but that will be challenging without the national exposure of the debate.
In a statement, Johnson slammed the commission as a tool of the Democratic and Republican parties and vowed to make the October contests. "The CPD may scoff at a ticket that enjoys 'only' 9 or 10% in their hand-selected polls, but even 9% represents 13 million voters, more than the total population of Ohio and most other states," Johnson said.

Reid in nasty battle with Trump over weight, injury

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid is fond of sparring with Republican presidential candidates, but the ex-boxer started an all-out street fight with Donald Trump this week -- and it only escalated Friday after the GOP nominee responded by mocking the injury that left Reid blind in one eye.
"Trump can make fun of the injury that took sight in my eye -- I've dealt with tougher opponents. With my good eye, I see Trump is a con-artist," Reid tweeted on Friday morning.
The political brawl started on Tuesday when Reid poked fun at Trump's weight.
While accusing the press of magnifying Hillary Clinton’s pneumonia diagnosis and downplaying Trump's health issues, Reid said during a press conference, “He complains about her health? What does he do? He’s 70 years old. He’s not slim and trim.”
Trump's health details released this week show he is somewhat overweight, and the candidate says he wants to lose 15 pounds. But he hit back hard at Reid for going there, making a mocking reference to Reid's 2015 home-gym accident -- which happened when an exercise band snapped, sending the 76-year-old to the ground. He broke several ribs and facial bones.
“Harry Reid? I think he should go back and start working out again with his rubber work-out pieces,” Trump told the Washington Post on Wednesday.
Aside from the tweet, Reid also issued a written response to Trump saying with "my good eye, I can see that Trump is a man who inherited his money and spent his entire life pretending like he earned it."
This is not the first time Reid has engaged in a verbal battle with a Republican presidential nominee.
In July 2012, Reid took to the Senate floor to engage in speculation that Mitt Romney had not paid any taxes.
Speaking in the Senate on Thursday, Reid also unleashed a flurry of broadsides at Trump calling him a “human leech” and a “spoiled brat.”
Reid, who is retiring in January after 33 years in Congress, also suggested earlier this summer that intelligence officials “fake” the security briefings given to Trump.
“How would the CIA and the other intelligence agencies brief this guy? How could they do that? I would suggest to the intelligence agencies, if you’re forced to brief this guy, don’t tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous,” Reid said during an interview with The Huffington Post.
Reid’s attacks may or may not damage Trump, but one of Reid’s colleagues believes the real blow is to the Nevadan’s own legacy.
"Harry Reid, for some time now, has been going beyond the line, making statements on the floor where words should be taken down," Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Roll Call.
"And to hear in the last few months of his career, sadly, it's gotten worse. And it mainly looks bad for Senator Reid and his legacy."

Clinton campaign pushes Democratic party stars to shore up youth vote

With Hillary Clinton's lead in the polls over Donald Trump all but gone, her campaign is pushing prominent Democrats, including former primary rival Bernie Sanders, into the field in an effort to lock up the youth vote for the Democratic nominee.
The effort began in earnest Friday, when first lady Michelle Obama addressed a rally at George Mason University in northern Virginia. She warned young voters against being "tired or turned off," and urged them to rally around Clinton, "particularly given the alternative."
Despite the first lady's efforts, the Wall Street Journal reported some members of the crowd could be heard chanting "Four more years!"
Clinton led most national polls by double digits in the days following the Democratic convention, but most recent polls have the race in a statistical dead heat. Much of that can be attributed to a drop in her support among young people.
In a Fox News poll taken in early August, days after the convention, Clinton led Trump by 27 points among voters under 35. In the most recent Fox News poll, Clinton led Trump by just five points among likely voters under 35.
Many of the voters who once backed Clinton appear to have thrown their support to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. In the recent Fox News poll, Johnson only garnered the support of 8 percent of all likely voters. However, Johnson polled at 16 percent among under-35s.
Sanders, who mounted a surprisingly strong primary challenge to Clinton with the help of overwhelming youth support, was scheduled to speak on Clinton's behalf at two Ohio colleges Saturday. A recent CNN/ORC poll showed Trump with a five-point lead over Clinton in the Buckeye State.
"I can criticize Hillary Clinton for this, that, and the other thing," Sanders told CNN Friday. "Trump literally changes his views every other day."
The self-described democratic socialist went on to call the real estate mogul "a fraud and a phony" who was running a "campaign of bigotry."
Clinton pollster and adviser Joel Benenson admitted to the Journal Friday that the campaign "closed the deal" with young voters. Another Clinton campaign official said they planned to stress a message that a vote for a third-party candidate like Johnson or Jill Stein of the Green Party was in effect a vote for Trump.
But other Clinton supporters believe the best advocate may be Michelle Obama, whom they want in battleground states as much as possible between now and Election Day.
Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director and a former Obama adviser, called the first lady "an advocate without peer."
"There is no other surrogate with the reach, credibility and respect she has," Palmieri said.

Trump says Clinton bodyguards should lose their guns 'and let's see what happens to her'

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump revived another campaign controversy Friday night, sarcastically calling for Hillary Clinton's Secret Service agents to be stripped of their firearms before adding, "let's see what happens to her."
"I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons. They should disarm, right?" Trump asked the crowd at a Miami rally. "Take their guns away, she doesn't want guns. Take their — and let's see what happens to her. Take their guns away. OK, it would be very dangerous."

There was no immediate comment or clarification from the Trump campaign about the remarks. However, the Clinton campaign had a quick reaction. Spokesman Robby Mook released a statement Friday night saying Trump "has a pattern of inciting people to violence. Whether this is done to provoke protesters at a rally or casually or even as a joke, it is an unacceptable quality in anyone seeking the job of Commander in Chief.
"This kind of talk should be out of bounds for a presidential candidate," Mook wrote.
A spokeswoman for the Secret Service declined to comment.
The riff recalled a remark Trump made last month that many Democrats condemned as a call for Clinton's assassination. Speaking at a rally in North Carolina, the Republican nominee said his opponent wants to "abolish, essentially, the Second Amendment."
He continued: "By the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know."
Mook said then, "A person seeking to be the president of the United States should not suggest violence in any way."
Trump later disputed that criticism, saying everyone in his audience knew he was referring to the power of voters and "there can be no other interpretation."
Trump, who has the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, eventually took to Twitter to say the Secret Service had not contacted him about the remarks.
While campaigning in South Florida, which has a large Cuban-American population, Trump also said that if he's elected president, he will reverse Obama's efforts to normalize relations with Cuba — unless the country abides by certain "demands." Among those, he said, would be religious and political freedom for the Cuban people and the freeing of all political prisoners.
Trump says he'll "stand with the Cuban people in their fight against communist oppression."
The comment marks yet another reversal for the GOP candidate, who previously said he supported the idea of normalized relations, but wished the U.S. had negotiated a better deal.
Trump also said the U.S. has a broader obligation to stand with oppressed people — a comment that seems at odds with his "America first" mantra. "The next president of the United States must stand in solidarity with all people oppressed in our hemisphere, and we will stand with oppressed people, and there are many," he said.
He added that the people of Venezuela "are yearning to be free, they are yearning for help. The system is bad. But the people are great."
Trump has often cited the country as a model of a failed state, warning that if Clinton is elected, she'll turn the U.S. into Venezuela.

Friday, September 16, 2016

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed Cartoons

Dumb Ass

Missouri state senator sits during Pledge of Allegiance

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, chose to remain seated as the Pledge of Allegiance was recited Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016, in the Missouri Senate chambers. (Julie Smith/News Tribune via AP)

Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem protest has started a ripple effect across the sports spectrum, reaching other NFL players, soccer stars and even high school student athletes. On Wednesday, his protest trickled into the Missouri Legislature.
State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a St. Louis Democrat, refused to stand while her colleagues recited the Pledge of Allegiance in the state Capitol. She said her silent protest on the Senate floor was intended to show solidarity with the San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
Kaepernick has kneeled for the National Anthem in protest of police brutality and what he has described as social injustice against minorities in the U.S. Nasheed, who is black, said she wants to call attention to those issues and isn’t “anti-America.” Nasheed’s protest was met with silence in the chamber.
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a former GOP candidate for governor who presided over the Senate Wednesday, released a statement calling Nasheed's protest an "occasion for great sorrow." He said he worried about "the example she is setting, particularly for our young people."
U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who already drew controversy for kneeling during the National Anthem before a club match, knelt again before the U.S. match against Thailand Thursday.
After the game, which the United States won 9-0, U.S. Soccer issued a statement to ESPN that said representing the country is a "privilege and honor" for any play or coach associated with the national teams.
"Therefore, our national anthem has particular significance for U.S. Soccer. In front of national and often global audiences, the playing of our national anthem is an opportunity for our Men's and Women's National Team players and coaches to reflect upon the liberties and freedom we all appreciate in this country.
"As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the National Anthem is played."
It was unclear whether Rapinoe would face any sanctions from the federation.

Pence: People Are Seeing Trump's Commitment to MAGA for Everyone

Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence joined Hannity to discuss Donald Trump's surging poll numbers and expanding appeal.
The Indiana governor said that Americans are starting to see Trump more clearly now.
"I don’t think anything’s really changed. I just think Donald Trump’s optimistic message to make America great again, rebuild our military, have America standing tall on the world’s stage, and revive this economy through all the principles he described today at the economic club in New York, through less taxes, less regulation, more American energy, stronger trade deals..."
Pence said that Trump's a fighter and a winner, and it's been on display everywhere he's gone the past few weeks, from Mexico to Baton Rouge and Michigan.
"There he is in African-American churches showing his heart and his commitment to make America great again for everyone, regardless of race or creed or color or gender. What people are seeing is the kind of President Donald Trump will be and I think that’s why you’re seeing all the momentum, the turnout at the rallies...in all these key states around the country."

Fox News Poll: Clinton and Trump in a one-point race among likely voters

one-point race among likely voters

By Dana Blanton

Published September 15, 2016

FoxNews.com

Trump and Clinton release medical details amid growing debate

Now Playing Grading the presidential candidates' health

The presidential race is tight. Hillary Clinton tops Donald Trump by just one point among likely voters in the four-way ballot. In the head-to-head matchup, Trump’s up by one point.
Clinton receives 41 percent to Trump’s 40 percent, according to a new Fox News Poll, with Libertarian Gary Johnson at 8 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 3 percent.
In a two-way matchup, likely voters give Trump the edge over Clinton: 46-45 percent.
The poll, released Thursday, was conducted Sunday through Wednesday evenings, at a time when Clinton faced new questions about her health after falling ill at a 9/11 memorial event.
It’s the first Fox News Poll this season that includes results among likely voters, so a direct comparison can’t be made to previous polls.
An apples-to-apples comparison is possible among registered voters, and the two-way vote trend shows the race has definitely tightened: Clinton was up by 10 points at the beginning of August (49-39 percent). By the end of August she was up 6 points (48-42 percent) -- and now she’s up by just 3 points (46-43 percent).
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POLL RESULTS
Likely voters are those registered voters who report a high probability they will cast a presidential ballot this year. At this point, fewer non-white and younger voters are saying they intend to vote compared to other groups -- and that hurts Clinton.
“It’s clear what the Clinton campaign needs to do, and that’s make sure non-white and younger voters show up on Election Day,” says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. “If these traditional Democratic voters turn out at past rates, she probably wins.”
Both tickets have the backing of most of their key voting blocs. In the four-way race, Trump has the advantage among white evangelical Christians (+52 points), whites without a college degree (+31), and men (+13).
Clinton is preferred among non-whites (+51 points), women (+13), and those voters living in households earning less than $50,000 (+16).
Independents prefer Trump over Clinton by 36-31 percent, while 16 percent go for Johnson and 7 percent Stein. Eighty percent of Republicans back Trump, and 81 percent of Democrats support Clinton.
"Lately Trump’s avoided the sort of controversy that undermined his efforts throughout August," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll along with Anderson. "By allowing Clinton's problems to be the story, he may finally be consolidating Republican support."
Fewer Democrats (77 percent) than Republicans (86 percent) are “extremely” or “very” interested in the presidential election right now.
Even so, supporters on both sides are about equally enthusiastic about their candidate. Almost all of those backing Clinton feel certain they’ll vote for her in November (87 percent) and say it’s important to them she win (91 percent). That’s matched among Trump supporters, as they overwhelmingly say they’re certain to vote for him (90 percent) and it’s important he win (87 percent).
In addition, 53 percent of Clinton’s backers strongly favor her, while 24 percent have some reservations. For Trump, 50 percent strongly favor him and 27 percent have reservations. On both sides, about one in five says their support is driven by dislike of the other candidate.
Seven in ten voters don’t like the way the government is working, including 44 percent who are dissatisfied and 27 percent who are “angry.”
Over half would go even further: 57 percent say the world’s “going to hell in a handbasket.”
“Angry” voters prefer Trump over Clinton (by 54 points), as do “handbasket” voters (by 35 points). That’s driven by the fact that Republicans are nearly three times as likely as Democrats to feel angry about the way the government is working, and about twice as likely to feel the world’s going to hell.
Likely voters trust Trump over Clinton on handling the economy (+7 points) and corruption in government (+11). They favor Clinton on race relations (+24 points), immigration (+5), nominating the next Supreme Court justice (+1), and terrorism/national security (+1).
On immigration, while there’s been some back-and-forth on Trump’s position on deportation, he’s been consistent on building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Over half of likely voters disagree with the GOP nominee and oppose building a wall. The same is true among registered voters, which is a change in sentiment. In the past, half or better favored the wall. That shift is mainly due to a double-digit increase in opposition among Democrats.
Seven-in-ten Republicans favor the wall, and a recent Fox News Poll found nearly three in ten favor deporting as many illegal immigrants as possible (August 28-30).
The new poll finds many voters think those favoring deportation are motivated by racism (37 percent say racism is a major factor in favoring deportation and 32 percent minor factor).
Pollpourri
Among registered voters:
-- Republicans split over their nominee, as 50 percent are happy with Trump, while 48 percent wish it were someone else. That’s mostly unchanged since June.
-- 52 percent of Democrats are happy with Clinton at the top of their ticket. That’s down from 58 percent in June. Forty-three percent would rather have Bernie Sanders, up from 37 percent.
-- 12 percent of Republicans who preferred someone else as their nominee defect to Clinton in the four-way ballot. Only five percent of Sanders backers back Trump.
The Fox News Poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,006 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from September 11-14, 2016. The survey includes results among 867 likely voters. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points for results among both registered and likely voters.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Friday, September 16, 2016

one-point race among likely voters

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