Professor's profane, anti-white messages cause campus controversy

Trinity College Professor Johnny Eric Williams

A Connecticut college is facing national outrage after a professor posted a series of Facebook messages attacking white people – along with a link to an essay that suggested first responders to last week’s congressional shootings should’ve let the lawmakers “f***ing” die.
Trinity College Professor Johnny Eric Williams also reportedly shared an essay posted on Medium that included a photograph of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, titled, “Let Them F***ing Die.”
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The anonymous essayist opined that the Capitol police officers should’ve let Rep. Scalise and other  Republican lawmakers die in last week’s ball park attack.
“Saving the life of those that would kill you is the opposite of virtuous,” the essayist wrote. “Let. Them. F***ing. Die. And smile a bit when you do. For you have done the universe a great service.”
The professor’s incredibly offensive Facebook postings and hashtags were originally reported by Campus Reform.
“I’m fed the f**k up with self identified ‘white’s’ daily violence directed at immigrants, Muslim, and sexually and racially oppressed people. The time is now to confront these inhuman a**holes and end this now,” the professor wrote.
Ironically, Professor Williams teaches about race and racism.
Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney said in a prepared statement that she does not “condone hate speech or calls to incite violence.”
“I told Professor Williams that in my opinion his use of the hashtag was reprehensible and, at the very least, in poor judgment,” the president said. “No matter its intent, it goes against our fundamental values as an institution, and I believe its effect is to close minds rather than open them.”
Instead of me trying to interpret the essay written on Medium – I’m going to let the college president describe that smoldering piece of garbage disguised as thoughtful prose.
“The Medium piece went on to explore broader issues concerning race and the relationship between ‘victims of bigotry’ and ‘bigots,’” Berger-Sweeney said. “The piece culminated with a call to show indifference to the lives of bigots. That call was reprehensible, and any such suggestion is abhorrent and wholly contrary to Trinity’s values.”
Williams told the Hartford Courant that Campus Reform twisted his words and he denied endorsing the essay. He also said the postings were not meant to be made public.
So what did the professor mean when he wrote, “It is past time for the racially oppressed to do what people who believe themselves to be ‘white’ will not do, put an end to the vectors of their destructive mythology of whiteness and their white supremacy system. #LetThemF***ingDie”?
He told the newspaper his point was that people should “confront these people who are racists.”
“This is about free speech as well as academic freedom,” he said. “From my perspective, I’m considering whether I should file a defamation against these guys.”
The college has been inundated with so many threats they had to shut down the campus Wednesday – out of an abundance of caution.
“This incident has caused distress on our campus and beyond; threats of violence have been directed to Professor Williams and to our campus community, neither of which is an acceptable response,” Berger-Sweeney said.
President Berger-Sweeny is absolutely correct. Violence is never an acceptable response. And neither is letting someone be massacred just because of their skin color.
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary. His latest book is “The Deplorables’ Guide to Making America Great Again.” Follow him on Twitter @ToddStarnes and find him on Facebook.

Trump in Iowa: President calls for barring immigrants from welfare for five years

President Trump announced Wednesday night that he will soon ask Congress to pass legislation banning immigrants from accessing public assistance within five years of entering the U.S.
“The time has come for new immigration rules that say ... those seeking immigration into our country must be able to support themselves financially and should not use welfare for a period of at least five years," Trump told a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids, Iowa.
Trump's proposal would build on the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which allows federal authorities to deport immigrants who become public dependents within five years of their arrival. Many of that law’s provisions were rolled back during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, but Trump's proposal would make more categories of federal benefits off-limits to immigrants.
Currently,states typically have the authority to determine eligibility for local public assistance programs.
Foreigners with non-immigrant visas and those who don't have legal status are generally prohibited from those benefits altogether.
Trump's proposal would also prevent the admission of people who are likely to become so-called "public charges" within five years of their arrival. The concept of "public charge" has been part of U.S. immigration law for over a century. It allows the government to bar entry to individuals who are likely to seek public assistance. Trump is expected to propose toughening up the rules regarding “public charge” and ensuring that they are enforced.
The administration circulated a draft executive order to make Trump's proposed changes earlier this year. However, Trump's remarks Wednesday indicated that he wants Congress to codify his plan into law.
In requesting these changes, the White House will cite a 2015 report from the Center for Immigration Studies that found 51 percent of households headed by an immigrant are using some form of public assistance, compared to 30 percent among non-immigrant families. That report has been disputed by critics who say it does not take into account the nuances of many immigrant families.

Calif. Govornor, State Lawmakers Get 3% Pay Raise

FILE – In this May 31, 2017 file photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during an interview in Sacramento, Calif. Brown and Democratic legislative leaders said Tuesday, June 13, 2017, that they have reached a deal on the state budget for the next fiscal year and that the budget will keep California on a sound fiscal path. (AP Photo/Rich Pedronce Sign in lli, file)

As it gets increasingly more expensive to live in California, top lawmakers in the golden state are not feeling the pressure — they’re getting a raise instead.
Governor Jerry Brown along with a handful of other state legislators and elected officials received a three-percent pay increase on Monday.
Brown’s salary will go up to more than $195,000, making him the highest paid governor in the country.
The other legislators will also be making more than $100,000, and they will get a $183 per day tax-free credit to pay for expenses every day they are in session in Sacramento.

Pres. Trump Congratulates Republicans for Special Election Wins

President Trump touts GOP victories in special elections, saying republicans are now “5-0” despite “fake news” and money spent by democrats.
In a series of tweets Tuesday night, the president congratulated Karen Handel for her big win in Georgia, while commending Ralph Norman for running a fantastic race in South Carolina.
He also gave advice to democrats, saying they would do much better if they got together with republicans on health care, tax cuts, and security.

Russian Colluding Cartoons

Rep. Gowdy slams Dems over 'reckless, baseless allegations' about Russia probe

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., criticized congressional Democrats Tuesday for making what he called "reckless, baseless allegations" about President Trump's involvement in Russian activities during the 2016 election campaign.
"There are members of both the House and the Senate who [say] 'I’ve seen evidence that is more than circumstantial, but not direct,'" Gowdy told Fox News. "There is no way it can be more than circumstantial but not direct."
Gowdy, who serves on the House intelligence committee investigating possible connections between Russian officials and members of the Trump campaign, said a member of the panel "said this week that he has seen evidence [but] he can’t tell us what it is [and] it’s not beyond a reasonable doubt.
"There’s no way to defend yourself against those kinds of baseless, reckless accusations."
Gowdy was likely referring to the committee's ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who told ABC's "This Week" that "I think there is evidence" of Trump colluding with Moscow.
"I can’t go into the particulars of our closed investigation," Schiff said, "but I also think there is evidence of obstruction [of justice]. But in both cases, I would say, whether there is some evidence doesn’t mean there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Gowdy also told host Tucker Carlson that he hoped the House intelligence committee's investigation would be wrapped up by Labor Day "in a perfect world."

Republican Handel wins Georgia special House election

Republican Karen Handel on Tuesday night defeated rival Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s record-spending, special-election congressional race, keeping yet another House seat in GOP hands and denying Democrats a chance to deliver a rebuke to President Trump.
With all precincts reporting, Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, led Ossoff 52 percent to 48 percent -- a margin of nearly 11,000 votes out of more than 250,000 ballots cast.
The race smashed fundraising records for a House contest -- with both campaigns and outside groups combining to spend a record $50 million.
Ossoff’s defeat was another setback for Democrats hoping to capitalize on President Trump’s low approval ratings to win a long-standing Republican seat.
It was the party’s fourth straight defeat this year in attempts to win a Republican seat and take the momentum into the 2018 midterms. They now must win 24 GOP House seats to retake control of the chamber next year.
“This race was going to require all hands on deck, and that’s what we had,” Handel said at her victory party. “Tonight’s victory is for you. It’s for every citizen in the 6th (Congressional) District.”
To be sure, the contest was close since Handel and Ossoff were the top finishers in April's first balloting, which sent them to Tuesday’s runoff.
Ossoff lead by nearly 5 percentage points as recently as June 12, before the race deadlocked in the final days, according to the RealClearPolitics.com polls average.
The 30-year-old Ossoff, whose campaign was hurt by revelations that he didn’t live in the suburban Atlanta district, thanked his campaign team and voters in a short concession speech.
“Thank you for the most extraordinary process that I have ever been a part of,” Ossoff said. “The fight goes on. Hope is still alive.”
The House seat has been occupied by Republicans since 1979. GOP Rep. Tom Price gave up the seat in February to become Health and Human Services secretary.
President Trump didn’t campaign in Georgia for Handel. But he attacked Ossoff on Twitter for living outside the district and warned voters that he would increase taxes and be soft on national security.
Handel supporters chanted “Trump, Trump, Trump” at her victory party. And the president tweeted his own message of congratulations.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also congratulated Handel, saying, “Karen is all business. I’ve campaigned with her, and I know how eager she is to get to work. I’m excited to have her as a partner in the House.”
Ossoff tried to thread the needle in the conservative-leaning Georgia district by vowing to cut taxes for small businesses, while championing equal rights for women and minorities, which earned him the support of civil rights icon and Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis.
Handel touted her experience as a state and local elected official and argued that outside forces were trying to buy a win.
Voters “are not interested in Hollywood and California coming in and buying this seat,” she said Tuesday morning on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis showed just 3.5 percent of Ossoff’s donations between the end of March and May came from Georgia.
Still, Handel also benefited from outside spending, though most didn’t go directly to her campaign.
Groups like the Congressional Leadership Fund, a political action committee backed by Ryan, have spent millions on her behalf.
Also on Tuesday, Republicans held onto the House seat in South Carolina that was vacated in February by Mick Mulvaney so he could become the White House budget director. Millionaire developer Ralph Norman, the Republican, defeated former Goldman Sachs tax adviser Archie Parnell, the Democrat, in a closer-than-expected contest.
The other two special-election races this year in which Democrats failed to win a GOP House seat were in Kansas and Montana.
In Kansas, Republicans held onto the seat of Mike Pompeo, now the CIA director, and they kept the Montana seat of Ryan Zinke, who became Trump’s secretary of Interior.
Democrats have one last outside chance to win a GOP House seat, Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s in a conservative Utah. The special election is on August 15. Democrats won one special House election this year, holding onto the California seat vacated by Xavier Becerra.
While Republicans have held the Georgia seat since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took it from Democrats nearly four decades ago, the district does not appear as conservative as in years past.
Trump won the district over Democrat Hillary Clinton last year by just 1.5 percent, compared to 2008 when Republican presidential nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain won by 18.9 percent.
The race attracted national attention and record money, but Georgia voters also took a big interest in the outcome.
More than 40,000 people voted early, including 36,000 who didn't vote in the April contest.

Speaker Paul Ryan Renews Push for Tax Reform

Speaker Paul Ryan says we will fix the tax code once and for all.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking to the National Association of Manufacturer’s in D.C.
The president recently proposed a reform to the nation’s tax code with the House planning to lower taxes, and simplify the process.
Ryan said these changes will create more jobs for Americans and grow our economy.
The speaker also discussed the possibility of a border adjustment tax, which would tax imports and encourage exports all in an effort to discourage U.S. companies from moving abroad.

Rep. Committee Speaks Out on Dem’s Alleged Running for Nev. Senate

The National Republican Committee speaks out against a democrat’s reported running for a Nevada Senate seat.
The committee called Representative Jacky Rosen’s alleged bid for Dean Heller’s spot a “long shot.”
Its chairman said Rosen would rather run for a statewide position than be re-elected in her district, which was won by the president.
Heller is considered the most vulnerable republican up for re-election in 2018.
He’s the only GOP senator this cycle who represents a state won by Clinton.
The committee said they’re recruiting candidates to take Rosen’s district if she wins.

Liberal Hatred Cartoons

Georgia special election: Voters to settle most expensive congressional race in history

With campaign spending expected to top $50 million, the race to fill the suburban Atlanta congressional district, vacated when Tom Price was named Health and Human Services Secretary, is the most expensive in U.S. history. Both candidates in the 6th District are calling on heavy hitters with Georgia roots to get out the vote on Tuesday.
“It’s time to be knocking on those doors. It’s time to be making those calls. It’s time to be sending those emails,” Secretary Price told supporters at a weekend rally for Republican Karen Handel. “It’s time to be making certain that you are asking every single individual that you see within the 6th District, ‘Have you voted?’”
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, also stumped for Handel over the weekend, while Democrat Jon Ossoff enlisted the support of Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon.
TRUMP CABINET OFFICERS URGE ON REPUBLICANS IN GEORGIA RACE
“With this election, it would indicate that people are prepared to change,” Lewis said at a weekend campaign event. “I think that many people will see the handwriting on the wall.”
The Real Clear Politics Average of polls shows Ossoff with a slight lead of 49.6 percent to Handel’s 47 percent in a district that normally favors establishment Republicans.
“This is exactly the type of district (Democrats) hope they can win if they can retake the House in 2018,” said Greg Bluestein, a political reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There’s 24 seats they need to win. A lot of them are going to be these fast-changing suburban districts that Republicans have long held.”
The GOP has held Georgia’s 6th District for nearly four decades. Ossoff hopes to fulfill a campaign slogan to “flip the 6th” from red to blue by appealing to moderate Republicans and independents.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION
“I think this is an opportunity for Georgia to elect some fresh leadership that’s focused on delivering results for folks at home, focus on holding people accountable in Washington,” Ossoff told reporters while campaigning over the weekend.
In a district that Secretary Price won with 62 percent of the vote, but that President Trump won by less than 2 percentage points in November, Handel is rallying the conservative base by linking her opponent to left-wing Democrats.
The candidate won loud cheers at a weekend rally when she told the crowd: “We are gonna rock Nancy Pelosi’s world.”
Both campaigns have beefed up security after receiving threats, including letters with a white powder mailed to Handel and some of her neighbors.
Although voter turnout is typically low in special runoffs, that has not been the case in Georgia’s 6th District.
Voters have already cast 140,308 early ballots, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. That’s more than double the 56,830 early ballots cast in the April 18 special election.

Otto Warmbier dead: Trump condemns 'brutal' North Korea regime

President Trump slammed North Korea's "brutal regime" Monday after the death of college student Otto Warmbier, who was released by the communist nation in a coma last week.
"Lot of bad things happened," Trump said during a White House meeting with technology CEOs, “but at least we got him home to be with his parents."
"It's a brutal regime," Trump went on, "and we'll be able to handle it."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States held North Korea accountable for Warmbier's "unjust imprisonment" and demanded that the country release three other Americans it is holding prisoner for alleged crimes against the state. The U.S. government has previously accused North Korea of using such detainees as political pawns.
Warmbier was held by North Korea for more than 17 months before he was medically evacuated June 13. He died Monday at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, near where he grew up in suburban Wyoming.
Warmbier’s family said in a statement that "the awful torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans" meant that "no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today."
In a written statement, Trump said that "Otto's fate deepens my Administration's determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency."
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who has led the charge for tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear missile program, said "Countless innocent men and women have died at the hand of the North Korean criminals, but the singular case of Otto Warmbier touches the American heart like no other.
"While Otto Warmbier's memory will always be a blessing to his loved ones," Haley added, "it will also serve as an indelible reminder to us of the barbaric nature of the North Korean dictatorship."
Warmbier had traveled to North Korea as part of a tour group when he was detained at Pyongyang's airport in January 2016. The company that organized the trip, Young Pioneer Tours, announced after Warmbier's death that it would no longer organize tours of North Korea for U.S. citizens.
"The assessment of risk for Americans visiting North Korea has become too high," said the company, which has also offered tours to Iran, Iraq and former Soviet republicans and boasted of booking "budget tours to destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from."
The State Department warns against travel to North Korea, but does not explicitly forbid it. While nearly all Americans who have been there have left without incident, visitors can be suddenly seized and face lengthy incarceration for what might seem like minor infractions.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, called for the U.S. to ban all tourist travel to North Korea.
"Travel propaganda lures far too many people to North Korea," Royce said. "This is a regime that regularly kidnaps foreign citizens and keeps 120,000 North Koreans in barbaric gulags."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Warmbier was "murdered by the [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong-un[sic] regime."
"In the final year of his life, he lived the nightmare in which the North Korean people have been trapped for 70 years: forced labor, mass starvation, systematic cruelty, torture, and murder," McCain said, later adding, "The United States of America cannot and should not tolerate the murder of its citizens by hostile powers."
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said North Korea should be "universally condemned for its abhorrent behavior.” He added that Warmbier’s family "had to endure more than any family should have to bear."
Ohio’s other senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, said the country's "despicable actions ... must be condemned."
“Our hearts are broken for Otto’s family and everyone who knew and loved him,” Brown added.
The state's governor, John Kasich, described Warmbier as "a young man of exceptional spirit."
"This horrendous situation further underscores the evil, oppressive nature of the North Korean regime that has such disregard for human life," Kasich says.

Poll: Majority of Americans Believe Govt. Will Protect Them From Terror Attack

A new poll reveals a majority of Americans are confident the government will protect U.S. citizens from a terror attack.
Monday’s Gallup poll shows 70-percent of those surveyed have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the government’s ability to defend against future acts of terrorism.
However, it also shows 6-in-10 people believe an attack in the U.S. is either “very” or “somewhat likely” to occur in the near future.
The survey was conducted earlier this month, shortly after two terror attacks hit the U.K.
Gallup says trust in the government remained high following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, but dropped to a record low after the San Bernardino attack 2015.

Washington Dems Plot to Slow Down GOP Healthcare Vote

Democrats in Washington D.C. are conspiring to stall the GOP’s effort to hold a vote on the repeal and replacement of Obamacare.
Senate republicans have been working on the House GOP’s healthcare plan after representatives voted for the repeal bill back in May.
Democrats have been complaining because GOP senators will not allow them to be involved in redrafting the bill.
Reports say democrats are planning to slow down the process with extended speeches on the chamber floor leading up to vote.
The republicans self-imposed deadline for the repeal bill vote is set for July 4th.

Repel Obamacare Cartoons

Democrats plan to slow GOP effort to have ObamaCare vote by July 4

Senate Republicans must make significant headway this week on efforts to repeal ObamaCare before their self-imposed July 4 deadline -- as Democrats plot ways to grind the chamber’s daily business to a halt to protest the GOP plan and closed-door process.
“Doing this behind closed doors is actually not what we did,” said Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a member of the Democratic Party that in 2009 passed ObamaCare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats are upset that the GOP replacement bill is being drafted by 13 Republican senators and that leaders of the GOP-controlled Senate won’t allow Democrats to participate in the process.
The GOP-House passed its repeal bill in May. And the Senate intends to pass its version without a single Democratic vote -- by using a parliamentary process known as budget reconciliation.
How far Senate Democrats will go to slow the chamber’s day-to-day business, particularly hearings, remains unclear. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other members of his leadership team have declined to talk to Fox News about such plans.
However, Fox has confirmed that they intend to at least slow the process with extended speeches on the chamber floor, as first reported by Politico.
The pressure is on Republicans to repeal or at least fix ObamaCare.
President Trump and essentially every congressional Republican campaigned on a promise to replace the 2010 health care law, struggling under increasing premium costs while offering Americans fewer policy choices.
Republicans need 51 votes to pass the legislation and put the bill on Trump’s desk to sign.
However, they have only 52 senators, with several expressing concerns -- particularly those in poorer states -- about supporting a bill that could increase premium costs for tens-of-millions of Americans, as the House bill is projected to do.
Among them is Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, who last week raised the issue of the emerging Senate bill including “new entitlement, like the House version, according to The Hill newspaper. One is a refundable tax credit to help Americans pay for their premiums. And the other is a so-called “stabilization fund” that would lower the cost of premiums.
Trump celebrated the House passing its version. And he appears encouraged by the Senate’s progress.
However, during a meeting with senators last week the president reportedly called the House version “mean” and suggested the upper chamber add more money to the bill, apparently to lower premium costs and cover more people.
But the Senate must also craft a bill that saves $113 billion to pass the measure by a simple majority, which gives them little room for such improvements.  

Trump lawyer Sekulow: President has no knowledge of being investigated

Jay Sekulow, a member of President Trump’s legal team, said Sunday he has no knowledge of the president being the target of a federal probe, following Trump's recent statement suggesting that he is being investigated.
“The president has not been notified by anyone that he is under investigation,” Sekulow told “Fox News Sunday,” in a heated exchange with host Chris Wallace about whether Trump could be under investigation without knowing.
“You don’t know that he's not under investigation,” Wallace said.
Sekulow responded: “I can’t read minds.”
Sekulow also said that Trump’s tweet that led people to believe he was under investigation was in response to a Washington Post story in which unnamed sources said the president was being investigated.
The FBI and two congressional panels are investigating whether the Trump campaign or presidential transition team colluded with Russia during or after the 2016 White House race.
Before Trump fired James Comey as the FBI director, Comey told the president he was not a target in the agency investigation. The Post story suggests the FBI probe, now being led by special counsel Robert Mueller, includes whether Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey.
“Nothing has changed since Comey said the president is not a target,” Sekulow also said Sunday.
Sekulow said Trump has never accused Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein of “doing anything wrong,”  and has expressed no opinion about him.

'Nothing has changed since Comey said the president is not a target.'

Rosenstein wrote a letter that seemed to support Trump firing Comey.
He told Congress last week that he would not fire Mueller “without good cause,” amid speculation Trump wanted to get rid of Mueller.
He also said he couldn't say whether Trump has discussed Mueller, citing attorney-client privileges.

Deputy AG Rosenstein May Recuse Himself from Russia Investigation

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may be recusing himself from the DOJ’s Russia investigation.
Recent reports say that Rosenstein has told colleagues he might have to step away from the probe, but it is unclear why.
President Trump recently sent a tweet seemingly aimed at the Deputy AG, saying he is being investigated by the man who told him to fire the FBI Director.
Rosenstein drafted the letter for the basis of Comey’s firing and many believe he is now caught in the President’s cross-hairs because he appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Many say if Rosenstein recuses himself, then maybe Mueller should recuse himself as well.

Polls: Nominees Tied in Georgia’s Special Election

Republican Karen Handel campaigns at a restaurant in Johns Creek, Ga., Friday, June 16, 2017, ahead of runoff election to replace former Rep. Tom Price. Democrat Jon Ossoff is trying for an upset over Handel in the GOP-leaning 6th Congressional District that stretches across greater Atlanta’s northern suburbs. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz)

What’s being called the most expensive election in U.S. history is heating up in Georgia.
Republican Karen Handel and 30-year-old Democrat Jon Ossoff have spent a record $40 million on campaign ads.
Recent polls show they are neck-and-neck in the race to fill Health Secretary Tom Price’s old house seat.
Ossoff may have raised more money than Handel, but she has the support of President Trump, as well as Price and Agriculture Secretary and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.
Early voting is over, with election day on Tuesday.

Maxine Waters Cartoons

Sen. Harris’ Campaign Paid Rep. Waters $63K For Endorsements

Kamala Harris Received Endorsement From Rep. Waters for $63K.

Waters

Campaign committees for Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) twice paid tens of thousands to campaign committees for Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) in exchange for placement on a mailer announcing Waters's endorsement of Harris, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Harris—who has garnered media attention and earned speculation that she is positioning herself to run for president in 2020 following her performance during recent Senate hearings, including that of former FBI Director James Comey—has kicked $63,000 to the campaign of Maxine Waters, the congressional face of the anti-Trump movement, in exchange for placement on the endorsement mailers.
The payments were made from Harris's campaign committee and transferred to Waters's campaign committee through a lucrative "slate mailer" operation run by Waters's daughter, a program that has proved profitable for both her daughter and the campaign.On May 5, 2010, when Harris was a San Francisco district attorney and running for attorney general in the state, her campaign committee, Kamala Harris For AG 2010, paid Waters's campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, $20,000 to appear on her slate mailer announcing the endorsement. Harris made three payments totaling $33,000 to Waters's campaign committees throughout the 2010 election cycle. Harris won her election for attorney general.
During the 2016 election cycle, as Harris was running for U.S. Senate, Harris's campaign committee, Kamala Harris for Senate, made a $30,000 payment in May 2016 to again appear on Waters's endorsement mailer. Harris trounced former Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the race to replace Barbara Boxer in the Senate.
Waters's slate mailer operation is unique to Members of Congress but a more common practice in the state of California.
The mailers list the candidates endorsed by Waters and is sent to the more than 200,000 constituents in South Central Los Angeles area, where the congresswoman holds considerable clout. The mailers contain an "official sample ballot" with brief quotes from the congresswoman.
The operation is run by Karen Waters, the daughter of Rep. Waters, who has collected more than $650,000 to date for running the endorsement mailers. Karen is owed another $108,000 from her mother's campaign committee, according to its most recent records. Once Karen is paid, her total payments will reach more than $750,000 since 2006.
The FEC issued an advisory opinion in 2004 allowing Waters to run the slate mailers from her campaign committee. Prior to running the slate mailers from her campaign, the operation was run from a state committee called LA Vote.
The slate mailer operation, which legally allows Waters to bypass campaign contribution limits from other political committees, pulled in more than $300,000 for her campaign during the 2016 election cycle. Harris's $30,000 payment was one of the highest made to Waters throughout the cycle. Waters appears to be the only Member of Congress to run such an operation.
Harris's office did not return a request for comment on the payments by press time.

'Blood of Steve Scalise is on your hands!' Protesters disrupt 'Julius Caesar'

Director Oskar Eustis directs JULIUS CAESAR

IDIOT ACTORS Top (From Left): Tina Benko, Teagle F. Bougere, Yusef Bulos, Eisa Davis, Robert Gilbert
Middle (From Left): Gregg Henry, Edward James Hyland, Nikki M. James, Christopher Livingston, Elizabeth Marvel
Bottom (From Left): Chris Myers ,Corey Stoll, John Douglas Thompson, Natalie Woolams-Torres

Protesters disrupted a New York City stage production of "Julius Caesar" Friday that featured a bloody assassination of a character that resembled President Trump.
One protester, identified as Rebel Media's Laura Loomer, stormed the stage and shouted, "Stop Leftist Violence."
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Another protester, identified as Jack Posobiec, rose to his feet and yelled, "The blood of Steve Scalise is on your hands" and "Goebbels would be proud."
Video of the incident was quickly posted on social media. It showed the crowd booing as an announcement was made that the show was briefly halted.
Loomer was arrested and Posobiec was escorted out of the Shakespeare in the Park theatre complex located in Central Park.
I interviewed Posobiec by phone at the Central Park Police Precinct - where he was waiting for his colleague to be processed on a criminal trespass charge.
"We were protesting what we saw was the normalization of violence," he told me. "I couldn't believe they were going on with the play in light of what happened with the attack on Congressman Scalise."
He said it was infuriating to watch the faux assassination of President Trump.
"This play was savage and brutal. He is stabbed multiple times, running around stage, crawling through blood," he told me. "It made my blood run cold seeing Americans cheering a depiction of their president being stabbed 100 times with 100 blades."
He said it turned his stomach.
"This Manhattan Central Park crowd was on their feet cheering - they were cheering as an actor dressed as the president was stabbed to death," he told me.
Not all conservatives are cheering the disruption.
"This is total, complete horse crap," conservative columnist Ben Shapiro wrote on Twitter. "She invaded a public performance to obstruct it. She has no right to the stage."
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Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary. His latest book is “The Deplorables’ Guide to Making America Great Again.” Follow him on Twitter @ToddStarnes and find him on Facebook.

Scooped by Alex Jones? InfoWars host releases pre-interview recordings with Megyn Kelly

Leftist Megyn Gold Digger Kelly

Megyn Kelly could find her upcoming interview with conspiracy monger Alex Jones scooped -- by Jones himself.
Amid a firestorm leading up to Sunday evening’s NBC broadcast of Kelly’s next major interview for the network, Jones claimed he had secretly made his own tape of the interview -- as well as talks leading up to it -- and planned to release his version in advance. Jones says his tape will show the former Fox News personality sandbagged him.
“It’s not going to be some gotcha hit piece, I promise you that,” Kelly tells Jones in a recording released on Jones’ website, Infowars.com. “All I can do is give you my word and tell you if there is one thing about me I do what I say I’m going to do and I don’t double-cross.”
Kelly goes on to say in one of the pre-interview recordings that she is a “combination of Mike Wallace, Oprah Winfrey and Larry the Cable Guy.
“That’s what you’ll get in the interview – a little bit of all three of those and hopefully everybody will walk away feeling like they had a good dinner – nutritious, some red meat with some dessert at the end,” she is heard saying.
“Of course I’m going to do a fair interview I’m still
me – I’m not going to go out there and be Barbara Walters,” she added.
MEGYN KELLY’S INTERVIEW WITH ALEX JONES GETTING COMPLETE OVERHAUL
However, Jones, in commentary interspersed throughout the recordings, accused Kelly of going back on her word.
“When she got here with her crew of intelligence operatives she did the opposite of what she said,” Jones told viewers. “And so I was recording the whole time, from our pre-interviews, right through the interviews, we have a record of it so that you can decide for yourself what I really said and what I stood for.”
“You alone will be the judge,” he adds. “You alone will be the jury of who is fake news.”
Kelly's follow-up to her debut interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin was already steeped in controversy. By early this week, the network was reportedly in crisis meetings over how to respond to enraged parents of children killed in the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Their criticism is that NBC’s decision to send its newest star to interview Jones – infamous for having said in 2014 that “Sandy Hook is synthetic, completely fake, with actors, in my view, manufactured” -- will only dignify the alt-right celebrity broadcaster.
“I don’t know what the truth is, all I know is that the official story of Sandy Hook has more holes in it than Swiss cheese,” Jones later said in a video he posted online in November 2016.
Lawyers representing the families of the victims of Sandy Hook say that NBC airing the interview will only give more credibility to conspiracy theories surrounding the tragic shooting which left 20 children and six school staffers dead.
"Airing Ms. Kelly's interview implicitly endorses the notion that Mr. Jones' lies are actually 'claims' that are worthy of serious debate, and in doing so it exponentially enhances the suffering and distress of our clients," lawyers Josh Koskoff and Katie Mesner-Hage wrote in a letter to NBC, according to The Associated Press.
Then, following the parental backlash, a major sponsor said it was pulling advertising dollars. J.P. Morgan Chase announced no more money for NBC until after the Jones interview aired, or the broadcast is cancelled.
“When you say parents faked their children’s deaths, people get very angry,” Kelly said in a teaser of the interview released by NBC.
“I looked at all the angles of Newtown and I made my statements long before the media even picked up on it,” Jones responds.
MEGYN KELLY DEFENDS ALEX JONES INTERVIEW, NBC PRESSURED TO CANCEL IT
An interview with at least one Sandy Hook parent whose child died in the shootings will be included in NBC’s report Sunday, a person familiar with the show told The Associated Press.
In other parts of the pre-interview recordings released by Jones, Kelly appears to butter up the InfoWars host after the NBC interview is agreed upon.
“I’m not looking to portray you as some boogie man or do any sort of a gotcha moment...the craziest thing of all would be if some of the people who have some insane version of you in their heads walk away saying ‘You know what I see the dad in him, I see the guy who loves those kids and who is more complex than I’ve been led to believe’,” Kelly says, referencing Jones’ child custody trial.
In Texas, Jones’ recordings are protected from any potential legal action Kelly and NBC could pursue, as the state has a “one-party consent” law where only one person needs to agree to having recorded communications.

Trump administration rips leaks surrounding Mueller probe

The Trump administration and its allies are firing back at the torrent of leaks surrounding Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, suggesting the anonymous sources tied to these reports cannot be trusted – while calling into question the Mueller team’s neutrality.
In an unusual statement overnight, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Americans should question anonymously sourced reports.
"Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories any stories attributed to anonymous 'officials,'" Rosenstein said, "particularly when they do not identify the country — let alone the branch or agency of government — with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated."
While not specifically citing the Russia probe, the statement was issued as The Washington Post published an anonymously sourced report claiming another significant development in the Mueller investigation. The Post reported the team is probing the finances and business dealings of Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, attributing the details to “U.S. officials familiar with the matter.”
TRUMP RIPS 'WITCH HUNT'
Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, did not comment on the Post report when reached by Fox News, but did say that the special counsel's office "has undertaken stringent controls to prohibit unauthorized disclosures that deal severely with any member who engages in this conduct."
It’s unclear whether this and other leaks are coming from inside or outside the investigation -- for instance, from associates of individuals who are the subject of scrutiny.
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly complained about leaked reports on the progress of Mueller's investigation, many of which have appeared in either the Post or The New York Times.
On Wednesday, the Post reported that Mueller was examining whether Trump has tried to obstruct justice and was seeking interviews with three administration officials: Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence; Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency; and Richard Ledgett, the former NSA deputy director.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Trump's personal lawyer, responded Wednesday evening to the Post report by saying: "The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal."
The Post report cited anonymous sources who were briefed on requests made by investigators. It was not immediately clear whether the FBI was the source of the information.
The president himself took to Twitter Wednesday morning to decry “the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history.” He claimed it’s being “led by some very bad and conflicted people!”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted that Mueller is the tip “of the deep state spear aimed at destroying or at a minimum undermining and crippling the Trump presidency.”
Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller special counsel in the Russia investigation last month, testified to lawmakers Tuesday that he has seen no evidence of good cause to fire Mueller and that he is confident that Mueller will have "the full independence he needs" to investigate thoroughly.

Judicial Watch seeking documents ‘unlawfully removed’ by Comey

Conservative watchdog Judicial Watch is calling on Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe to recover and release federal records and memos it claims were “unlawfully” removed by former Director James Comey, threatening the FBI with a lawsuit should the bureau not comply.
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, penned a letter to McCabe on June 14 warning of a potential violation of the Federal Records Act, which is the basis for the federal government’s policies regarding the “creating, maintaining, and disposing” of federal records.
“As you may be aware, the Federal Records Act imposes a direct responsibility on you to take steps to recover any records unlawfully removed from the FBI,” Fitton wrote in the letter, claiming Comey unlawfully removed memos that could contain contents regarding the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. “Upon learning that records have been unlawfully removed from the FBI, you then are required to initiate action through the Attorney General for the recovery of records.”
The FBI told Fox News that they have no comment on the letter from Fitton.
“We’re looking to get action on the records that Comey unlawfully took from the FBI, and we know initially there are memos, but depending on what the nature of the documents are, there could be liabilities for Mr. Comey,” Fitton told Fox News.
The "memos" in question were written by Comey himself, leaving unclear how the FBI or the courts would view them; Judicial Watch insists they are official records.
Earlier this month, Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that he gave one of his memos regarding a meeting with President Trump to a friend, Columbia University Professor Daniel Richman, who then leaked the contents of the memo to the New York Times.
“I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter—I thought that might prompt the appointment of special counsel,” Comey said in his testimony.
Fitton said that the case of Comey removing documents from the FBI is “the Hillary Clinton email scandal all over again.”
But retired FBI special agent and former national FBI spokesman, John Iannarelli, told Fox News that he didn’t see “the case.”
“The things Comey allegedly took are not classified,” Iannarelli said. “The issue is not him taking documents, but the matter of how he released them—classified or not, there is a procedure in doing that which he did not follow.”
But Fitton insisted Comey’s memos and other related documents he may have were federal records which the Justice Department and FBI are “obligated” to get back.
“The former FBI director isn’t above the law and current leadership of the FBI should stop protecting him and take action,” he said.
The letter said that if McCabe and the FBI do not respond by June 26, Judicial Watch will file a lawsuit in federal district court “seeking that you be compelled to comply with the law.”

Immigrant Cartoons

Trump scraps Obama policy that protected immigrant parents from deportation

An Obama-era immigration program intended to protect parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents from deportation has been formally cancelled, fulfilling a key campaign promise from President Trump, the Homeland Security Department announced late Thursday.
Homeland Security John Kelly formally revoked a policy memo that created the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program. The revocation came on the fifth anniversary of another effort that has protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.
The program to protect parents was announced by President Obama in November 2014 but was never fully launched because it was blocked by a federal court, according to Reuters.
It was intended to keep the immigrant parents safe from deportation and provide them with a renewable work permit good for two years, but it was blocked by a federal judge in Texas after 26 states filed suit against the federal government and challenged the effort’s legality.
Republicans decried the effort as “backdoor amnesty” and argued that Obama overstepped his authority by protecting a specific class of immigrants living in the United States illegally.
The protection program for parents, like the one for young immigrants, was created with a policy memo during the Obama administration. Both programs required that participants meet certain conditions, including not having a criminal history. As part of the expansion to protect immigrant parents living in the United States illegally, the Obama administration also sought to provide the young immigrants with work permits good for three years at a time. That provision was also blocked by the Texas judge.
Revoking the memo and ending the stalled program fulfill a key campaign promise by Trump, who pledged to “immediately” cancel both efforts. Trump has not said what he plans to do about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but so far most immigrants protected by the effort have not been targeted by stepped-up efforts to find and deport immigrants living in the country illegally. As of March 31, about 787,000 young immigrants have been approved for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, according to government data.
Arrests of immigrants in the interior of the country have increased under the Trump administration, but deportations are slightly down as fewer people have been caught crossing the Mexican border into the United States illegally.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a top priority and has vowed to continue a crackdown on those living in U.S. illegally and those trying to sneak into the country.
Reuters reported that Trump previously said that his administration was considering different options.
“They shouldn’t be very worried,” Trump told ABC News in January, referring to DACA recipients. “I do have a big heart.

Rosenstein warns Americans to 'exercise caution' about anonymous reports

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Thursday evening that Americans should "exercise caution" before believing anonymously sourced reports, an apparent reference to ongoing leaks surrounding the investigation into alleged connections between Russian officials and President Trump's campaign.
"Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories any stories attributed to anonymous 'officials,'" Rosenstein said in a statement, "particularly when they do not identify the country — let alone the branch or agency of government — with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated."
Though Rosenstein's statement did not reference the Russia investigation specifically, it was released hours after the Washington Post reported that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Jared Kushner — Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law — over his finances and business dealings.
ROBERT MUELLER APPOINTMENT TO LEAD RUSSIA PROBE WINS BIPARTISAN PRAISE
Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, did not comment on the Post report when reached by Fox News, but did say that the special counsel's office "has undertaken stringent controls to prohibit unauthorized disclosures that deal severely with any member who engages in this conduct."
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly complained about leaked reports about the progress of Mueller's investigation, many of which have appeared in either the Post or The New York Times.
On Wednesday, the Post reported that Mueller was examining whether Trump has tried to obstruct justice and was seeking interviews with three administration officials: Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence; Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency; and Richard Ledgett, the former NSA deputy director.

Now PlayingRussia investigation: Who’s Who

Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Trump's personal lawyer, responded Wednesday evening to the Post report by saying: "The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal."
The Post report cited anonymous sources who were briefed on requests made by investigators. It was not immediately clear whether the FBI was the source of the information.
The president himself took to Twitter Wednesday morning to complain about the "phony story" in the Post, then did so again in the afternoon to question why Hillary Clinton's conduct during the probe of her private email server was not under more scrutiny.
Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller special counsel in the Russia investigation last month, testified to lawmakers Tuesday that he has seen no evidence of good cause to fire Mueller and that he is confident that Mueller will have "the full independence he needs" to investigate thoroughly.

Pres. Trump: Obstruction of Justice Probe is a ‘Witch Hunt’

President Trump is pushing back against reports of an obstruction of justice investigation.
In a tweet Thursday morning, the president called the investigation “phony” and a “witch hunt”.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating President Trump after he fired former FBI director James Comey last month.
Mueller is reportedly trying to determine if the administration pressured officials into killing the investigation into the president’s alleged campaign ties to Russia.
President Trump’s attorney called the leak of information to the reports “inexcusable” and “illegal.”

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