Trump's 'feds' now in Chicago to fight gun violence 'epidemic'

Months after taking to Twitter to say he would send in "the Feds" to help reduce Chicago's murder rate, President Trump's administration has sent in agents to combat the ongoing violence.
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that about 20 additional agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been sent to the city.
Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed Friday that the federal government is sending help, while decrying the crime epidemic on the city's streets.
"Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year!" Trump tweeted.
Sessions also told "Fox & Friends" that his department is assisting.
“We’ll have an impact in reducing shootings in Chicago,” he said, while saying police there are “demoralized” and city policies are not working.
“Murders are way, way too high,” he said.
Sessions subsequently released a written statement saying the administration has created the Chicago Gun Strike Force and is sending “20 more permanent ATF agents to Chicago, reallocating federal prosecutors and prioritizing prosecutions to reduce gun violence” and working with law enforcement partners.
“The Trump Administration will not let the bloodshed go on; we cannot accept these levels of violence,” he said.
Shortly after his inauguration, Trump tweeted "If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible "carnage" going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!"
HOW COULD TRUMP 'SEND IN THE FEDS' TO CHICAGO?
The new set of agents will work with counterparts from the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police on a strike force to solve shootings and arrest gun traffickers, according to the Sun-Times.
Included in the strike force are prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office and Cook County state's attorney's office, the Sun-Times reports, who will decided whether suspects in gun crime should be charged in state of federal court
“The goal is the prosecute as many of these guys as possible federally where they will serve longer prison terms,” Anthony Riccio, head of the Chicago Police Department’s organized crime unit, told the newspaper.
Trump has previously voiced concern about violence in Chicago. Earlier in January, he posted, “If Mayor can’t do it he must ask for Federal help!”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

This is the same dimocrat that has been giving the POTUS trouble since he became president.

Tucker on SF's $190K Payout to Illegal Immigrant: 'You Shouldn't Pay a Criminal for Breaking the Law'

Just give them free money from the tax payer and they'll be happy :-)

An illegal immigrant is set to be awarded $190,000 from San Francisco after police turned him over to immigration authorities, which is a violation of the city's sanctuary policy.
Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno, who is from El Salvador and was living in the U.S. illegally, walked into a police station on December 2, 2015, to recover his stolen car. When he left the station, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately took him into custody.
Figueroa-Zarceno recently reached the massive settlement agreement with the city attorney's office. The agreement must be approved by the city's Board of Supervisors.
Immigration advocate Roberto Hernandez joined Tucker Carlson tonight to debate the controversial payout.
Tucker argued it's "insane" that the city is paying Hernandez because they actually enforced U.S. federal immigration law.
"You shouldn't pay a criminal for breaking the law," Tucker said. "And that's what San Francisco is doing."

Federal Judge Puts Hold on Calif. Gun Control Law

A federal judge is putting a temporary block on a California gun control law that prohibits weapon owners from owning large capacity magazines.
The San Diego-based judge made the ruling Thursday at the request of the National Rifle Association.
The NRA says the law infringes on the second amendment.
The law requiring citizens turn in magazines holding more than 10 rounds was approved by California voters last November.
Proponents of the bill claimed the law was necessary to prevent future mass shootings.

Dem. State Officials from 3 States Refuse to Give Voter Information

Democratic state officials say they refused a request for voter data from the president’s Commission on Election Integrity.
On Thursday, the commission sent requests to all 50 states for voter information, including names, birthdays, voting history, and the last four digits of social security numbers.
A spokesperson says the information would be made available to the public, however; state representatives from Virginia, California, and Kentucky say they will not comply with the request.
The states claim the information is an invasion of voter privacy.
The president signed an executive order in May creating the commission to promote fair and honest federal elections.

MSNBC Cartoons

MSNBC fires Greta Van Susteren, replaces her with liberal host

Should not have left Fox News :-)

Greta Van Susteren is out at MSNBC less than six months after she started at the cable channel.
Van Susteren broke the news of her own ouster Thursday, tweeting "I'm out at MSNBC" shortly before the network issued its own announcement. Van Susteren's husband, John Coale, told CNNMoney, "They let her go," and added that she and MSNBC were "working out contract issues now."
CNNMoney also reported that Van Susteren was given no prior notice of the decision and was told her on-air presence was not "confrontational enough."
MSNBC said that Van Susteren's nightly 6 p.m. show would be replaced with one hosted by Ari Melber, MSNBC's chief legal correspondent who also hosts his own weekend show, "The Point."
The reliably liberal Melber worked on John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and also served as a legislative aide to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., before attending law school and moving into media work.
Van Susteren's Washington-based show, "For the Record," debuted on Jan. 9. Her 14-year run at Fox News ended this past summer. Before that, she had her own show at CNN.
The program was the least-watched show on MSNBC between 5 p.m. and midnight both Monday and Tuesday of this week, according to the Nielsen company.
On Monday, for example, MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily" at 5 p.m. had 970,000 viewers, and Van Susteren's show dipped to 797,000. When Chris Matthews' "Hardball" started at 7 p.m., the network's audience jumped to 1.45 million, Nielsen said.
The show is ending despite the public backing of Van Susteren's friend and MSNBC's most popular host, Rachel Maddow.
In a note to staff, MSNBC President Phil Griffin called Van Susteren "a well-regarded television veteran and one of only a few broadcasters who can say they've hosted shows at all three major cable news networks. We are grateful to her and wish her the best."

San Francisco to pay $190G to undocumented immigrant over sanctuary law violation, lawyer says

Frigging Unbelievable!

A man from El Salvador in the U.S. illegally who sued San Francisco after police turned him over to immigration authorities in violation of the city's sanctuary law is set to be awarded $190,000, his attorney said Thursday.
Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno, 33, reached the settlement agreement with the city attorney's office, said Saira Hussain, a staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus who represented Zarceno. The agreement must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
“It’s really important for San Francisco to remain a sanctuary city not in name only but also in practice,” Hussain told The San Francisco Examiner. “Our hope is that the department is going to look into this further and really examine the way that the department can do more."
Figueroa-Zarceno sued San Francisco in January for violating its sanctuary city law.
The construction worker said he went to police in December 2015 after getting a call from authorities that his stolen car had been found. Instead of helping him, he said, officers detained him and called immigration authorities.
He was taken into custody by federal authorities outside the police station and was in jail for two months. He has been fighting his deportation since his release.
"What happened to me was very unfair and it was an injustice," Figueroa-Zerceno said. "I went into the police station to seek help and they didn't tell me what was happening and they arrested me and treated me badly."
City law prohibits law enforcement officers from cooperating with federal immigration officials except when violent criminals are involved.
Part of the law's purpose was to encourage immigrants to report crimes they may be afraid of disclosing because of fear that investigating officers would turn them over to immigration authorities.
San Francisco's sanctuary law was thrust into the national debate on immigration after the July 2015 slaying of 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle.
The man charged with murder in Steinle's slaying, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, had been released by San Francisco sheriff's officials months earlier despite a request by immigration officials to keep him behind bars.
House Republicans took action Thursday to crack down on illegal immigrants and the cities that shelter them.
One bill passed by the House would deny federal grants to sanctuary cities and another, Kate’s Law, would increase the penalties for deported aliens who try to return to the United States.

U.S. Sets New Visa Requirements for Applicants From Six Countries, DHS Announces New Security for International Flights

OAN Newsroom
The U.S. is setting new requirements for visa applicants from refugees and citizens of six nations.
The move comes as the Supreme Court partially restores President Trump’s executive order to protect the nation.
Visa applicants from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will now require close family or business ties to be exempted from the order.
It goes into affect starting Thursday night at 8:00 P.M. Eastern time.
To apply for U.S. entry applicants will need to prove a relationship with a parent, child, spouse, son or daughter in-law, or sibling.
The State Department does not plan to cancel any previously scheduled visa appointments for residents from the six affected countries.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security announces new security measures for international flights bound for the U.S.
Secretary John Kelly presented the changes during the Center for New American Security’s annual conference earlier Wednesday, saying its time to raise the global baseline of aviation security.
He said his department will issue safety guidelines to airlines with direct flights to the U.S.
The measures will be a requirement for countries looking to avoid a ban on laptops or other electronics.
The changes will include better vetting of airline employees, and thorough interviewing of passengers.

Pres. Trump Says the U.S. is ‘Freeing Up Towns’ From MS-13 Gang

President Trump says his immigration actions are liberating towns from gangs, specifically the notorious MS-13 gang.
The Trump administration says the president’s strict immigration policies already discouraged potential gang members from crossing the border into the United States.
Republicans also pushed to stop foreign aid to MS-13 home countries, including El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
President Trump said his administration’s efforts toward finding a solution for the country’s problem with illegal immigration and violent crime have already begun to make an impact.
This comes as the House is voting on Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act on Thursday.

Muslim Nation Cartoons

Barrasso: 'ObamaCare is a Bus Going Over a Cliff - The Dems Say Stay Onboard'

A top Republican characterized ObamaCare as a "bus going over a cliff," urging his colleagues to rid the American people of the "government's control" of health care.
Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) said the current senate bill eliminates government mandates and taxes, and stabilizes health insurance markets.
The former orthopaedic surgeon said that premiums will decrease by 30 percent in the short-term, and said Medicaid's solvency will be stabilized.
The latest Fox News Poll showed that 27 percent of voters support the bill, while 54 percent oppose.
Barrasso said he is willing to hear ideas from his colleagues, including notable bill opponent Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), on how to make the bill better and get it through the Senate.
"ObamaCare is a bus going over a cliff. The Democrats are saying 'stay onboard' and I'm saying we're just trying to rescue people from this collapsing ObamaCare debacle," Barrasso said.

Military option for North Korea being prepared for Trump, McMaster says

President Trump's national security adviser said Wednesday that the administration is considering a wider range of strategies on how to deal with North Korea, including the military option.
“The threat is much more immediate now and so it’s clear that we can’t repeat the same approach – failed approach of the past,” H.R. McMaster, the adviser, said during a security conference with Homeland Security Chief John Kelly.
He said it would be insanity to continue to do the same thing the U.S. has done for years and expect a different result.
McMaster’s comments come a day before Trump is scheduled to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. South Korea’s new leader vowed to stand firmly with Trump against North Korea, downplaying his past advocacy for a softer approach toward the isolated regime.
"Together we will achieve the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program, peace on the Korean Peninsula and eventually peace in Northeast Asia," Moon said.
The talks between Moon and Trump, which begin with dinner on Thursday night and then formal talks on Friday, come amid intense wrangling over North Korea.
China is pushing the United States to start negotiations with the North. That prospect appears unlikely as Trump grows frustrated over Beijing's level of economic pressure on the North, its wayward ally.
North Korea shows no sign of wanting to restart talks on abandoning its nuclear weapons program.
Moon told The Washington Post that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "unreasonable" and "very dangerous" and that pressure was necessary. But Moon said sanctions alone would not solve the problem, and dialogue was needed "under the right conditions."
The THAAD missile defense is also expected to be talked about. Seoul delayed the full deployment of the U.S. system that is intended to protect South Korea and the 28,000 U.S. forces on the peninsula.
Moon's government has ordered an environmental review before allowing additional launchers for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system. South Korean officials say that does not mean they are placating China or reversing the decision, which risks angering Washington.
The U.S. has stepped up shows of military force near the Korean Peninsula under Trump, and outrage in Washington over North Korea has only grown since the death last week of U.S. university student Otto Warmbier. He had spent 17 months in detention in the totalitarian nation for stealing a propaganda poster and returned home this month in a coma. Three other Americans and six South Koreans are still being held in the North.

U.S. lays out criteria for visa applicants from six Muslim nations

Visa applicants from six Muslim-majority countries must have a close U.S. family relationship or formal ties to a U.S. entity to be admitted to the United States under guidance distributed by the U.S. State Department on Wednesday.
The guidance defined a close familial relationship as being a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling, including step siblings and other step family relations, according to a copy of a cable distributed to all U.S. diplomatic posts and seen by Reuters.
The cable, first reported by the Associated Press, said close family “does not include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-laws and sisters-in-law, fiancés, and any other ‘extended’ family members.”
It also specified that any relationship with a U.S. entity “must be formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course, rather than for the purpose of evading the E.O.,” a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s March 6 executive order barring most U.S. travel by citizens of the six nations for 90 days.
The cable provides advice to U.S. consular officers on how to interpret Monday’s Supreme Court ruling that allowed parts of the executive order, which had been blocked by the courts, to be implemented while the highest U.S. court considers the matter.
The six nations whose citizens are covered by the executive order are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
Asked about the guidance issued on Wednesday night, the State Department declined to comment on internal communications.
The cable’s language closely mirrored the Supreme Court’s order on the travel ban, though it appeared to interpret it in a narrow manner, notably in its definition of close family.
It was unclear on Wednesday evening whether the State Department’s interpretation of the court’s order would spark further legal action by opponents of the ban.
The guidance gave several examples of what might constitute a bona fide relationship with a U.S. entity, and said broad categories would be exempt from the travel ban, such as those eligible for student visas, “as their bona fide relationship to a person or entity is inherent in the visa classification.”
Similarly, those eligible for family or employment based immigrant visa applications are exempt from the travel ban, the cable said.
The cable said “a worker who accepted an offer of employment from a company in the United States or a lecturer invited to address an audience in the United States would be exempt” from the travel ban, but someone who simply made a hotel reservation would not count as someone with a bona fide relationship.
Trump’s executive order also imposed a 120-day ban on entry to the United States by refugees. Monday’s Supreme Court order, however, said the ban did not cover those refugees “who can credibly claim a bona fide relationship with a person or entity” in the United States.
The State Department guidance was unclear on what U.S. refugee agencies regard as a key question: whether their own dealings with refugees applying to come to the United States constituted a bona fide relationship.
The cable said that consulates should continue to interview applicants for so-called diversity visas, which are granted to individuals from countries that typically do not send many immigrants to the United States. In 2015, around 10,500 citizens from the six banned countries were selected for the diversity visa lottery, according to State Department figures.
The travel ban will likely bar such visas for citizens of the six countries, the cable acknowledged, stating that “we anticipate that very few DV applicants are likely to be exempt from the E.O.’s suspension of entry or to qualify for a waiver.”

Campaign Research Group Sued for Exposing Voter Data

An analytics firm specializing in voter information is being hit with a lawsuit.
Two Florida residents say Deep Root Analytics left the personal information of 198 Americans exposed online without any kind of online security protection.
The lawsuit claims the firm was negligent in protecting information about the general public, specifically Florida residents.
The company uses data to determine how to target voter demographics.
Last week the Upguard Security firm discovered the group set up the data to be available to anyone who visited Amazon’s cloud storage account without a password.
A spokesperson for Deep Root says the lawsuit is without merit.

Gender Neutral Cartoons

Paying workers to protest: The controversial trend of social justice benefits

Since the election, scores of activists have taken to the streets, town halls and rallies to blast President Trump. That’s all with the blessing of their boss thanks to social justice benefits and paid time off work policies that are growing in popularity.
At San Francisco marketing firm Traction, social justice benefits take the form of two so-called "Days of Action" a year.
"They can take part in a protest, they can volunteer for a cause that is meaningful to them," says CEO Adam Kleinberg. "Civic engagement is a foundation of our democracy, and companies should encourage it."
DOZENS OF WORKERS LOSE THEIR JOBS FOR PARTICIPATING IN DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS PROTEST
Kleinberg says while he's liberal, Traction's new policy is neutral: so long as it's not a group that promotes violence, such as the Ku Klux Klan, his 50 employees can support whatever political group or cause they want. They must first get approval from management and submit a request for the time off.
"If someone wanted to participate in a pro-life rally," says Kleinberg, "they are absolutely welcome to do that. This is not about the partners at Traction promoting our agenda, it's about having a broader view of democracy, and encouraging people to be engaged."
But in the famously left-leaning Bay Area, conservative activists don't buy it.
"They want, basically, a harder left turn than we're seeing now," says Howard Epstein, vice chair of communications for the San Francisco Republican Party. "And if you're going political, you're going to discourage some people from going to your place of business."
EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE EXCUSES STUDENT PROTESTERS FROM HOMEWORK
It is a risk: Consumers opposed to an official endorsement of protest culture might spend their money elsewhere. When news of Traction's “Day of Action” benefit spread, Kleinberg was the target of a backlash and calls for a boycott.
"Traction has been called everything from fascists, to socialists, to communists, to libtards, candya---s. I'm not quite sure what being a candya-- is, but if being candya---s is what it takes for Traction to inspire change, we're willing to own that."
In a statement to Fox News, outdoor apparel maker Patagonia had a similar stance.
"We hire activists... who are incredibly passionate about the environment. And, at times, protesting is part of that passion," said Dean Carter, vice president of human resources. "It all fits in with the company’s greater mission to make the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Several big corporations are also responding to their worker’s desire to advocate. Facebook told its employees they could take paid time off to May Day rallies which, in many cases, were largely about defending immigrant rights. Earlier this year, Comcast gave its workers paid time off to protest Trump’s travel ban.
Most companies give their workers time off to vote, but "this is different – this is going to a new level," said Scott Dobroski, community expert with employment firm Glassdoor.
A recent Glassdoor survey found more than half of employees believe they should have time off to advocate for social change, regardless of their politics.
"Many employers," Dobroski said, "are taking note that social change and positive action matters to employees – both in and out of the workplace."
Claudia Cowan currently serves as Fox News Channel's (FNC) San Francisco-based correspondent. She joined the network in 1998.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders rips CNN, media at heated briefing

The feud between the Trump White House and CNN reached a fever pitch Tuesday during a feisty press briefing where Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders slammed “fake news” and said Americans “deserve something better.”
Sanders conducted the first televised briefing in a week, following complaints from the press corps that too many are being held off-camera. She took the podium in place of Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who was on Capitol Hill for a GOP Senate luncheon.
Breitbart News’ Charlie Spiering asked the first question, challenging Sanders on why CNN’s retraction of a recent story was not sufficient enough for the president, who on Tuesday took to Twitter and said: “Wow, CNN had to retract big story on “Russia,” with 3 employees forced to resign. What about all the other phony stories they do? FAKE NEWS!”
TRUMP TAKES AIM AT MEDIA AFTER RUSSIA STORY RETRACTION
CNN had retracted a story linking a Trump adviser to a Russian investment fund. Three journalists involved in the story’s publication have since resigned and CNN issued an apology to the Trump adviser.
“I don’t know if that response is good enough,” Sanders said Tuesday. “It’s the barrage of fake news directed at the president that has garnered his frustration. ... We have gone to a place where if the media can’t be trusted to report the news, then that’s a dangerous place for America.”
Sanders went on to reference an undercover video allegedly showing a CNN producer knocking the network's Russia-Trump coverage.
“There are multiple instances when that outlet has been wrong—there’s a video circulating now, whether it's accurate or not, not sure—but I encourage everyone to take a look at it,” she said. “If it is accurate, I think it’s a disgrace to all of media, to all of journalism.”
Sanders added that the media has been “going on [the] Russia, Trump-hoax for the better part of a year now,” and that “America is looking for something more.”
But Spiering pushed back, asking if the president expects the media “not to report on stories of a foreign country trying to influence the election?”
“I don’t think it’s expected you’re not to report on actual news, but I think there are a lot of things happening in the world that people would like to hear about—job growth, deregulation—those things deserve more coverage,” Sanders said. “I think we should take a good look at what we are focused on and making sure it’s accurate.”
Sanders added, “If we make the slightest mistake, it is an absolute tirade from a lot of people in this room, but news outlets get to go on, day after day, and cite unnamed sources, and use stories without sources.”
Brian J. Karem, executive editor of The Montgomery County Sentinel, a local newspaper in Maryland, then accused Sanders of being “inflammatory.”
“You’re inflaming everyone here,” Karem said. “We’re here to ask questions, you’re here to provide answers—what you did is inflammatory—everybody in this room is just trying to do their job.”
Sanders fired back and said that the problem is “the dishonesty that often takes place in the news media.”
“It is outrageous to accuse me of inflaming a story when I was trying to answer a question,” Sanders added.
Sanders did not take questions from a CNN reporter at the end of the briefing.
The briefing came just a day after president of the White House Correspondents Association, Jeff Mason, also a Reuters correspondent, met with Spicer and Sanders to discuss the issue of White House press briefings.
“The WHCA’s position on this issue is clear: we believe strongly that Americans should be able to watch and listen to senior government officials face questions form an independent news media, in keeping with principles of the First Amendment and the need for transparency at the highest levels of government,” Mason wrote in a letter to his fellow White House correspondents.
Mason urged the White House not to replace on-camera briefings with gaggles, or “not-for-broadcast” question-and-answer sessions.
“Though they are useful and can play an important role in informing the press and the public, gaggles are not a substitute for the open back-and-forth between reporters and administration officials that regular televised briefings allow.”
Changes are also in the works for the White House communications team.
The Trump administration confirmed to Fox News last week that Spicer would be taking on an expanded role, overseeing both White House communications and press offices, and would not run every on-camera press briefing.

Yale University Sues Conn. Over Gender-Neutral Restrooms

Yale University is fighting for gender neutral bathrooms at its school of law.
The university is suing the entire state of Connecticut after the state building inspector’s office denied its request to designate single-occupant restrooms as gender neutral.
Connecticut’s building code requires a certain number of bathrooms in every building be assigned by gender, but Yale argues the move would provide easier access to restrooms for either gender
Yale also believes it would prevent discrimination based on gender identity.

Project Veritas Exposes CNN Fake News

From staging sensational news reports to releasing fake stories about President Trump and Russia, CNN’s reporting techniques are under fire.
Earlier this month, CNN was called out for staging a pro-Muslim protest after the London terror attack.
In a video posted on Youtube, CNN reporter Becky Anderson can be seen directing a few protesters to stand behind her to make the gathering look larger.
On Monday, White House correspondent Jim Acosta repeatedly interrupted Sean Spicer during a briefing, and over the weekend the station retracted a fake news story about Russia prompting a policy change.
Just days after the ‘fake-news’ story about President Trump and Russia was retracted by CNN, a new undercover video is revealing what may be a deeper problem at the network.
While the station will now undergo more publishing restrictions, the issue of questionable sources and reporting points to a bigger problem with mainstream media, and bias against President Trump.
This bombshell is one of many released by Project Veritas.

CNN News Cartoons

Three journalists quit CNN in fallout from retracted Russia story

Three CNN journalists who worked on a now-retracted story about Russia and a top Trump adviser are leaving the network.
CNN is casting their departure as resignations in the wake of the fiasco, but the network has come under substantial criticism since apologizing for the story. The move would also help CNN’s legal position in case of a lawsuit.
Anthony Scaramucci, the Trump adviser who is the target of the story, told me that he has no plans to sue. He said he has accepted CNN’s apology and wants to move on.
But Scaramucci also told me in an earlier interview, “I was disappointed the story was published. It was a lie.”
Lex Harris, executive editor of CNN’s investigative unit, was the highest-ranking official to resign. Thomas Frank, who wrote the story, and Eric Lichtblau, who edited it, also turned in their resignations. Lichtblau is a highly regarded reporter who spent nearly a decade and a half at the New York Times.
The story tried to draw a link between Scaramucci and the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Scaramucci was a Trump transition team member who has been nominated to an ambassadorial-level post based in Paris.
The CNN.com article said that Scaramucci, back in January, held a secret meeting with an official from the Russian fund. According to an unnamed source, Scaramucci discussed the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions at the meeting.
But Scaramucci told me there was no secret meeting. He said he had given a speech on Trump’s behalf at Davos, and fund official Kirill Dmitriev approached him in a restaurant to say hello and they had a brief conversation, with no discussion of sanctions.
In the retraction, the network said the story “did not meet CNN’s editorial standards.” The network is now requiring approval from two top editors before any Russia-related story can be published.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz. 

Hannity: Russia allegations 'boomeranging back' on Democrats

Fox News' Sean Hannity said Monday night that the ongoing controversy over Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign had rebounded onto the Democrats and "opened the door for their own investigations and real trouble."
In his opening monologue, the "Hannity" host proclaimed that, "real colluders are the ones who have been claiming collusion."
"The real fault for Russia’s election interference now falls – guess what? – at the feet of former President Obama," Hannity added. "The real crimes were committed, in fact, by Hillary Clinton. The real obstructer of justice is the former attorney general, Loretta Lynch ... And the real corrupt collusion is the relationship between the former FBI director, James Comey, and ... the special counsel Robert Mueller."
Hannity was referring in part to a Washington Post report that detailed Obama's "modest" response to intelligence about Russia attempts to disrupt the campaign.
"If President Obama knew what Russia was doing back in August of 2016, why didn’t he act?" Hannity asked. "The answer, we now know, is simple ... The president didn’t do any investigation because he actually thought Hillary [Clinton] was going to win. In other words, let me translate here, the only reason Russian interference and the story is a big deal, is because Donald Trump won.
"That’s what the special counsel needs to be investigating tonight," the host went on. "Real collusion: Obama this time defending Hillary, colluding so she’d win and not rocking the boat."

Syria could be planning chemical attack, White House says

The Trump administration said late Monday that it had discovered evidence that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad could be planning another chemical weapons attack.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that "The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children."
Spicer added that the activities resembled preparations for an April chemical weapons attack that was blamed on Damascus.
"As we have previously stated, the United States is in Syria to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria," Spicer concluded. "If, however, Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price."
The White House did not detail what prompted the warning.  Several State Department officials typically involved in coordinating such announcements told the Associated Press they were caught completely off guard by the warning, which didn't appear to be discussed in advance with other national security agencies.
Typically, the State Department, the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies would all be consulted before the White House issued such a declaration.
US AIR STRIKES POUND PRO-ASSAD FORCES IN SYRIA
However, a non-governmental source with close ties to the White House told AP the administration had received intelligence that the Syrians were mixing precursor chemicals for a possible sarin gas attack in either the east of south of the country, where government troops and their proxies have faced recent setbacks.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later said that "any further attacks done to the people of Syria will be blamed on Asaad, but also on Russia & Iran who support him killing his own people."
Earlier Monday, Trump dined with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and other top officials as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.

Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov talked earlier Monday about the need to secure a cease-fire in Syria, fight extremist groups and prevent the use of chemical weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Assad had denied responsibility for the April attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in the rebel-held Idlib province that killed dozens of people, including children. Victims show signs of suffocation, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and pupil constriction.
Days later, Trump launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian government-controlled air base where U.S. officials said the Syrian military had launched the chemical attack.

It was the first direct American assault on the Syrian government and Trump's most dramatic military order since becoming president months before.

Trump said at the time that the Khan Sheikhoun attack crossed "many, many lines," and put the blame squarely on Assad's forces.
Syria, meanwhile, maintained it hadn't used chemical weapons and blamed opposition fighters for stockpiling the chemicals. Russia's Defense Ministry said the toxic agents were released when a Syrian airstrike hit a rebel chemical weapons arsenal and munitions factory.
Chemical weapons have killed hundreds of people since the start of the conflict, with the U.N. blaming three attacks on the Syrian government and a fourth on the ISIS terror group.
On June 18, a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down a Syrian Su-22 after it attacked U.S.-backed fighters in northern Syria near ISIS' de facto capital, Raqqa. Ten days earlier, U.S. officials reported that a drone likely connected to Iranian-supported Hezbollah forces fired on U.S.-backed troops in southern Syria and was shot down by an American fighter jet.

OAN to Expose ‘Fake News on Steroids’ – Exclusive Video on OAN @11A.M. ET Tues.

OAN Newsroom
We want to bring you breaking news about an exclusive video we here at OAN will show you tomorrow.
On Tuesday at 11 A.M Eastern and 8 A.M. Pacific we will show you video of a behind the scenes look at a major national news network working to put out fake news.
The video is being dubbed — fake news on steroids — and shows the network actively pursuing false stories about President Trump colluding with Russia.
So be sure to tune in tomorrow — Tuesday — at 11 A.M. Eastern / 8 A.M. Pacific to see the video first, and find out which network we are talking about.

World Disrespects America Cartoons

No more of this!

Number of Refugees Entering the U.S. Drops

New statistics show a major drop in the number of refugees admitted into the U.S. under President Trump, when compared to the Obama Administration.
Data released from the Department of Homeland Security Friday shows the number of admitted refugees dropped by nearly 50%.
13,000 came to the U.S. during President Trump’s first 3 months in office, but 25,000 entered during the last months of the Obama Administration.
And when compared to the same period last year, the number of arrivals in the first months of the Trump Administration dropped by 12%.

ObamaCare Battle: Pro-Trump group previewing attack ads on GOP Senator Heller

The pro-Trump super PAC that vowed an ad campaign against Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller within hours of him on Friday opposing the GOP’s ObamaCare overhaul bill previewed its attack Saturday on social media.
“Why did @SenDeanHeller lie to voters about #RepealAndReplace? He’s now with @NancyPelosi. NOT GOOD! #HellerVotesYes,” tweeted America First Policies, run by former President Trump and Vice President Pence campaign staffers.
The group has bought $1 million worth of traditional ads (typically TV and radio) and is expected to start running them next week in Nevada, in addition to a digital ad campaign.
Heller is one of five GOP senators opposing the bill. The chamber has 52 GOP senators. Leaders of the GOP-controlled chamber need 51 votes to pass their ObamaCare bill. That means a maximum of two can defect, and that would require Pence to cast the deciding vote in what would be a 50-50 tie with Senate Democrats.
Heller is up for re-election in 2018 and is considered one of the most vulnerable GOP senators.
"Obamacare is collapsing. This is a crisis for the American people. There is no excuse for any Republican or Democrat to oppose the Senate health care bill outright," group President Brian Walsh said Friday. "Senator Heller ... appears to be heading down a path with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the radical left."
The other GOP senators who oppose the bill are Sens. Ted Cruz, Texas; Ron Johnson, Wisconsin; Mike Lee, Utah; and Rand Paul, Kentucky.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., released the bill Thursday, which awaits a financial analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and a floor vote by as early as next week.
“This bill currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer.” Heller said Friday. “In this form, I will not support it.”

Chaffetz: Justice watchdog also looking at Lynch's role in FBI's Clinton email probe

Utah GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of House oversight committee, said Saturday that the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office, in addition to a Senate panel, is looking into whether former Attorney General Loretta Lynch tried to squash the FBI’s Hillary Clinton email investigation.
“This is really a pivotal moment,” said Chaffetz on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends," amid three probes into whether President Trump’s presidential team colluded with Russia during the 2016 White House race that have slowed Washington Republicans’ legislative agenda.
Chaffetz said agency Inspector General Michael Horowitz “has been diving into this” and is expected to release a comprehensive report on Lynch and her oversight on the now-closed FBI email investigations in “the first part of next year.”
Horowitz could not be reached Saturday for comment.
The FBI opened and closed two investigations amid the 2016 presidential campaigns on whether Clinton, the Democratic nominee, gave away classified information or broke laws as secretary of State by sending or receiving emails on an unsecured server.
In June 2016, in the heat of the presidential campaign, Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, talked privately to Lynch while their planes were on the tarmac in a Phoenix airport, sparking questions about whether Clinton appealed to her for help.
The issue essentially died when Trump defeated Clinton but resurfaced a few weeks ago when former FBI Director James Comey testified on Capitol Hill that he was uncomfortable with the tarmac meeting.
He said Lynch “directed me not to call it an investigation and call it a matter -- which confused me."
Chaffetz, who is officially resigning next week from Congress, said Saturday the remark “evidently sparked a series of events” for Comey.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, in a bipartisan announcement, formally asked Lynch and others Friday to respond to allegations of “political interference” in the FBI email probe.
They have until July 6 to comply with the request.
The Senate inquiry was also prompted by news reports that raised questions about whether Lynch tried to stifle the investigation.
Among them is a New York Times story in April that is based in part on a hacked and unconfirmed electronic documents obtained by the FBI in which a Democratic operative expressed confidence Lynch would keep the Clinton probe from going too far.

Turkey’s Erdogan says Arab demands on Qatar unlawful

President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed calls for Turkey to close a military base in Qatar and said a wider list of demands issued by four Arab states was an unlawful intervention against the Gulf emirate’s sovereignty.
In his strongest statement of support for Qatar in the nearly three-week-old crisis centered on the Gulf state, Erdogan said the call to withdraw Turkish forces was disrespectful and that Doha – which described the demands as unreasonable – was taking the right approach.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a boycott on June 5 on Qatar and issued 13 demands including closing Al Jazeera television, curbing relations with Iran, shutting the Turkish base and paying reparations.
Doha said it was reviewing the list, but said it was not reasonable or actionable.
“We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands,” Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. “…This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country.”
The demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatar’s interventionist foreign policy which has incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as threats to their dynastic rule.
Both Qatar and Turkey, whose ruling AK Party has its roots in Islamist politics, backed a Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt before it was overthrown in 2013. The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian.
Bahrain’s state news agency on Sunday confirmed the demands set out by un-named Gulf officials on Friday, including that Qatar close the Turkish base, end military cooperation with Ankara inside Qatar and stop supporting militant groups.
“The demands aim to achieve regional countries’ stability, stand firmly against foreign interference and stop support for terrorist organizations,” it said.
“NO PULLOUT”
Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbors cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha.
Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armored vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5, and Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that further reinforcements would be beneficial.
“The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf’s security,” he said. “Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda.”
Hurriyet newspaper said last week a joint exercise by Turkish and Qatari forces was expected following the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which started on Sunday, and the number of Turkish soldiers sent to the Gulf state could eventually reach 1,000. An air force contingent was also envisaged, it said.
Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia, but never received a clear answer.
“If Saudi Arabia wants us to have base there, a step toward this also can be taken,” he told reporters. “I made this offer to the king himself and they said they will consider this.”
“They did not come back to us since that day and even though they still didn’t come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey”.
Speaking outside the Istanbul mosque after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned program despite feeling briefly unwell.
“I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes,” he said.

White House to Focus on Energy This Week

June 24, 2017
Washington, D.C.- Emerald Robinson, Political Correspondent
“Energy week” will be the theme this upcoming week for the White House, following on the heels of “tech week” during which President Trump met with Silicon Valley leaders to discuss transforming government technology.
“Energy week” is expected to kick of with an event at the White House on Wednesday that will include many cabinet secretaries. If the Administration remains true to the format of the previous theme weeks, more insight into the President’s intended energy policies can be expected.
Heritage Foundation’s economic expert Steve Moore advised President Trump regarding economic issues during his campaign and feels confident about the future of U.S. energy policy under this administration.
“Energy is huge and Donald Trump is fully on board with that,” said Moore. In addition, he applauded the President for pulling out of the Paris Agreement saying that it “was a shakedown of the United States taxpayer.”
According to Moore, certain policies could result in the United States becoming the energy capital of the world due to its wealth of oil, natural gas, and coal. He added that the U.S. could be selling oil instead of importing it.
It appears that the Administration echoes this view on energy based on the America First Energy Plan detailed on the White House website, which states that the Trump Administration is “committed to clean coal technology” and will “embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans.”