Morning Joe Show Cartoons

Pentagon sails destroyer near disputed island in South China Sea, officials say

For the second time since President Trump took office, the Pentagon dispatched a U.S. Navy warship to sail near a disputed island claimed by China in the South China Sea, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News.
The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer based in Japan, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, which is part of the Paracel Islands located in the South China Sea between China and Vietnam.
The destroyer was trailed by a Chinese warship during its Sunday voyage.
While occupied by China, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to the island. A defense official said the operation challenged Vietnam and Taiwan's claims to Triton Island in addition to China.
Twelve nautical miles is the territorial boundary that extends beyond the shores of all nations, sailing inside that distance sends a signal the United States does not recognize the claim.
The move comes as the Trump administration appears to be losing patience with Beijing over its continued military build-up in the South China Sea. The U.S. has been frustrated with Beijing’s failure to reign in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Triton Island is not one of China's seven artificial islands in the region. It has been constructed in the past few years. The U.S. Navy last sailed a warship off the coast of Triton Island in October. The Obama administration conducted similar operations.
The Pentagon wants to conduct what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations, or FONOPS, to challenge China's claims with enough frequency in the hopes they become more routine and not as newsworthy, according to an official with knowledge of the discussions.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, would not confirm the operation but said in a statement to Fox News, "We conduct routine and regular FONOPs, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future."
In late May, another guided-missile destroyer, USS Dewey, sailed approximately six miles from one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea, a first for the Pentagon since Trump assumed office.  The American warship conducted a "man-overboard" drill off the coast of Mischief Reef sending a signal to Beijing that the United States does not honor its claim to the reef--one of seven former reefs China has turned into artificial islands.  Three contain runways and other military fortifications.
"Fake islands should not be believed by real people," said the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, in a speech Wednesday in Brisbane, where the United States is participating in the largest ever joint military exercise with Australia, aimed in part to send a message to Beijing.
"China is using its military and economic power to erode the rules-based international order," Harris added.
Friday, new satellite imagery published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think-tank showed new military facilities including radar systems being installed on Mischief, Fiery Cross and Subi Reefs in the Spratly Islands located south of the Parcel Islands in the South China Sea.
While U.S. officials had seen the build-up for months, they are more concerned about the potential for China to place advanced surface-to-air missiles on the artificial islands, which could challenge U.S. military flights in the region.   Fox News first reported in December that China moved SA-21 missile batteries with a 250-mile range to the island province of Hainan for training, which could be sent to the artificial islands at a later date.  For the time being, they remain inside China.
The last time the U.S. Navy challenged China's claims in the South China Sea, the Trump administration pushed back on accusations it was turning a blind eye to China's military build-up on its artificial islands, while looking for Beijing to help with negotiations to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs.
"While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out.  At least I know China tried!" Trump said in a tweet last month.
On Friday, the Trump administration unveiled new sanctions against a Chinese bank linked to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, a day after announcing a new $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
Announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Steve Munchin said the move was not in retribution for Beijing failing to rein in North Korea.  "This is not directed at China, this is directed at a bank, as well as individuals and entities in China," he said.
China is sending messages of its own.
As Beijing marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British rule this weekend, President Xi Jinping presided over the largest military parade ever held in the territory.  Standing in the back of a jeep, Xi was driven past more than 3,000 assembled troops in formation in a show of strength.
On Wednesday, China launched the first of its newest class of destroyer called the Type 055, which many analysts say resembles the size and capability of the U.S. Navy's Arleigh-Burke class of guided-missile destroyers, like the one which conducted the operation near the contested Chinese island this weekend.
According to the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), China has 183 cruisers, destroyers, coastal ships and submarines compared wth 188 for the U.S. Navy.   CNAS projected in a March report that China will surpass the United States Navy in these types of warships by the end of the next decade, one of the reasons the U.S. Navy has requested a buildup to a 350-ship fleet, a view shared by many in Congress.
China claims most of the South China Sea where more than $5 trillion of commerce passes through each year.
Last week, the U.S. State Department called out China for being one of the worst human trafficking offenders--dropping Beijing to its lowest designation joining Iran, North Korea and Russia.   The report said China had done little to stop what has amounted to modern slavery and sex trafficking affecting millions.
Lucas Tomlinson is the Pentagon and State Department producer for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LucasFoxNews

McConnell rejects Trump's advice to repeal ObamaCare now, replace later

McConnell

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is rejecting President Trump's suggestion on how the Senate could promptly pass its ObamaCare overhaul measure -- by immediately repealing the 2010 heath care law and replacing it later.
The Kentucky Republican said Friday night that the bill, which includes significant and complex changes to ObamaCare, remains challenging but "we are going to stick with that path."
He also riffed on Trump’s winning campaign slogan, saying, "It's not easy making America great again, is it?"
McConnell, the leader of GOP-controlled Senate, responded to Trump tweeting earlier in the day: “If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!”
Trump is trying to revive an approach that GOP leaders and the president himself considered but dismissed months ago as impractical and politically unwise.
The Senate introduced its bill about two weeks ago but left Washington for July 4 recess without enough support from the chamber’s 52 GOP senators to pass the measure. McConnell will need support from at least 50 of them because the bill has no support among Senate Democrats.
The GOP-controlled House passed its ObamaCare overhaul bill earlier this month.
McConnell's is struggling to bridge the divide between moderates and conservatives.
The president also tweeted his message shortly after Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse appeared on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends" to talk about a letter he had sent to Trump making that exact suggestion: a vote on repealing former President Barack Obama's health law followed by a new effort at a working out a replacement.
Trump is a known "Fox & Friends" viewer, but Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also claimed credit for recommending the tactic to the president in a conversation earlier in the week.
"Sen. Rand Paul suggested this very idea to the president," said Paul spokesman Sergio Gor. "The senator fully agrees that we must immediately repeal Obamacare and then work on replacing it right away."
Either way, Trump's suggestion has the potential to harden divisions within the GOP as conservatives like Paul and Sasse complain that McConnell's bill does not go far enough in repealing former President Barack Obama's health care law while moderates criticize it as overly harsh in kicking people off insurance rolls, shrinking the Medicaid safety net and increasing premiums for older Americans.
McConnell has been trying to strike deals with members of both factions in order to finalize a rewritten bill lawmakers can vote on when they return to the Capitol the second week of July.
Even before Trump was inaugurated in January, Republicans had debated and ultimately discarded the idea of repealing the overhaul before replacing it, concluding that both must happen simultaneously. Doing otherwise would invite accusations that Republicans were simply tossing people off coverage and would roil insurance markets by raising the question of whether, when and how Congress might replace Obama's law once it was gone.
The idea also would leave unresolved the quandary lawmakers are struggling with now, about how to replace Obama's system of online insurance markets, tax subsidies and an expanded Medicaid with something that could get enough Republican votes to pass Congress. House Republicans barely passed their version of a replacement bill in May, and the task is proving even tougher in the Senate, where McConnell has almost no margin for error.
Moderates were spooked as the week began with a Congressional Budget Office finding that McConnell's draft bill would result in 22 million people losing insurance over the next decade, only 1 million fewer than under the House-passed legislation which Trump privately told senators was "mean." But conservatives continue to insist that the bill must go further than just repealing some of the mandates and taxes in Obama's law.
Underscoring the fissures within the GOP, conservative group leaders on that call welcomed Trump's suggestion but said it didn't go far enough because it could open the door to a subsequent bipartisan compromise to replace Obama's law. At the same time, a key House Republican, Rep. Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, rejected Trump's suggestion, contending that it "doesn't achieve what President Trump set out to do."

President Trump: CNN is Garbage Journalism

July 1, 2017
OAN Newsroom
President Trump blasts CNN as ‘garbage journalism.’
He made the comments Saturday on Twitter, saying he’s ‘extremely pleased’ the network has been exposed.
The President’s remarks come after the cable network retracted a story which linked a Trump transition aide to the executive of a Russian investment fund.
CNN fired several reporters involved in the story, saying it did not fit its editorial standards.
The President also continued to blast MSNBC’s Morning Joe show, saying its hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are not ‘bad people’, but their show is dominated by their bosses.

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski

President Trump Honors Veterans in D.C.

President Donald Trump speaks during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Saturday, July 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

July 1, 2017
OAN Newsroom
President Trump honors the nations’ veterans at the Celebrate Freedom rally in Washington D.C.
During the ceremony, President Trump highlighted the newly signed Veteran’s Accountability Act, which gives the government the ability to fire workers who don’t pull their weight at the VA.
The President also talked about how his administration is trying to improve services for those who have fought for America, and said the forgotten men and women of this country will never be forgotten again.
“I will never stop fighting for you. I am delivering on trade, on the economy, on the Supreme Court, on the Second Amendment, on our military, for our veterans and on our borders,” he said.
President Trump then shared stories of bravery from our nation’s veterans, praising them for fighting for our freedom and saying they are the true example of American values.
The commander-in-chief also talked about religious freedom, and ended his speech by saying that if we have pride in our beliefs and faith in our god, we will not fail.

Comments from America:

MrReality • 7 hours ago

I am starting to think that Trump is the perfect President for our time. He honors ALL Americans who sacrificed for our country. He is humble before God. At 70 years old, he gave up an easy life as a multi-billionaire to work his ass off and kick ass to help this country.
He is God's miracle for all who have prayed for this country. His election victory from being so down in EVERY poll on election eve is nothing less than God's will.
Think about it.

billwhit MrReality • 2 hours ago

I have always said that God put him in the Oval Office, not the voters. Democrats are feeling God's Wrath, for mocking HIM in 2012. I remember watching them on TV, at the DNC, taking the vote to kick God out of the Platform of their Party, and could not believe it. I knew right then, God would punish these godless Democrats, and they have been losing every time they turn around today. Something like 3000 Democratic loses all over America, State and Federal, I read not long ago. Yes, God's hand is against his Enemies, as it should be. Sad thing is, the Democrats are too blind to realize it.

Ginette • 8 hours ago

Thank you for honoring our Vets President Trump and for making THIS 4th of July celebration the best ever. MAGA

wildfire1944 • 7 hours ago

After 8 years of hate and divisiveness from obuttflosser and killery it is so refreshing to be treated this way. Thank you President Trump !

newsflash • 7 hours ago

Mr President, thank you for honoring our Vets! After 8 long years of misery under that milksop Obama, your sincerity, honesty and love for America is INVIGORATING!! Here's to the best 4th of July yet!

WATCH: Part 3 – Project Veritas Exposes CNN ‘Fake News’

Project Veritas continues its push to expose fake news in the mainstream media, releasing part three of its undercover look at CNN.
We brought you parts one and two earlier this week, which exposed a CNN producer and political commentator pushing false stories about President Trump and Russia.
On Thursday, Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe tracked down CNN President Jeff Zucker for a comment on these telling video’s.
Instead of responding, Zucker runs from O’Keefe.
Now we want to bring you part three of the series.
We would like to thank its founder James O’Keefe and the entire Project Veritas team for providing OANN with the undercover report.
Check it out.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel CARTOONS

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.