Alleged leaker hid NSA documents in pantyhose, report says

A former National Security Agency contractor has reportedly told federal authorities that she smuggled classified documents out of the NSA office where she worked by stuffing them in her pantyhose.

The documents reportedly contained classified data on Russia’s alleged hacking during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a former Air Force linguist with a top-secret security clearance, was asked by an FBI agent about how she managed to get the documents out of the agency's Augusta, Ga., office.
She responded: “Folded it in half in my pantyhose,” Politico reported, citing a transcript filed by prosecutors Wednesday.
Winner worked as a government contractor in Augusta until June, when she was charged with copying a classified report and mailing it to an online news organization.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Epps has scheduled a hearing Friday to reconsider releasing Winner on bond. He ordered her jailed in June after prosecutors said Winner may have taken more than a single classified report.
They said Winner had inserted a portable hard drive into a top-secret Air Force computer before she left the military last year.
Winner's defense lawyers argued in a court filing Saturday that prosecutors haven't accused Winner of any additional crimes more than three months later. They noted several other cases in which defendants accused of leaking multiple secret documents were freed on pre-trial bonds.
Jennifer Solari, an assistant U.S. attorney, warned the judge in June that investigators hadn't found the portable hard drive that Winner allegedly plugged into an Air Force computer and didn't know what might be on it.
Winner's lawyers included an email from Solari in their latest court filing in which the prosecutor noted that she was mistaken when she previously told the judge that Winner was recorded in a jailhouse phone conversation saying: "Mom, those documents. I screwed up."
Solari wrote that the recording shows that Winner actually told her mother: "I leaked a document."
Defense attorneys wrote that if Winner is released, her mother in Kingsville, Texas, would move to Georgia to live with her and ensure that she complies with all bond conditions.
Authorities haven't described the classified report Winner is accused of leaking or named the news outlet that received it. But the Justice Department announced Winner's arrest on the same day the Intercept reported it had obtained a classified NSA report suggesting that Russian hackers attacked a U.S. voting software supplier before last year's presidential election.
The NSA report was dated May 5, the same as the document Winner is charged with leaking.

Deep state? 78 Obama appointees 'burrowed' in gov't, report says

By the time Barack Obama's presidency ended in January 2017, 78 of his political appointees had "burrowed" into government jobs over the course of six years, a report says.

The report from the Government Accountability Office was obtained by the Washington Times.

"Burrowing" refers to a process in which political appointees are appointed to career-level jobs to protect them from being ousted once a new administration takes over.
Of the 78 such appointees identified in the GAO report, seven had switched to career jobs without first receiving necessary approval from the Office of Personnel Management, the report says. Four were later denied the positions and three later resigned.
The department with the highest number of conversions was the Department of Homeland Security, with nine appointees burrowing in. The Department of Justice was second with eight conversions.
The process of burrowing is not an uncommon for administrations on the way out. President George W. Bush had at least 26 conversions approved in his final year in office.
Obama was warned in his final year against assigning political appointees to career jobs and was asked by Republicans to implement a hiring freeze to avoid keeping workers who opposed President Donald Trump's policies.
“Not only is ‘burrowing in’ unfair to applicants without an inside connection, it further contributes to the possibility that federal workers may attempt to undermine the policies of the new president,” Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wrote to Obama, McClatchyDC reported.

Anthony Weiner Cartoons ( Democrat )

Marc Thiessen: Want to protest Trump? Disrespecting the flag is a disgraceful way to do it

This weekend, the more than 100 NFL players who refused to stand during the national anthem were met with boos from crowds in stadiums across America — and deservedly so.

Playing in London, Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars players wouldn’t stand for the U.S. national anthem but did for “God Save the Queen” in the very country we fought to win our independence.
Worse, the players held their disgraceful protest on National Gold Star Mother’s Day, the day our country honors mothers who have lost children in war. A Gold Star mother whose son died in Afghanistan told CNN last year that when she first saw players taking a knee, “my heart kind of stopped and I lost my breath because the flag that I see is the flag that draped my son’s casket.” Imagine what she and other Gold Star mothers felt seeing 100 players do the same on the very day our country set aside to thank them.
Way to go, NFL.
In Pittsburgh, only one player — Alejandro Villanueva — a former Army Ranger who lost brothers in arms fighting under that flag — came out of the locker room to stand for the anthem. He was criticized for doing so by his coach. The fans’ response? Sales of Villanueva jerseys skyrocketed.
What these players don’t seem to understand is that Americans gave their lives so that they could have the freedom to play a kids’ game for a living. When players disrespect the flag, they disrespect that sacrifice. And it would not matter if they had done so to protest Donald Trump or Barack Obama — their actions would be equally offensive. If NFL players want to protest the president, they have plenty of other ways. Attend a rally. Speak out on Twitter. Tell the media after the game, “I stood up for America but I stand against Donald Trump.” But don’t show contempt for the flag.
Were President Trump’s comments urging owners to fire players who refused to stand incendiary? Sure. Were they politically calculated? No doubt. But that does not change the fact that he is right. And he did not start this fight. Colin Kaepernick and a handful of players did. Moreover, Trump is not the first president to speak out against disrespect for the flag. In 1988, Republican George H.W. Bush excoriated his Democratic opponent, Michael Dukakis, for vetoing a bill requiring Massachusetts teachers to lead their students in the Pledge of Allegiance. As president he proposed a constitutional amendment to outlaw desecration of the flag.
Yes, athletes do have a constitutional right to engage in speech that is offensive to millions of Americans. But the First Amendment does not protect them from the consequences of their offensive speech. There is no constitutional right to play professional football. If an NFL player stood on the sidelines and hurled racial epithets, his speech would be protected by the First Amendment. He would also be fired.
The NFL’s game operations manual says that “all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem” and must “stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking” or face discipline “such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s).” The league regularly penalizes players for dancing in the end zone, but it allows players to violate the rules regarding the national anthem with impunity.
The NFL is also selective when it comes to the kind of speech it protects. Last September, the Dallas Cowboys asked for permission to wear helmet stickers in honor of police officers massacred in Dallas earlier last year. The league refused. So the NFL will not allow players to express their support for police with a tiny helmet decal, but it lets them disrespect the flag while distorting the work of police officers across the country?
The players’ behavior is hurting the league. NFL viewership is at its lowest point since 1998, and ESPN reports that “national anthem protests were the top reason that NFL fans watched fewer games last season, according to a new survey released by J.D. Power.” Indeed, “Sunday Night Football” had its worst ratings of the season this weekend, as millions of Americans turned off their sets in disgust.
If the NFL won’t stop its players from disrespecting the flag, then maybe Congress should take a second look at some of the federal benefits the NFL enjoys. For example, the NFL gets a special antitrust exemption in U.S. law. Democrats in Congress have already been debating whether the league should be stripped of this exemption because of its weak response to domestic violence allegations against players. Perhaps Republicans angry over anthem protests will now be willing to join them? And this might also be a good time for some public hearings into the NFL’s efforts to interfere with concussion research at the National Institutes of Health.
Last year, National Hockey League coach John Tortorella declared, “If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game.”
Hey, NFL, take a cue from the NHL. Every coach and owner should tell his players the same.
Marc Thiessen is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Thiessen served as chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush and to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Fight in 'empathy tent' at UC Berkeley leads to 4 arrests

Yvonne Felarca, 47, was arrested for battery and resisting arrest, police said.  (Berkeley Police)

So much for empathy. Members of opposing political groups clashed Tuesday inside a so-called "empathy tent" on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.

At least four people were arrested, police said.

The empathy tent was reportedly in place to offer protesters a calm place to unwind amid the choas around them. But the tent ultimately offered little respite -- and nearly toppled during clashes between conservative students and leftist activists, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“It’s tough, but we do what we can to foster dialogue,” said Edwin Fulch, who reportedly used the tent for talks about the virtues of meditation and the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The protest was led by Joey Gibson, leader of a group called Patriot Prayer. Gibson had called for a rally after student organizers canceled a planned "Free Speech Week.”
Counterprotesters determined to shut the event down got into shouting matches and scuffles with Gibson and his supporters inside the tent and later in a city park.
Left-wing activist Yvonne Felarca was arrested for battery and resisting arrest, police said. Three men were arrested on charges including possession of body armor, carrying a banned weapon and participating in a riot.
Berkeley's reputation as a liberal bastion has made it a flashpoint for the country's political divisions since the election of President Donald Trump.
Four protests have turned violent on campus and in the surrounding streets in recent months, prompting authorities to tighten security as they struggle to balance free speech rights with preventing violence.
David Marquis, who identified himself as a senior at the school, said he was tired of the protests on campus. Marquis was outside the protest area and described the scene.
“If you look at them, it’s ridiculous,” Marquis told the Los Angeles Times. “You’ve got a guy with purple hair with a f---ing lightsaber talking about Hitler. It’s hard for me to take any of this seriously.”

American sniper's wife Taya Kyle: An open letter to the NFL

Dear NFL,

You were doing your part to bring people together and heal the world. That’s really how healing works. We heal by loving each other and leading by example; showing people what is possible when we love each other just as we are and not only recognize our differences but celebrate them and look at how we can use them together to make us jointly better than our separate parts. You were doing your part celebrating each other based on skills, talent and a joint vision without regard to color and religion.
You were doing your part and we were doing ours. We showed up cheering and groaning together to as one. We talked in the concession lines and commiserated and celebrated our team together. Did it ever occur to you that you and we were already a mix of backgrounds, races and religions? We were already living the dream you want, right in front of you.

Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world -- different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal -- to do well, to win, TOGETHER.

Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world -- different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal -- to do well, to win, TOGETHER.
You are asking us to abandon what we loved about togetherness and make choices of division. Will we stand with you? Will we stand with our flag? What does it mean? What does it mean if we buy a ticket or NFL gear? What does it mean if we don’t? It is the polar opposite of the easy togetherness we once loved in football.
It was simple – we loved you and you loved us – with all of our races, religions, different backgrounds and politics. Simplicity in a crazy world was pretty awesome.
You dear NFL, have taken that. You have lost me here.
If you ever want to get off your knees and get to work on building bridges, let me know. I have found screaming about the problems in service marriages or even standing in silence in front of them, hasn’t healed even one of them.
On the other hand, funding the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, building a team and rolling up my sleeves to get in the trenches during my “off time” -- volunteering there outside of my paying jobs -- has proven to make real change.
You have a lot of strong guys, I am sure in the off season a lot of them could build some pretty big bridges if they care enough to do the hard work. That would involve getting off their knees and getting to work though. If I can do it while I raise two kids as their only parent and work through the greatest pain of my life, let’s see if they can do it for the issues they say they care so much about.
Go Longhorns and Sic ‘Em …
Sincerely,
Taya
Taya Kyle is co-author of "American Wife: Love, War, Faith and Renewal" (William Morrow, May 2015) founded the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation in honor of her late husband Chris Kyle, legendary U.S. Navy SEAL and author of the bestsellers "American Sniper" and "American Gun." The foundation is devoted to strengthening the marriages of veterans and first responders. An active public speaker, Taya Kyle makes frequent appearances at fund-raisers and other events, inspiring others to find strength and persevere through struggles. She and her two children live in Texas.

Roy Moore defeats Trump-backed Luther Strange in Alabama Senate runoff

Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was projected to soundly defeat Sen. Luther Strange in Tuesday's Senate primary runoff, overcoming heavy GOP establishment support for the incumbent, including from President Trump himself.

The hard-fought Alabama runoff battle had pitted Trump against some of his most loyal supporters including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and a slew of House conservatives who all backed Moore. Despite his outsider image, Moore seemed to have the edge over Strange from the start.

With 92 percent of the precincts reporting, Moore led Strange by 55 percent to 45 percent, a margin of more than 41,000 votes. State officials estimated a low turnout of between 12 and 15 percent of eligible voters.
The crowd at Moore's election party broke into loud applause as media outlets called the race. Bannon took the stage to introduce Moore as supporters waving flags cheered Tuesday night.
"We have to return the knowledge of God and the Constitution of the United States to the United States Congress," Moore told the crowd. He also said he supports the president and his agenda.
Bannon declared Moore's win a victory for Trump, despite the president's support for Strange. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Alabama to make the case for the incumbent in the final week of the race.
In his concession statement, Strange thanked Trump and Pence for their support and vowed to "go back to work with President Trump and do all I can to advance his agenda over the next few weeks."
Addressing supporters in Birmingham, Strange admitted that "We're dealing with a political environment that I've never had any experience with."
"I'm telling you, the political seas and winds in this country right now are very hard to navigate," Strange added. "Very hard to understand."
After Strange's concession, the president Tweeted his congratulations to Moore and implored him to "WIN in [December]!"
Moore is now the favorite in December's general election against Democrat Doug Jones, a lawyer and former U.S. attorney during President Bill Clinton's administration. The winner of that race will complete the Senate term started by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and be up for re-election in 2020.
At a rally in Huntsville Friday, Trump portrayed Strange as loyal to him and said he appreciated how Strange agreed to vote for ObamaCare replacement legislation this summer without asking any favors from him. However, Trump’s endorsement was overshadowed nationally by his attack on NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem prior to games.
Trump also said at the Alabama rally that he would campaign for Moore in the general election if he secured the nomination, but he believed Moore would have a tougher time against Jones in the general election.
Pence also flew to Birmingham on Monday evening to campaign for Strange.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a group with ties to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., spent an estimated $9 million trying to secure the nomination for Strange. That support played into Moore's argument that the election was an opportunity to send a lesson to what he called the "elite Washington establishment."
SLF President and CEO Steven Law said Tuesday that Moore won the nomination "fair and square" and the group will now back him.
Law said Moore "has our support, as it is vital that we keep this seat in Republican hands."
Moore, known in Alabama as the "Ten Commandments Judge," has a colorful political history that has both fueled and complicated his rise.
Moore first received national attention in the 1990s as a county judge when he hung a wooden Ten Commandments plaque on the wall of his courtroom. The ACLU filed a lawsuit against him.
Benefiting from his popularity after the episode, Moore then ran and won a race for chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court in 2000. But he was ousted after refusing to remove a 5,280-pound granite Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the state judicial building.
Moore resurrected his political career in 2012, when he was elected chief justice again. But his second tenure was short-lived: in 2016, Moore was suspended as chief justice after he directed probate judges not to issue marriage certificates to gay couples.
Strange, the former attorney general in Alabama, was temporarily appointed to the seat in April by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who has since resigned in disgrace. Opponents have used the appointment against Strange, accusing Bentley of naming him to the seat so he could install someone who might be more sympathetic to him in the state attorney general’s office.
On the outskirts of Montgomery, 76-year-old Air Force retiree John Lauer said Trump's endorsement swayed him to vote for Strange on Tuesday.
"I voted for Strange. I'm a Trump voter. Either one is going to basically do the Trump agenda, but since Trump came out for Luther, I voted for Luther," said Lauer said.
Merlene Bohannon, a widow with three grown children, said she had planned to vote for Strange until seeing Bannon stump for Moore on Fox News on Monday night.
"Steve Bannon and God spoke to me, and this morning when I went in I voted for Moore," said Bohannon, 74.

NFL Football Cartoons

Monday Night Football: Cowboys kneel before national anthem ( I'm ashamed of these guys.)

Dallas Cowboys players, coaches and staff took a knee prior to the national anthem Monday.  (Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports)

The Dallas Cowboys briefly kneeled before the national anthem ahead of their Monday night game against the Arizona Cardinals, capping off a weekend that saw more than 200 players kneel or sit during the anthem itself.

Both teams had discussed with each other what they had planned to do for the opening of Monday's game, according to ESPN commentators at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday. What they agreed to do was an individual sign of solidarity.

The Cowboys, often referred to as “America’s Team,” along with owner Jerry Jones, stood in the middle of the field before the anthem was sung and locked arms -- then took a quick knee before going back to the sidelines. Boos could be heard in the Arizona crowd.
Then, the Cardinals stood with their arms locked as well, but in the end zone, as a field-length American flag was unfurled. An announcer urged fans to lock arms with those seated next to them, “no matter the color of their jersey.”

Arizona Cardinals standing in front of a giant flag during the national anthem.  (Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports)

Singer Jordin Sparks then sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” to the cheering crowd. Both teams stood with arms locked for the duration of the national anthem.
Typically, ESPN does not televise the national anthem on Monday Night Football programming -- but the events of the weekend brought the anthem in sharp focus.
More than 200 NFL players made some form of gesture at games on Sunday — many kneeling or sitting on the bench — in reaction to comments and tweets by Trump, who called on team owners to fire players who followed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's lead by kneeling during the national anthem. Some owners locked arms with players.
Trump's unprompted raising of this issue began with a speech Friday night in Alabama, where he told a crowd of supporters, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners when somebody disrespects our flag to say get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired, he's fired."
He then followed up with a series of inflammatory tweets over the weekend and into Monday, even drawing other sports such as the NBA and NASCAR into the fray.
Kaepernick, who no longer has a job with any NFL team, began kneeling during the anthem in the preseason a year ago to make a statement about social inequality and police treatment of blacks in the United States.
A handful of players had carried on what Kaepernick started; a half-dozen engaged in some form of protest last week.
"It certainly is our hope that people stand during the national anthem, but we also respect their right to make a personal statement or expression of their personal beliefs," NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said in a conference call with reporters on Monday.
"In the first couple weeks of this year, it was a handful of people expressing themselves. We defended their right to do that," Lockhart said. "There were a whole lot of people this weekend doing that, and the only thing that has changed was some comments from someone who lives in Washington."

Odell Beckham Jr. hints that his urination celebration was a shot at Trump

New York Giants' Odell Beckham, right, celebrates with Sterling Shepard after a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, in Philadelphia.  (AP)

New York Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. hinted Monday that his touchdown celebration where he pretended to urinate in the Philadelphia Eagles end zone was a response to President Trump calling players who kneel for the National Anthem “sons of b****es .”

Beckham responded to a tweet that questioned whether the move was in response to the president's remarks on Sunday, saying “If u seen that, I have to tip my hat to u for thinkin outside the box. #URRIGHTONPOINT impressed.”

The fourth-year receiver was questioned after Sunday’s game on his actions, but did not give a direct answer that it was a response to Trump’s comments.
“I was in the end zone. I scored a touchdown," Beckham said, according to NJ.com. "I'm a dog so I acted like a dog. I don't know if the rulebook said you can't hike your leg. (The referee) said I peed on somebody, so I was trying to find the imaginary ghost that I peed on. But I didn't see him.”
Beckham scored two touchdowns in the game. On his second touchdown, Beckham raised his fist, (black panther salute if you don't know dumb-asses) which many players have been seen doing during the National Anthem.
The Giants lost the game in the final seconds, 27-24.

Collins says no on ObamaCare repeal bill, effectively derailing Graham-Cassidy legislation

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday she will vote against the latest ObamaCare repeal bill, effectively killing the Graham-Cassidy legislation.

Collins' announcement came minutes after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released figures estimating that the legislation would "result in millions fewer people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events."

Video

CBO: Graham-Cassidy bill would reduce budget deficit by $133B by 2026

In a statement, Collins referred to the Graham-Cassidy bill as "deeply flawed," and that health care reform cannot be done properly "in a compressed time frame."
"Sweeping reforms to our health care system and to Medicaid can’t be done well in a compressed time frame, especially when the actual bill is a moving target," Collins said.
"Today, we find out that there is now a fourth version of the Graham-Cassidy proposal, which is as deeply flawed as the previous iterations. The fact that a new version of this bill was released the very week we are supposed to vote compounds the problem," the senator's statement read.
Collins is the fourth GOP senator to come out against the legislation, joining Sens. John McCain, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz who also say they oppose it. However, Cruz aides said the Texas senator is seeking changes to the bill so he can vote in favor of it.
Votes from two other Republican senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are still up in the air.
All Democrats and independents will vote "no," so opposition by just three Republicans would kill the bill.
Collins laid out her three biggest concerns about the bill, noting cuts to Medicaid, weakened protections to those with pre-existing conditions and pointed out that "physicians, patient advocates, insurers, and hospitals agree that both versions of this legislation would lead to higher premiums and reduced coverage for tens of millions of Americans.
"The CBO's analysis on the earlier version of the bill, incomplete though it is due to time constraints, confirms that this bill will have a substantially negative impact on the number of people covered by insurance," the statement added.
The bill, authored by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. and Bill Cassidy, R-La., was edited during the weekend in what appeared to be a last-minute effort to provide additional funding to the states represented by senators that expressed concerns regarding the legislation.
Graham said information will be released Tuesday regarding a Senate vote on the bill.
GRAHAM-CASSIDY HEALTH CARE BILL GETS LAST-MINUTE REVISION AS SUPPORT STALLS
With only 52 Senate Republicans, GOP leaders knew they didn’t have a chance of neutering a Democratic filibuster on any repeal and replace effort. Under most conditions, it takes 60 yeas to shut off a filibuster.
But once a year, the Senate can sidestep filibuster rules and consider legislation under a process called “budget reconciliation.” Budget reconciliation limits debate to 20 hours and requires only 51 votes to pass a bill.
Budget reconciliation packages are ostensibly good for only one fiscal year. The government’s fiscal year runs out Saturday night, or Sept. 30, and so does the reconciliation measure for health care. Thus, this week’s health care sprint.
The legislation aimed to allow states to set their own coverage requirements, permit insurers to boost prices on people with serious medical conditions and halt President Obama's mandates that most Americans purchase insurance and that companies offer coverage to workers. It also looked to cut and reshape Medicaid.
The collapse of Graham-Cassidy replays the loss Trump and party leaders suffered in July, when the Senate rejected three attempts to pass legislation erasing the 2010 statute. The GOP has made promises to scrap the law a high-profile campaign vow for years.

Trump tweets support for Strange, as Bannon makes best pitch for Moore in Alabama

Bannon blasts GOP establishment's role in Ala. Senate race

On 'Hannity,' the former Trump White House chief strategist slams party leaders for trying to 'destroy' Luther Strange opponent Roy Moore

President Trump late Monday tweeted his support for Sen. Luther Strange in the hotly contested Alabama Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, in a race that has pitted the president against his former strategist, Steve Bannon.

The runoff is set for Tuesday.

Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for Strange in Birmingham while Bannon spoke at a Moore rally at the coast.
Taking the stage to prolonged applause, Bannon said Alabama can show the world "that this populist, nationalist, conservative movement is on the rise."
"A vote for Roy Moore is a vote for Donald J. Trump," Bannon said.
Bannon lashed out at negative ads funded by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Bannon said Republican "elites" had put millions of dollars into the Alabama race "to destroy a man."
“It’s very simple,” Bannon told Fox News’ “Hannity.” “This election is $30 million being spent by Mitch McConnell and that crew of corrupt and incompetent politicians and consultants. They raised $30 million in outside money to destroy Judge Moore.”
Bannon mentioned that conservative radio hosts Mark Levin, Laura Ingram and Michael Savage have all voice support for Moore.
Bannon, who was in Alabama during the interview, said he was not there to defy Trump, rather to support his agenda.
Wearing a white cowboy hat and a black leather vest, Moore repeated the conservative Christian themes that he has used his entire public career, quoting Bible passages and Colonial leaders at length.
"All of Washington is watching to see what Alabama does tomorrow," Moore said.
Strange, Alabama's former attorney general, was appointed to the seat previously held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February.
Moore is the state's Alabama's chief justice, but was twice removed from that office because of stands for the public display of the Ten Commandments and against gay marriage.
Propelled by his support from evangelical voters, Moore led Strange by about 25,000 votes in the crowded August primary and runoff polls have shown him leading, or in a dead heat with, Strange. Strange looked to help from the White House to try to avoid another second-place finish Tuesday
Trump, who held a rally Friday in Huntsville for Strange, continued his efforts Monday, calling a popular Alabama radio show to campaign.
Trump predicted that Moore, whom he mistakenly called "Ray," would have a "hard time" in the December election against Democrat Doug Jones.
"Luther Strange is going to be a great senator. He already has, and he has already helped me," Trump said on the "Rick & Bubba" radio show.
Walking into the humid hangar to hear Pence, 57-year-old Randy Beasley of Springville said he had been undecided in the race but was swayed to vote for Strange because of his backing from the National Rifle Association. Beasley said he also had concerns that the twice-ousted chief justice "might have more of a negative image for the state."
Although Trump has endorsed Luther Strange, many in the crowd at the Moore rally wore Trump T-shirts or "Make America Great Again" hats.
Chu Green, 71, of Mobile said she arrived five hours early to snag a front row spot just feet from the speaker's microphone. She held up a sign reading: "Mr. President and Mr. V.P. I love you but you are wrong! America needs Judge Moore."
"It's how I feel in my heart," Green said. "I think (Trump) knows he made a mistake. He had an obligation to Strange."

Football on TV Cartoons

Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva is sole Steelers player to stand outside for national anthem

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva stands outside the tunnel alone during the national anthem.  (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Pittsburgh Steelers player Alejandro Villanueva stood tall on Sunday for the national anthem, even though his teammates were off the field and out of sight. 

The 6’9” former Army Ranger, one of the NFL's tallest players, stood outside with his hand over his heart for The Star-Spangled Banner before the game against the Chicago Bears.

The gesture came after President Donald Trump spoke Friday about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a b---- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.
NFL teams, players, and coaches have spoken about his comments. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had told CBS Sports the team wouldn’t take part in the national anthem “to remove ourselves from the circumstance.”
“People shouldn’t have to choose,” Tomlin said. “If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn’t be forced to choose sides.”

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva (78) blocks Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford (55) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

What do we know about Villanueva’s education and military career?
Villanueva, 29, played college football at West Point, graduating with a degree in systems engineering, according to the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed him in May 2014 before cutting him in August of that year.
During his military career, Villanueva served three tours in Afghanistan and became an Army Ranger, the team said. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star medal for overseas service and the Bronze Star medal for valor.
The Steelers website says Villanueva originally joined the practice squad in August 2014. His first NFL start took place in October 2015.
What has he said about controversial former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick?
“I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that’s providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year," Villanueva told ESPN in 2016. “It’s his decision. Obviously he has brought up the issue in a great way. But I think if he encourages other players or other people in the stands to sit down, it’s going to send the wrong message.”
“I will be the first one to hold hands with Colin Kaepernick and do something about the way minorities are being treated in the United States, the injustice that is happening with police brutality, the justice system, inequalities in pay,” the veteran told the outlet. “You can’t do it by looking away from the people that are trying to protect our freedom and our country.”

NASCAR Owners Issue Stern Warning After NFL Players Kneel

The "Star-Spangled Banner" was not protested by members of the NASCAR community during their Cup series race outside Concord, N.H. this weekend.
NASCAR icon Richard Petty, a former driver and current team owner, told the AP that he wouldn't accept any protest of our nation's colors.
"Anybody that won't stand up for the anthem ought to be out of the country," he said. "Period."
Additionally, longtime owner Richard Childress said that any driver or crew member protest will "get [them] a ride on a Greyhound bus."

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"Anybody that works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people gave our lives for it. This is America," Childress said.
An executive at Team Penske told USA Today that they currently have "no policy" on the issue because it has never come up for them.
To this day, most NASCAR races still start with an invocation from a local preacher, a rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and often a flyover from a local military installation.
However, fans are often unafraid to show their opinion of drivers or politicians during introductions, as Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.) was audibly booed by many fans at the recent night race at Richmond.
Both Petty and NASCAR CEO Brian France endorsed Trump in 2016.

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Trump approves updated travel restrictions on 8 countries, adding North Korea and Venezuela to list

President Trump on Sunday signed off on updated travel restrictions that would limit entry for people coming to the U.S. from eight countries, as the existing travel ban is set to expire.

The new travel restrictions, set to take effect Oct. 18, would slow or limit entry from citizens of North Korea, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. North Korea and Venezuela were not listed in the earlier ban.

Iraqi citizens do not face the same travel restrictions, but will "be subject to additional scrutiny to determine if they pose risks" to U.S. security, the White House said.
The new policy could complicate the Supreme Court's review of the order. The high court is scheduled to hear arguments over its legality on October 10.
Officials stressed that valid visas would not be revoked as a result of the proclamation. The order also permits, but doesn't guarantee, case-by-case waivers.
"As President, I must act to protect the security and interested of the United States and its people," the proclamation states. He later tweeted, "Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet."
The announcement comes the same day Trump’s temporary ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries is set to expire, 90 days after it went into effect.
The targeted countries are those that the Department of Homeland Security officials have said refuse to share information with the U.S., or haven't taken necessary security precautions.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, in a statement released Sunday, said the new travel restrictions "will protect Americans and allow DHS to better keep terrorists and criminals from entering our country. The restrictions announced are tough and tailored, and they sent a message to foreign governments that they must work with us to enhance security."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that Trump's proclamation is the president "carrying out his duty to protect the Ameican people."
Tillerson added: "The State Department will coordinate with other federal agencies to implement these measures in an orderly manner. We will continue to work closely with our allies and partners who share our commitment to national and global security."
The travel restrictions are based on a new baseline developed by DHS that includes factors such as whether countries issue electronic passports with biometric information and share information about travelers' terror-related and criminal histories. The U.S. then shared those benchmarks with every country in the world and gave them 50 days to comply.
The eight countries the restrictions target are those that refused or were unable to comply.
Following the terrorist attack in London last week, Trump tweeted: "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!"
Critics have accused Trump of overstepping his presidential authority and violating the Constitution's protections against religious bias. During his campaign, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

Milo protest was 'most expensive photo op' in UC Berkeley's history, says official

Conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos holds protest signs while speaking at the University of California in Berkeley, California, U.S., September 24, 2017. REUTERS/Noah Berger - RC1F9EBC0040

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it worth $800,000?

Officials at the University og California, Berkeley, said the brief appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos on campus Sunday cost the school $800,000 to ensure his safety.

Yiannopoulos appeared at the steps of the iconic Sproul Hall – the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech movement – after his highly anticipated Free Speech Week was abruptly cancelled.
The open-air event lasted less than an hour. Yiannopoulos spent the time taking pictures with fans, signing his new book and took part in did a National Anthem.
Attendees--including Yiannopoulos-- had to pass through metal detectors.
Dan Mogulof, a campus spokesman, dubbed the event “the most expensive photo op in the university’s history,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Police arrested at least 11, including four dressed in an all-black outfits commnly worn by the violent Antifa group, The Mercury News reported. One man wearing a “Make America Great again” was also detained.
This is the second time recently that the school had to spend six figures to ensure the safety of a conservative. Ben Shapiro appeared on campus two weeks ago and the school said it spent $600,000 at that event.
Shapiro at that time blamed the city’s radical Antifa agitators who were the reason UC Berkeley had to spend such money on safety. “Free speech isn't free. It costs over $600,000 thanks to Antifa,” he tweeted.
The Sunday protest was organized in response to the cancellation of the Free Speech Week, where both organizers and the university blamed each other for lack of commitment to ensure its happening.
The former Breitbart editor claims he was forced into cancelling the event, which was supposed to include speakers such as former White House advisor Steve Bannon and Ann Coulter, due to the university’s unreasonable requests and lack of support.
At a press conference on Saturday, Yiannopoulos accused the university of using bureaucratic tricks to derail the event, adding that UC Berkeley “had done everything in its power to crush” the Free Speech Week.
UC Berkeley, meanwhile, said Yiannopoulos and the student group that organized the event did not meet multiple deadlines to ensure the event occurs. He also dismissed the accusations that the institution tried to block the event, noting that they were prepared to spend vast amount of money to ensure the safety.
Yiannopoulos told Berkeleyside, a local publication, that he plans to return to campus, every year if he finds that necessary. He added that he hopes to reschedule speeches by Bannon and Coulter.

University of Berkeley Cartoons

UC Berkeley student group cancels 'Free Speech Week' event

Confusion swirled over the fate of University of Berkeley’s controversial “Free Speech Week” after the student group that organized it canceled the event but a featured speaker insisted it was still being held.

UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said Saturday that the Berkeley Patriot student organization told university administrators that the four-day event scheduled to start Sunday had been canceled.

But the event's co-organizer, right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, said in a Facebook post that while the student group may have pulled out, he and other speakers had not.
"We shall speak in Berkeley, we shall speak on the plazas and the steps. We shall defend free speech, whatever the cost may be. We shall never surrender!" Yiannopoulos wrote, adding that he was paraphrasing Winston Churchill.
The conservative student group Berkeley Patriot was dropping out for safety reasons, the Berkeleyside, a local website, reported Saturday.
“The university has made it impossible to hold the event,” the group’s attorney, Marguerite Melo, told the website. “A lot of these speakers have withdrawn. To have an empty gesture of ‘Free Speech Week,’ when there are no speakers is impossible. And the university couldn’t guarantee our speakers would be safe.”
“We are very disappointed,” she added “We are going to cancel. We have made a determination, or our clients have, that it is just not safe. If we had had Zellerbach Hall, that would be a different story. But my clients didn’t want to be responsible, even morally, if something happened.”
The website reported that the group’s withdrawal does not mean Yiannopoulos and the other speakers he has invited can’t come to public spaces on the campus. It only means there won’t be amplification provided.
"It is extremely unfortunate that this announcement was made at the last minute, even as the university was in the process of spending significant sums of money and preparing for substantial disruption of campus life in order to provide the needed security for these events," Mogulof said in a statement, according to KNTV.
Some headline speakers, including Ann Coulter, have backed away from the event or said their names were listed without their knowledge.
In an email to the Associated Press Friday, Coulter said she considered going but opted not to after she heard "the administration was dead set on blocking this event."
"I also don't think Berkeley deserves to hear a brilliant and entertaining Ann Coulter speech," Coulter added in her email.
Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, was on Yiannopoulos' lineup of speakers, but has not said publicly if he plans to attend. It was reported Friday that Bannon would not travel to Berkeley and was focusing his energies on campaigning for Roy Moore in next week's Republican runoff for the Senate in Alabama.
A number of other listed speakers have posted comments on social media saying they don't plan to show up, either. Among them is James Damore, a former Google employee who was fired for writing a memo viewed as sexist. He tweeted that he never knew he was on the list.
Yiannopoulos' attempt to speak at Berkeley in February was shut down by masked anarchists who rioted on campus.