Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, others to address social-media bias against conservatives at Capitol Hill hearing

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is seen at the New York Stock Exchange, Nov. 19, 2015.  (Associated Press)

Amid concerns that conservative voices are being silenced on social media, a U.S. House committee announced Friday that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and other tech executives will appear before the panel on Capitol Hill Sept. 5.
Dorsey will discuss his company’s “algorithms and content judgment calls” before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the committee announced via Twitter.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who has frequently complained about "one-sided" content on social media, said Dorsey's scheduled appearance was arranged through talks among Dorsey, himself and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., chairman of the committee.
"One-sided conversations are an affront to the public mission that serves as the foundation for these social media platforms – including Twitter," McCarthy said in a statement. "That is why I worked with Chairman Greg Walden and requested Jack Dorsey to testify to Congress and talk with the American people about filtering practices on Twitter."

"One-sided conversations are an affront to the public mission that serves as the foundation for these social media platforms – including Twitter."
- House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy added: "We all agree that transparency is the only way to fully restore Americans’ trust in these important public platforms."
Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have faced accusations of liberal bias as numerous conservative commentators have been banned or censored for violating guidelines. Many have complained that the guidelines are unclear.
Most recently, Salena Zito of the New York Post, wrote that her column – which she said contained “no expletives, conspiracy theories, hate speech or sexual language” – was removed by Facebook and Twitter without explanation.
Dorsey has conceded that San Francisco-based Twitter’s staff is primarily “left-leaning,” but has denied notions that the platform bans users for conservative viewpoints.
“[I] do understand the concern,” Dorsey said in an interview with Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson. “We have folks that are at various points in the political spectrum and they don’t feel comfortable today bringing up certain issues or their viewpoints on certain issues. And I don’t believe that is acceptable.”
Noted Walden in a statement: “Twitter is an incredibly powerful platform that can change the national conversation in the time it takes to go viral. When decisions about data and content are made using opaque processes, the American people are right to raise concerns.”
Representatives from Google and Facebook are also scheduled to appear at next month's hearing.

Democrats Acting Stupid Cartoons

Senate Passes $857B Spending Package

In this photo taken June 27, 2017, the U.S. Senate is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:06 PM PT — Thurs. August 23, 2018

The Senate overwhelmingly passes a more than $800 billion spending package, as Congress seeks to avoid a possible government shutdown next month.
The bill passed in an 85-7 vote Thursday and will keep the Defense Department, Labor, Education and Health and Human Services funded through next year.
Not included in the package is additional funding for the border wall, but Republicans hope the bill’s $20 billion increase to Defense spending and pay raise for troops will be enough to convince President Trump to approve it.
The Senate did reject an amendment that would have cut federal funding to planned parenthood, something the White House will also likely take issue with.
The House and Senate will have just 11 days to deliver a final version of the bill to the president’s desk before funding runs out on September 30.

Sen. Graham Thinks President Trump Will Fire Attorney General Sessions Following Midterms

GOP Senator Lindsay Graham said he believes President Trump may fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions, following the upcoming midterm elections.
Graham made the suggestion to reporters Thursday, saying the president should be able to have confidence in his attorney general.
He went on to warn against firing him before the November elections, noting it could “create havoc.”
This comes as Sessions has been under fire from President Trump, with the president claiming he’s failed to take control of the Justice Department.

FILE – In this Dec. 15, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va. Trump’s White House counsel personally lobbied Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

“I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice,” stated Senator Graham. “Clearly, Attorney General Sessions doesn’t have the confidence of the president.”
Sessions fired back, saying he “took control” the day he was sworn in to his role and is proud to serve his country.
He went on to say the Justice Department will not be affected by “political considerations,” while touting prosecutors and investigators for their talent.

President Trump Says He Did Not Commit Campaign Finance Violations

President Trump said he did not commit any campaign finance violations, following the guilty plea made by his former attorney.
In an interview released Thursday, the president said he did not know about payments Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal as part of non-disclosure agreements until after they were made.
The president also said the payments did not come from campaign funds, but instead came from him personally, adding, the source of the money does not constitute a campaign finance violation.
“…did they come out of the campaign because that could be a little dicey, and they didn’t come out of the campaign, and that’s big,” President told a reporter. “But they weren’t…it’s not even a campaign violation — if you look at President Obama, he had a massive campaign violation…”
The president said former President Obama’s situation was handled differently, because he had a different attorney general.

GOP Blocks Sen. Paul’s Measure To Defund Planned Parenthood

During a TV news interview, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., defends President Donald Trump and his Helsinki news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 17, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:28 PM PT — Thurs. August 23, 2018

Republican senators block a measure to defund Planned Parenthood introduced by Senator Rand Paul.
GOP senators moved to block and delay Senator Paul’s proposal Thursday, after it was deemed too controversial.
Senator Paul introduced his pro-life amendment to the Senate budget bill earlier this week, which required a simple majority to pass.
The move would strip Planned Parenthood from federal funding, a move some argued could help mobilize GOP voters ahead of the midterms.
This comes as Planned Parenthood has received $543 million from the federal budget in the fiscal year 2016-2017 alone and has aborted 320 thousand babies per year.
The GOP leadership can still unblock Senator Paul’s amendment for a vote.

ESPN Football Kneeling Cartoons

Trump urges supporters to sign petition against 'spineless' ESPN to show national anthem during 'MNF'

President Trump sent an email to supporters on Wednesday urging them to sign a petition to push ESPN to show the national anthem during "Monday Night Football" broadcasts.  (AP)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged his supporters to sign a petition to pressure ESPN to show the national anthem during “Monday Night Football” broadcasts.
In an email sent on behalf of the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, Trump called the network’s announcement last week a “spineless surrender to the politically correct liberal mob.”
“Just after we heard a slitting governor trash America, ESPN has now decided it will no longer play the National Anthem before Monday Night Football,” the email read. “If ‘America’ is too offensive for anyone in our country, then what are they doing in America?’”
The email appears to reference New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s remark earlier this month during a bill signing, in which he declared, “We’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great.”
A spokesperson for Cuomo walked back the comments shortly after, saying “the Governor believes America is great and that her full greatness will be fully realized when every man, woman, and child has full equality.”
The Trump email concluded by saying, “I was the first person to sign this petition. Now I need you to follow my lead and be the second.”
Speaking to reporters during ESPN’s annual football media day, Jimmy Pitaro, the network’s president, said the national anthem would not be showed, before acknowledging, “there could be changes.”
“It’s somewhat unpredictable what’s going to happen in the world but as of now our plan now is to not broadcast the anthem. We have communicated that back to the NFL,” Pitaro said. “They have not asked but we proactively just as a courtesy and as good partners let them know what our plans are.”
Trump, who has been at the center of the national anthem controversy since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the 2016-17 NFL season in opposition to police brutality, used his time on stage Tuesday night at a rally in West Virginia to condemn ESPN’s decision as “terrible.”
"While the players are kneeling ... you're all proudly standing for our national anthem," Trump told the crowd.
The NFL announced in May that teams and league personnel who do not “stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem” would be fined. However, the policy was put on hold as the league and its players association negotiated the strategy.
ESPN did not air the national anthem during last season’s "Monday Night Football" broadcasts, a similar approach that CBS has taken in the past and plans to do so this season, according to the USA Today Sports. FOX plans to only show the anthem during “special broadcasts” such as Veteran’s Day or Thanksgiving and during the playoffs, while NBC Sports broadcasts plans are still undetermined.

Conservative CNN pundit suspended amid revelations of sexual misconduct allegations from 2014

CNN has suspended conservative pundit Paris Dennard amid revelations that in 2014 he was fired from Arizona State University for allegedly making sexually explicit comments and gestures towards women.  (Facebook)

CNN has suspended conservative pundit Paris Dennard amid revelations that in 2014 he was fired from Arizona State University for allegedly making sexually explicit comments and gestures toward women.
Dennard, according to the Washington Post, told a recent college graduate who worked for him that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her while touching her “neck with his tongue” during an event.
A 2014 report by the university alleged that he “pretended to unzip his pants in her presence, tried to get her to sit on his lap, and made masturbatory gestures” when he worked at ASU’s McCain Institute for International Leadership.
A second woman accused Dennard of throwing things at her and allegedly caught him looking at her breasts.

"Such conduct, of course, is inappropriate … unprofessional and unbecoming of a university employee, and in violation of ASU policy."
- Arizona State University's report into Paris Dennard

“Don’t worry, I’ve already seen it,” he admitted saying after the woman tried to adjust her blouse.
Dennard was found to have “engaged in much of this behavior in the workplace and/or during work events. Such conduct, of course, is inappropriate … unprofessional and unbecoming of a university employee, and in violation of ASU policy.”
He didn’t dispute the findings of the university’s investigation into the misconduct at the time, which was prompted by after the women reported him to the administration for making them uncomfortable, and was placed on administrative leave and eventually “involuntarily separated” from his post in early 2015, according to the Post.
Fox News confirmed that CNN suspended Dennard in the wake of the revelations of the misconduct. The network said it plans to conduct an investigation into the allegations against Dennard.
The news of his past alleged transgressions came after Dennard rose to sudden prominence this week after President Trump praised the pundit as “wonderful” following a heated debate with former intelligence official Phil Mudd.
During the debate, Mudd began shouting after Dennard expressed support for Trump’s decision to strip former CIA Director John Brennan of his security clearance, saying former intelligence officials use security clearances for profit in the private sector.
“Just watched former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd become totally unglued and weird while debating wonderful @PARISDENNARD over Brennan’s Security Clearance. Dennard destroyed him but Mudd is in no mental condition to have such a Clearance. Should be REVOKED?” Trump tweeted.
Dennard was an outspoken supporter of Trump during the 2016 presidential election – often being a lone pro-Trump voice on the virulently anti-Trump CNN network – and is currently a member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, the Post reported.
He declined to answer specific questions to the Post’s new report, saying he hadn’t seen the school’s conclusions in the report and “was led to believe” it was “sealed and proprietary.”
“I cannot comment on items I have never seen regarding allegations I still believe to be false,” Dennard told the newspaper. “This is sadly another politically motivated attempt to besmirch my character, and shame me into silence for my support of President Trump and the GOP.”

Trump weighs Manafort pardon in exclusive 'Fox & Friends' interview

President Trump on Wednesday weighed in on whether he'd pardon Paul Manafort following the former campaign chairman's conviction on bank and tax fraud charges.
Speaking to Fox News' Ainsley Earhardt in an exclusive "Fox & Friends" interview, Trump said he had "great respect" for Manafort in terms of "what he's done... what he's gone through."
"You know, he worked for Ronald Reagan for years, he worked for Bob Dole, he worked -- I guess his firm worked for [Sen. John] McCain," the president said. "He worked for many, many people, many many years."
A jury on Tuesday convicted Manafort on eight counts of bank and tax fraud. In the interview, Trump described the charges as what "every consultant, every lobbyist in Washington probably does."
WATCH AINSLEY EARHARDT'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TRUMP ON 'FOX & FRIENDS' AT 6 AM ET THURSDAY ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL. 
The president then pivoted to Hillary Clinton's email scandal, pointing to "the crimes that Clinton did."
"If you look at Hillary Clinton's person, you take a look at the people that work for Hillary Clinton," Trump began, "With the emails and she deletes 33,000 emails after she gets a subpoena from Congress and this Justice Department does nothing about it? And all of the other crimes that they've done?"
The president also told Fox News that "later on" he knew that former attorney Michael Cohen made hush-money payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, and insisted the money did not come from campaign funds.
“Later on I knew. Later on. What he did — and they weren’t taken out of the campaign finance, that’s the big thing. That’s a much bigger thing,” Trump said Wednesday. “Did they come out of the campaign? They didn’t come out of the campaign, they came from me.”
Cohen entered a guilty plea in a New York City courtroom on Tuesday, admitting to violating campaign finance laws in relation to the hush-money payments.
Catch Trump's full exclusive interview with "Fox & Friends" Thursday morning at 6 a.m. ET.

Manafort juror reveals lone holdout prevented Mueller team from winning conviction on all counts

NORTHERN VIRGINIA –  Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team was one holdout juror away from winning a conviction against Paul Manafort on all 18 counts of bank and tax fraud, juror Paula Duncan told Fox News in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
“It was one person who kept the verdict from being guilty on all 18 counts,” Duncan, 52, said. She added that Mueller’s team of prosecutors often seemed bored, apparently catnapping during parts of the trial.
The identities of the jurors have been closely held, kept under seal by Judge T.S. Ellis III at Tuesday's conclusion of the high-profile trial.
But Duncan gave a behind-the-scenes account to Fox News on Wednesday, after the jury returned a guilty verdict against the former Trump campaign chairman on eight financial crime counts and deadlocked on 10 others.

Duncan showed her two notebooks with juror number #0302 on the covers.  (Fox News)

Duncan described herself as an avid supporter of President Trump, but said she was moved by four full boxes of exhibits provided by Mueller’s team – though she was skeptical about prosecutors' motives in the financial crimes case.
“Certainly Mr. Manafort got caught breaking the law, but he wouldn’t have gotten caught if they weren’t after President Trump,” Duncan said of the special counsel’s case, which she separately described as a “witch hunt to try to find Russian collusion,” borrowing a phrase Trump has used in tweets more than 100 times.
“Something that went through my mind is, this should have been a tax audit,” Duncan said, sympathizing with the foundation of the Manafort defense team’s argument.

Paula Duncan opened up about her experience as a juror in the Paul Manafort trial.  (Fox News)

She described a tense and emotional four days of deliberations, which ultimately left one juror holding out. Behind closed doors, tempers flared at times, even though jurors never explicitly discussed Manafort’s close ties to Trump.
“It was a very emotionally charged jury room – there were some tears,” Duncan said about deliberations with a group of Virginians she didn’t feel included many “fellow Republicans.”
A political allegiance to the president also raised conflicted feelings in Duncan, but she said it ultimately didn’t change her decision about the former Trump campaign chairman.
“Finding Mr. Manafort guilty was hard for me. I wanted him to be innocent, I really wanted him to be innocent, but he wasn’t,” Duncan said. “That’s the part of a juror, you have to have due diligence and deliberate and look at the evidence and come up with an informed and intelligent decision, which I did.”
Duncan, a Missouri native and mother of two, showed Fox News her two notebooks with her juror number #0302 on the covers.
In the interview, Duncan also described how the special counsel’s prosecutors apparently had a hard time keeping their eyes open.
“A lot of times they looked bored, and other times they catnapped – at least two of them did,” Duncan said. “They seemed very relaxed, feet up on the table bars and they showed a little bit of almost disinterest to me, at times.”
The jury box was situated in a corner of the courtroom that gave them an unobstructed head-on view of the prosecutors and defense, while members of the media and the public viewed both parties from behind.
Judge Ellis told jurors, including Duncan, that their names would remain sealed after the trial’s conclusion, because of dangerous threats he received during the proceedings.
But the verdict gave Duncan a license to share her story without fear.
“Had the verdict gone any other way, I might have been,” Duncan said.
Her account of the deliberations is no longer a secret. And neither is the pro-Trump apparel she kept for a long drive to the federal courthouse in Alexandria every day.
“Every day when I drove, I had my Make America Great Again hat in the backseat,” said Duncan, who said she plans to vote for Trump again in 2020. “Just as a reminder.”

Criminal Illegal Cartoons

Stock futures point lower as political storm surrounds former Trump allies

Stocks may have a tough time advancing for a fifth session after a rough day for President Trump following Paul Manafort’s conviction and Michael Cohen’s guilty pleas.

Dow Jones futures were lower by 0.23%. The S&P 500 decline by 0.24% and the Nasdaq Composite was off 0.18%.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight charges including tax fraud, and the president’s former lawyer Michael Cohen said he violated campaign-finance law at President Trump’s direction.

U.S. stocks on Tuesday closed higher for the fourth consecutive day, and the broad-based S&P 500 index set an intraday record, as well as tying its record for longest bull run.

The S&P’s fresh record comes after second-quarter earnings season has basically wrapped up, while some easing trade tensions also supported the markets with China and the U.S. meeting to discuss trade after a tit-for-tat tariff exchange.

During the day's trading session, the S&P 500 topped its previous high of 2,872.87, which it reached in January. However, that index slipped back slightly before the markets closed.

Tuesday marked 3,452 days since the index fell to a low of 666 on March 9, 2009 -- widely seen as the low of the financial crisis -- tying its record for longest bull market run

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 63 to 25,822.29, the S&P 500 ended 5.91 higher to 2,862.96 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 38.17 to finish at 7,859.17.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	%Chg
I:DJI	DOW JONES AVERAGES	25822.29	+63.60	+0.25%
SP500	S&P 500	2862.96	+5.91	+0.21%
I:COMP	NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX	7859.173	+38.17	+0.49%

Wednesday’s earnings agenda includes retailers Target and Lowe’s.

On the economic front, traders will get the latest existing home sales figures as well as the minutes from the last Fed meeting.

In Europe, London’s FTSE was down 0.10%,  Germany’s DAX rose 0.22% and France’s CAC was higher by 0.17%.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai composite was down 0.7%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended the session up 0.65%.

Japan's Nikkei finished the day higher by 0.64%.

FOX Business' Mike Obel and Leia Klingel contributed to this article.

Billionaire Foster Friess defeated in Wyoming gubernatorial race despite last-minute Trump endorsement; Sen. Barrasso trounces wealthy challenger

Foster Friess, who put more than $2 million of his own money into his campaign, lost Tuesday in his bid to be the GOP gubernatorial nominee in Wyoming.  (AP)

Wyoming state treasurer Mark Gordon won a fiercely contested GOP primary to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Matt Mead on Tuesday, prevailing over a billionaire businessman who received the last-minute endorsement of President Trump.
Foster Friess, the GOP megadonor who Trump tweeted would be "Strong on Crime, Borders & 2nd Amendment," is a major financial contributer to Christian causes, which analysts had predicted might help him secure Wyoming's religious votes in the race against Gordon and several other candidates.

Trump, who has aggressively campaigned nationally for various state candidates ahead of November's midterm elections, won the state by more than 40 points in the 2016 presidential race. His endorsement has carried significant weight in several primary races this year, helping to oust Rep. Mark Sanford in South Carolina in a stunning upset and keeping Rep. Martha Roby's candidacy alive in Alabama.
But it wasn't enough on Tuesday, as vote tallies showed Friess trailing Gordon by more than six percentage points with virtually all precincts reporting.
It was Wyoming's most contested governor's race since 2010, when Mead beat six others in the Republican primary, and was reported to be one of the most expensive ever conducted in state history. Friess put more than $2 million of his own money into the campaign.
Gordon, having served two terms, was the only Republican running with significant experience in government or elected office. The 61-year-old ranches near Buffalo, Wyoming, and served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
He will face state Rep. Mary Throne, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday, in the general election. Wyoming is among the reddest states, and Gordon is favored to win the general election and become governor.
Gordon is finishing his first full term as treasurer, a job to which he was appointed in 2012.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Barrasso, a vocal supporter of President Trump, fended off a well-funded challenger in Wyoming's Republican primary Tuesday, soundly defeating Jackson Hole business investor Dave Dodson by more than thirty percentage points.
Dodson, who had tapped at least $1 million of his own funds in the race, had advocated for term limits and more action to bring down health care costs.
Barrasso for years has been one of the most outspoken advocates of repealing President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, an effort that fell just short of passing in the Senate last year.

Sen. John Barrasso, an outspoken Trump supporter, won handily in the GOP U.S. Senate primary in Wyoming Tuesday.  (AP)

Barrasso has served in the Senate since June 2007, when he was appointed following the death of Craig Thomas. Barrasso then won a special election in 2008 to complete Thomas' term.
Dodson sharply criticized Barrasso for taking corporate PAC money, though much of his own individual contributions — and Barrasso's — come from out of state.
There were three lesser-known candidates trying to win the Republican Senate race and in an unusual move, one of them bailed from the race Monday afternoon.
Wilson businessman Gary Trauner ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Elsewhere in Wyoming, incumbent Liz Cheney won the Republican nomination for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House. Cheney beat two other Republicans in Tuesday's primary: Blake Stanley of Cheyenne and Rod Miller of Buford.
Stanley and Miller both characterized themselves as blue-collar conservatives and ran low-key campaigns.
Cheney is the elder daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Socialist Dem Ocasio-Cortez laments coffee shop's closure -- over wage hikes that she supports

New York Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez portrays herself as "a normal, working person," but one of her positions may have helped 150 people lose their jobs.
After enduring mockery for declaring Sunday that a walk in a national park was an example of democratic socialism, Ocasio-Cortez lamented Monday the shutting down of an iconic New York coffee shop that closed mostly due to a higher minimum wage – which Ocasio-Cortez supported.
“The restaurant I used to work at is closing its doors. I swung by today to say hi one last time, and kid around with friends like old times,” the congressional candidate reminisced on Twitter. “I’m a normal, working person who chose to run for office, because I believe we can have a better future.”
The Coffee Shop in Union Square, which became especially famous after regularly appearing on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” will close down this fall after nearly 28 years in business. Co-owner and President Charles Milite announced the decision to shut the doors to its 150 employees last month.
But unlike what Ocasio-Cortez wants you to believe about the closing down, it wasn’t the result of greedy capitalists trying to squeeze the workers, but rather government regulations that forced the company to go bust.
“The times have changed in our industry,” Milite told the New York Post last month. “The rents are very high and now the minimum wage is going up and we have a huge number of employees.”

"The times have changed in our industry ... the rents are very high and now the minimum wage is going up and we have a huge number of employees."
- The Coffee Shop in Union Square President Charles Milite

SOCIALIST CANDIDATE OCASIO-CORTEZ ONCE SAW HERSELF AS SMITHIAN CAPITALIST, VIEWEED FAMINISM AS ‘RELIC’
Ocasio-Cortez, who rose to prominence after defeating top Democrat Joe Crowley in the party’s primary election in June, has campaigned on the issue of minimum wage, arguing for a $15 federal minimum wage, up from $7.25, insisting that it won’t have any negative consequences for businesses.
During her appearance on “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah, Ocasio-Cortez was pressed whether her suggestion of $15 minimum wage wouldn’t tank the economy. She cited the example of Seattle, which voted four years ago to gradually increase the hourly minimum to $15 over several years.
Yet Seattle is a troubling case, as research from the University of Washington's School of Public Policy and Governance found that the higher minimum wage led to significant job declines and actually left the poorest worst off in the city, the Washington Post reported.
The study estimated that low-wage jobs in the city dropped by 9 percent since 2016 and “hourly wages in such jobs increased by around 3 percent.” As a result, the study said, the city’s average worker lost $125 a month thanks to the minimum wage hike.

Mollie Tibbetts murder suspect Cristhian Rivera originally from Mexico, living in US illegally

The body of the missing University of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was found bringing an end to the five week search. Murder suspect Cristhian Bathena Rivera was charged with first-degree murder. Here is a timeline of the events since her disappearance.
The suspect in the murder of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts is a 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who had been living in the area for up to seven years, officials revealed Tuesday.
Cristhian Bahena Rivera was apprehended more than a month after the 20-year-old University of Iowa student disappeared, Rick Rahn, special agent in charge with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said during a news conference. Tibbetts was last seen jogging on July 18 near Brooklyn, Iowa -- in Poweshiek County, where Rivera lives.
A body believed to be Mollie Tibbetts was discovered earlier Tuesday and Rivera led authorities to the location, Rahn said, adding that her body was found hidden in a corn field beneath several corn stalks.
Rivera was employed for the past four years at Yarrabee Farms, a dairy farm, the company confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press. The company said he was in good standing as a worker and was shocked to learn of his alleged involvement in Tibbetts' disappearance and murder.
The suspect told law enforcement he approached Tibbetts while she was running, Rahn said.
MOLLIE TIBBETTS MURDER SUSPECT ID’D AS CRISTHIAN RIVERA, 24, LIVING IN US ILLEGALLY
“He actually tells us that he ran alongside of her or behind her. And then at one point, he tells us that Mollie grabbed ahold of her phone and says 'you need to leave me alone, I'm gonna call the police,’” Rahn said of the interview. “And then she took off running, he, in turn, chased her down. And then he tells us that at some point in time he blacks out and then he comes to near an intersection in which we believe he then placed Mollie.”
Rivera revealed to investigators that he became angry when Tibbetts took out her cell phone, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press. He told authorities that he panicked and “blocked” his memory.
The suspect claimed he didn’t remember what happened next but later realized that he’d put Tibbetts’ in his trunk after finding an earpiece from headphones in his lap, the documents said. He opened the trunk and noticed blood on the side of her head.
Investigators said they believed the suspect had been in the area for four to seven years.

A poster for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts hung in the window of a local business on Tuesday in Brooklyn, Iowa.  (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

“A first-degree murder charge was filed today in connection with the disappearance of Mollie Tibbetts, who was last seen jogging in Brooklyn, Iowa on July 18, 2018,” Rahn said. “A complaint and affidavit names Cristhian Bahena Rivera, age 24, who resides in rural Poweshiek County and he has been charged with murder in the first degree.”
MOLLIE TIBBETTS, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT, FOUND DEAD: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS
After Rivera’s arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “lodged a detainer with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office” on the suspect, who was described as “an illegal alien from Mexico,” the agency confirmed.
With the help of surveillance video obtained from someone living in the area, law enforcement was able to identify a vehicle belonging to the suspect, Rahn said. Investigators saw Tibbetts on the video and realized that Rivera “was one of the last ones to see Mollie running,” Rahn added.

Russian Hacker Cartoons

GOP Sen. Grassley presses DHS, State Dept for info on 'disturbing' arrest of suspected ISIS killer in Sacramento

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Monday pressed the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department for more information on the alleged ISIS killer arrested in northern California last week, asking how he could have been granted refugee status.
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Omar Ameen, 45, following an Iraqi warrant for his arrest and extradition request, officials said in a news release from the Justice Department. Ameen's refugee status was approved under an Obama-era resettlement program in June 2014.
But before arriving in the U.S. in November 2014, prosecutors say, Ameen went back to Iraq and killed a police officer while fighting for ISIS.
“We need to better understand how someone with ties to terrorism and wanted for murder could possibly be granted refugee status and allowed to enter American communities," Grassley wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. "This disturbing case underscores the importance of thoroughly vetting refugees before granting admission to the United States."
SUSPECTED ISIS MEMBER CAPTURED IN SACRAMENTO
Grassley's letter set a Sept. 3 deadline for DHS officials to provide written information on Ameen's immigration history, relevant Visa Security Unit vetting documentation and all records about his travel into and out of the U.S.
The letter also requested that the State Department turn over information as to whether Ameen applied for a visa, whether he ever was denied a visa and why, as well as any additional administrative processing that his application received.
Ameen allegedly arrived in Rawah, Iraq, “with a caravan of ISIS vehicles," after the terror network gained control of the town on June 21, 2014, as the group made its way to the Rawah police officer's home, officials said. The following day, multiple ISIS members, including Ameen, allegedly shot the officer.

"This disturbing case underscores the importance of thoroughly vetting refugees."
- Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa

“Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him,” officials said.
The suspect is accused of being a member of ISIS and Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), as well as carrying out tasks for the groups, “including helping to plant improvised explosive devices,” according to the news release.
Following the alleged incident, Ameen relocated to Sacramento from Iraq “as a purported refugee” and did not mention his alleged ties to the terrorist organizations when seeking refugee status and a green card in the U.S., officials said.
Ameen also attempted to apply for refugee status in Turkey in 2012, according to Grassley, but "returned to Iraq to engage in terrorist activities while his application was pending."
"It’s difficult to judge what mistakes may have been made and what policy changes might be necessary to prevent it from happening again without more information,” Grassley added. “I’m grateful for the work of agents and officials at the FBI, the Justice Department and elsewhere who appropriately removed this potential threat, but I am concerned that an active member of two foreign terrorist organizations was able to conceal his past and slip into the United States undetected.”
Ameen could face the death penalty after he is extradited to Baghdad under a treaty the U.S. has with Iraq, court documents filed in the U.S. by Iraqi prosecutors say.

Trump to hold rally in West Virginia to support 'spectacular' AG Morrisey in upcoming US Senate race

President Trump announced late Monday that he would head to West Virginia to campaign on behalf of the “hardworking and spectacular” Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who is hoping to flip the seat from Democratic challenger and incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin in the upcoming midterm elections.
Morrisey, who won the Republican primary, hopes to give the GOP a much-needed win in one of the top Senate battlegrounds as Democrats set the stage for a tough battle in November to regain control of the House.
“Will be going to the Great State of West Virginia on Tuesday Night to campaign & do a Rally Speech for a hard working and spectacular person, A.G. Patrick Morrisey, who is running for the U.S. Senate,” Trump tweeted. “Patrick has great Energy & Stamina-I need his VOTE to MAGA. Total Endorsement!"
Trump also reaffirmed his support of California’s GOP candidate for governor John Cox late Monday evening, who he says “will Make California Great Again.”
“I am hearing so many great things about the Republican Party’s California Gubernatorial Candidate, John Cox. He is a very successful businessman who is tired of high Taxes & Crime,” Trump tweeted.
Cox, who vowed to make the Golden State “livable and affordable” during an interview with Fox Business in June, will face Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor, in the November general election.
Trump predicted earlier this month that Republicans could ride a “giant Red Wave” into the November midterm elections spurred on by none other than the president himself.
“As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job I’m doing,” Trump tweeted. “If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have a giant Red Wave!”
Trump-backed Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach won the Republican primary for the state’s gubernatorial race, and candidates in three Missouri and Michigan races also won.
Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson, who also had the endorsement of the president, declared victory in Ohio's special election for a vacant House seat despite the race still being too close to call.
Democrats are widely seen as the favorites to reclaim control of the House, and are consistently leading in so-called “generic” congressional ballot polls – including districts that were once seen as solid red.
Despite coming up short in most of those races, Democratic leaders point out that the fact the races are competitive is a sign of Republican vulnerability in the fall.

Russian hackers targeted conservative think tanks prior to midterms

Here We Go Again

Microsoft on Monday said it seized websites created by Russian hackers to imitate conservative American think tanks, but instead redirected visitors to websites where their passwords could be stolen.
The New York Times reported that some of the sites that were targeted were the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute, think tanks that have disagreed with President Trump on ending Russian sanctions.
Three other fake domains were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate.
“To be clear, we currently have no evidence these domains were used in any successful attacks before the DCU [Digital Crime Unit] transferred control of them, nor do we have evidence to indicate the identity of the ultimate targets of any planned attack involving these domains,” Microsoft said on the blog.
Microsoft called the hacking group Strontium; others call it Fancy Bear or APT28. The special counsel Robert Mueller indictment has tied it to Russian's main intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and to the 2016 email hacking of both the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.
“The Russians are seeking to disrupt and divide,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president said, according to the paper. “There is an asymmetric risk here for democratic societies. The kind of attacks we see from authoritarian regimes like Russia are seeking to fracture and splinter groups in our society.”
The Washington Post reported that there were phony versions of six websites.
Smith said there is no sign the hackers were successful in persuading anyone to click on the fake websites, which could have exposed a target victim to computer infiltration, hidden surveillance and data theft.
Both conservative think tanks said they have tried to be vigilant about "spear-phishing" email attacks because their global pro-democracy work has frequently drawn the ire of authoritarian governments.
"We're glad that our work is attracting the attention of bad actors," said Hudson Institute spokesman David Tell. "It means we're having an effect, presumably."
Microsoft calls the hacking group Strontium; others call it Fancy Bear or APT28. An indictment from U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller has tied it to Russian's main intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and to the 2016 email hacking of both the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.
"We have no doubt in our minds" who is responsible, Smith said.

McGahn's lawyers assure his lengthy interviews with Mueller's team 'did not incriminate' Trump: report

White House counsel Donald McGahn’s attorneys reportedly assured President Donald Trump’s lawyers that he doesn’t believe his lengthy interviews with Special Counsel Robert Mueller incriminated the president.
The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that McGahn’s attorneys issued assurances in the wake of Trump’s legal team criticism of the New York Times article claiming his lawyers have little knowledge what McGahn told the special counsel.
Bill Burck, an attorney for McGahn, told the president’s attorneys over the past weekend that McGahn didn’t say that Trump is guilty of any wrongdoing during his interviews with Mueller’s investigators.
“He did not incriminate him,” Burck wrote in one email, according to the Post.
Rudy Giuliani told Fox News on Monday that former Trump attorney John Dowd “got a complete version of what McGahn said during that period of time,” while noting that he personally wasn’t aware of all the details McGhan told the investigators. “Now, I do,” he added, saying he went over the details in the recent days.
Despite the criticism of the media reports about McGahn’s interviews with the special counsel, Trump used the interviews to portray the White House as being cooperative with the investigation and as evidence that Mueller’s team is scrambling for evidence.
“Disgraced and discredited Bob Mueller and his whole group of Angry Democrat Thugs spent over 30 hours with the White House Counsel, only with my approval, for purposes of transparency,” Trump wrote in a tweet on Monday. “Anybody needing that much time when they know there is no Russian Collusion is just someone looking for trouble.”
McGahn reportedly had three lengthy interviews with the special counsel investigators since last November, who are investigating the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The White House counsel, who’s believed to have become a key witness in the probe, was asked by investigators about Trump’s private actions when he decided to fire FBI Director James Comey, publicly attacked Attorney General Jeff Sessions over his failure to control the probe, and when he indicated willingness to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, the Post reported.
Trump’s legal team was assured that McGahn told the special counsel that he didn’t witness the president committing any crimes and would have left his position if he had.
But Burck also warned that McGahn is merely a witness and he doesn’t know if Mueller has more evidence about any alleged wrongdoing by the president or if the information McGahn provided could be used in a broader case.

Michael Avenatti Cartoons

Cohen investigated for bank fraud, campaign finance violations: report says

Federal investigators in New York are reportedly working to determine if Michael Cohen—President Trump’s former lawyer—committed bank fraud on over $20 million worth of loans, and possible campaign finance violations.
The New York Times on Sunday reported that the loans in question were for a taxi business that is owned by Cohen and his family.
Investigators are trying to determine if he misrepresented assets in order to obtain the loans from Sterling National Bank and the Melrose Credit Union, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Justice Department has been investigating Cohen for months, raiding his home, office and hotel room in search of documents related to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a separate $130,000 payment the attorney facilitated before the election to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress who says she had sex with Trump in 2006.
The report said prosecutors are investigating whether or not Cohen violated campaign finance laws by securing these deals with women who claimed they had sex with Trump.
Cohen, long a loyal counselor to the president, has more recently signaled that he’d be open to cooperating with prosecutors.
Federal prosecutors are reportedly focused on Cohen’s investments in taxi medallions, the report said.
The Times reported that Cohen used 32 medallions as collateral for loans, and the medallions--at the time-- brought in more than $1 million a year and are valued at over $1 million. Authorities are reportedly investigating if Cohen failed to report the income to the IRS.
The Times report said that it is not clear if Cohen spoke to prosecutors about a potential deal. Cohen did not respond to the paper for comment.
A spokesperson for Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Cohen, told NBC News: "Lanny cannot comment on advice of counsel since there is an ongoing investigation."