Thursday, August 31, 2017
Pelosi on violent Antifa members: Lock them up
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,
D-Calif., says the "violent" members of Antifa — those members of the
anti-fascist group who allegedly attacked conservative demonstrators
over the weekend in Berkeley, Calif. — should be arrested and
prosecuted.
"Our democracy has no room for
inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of
those who commit such acts," Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. "The violent actions of people calling themselves Antifa in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation."
The article pointed out that the famous California liberal distanced the Democratic Party from the group. In addition, Pelosi told the Denver Post’s editorial board: “You’re not talking about the far left of the Democratic Party — they’re not even Democrats. A lot of them are socialists or anarchists or whatever.”
Thirteen people were arrested and five others were injured Sunday after more than 100 black-clad, hooded protesters with masks and weapons attacked and overwhelmed peaceful demonstrators.
"They came with black masks, they carried weapons, they were pounding people down with their fists and feet," University of California-Berkeley College Republican Ashton Whitty told Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" Monday night. "I knew I had to get out of there.
"Everything was great until Antifa showed up," Whitty added.
Pelosi, who represents a district in neighboring San Francisco, had been criticized for not condemning the Antifa violence as forcefully as she had warned about the potential for unrest at a Patriot Prayer rally that had been planned for Saturday.
Berkeley's mayor, Jesse Arreguin, had previously spoken out against Antifa, saying the group should be classified "as a gang."
"They come dressed in uniforms," Arreguin said. "They have weapons, almost like a militia, and I think we need to think about that in terms of our law enforcement approach."
N. Korea Threatens Guam Again, Says Launch Over Japan Was Prelude to Strike On U.S. Territory
The country’s state-run media issued a warning Wednesday, saying its recent missile launch over Japan was a preview for a planned strike on the U.S. territory.
Video of North Korea’s latest launch was also released, showing a mid-range ballistic missile shooting into the sky.
Reports say Kim Jong-un wants to conduct more missile tests to advance North Korea’s military capabilities.
President Trump has said diplomatic talks with the North are not the answer.
China has suspended coal imports from the North, and banned North Korean companies from doing business in the country.
Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan agreed to significantly increase the pressure on Pyongyang, demanding even stricter U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe say that Pyongyang’s projectile launch is an act of outrageous violence exceeding the level of a provocation.
The South Korean president expressed his solidarity with the people of Japan as the North Korean missile launch sparked concern and unease among the residents of Hokkaido.
The statements come after intensified threats out of Pyongyang promising more ballistic missile tests and threats targeting Guam.
Japan and South Korea say they are seeking deeper cooperation on the matter with the U.S. as well as with China and Russia.
Early next month, the leaders will meet with their Russian and Chinese colleagues at an economic forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok where they plan to deepen communication on the North Korean menace.
The threat escalates as Pyongyang vows even more missile tests despite the U.N. condemnation of the rogue state’s actions.
11 States and District of Columbia Send Letter to Senate Health Committee
OAN Newsroom
11 states along with the District of Columbia run their own Obamacare exchanges, and want more federal funding.In a letter dated August 29th to the Senate, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee the states shared there ideas, which included guaranteeing insurer payments and a reinsurance fund to help insurers.
The letter comes as insurers are trying to figure out much to charge for Obamacare, and some states are seeing possible increases of 50%.
The states also want the Department of Health and Human Service to continue granting them federal waivers to meet Obamacare requirements.
Howard University Hires Former FBI Director James Comey
James Comey can now add "professor" to his resume.
Howard
University has appointed the former FBI Director to serve as the
Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy for the
2017-2018 academic year. As part of this role, Comey will lead five
lectures, although the topic has yet to be announced. He will also serve
as the Opening Convocation keynote speaker, welcoming the incoming
Freshman class on September 22.
"[Comey's]
expertise and understanding of the challenges we continue to face today
will go a long way in sparking rich discussion and advancing meaningful
debates across campus," Howard University President Wayne A.I.
Frederick said in a statement.
According
to the release from the University, Comey will forego the $100,000
compensation, instead donating it to a scholarship fund for the
University dedicated to helping students from foster homes.
"I
am honored to hold the King Chair this school year. Howard has a
longstanding history of being a vibrant academic community and the
perfect place to have rich dialogue on many of the most pressing issues
we face today," Comey said in the statement.
Comey's tenure at Howard University will coincide with the release of his widely anticipated book, which is expected to be published in the Spring of 2018.
President
Donald Trump unexpectedly fired Comey on May 9, citing recommendations
from the two top officials in the Department of Justice, Attorney
General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, based
on his handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton's e-mails.
The
termination provoked outrage, particularly given the fact that Comey
was overseeing the investigation into possible collusion between the
Trump campaign and Russia during the presidential campaign. Trump
conceded later that week in an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt that
he had always intended to fire Comey
and was frustrated with the investigation. Comey publicly testified
about his relationship with Trump before the Senate in June.
Comey's replacement, Christopher Wray, was confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office earlier this month.Wednesday, August 30, 2017
FBI shuts down request for files on Hillary Clinton by citing lack of public interest
Bringing Down America |
The FBI is declining to turn over files related to
its investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails
by arguing a lack of public interest in the matter.
Ty Clevenger, an attorney in New
York City, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in March of
2016 asking for a variety of documents from the FBI and the Justice
Department, including correspondence exchanged with Congress about the
Clinton email investigation.
But in a letter sent this week and obtained by Fox
News, the head of the FBI’s Records Management Division told Clevenger
that the bureau has “determined you have not sufficiently demonstrated
that the public’s interest in disclosure outweighs personal privacy
interests of the subject.”"You must show that the public interest sought is a significant one"“Therefore, records regarding your subject are withheld pursuant to FOIA exemptions,” David M. Hardy of the FBI’s Records Management Division told Clevenger.
Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, was investigated by the FBI for using a private email address and server to handle classified information while serving as secretary of state.
In July 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey famously called Clinton’s email arrangement “extremely careless” though he decided against recommending criminal charges.
HILLARY CLINTON'S BOOK RELEASE HAS DEMS WORRIED, IRRITATED
Though Clinton lost the election, Clevenger is still attempting to obtain documents related to the investigation. He's seeking to prove she committed perjury, the Washington Times reported.
He specifically asked for all documents resulting from a September 6, 2016 referral to the Justice Department from then-House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican.
At the time, Chaffetz asked the department to “investigate and determine whether Secretary Clinton or her employees and contractors violated statues that prohibit destruction of records, obstruction of congressional inquiries, and concealment or cover up of evidence material to a congressional investigation.”
On Aug. 8, the FBI asked Clevenger to detail why the public would be interested.
“If you seek disclosure of any existing records on this basis, you must demonstrate that the public interest in disclosure outweighs personal privacy interests,” the letter stated. “In this regard, you must show that the public interest sought is a significant one, and that the requested information is likely to advance that interest.”
Clevenger expressed disbelief at the request.
“Frankly, I am stunned I should have to explain why my request pertains to a matter of public interest,” Clevenger wrote in an Aug. 11 letter to the FBI.
He cited how Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, a former secretary of state and a former senator.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Feinstein stuns San Francisco crowd: Trump 'can be a good president'
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., stunned a San
Francisco audience Tuesday when she said that if President Trump "can
learn and change," he could “be a good president.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported
that Feinstein made the comments during a sold-out Herbst Theater
interview. She was onstage with Ellen Tauscher, a former Bay Area
congresswoman.
The paper described the event as a “political
lovefest” — pointing out that Feinstein is wildly popular in San
Francisco, where she served as mayor for a decade. She was first elected
to the Senate in 1992, after a failed bid for governor of California.Toward the end of the evening, Feinstein reportedly shocked the crowd when she declined to say that Trump should be impeached and then told the audience that they should be prepared to see Trump complete his four-year term.
Feinstein serves on both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, both of which are investigating Russia’s alleged involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
“The question is whether he can learn and change. If so, I believe he can be a good president,” she said.
"The question is whether he can learn and change. If so, I believe he can be a good president.”The report said, “the crowd reacted with stunned silence, broken only with scattered “No’s and a few hisses and some nervous laughter.” The article said that kind of talk is “never heard in Democratic circles.”
Feinstein has been a tough critic of Trump. She recently slammed his decision to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, saying Trump's action shows a “flagrant disregard for the rule of law in this country.”
She asserted that the pardon sent a message to police departments across the United States “that racial profiling is OK.”
On the topic of a border wall with Mexico, Feinstein said she believes Americans would rather send aid to Texas flood victims than pay for a border wall.
She has also criticized Trump’s transgender military ban and called the nature of Trump’s immigration policies “cruel and arbitrary.”
The conversation touched on many subjects, but the 84-year-old did not say whether she’ll seek re-election next year.
Still, Feinstein stood by her comments about Trump, saying, “We have to see if he can forget himself enough and have the type of empathy and direction the country needs.”
She said if he doesn't, "there are things that can be done."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Edmund DeMarche is a news editor for FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @EDeMarche.
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