Long Island track worker logs more than $255G in overtime hours: report
A Long Island Rail Road track worker brought home more than $255,000 last year by working what officials say was a dangerous amount of overtime hours on top of his base pay.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Long Island track worker logs more than $255G in overtime hours: report
Long Island track worker logs more than $255G in overtime hours: report
A Long Island Rail Road track worker brought home more than $255,000 last year by working what officials say was a dangerous amount of overtime hours on top of his base pay.
Chase yanks tweet offering advice on how to save money
Chase yanks tweet offering advice on how to save money
Chase bank was blasted on Twitter Monday following a #MotivationalMonday tweet that offered simple suggestions on how those struggling to make ends meet could save money: make your coffee at home, eat food in the fridge and take a cab when you can.
Men face trial for fatal California warehouse fire
Men face trial for fatal California warehouse fire
More than two years after 36 concert-goers died in a fire at a Northern California warehouse, two men will face trial on involuntary manslaughter charges.
Deliberations to resume in case of officer who killed woman
Deliberations to resume in case of officer who killed woman
Jurors will resume deliberations Tuesday in the trial of a Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an unarmed woman who had called 911 to report a possible rape in the alley behind her home.
'Everyone was her sister': Woman killed at synagogue honored
'Everyone was her sister': Woman killed at synagogue honored
Family and friends remembered a woman killed in a shooting at a Southern California synagogue as a generous person dedicated to spreading kindness, with her daughter telling the crowd Monday that she knows her mother would forgive the man who took her life as she worshipped.
Judge signs off on homeless shelter on 'Billionaires' Row' in New York City
Judge signs off on homeless shelter on 'Billionaires' Row' in New York City
Trump wants to charge asylum-seekers to apply
Trump wants to charge asylum-seekers to apply
President Donald Trump is proposing charging asylum-seekers a fee to process their applications as he continues to crack down on the surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. In a presidential memorandum signed Monday, Trump is directing his attorney general and acting homeland security secretary to take additional measures to overhaul the asylum system, which he insists is "in crisis."
Autopsy report shows cause of death for Texas teen allegedly kicked in the head on way home from school
Autopsy report shows cause of death for Texas teen allegedly kicked in the head on way home from school
A 13-year-old Texas girl who died five days after she was allegedly kicked in the head by classmates during a walk home from school died from complications of a brain tumor that discovered while she was hospitalized, officials said.
Prosecutors oppose drug lord El Chapo's new trial bid
Prosecutors oppose drug lord El Chapo's new trial bid
U.S. prosecutors are opposing a longshot bid for a new trial by the convicted Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo.
'Affluenza' teen's mom back in jail after bond revoked
'Affluenza' teen's mom back in jail after bond revoked
The mother of a Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck is back in jail.
The Latest: Islamic State leader says attack was revenge
AMPARA, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Latest on the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka (all times local):
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2IL7eH3
Two U.S. Navy warships sail through strategic Taiwan Strait
The voyage risks further raising tensions with China but will likely be viewed by self-ruled Taiwan as a sign of support from the Trump administration amid growing friction between Taipei and Beijing. Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and China's increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols. "The ships' transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, said in a statement.
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2vArWAZ
From Heisei to Reiwa: how Japan changed under Emperor Akihito
Japan marks the end of an era with Tuesday's abdication of Emperor Akihito, and the outgoing monarch leaves behind a much-changed country. Crown Prince Naruhito will inherit a Japan vastly different from that of the start of his father's reign, when the country was in the grip of an economic bubble and on the verge of a tech revolution. Japan's shrinking population is among the country's most pressing social and economic issues.
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2V6gLz2
Deadly Seattle crane collapse was likely caused by human error, experts say
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Le1cAV
UN chief demands that the world step up to stamp out hatred
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres demanded Monday that the world "step up to stamp out anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, persecution of Christians and all other forms of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and incitement."
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GIYUUI
Her 'final good deed': Woman hailed as hero after taking bullets to protect rabbi during synagogue shooting
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2IOyBA8
Officials: Parents of suspect among 7 killed in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The man suspected of killing his parents and five other people in two rural Tennessee homes stole the car of one of the victims and was wearing a blood-stained T-shirt when he was seen, telling acquaintances the stain was just chocolate, according to authorities and court documents.
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2V2pHWc
Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders Stake Out Ideological Poles of Democratic Race
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2vsDlCP
Poway Synagogue Shooting Suspect’s Parents Call Him ‘Evil’
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UJMRvr
FAA considered grounding some Boeing 737 Max planes last year: source
US regulators considered grounding some Boeing 737 MAX planes last year after learning belatedly of a problem with a system that is now the main suspect in two deadly crashes, a source close to the matter said. Investigators in the Lion Air crash in October and the Ethiopia Airlines disaster in March have zeroed in on the planes' anti-stall system, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. Last year, before the Lion crash, inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration discovered that the manufacturer had de-activated a signal designed to advise the cockpit crew of a malfunctioning of the MCAS system, the source said.
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2XTHbRr
Ban on banana-based artwork at Polish museum fuels banana-based protests
Ban on banana-based artwork at Polish museum fuels banana-based protests
The head of the museum, who was appointed by the government in November, said Monday he appreciated the role of both artists in Poland's culture, but the gallery's limited space requires "creative changes" to the exhibition. He denied pressure from the country's Ministry of Culture.
Oregon high school responds to 'blackface chocolate' cake
Oregon high school responds to 'blackface chocolate' cake
A high school in Portland, Ore., is responding to parents and students after a series of racist incidents took place on campus last week.
'Hamburglar' steals thousands of dollars of food through McDonald's app
'Hamburglar' steals thousands of dollars of food through McDonald's app
Someone in Canada is apparently “lovin’ it” using other people’s money.
Truck explodes in Burger King drive-thru
Truck explodes in Burger King drive-thru
A sharp-eyed Burger King employee may have saved a customer from getting flame grilled.
New best story on Hacker News: Ask HN: Are you put off building something because it already exists?
Ask HN: Are you put off building something because it already exists?
960 by strimp099 | 269 comments on Hacker News.
Big market, check. Validated demand, check. Product or service exists, uh-oh. I set out to build a reverse address book. Instead of updating your address book with changes from everyone else, you update your own details and it pushes to everyone else. Turns out someone beat me to it and my inspiration evaporated. Zoom is a recent and great example of competing in a crowded market and winning. For you builders/founders out there, are you on a never ending quest to find something new/unique or do you prefer another quality in your idea to start a project?
960 by strimp099 | 269 comments on Hacker News.
Big market, check. Validated demand, check. Product or service exists, uh-oh. I set out to build a reverse address book. Instead of updating your address book with changes from everyone else, you update your own details and it pushes to everyone else. Turns out someone beat me to it and my inspiration evaporated. Zoom is a recent and great example of competing in a crowded market and winning. For you builders/founders out there, are you on a never ending quest to find something new/unique or do you prefer another quality in your idea to start a project?
WATCH: Colbert Brutally Mocks Trump for Bragging He’s a ‘Young, Vibrant Man’
Stephen Colbert was back after a short break Monday night and he came ready to skewer President Donald Trump.
“Now, as a spry 72-year-old, Trump is looking to paint himself as a young— fresh-faced— alternative to Biden,” Colbert snarked.
He then played the clip of Trump’s boast about being so young.
“’I am a young, vibrant man,’” Colbert said, repeating Trump’s words. “That’s usually what you hear someone say as the nurse leads them out of the parking lot back to the day room. ‘I’m a young vibrant man. Let me go, young lady. General Eisenhower is expecting me on Omaha beach.’”
“What does he mean, ‘I’m the youngest person.’ Of all his 10,000 lies, that might be the biggest,” Colbert said.
Then, in his Trumpian voice, Colbert quipped: “I’m the youngest person in the world. Every single second, a baby is born, but I’m younger than any of them. Don’t believe me? I’m younger than a baby. I have no object permanence, I have a limited vocabulary, and I am wearing a diaper, and everything I see, I put in my mouth.”
Colbert, by the way, was not pulling the 10,000 lies figure out of a hat. The Washington Post recently reported that on April 26 “the president crossed the 10,000 mark,” racking up falsehoods at a rate of nearly 23 claims a day during the last 7 month period.
Watch above, via CBS
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2Y0x7q1
Don Lemon Tears Into Trump Over Charlottesville: You Can’t ‘Whitewash White Nationalism With a Bogus Argument’
Don Lemon opened his show on Monday night by slamming President Donald Trump for trying to whitewash white nationalism.
At one point, Lemon played a clip of Trump forcefully condemning “the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated.”
In response, Lemon said Trump was right to do that.
“The president was exactly right to say that,” he said. “He stepped up. He said the right thing. So why, when he was asked today if he thinks white nationalism is on the rise, why did he refuse to even answer the question?”
Then he said this: “Here’s the thing. You cannot condemn hate while simultaneously giving a wink and a nod to those who peddle hate. You can’t ignore the threat from white nationalism like this president did last month after that horrific attack, attacks on Muslims at a prayer in New Zealand.”
He then played a clip of Trump calling white nationalists a “small group” of people with problems.
Lemon continued on after the clip ended: “You can’t whitewash white nationalism with a bogus argument that the white supremacists and Neo-Nazis who openly paraded their hate on the streets of Charlottesville were protesting the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee who waged war on the United States, a brutal slave owner, who fought for the continued enslavement of millions of African-Americans. Millions of people who looked like me.”
Next, he played a clip of Trump claiming people when to Charlottesville because of the monument to Robert E. Lee.
“Everybody knows, we all heard what went on in Charlottesville,” the CNN host then stressed. “There were not very fine people on both sides.”
A clip then played of people in Charlottesville shouting “Jews will not replace up.”
“You cannot have it both ways if you condemn hate” Lemon said after the clip ended.
Watch above, via CNN
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2WfttIe
BREAKING: Trump Sues to Block Deutsche Bank from Turning Over Financial Info to Congress
The Trump family and Trump Organization are suing Deutsche Bank and Capital One to block them from handing over financial records requested in congressional subpoenas.
Deutsche Bank was subpoenaed earlier this month by the House Intel and Financial Services Committees.
Attorneys for the president said in a statement tonight the subpoenas are “unlawful and illegitimate” and that “every citizen should be concerned about this sweeping, lawless, invasion of privacy.”
Statement from Trump attorneys: “The subpoenas issued to Deutsche Bank and Capital One by Chairpersons Schiff and Waters are unlawful and illegitimate.” pic.twitter.com/S5bi2xw46x
— Andrew Desiderio (@desiderioDC) April 30, 2019
Deutsche Bank responded in a statement obtained by NBC News, “We remain committed to providing appropriate information to all authorized investigations and will abide by a court order regarding such investigations.”
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DCE9cM
Trump Supporter Battles CNN’s Cuomo: ‘There is No Difference’ Between Antifa and Neo-Nazis
CNN’s Chris Cuomo battled Trump surrogate Steve Cortes Monday night over President Donald Trump’s infamous Charlottesville comments.
Cortes, one of the president’s supporters who recently decided criticism of Trump’s “both sides” comments is a “hoax,” clashed with the CNN host after equating the two sides of the deadly Charlottesville protests.
Cuomo scolded Cortes for making a “moral equivalency” between the white supremacists who assembled in Charlottesville and and the counter-protestors who met them — which included Heather Heyer, who was murdered by a neo-Nazi.
“You make a moral equivalency between those two actions, you’re making a mistake in America,” Cuomo said. “The president did it that day. And you know it was a mistake. I don’t know why you don’t know that.”
“I do not make any differentiation between neo-Nazis and Antifa,” Cortes insisted. “Just because they claim in their name that they are anti-fascist, their tactics are in fact totally fascist.”
“They are thugs,” he continued. “They are America’s brown shirts. And there is no difference between Antifa and those neo-Nazis. Both sides are thugs, and both sides are reprehensible.”
Cortes added there were “very good people” at the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.
Watch above, via CNN.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2WdxVHn
Lawrence O’Donnell Knocks Fox News’ Clinton Coverage After Maddow Announces Hillary Interview
Rachel Maddow announced tonight she’s interviewing Hillary Clinton on Wednesday. During the toss to Lawrence O’Donnell, her colleague couldn’t resist getting in a swipe at Fox News.
“Apparently this week,” he said, “Fox News won’t be the only network that mentions Secretary Clinton, which they do apparently.”
“I don’t know this,” O’Donnell continued, “but I read that they like every minute or every hour certainly there’s some––in primetime, anyway––there’s some reference to why they’re talking about Secretary Clinton instead of any of the investigations of this president.”
“They’re still literally talking about Hillary Clinton’s e-mails,” Maddow said. “That’s a fresh thing like the Republicans in the Senate are about to advance the prospect there needs to be a new investigation of Hillary Clinton’s e-mails.”
You can watch above, via MSNBC.
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DI41nr
Fox News’ Sean Hannity Praises Bill Maher for Questioning Schiff: ‘He Got Something Right’
Fox News’ Sean Hannity threw a rare bit of praise at a liberal television personality on Friday, lauding HBO’s Bill Maher for getting “something” right.
Hannity was talking about the plot to take down President Donald Trump at the time.
“All of these bad, corrupt actors must be exposed,” Hannity began. “This cannot happen to future presidents. This abuse of power… There is no shortage of high-ranking government officials plotting to take down Donald Trump, [It is] clear Hillary Clinton rigged the election in her favor.”
“The Democratic Party is fast becoming — well, pretty much a laughingstock,” Hannity continued on. “Even HBO’s top liberal, Bill Maher, accusing the Congressman, the cowardly shiftless [Adam] Schiff, of stalking President Trump, which is a good description. Good for Bill Maher. He got something right.”
He showed the clip from Maher’s Friday show of the HBO host telling the House Intel Chair, regarding the Mueller report, “This was our big gun. Now it just looks like you’re stalking him.”
Watch above, via Fox News.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DHOvbb
CNN’s Manu Raju Grills Lindsey Graham: Would a Dem President Get This Leeway from You?
CNN senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju confronted Senator Lindsey Graham tonight over what he publicly said about Bill Clinton, impeachment, and obstruction back during that scandal versus what he’s publicly said about Donald Trump.
Anderson Cooper tonight brought up when then-Congressman Graham said of Clinton in 1999, “He encouraged people to lie for him. He lied. I think he obstructed justice. I think there’s a compelling case that he has, in fact, engaged in conduct that would be better for him to leave office than to stay in office.”
Cooper also brought up how, given how the Trump administration is fighting subpoenas, Graham “had a lot to say about presidents ignoring subpoenas” in 1998.
After several attempts to ask Graham, as Cooper explained, Raju finally spoke with the South Carolina senator.
Raju told Cooper, “He suggested that he has actually been consistent because he points to the fact that he voted against one of the Clinton articles of impeachment although he did support the other.”
He played that 1998 comment about subpoenas for Graham before bringing up how Trump will “fight all subpoenas.”
“I would if I were him,” Graham responded. “He cooperated with special counsel Mueller. I guess Nixon must not have cooperated with the special counsel. I consider what the House is doing a political exercise and they won’t let it go. If they think he should be impeached, the House can impeach him.”
Raju asked, “Are you okay then with a democratic president ignoring your subpoenas?”
“I’m okay with a politician fighting another politician. That’s what this is,” Graham said, before saying the idea of obstruction is “absurd” in this case.
Raju also pressed Graham on why he considers Trump’s actions “acceptable behavior” given all the obstructive acts detailed by Mueller.
“He didn’t do anything to obstruct justice. Clinton did,” Graham responded.
Raju directly asked, “Would a Democratic president get this leeway from Republican Lindsey Graham?”
“My record is pretty clear,” Graham said. “I voted against an article of impeachment where Clinton clearly lied, but it was about a personal matter… I thought it wouldn’t be good for the office. I don’t think it would be good for the office of the presidency to impeach President Trump when he fully cooperated with the special counsel.”
You can watch more of their exchange above, via CNN.
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DIigJ4
Far-Right Troll Jacob Wohl Reportedly Targeted Mayor Pete With Fake Sex Assault Claim
Jacob Wohl tried to kneecap the 2020 hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg‘s campaign by planting a faux sex assault complaint, according to a new Daily Beast report.
And he was not alone.
Fellow slime artist Jack Burkman also joined him to try to push the fake story that Buttigieg tried to assault a young man.
The Daily Beast reported on the incident, which in one case involved an uncorroborated social media post which was retracted hours later.
The source also provided the outlet with a recording of the conversation to corroborate his story.
The Daily Beast reports:
A Republican source told The Daily Beast that lobbyist Jack Burkman and internet troll Jacob Wohl approached him last week to try to convince him to falsely accuse Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, of engaging him sexually while he was too drunk to consent.
The source who spoke to The Daily Beast said Burkman and Wohl made clear that their goal was to kneecap Buttigieg’s momentum in the 2020 presidential race. The man asked to remain anonymous out of a concern that the resulting publicity might imperil his employment, and because he said Wohl and Burkman have a reputation for vindictiveness.
Daily Beast had an expert analyze the tape provided by the source. Hafiz Malik, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, determined it is “highly likely” the voice is Wohl’s.
In a more egregious attempt, a Medium article popped up written by someone named Hunter Kelly that likewise tried to push the fake sex assault narrative.
The post so far has gotten 1.2k claps and read, in part: “I was sexually assaulted by Mayor Pete Buttigieg. I didn’t know who he was back in February, only that he told me he was an important politician. When I started seeing him on television three weeks ago as a Presidential candidate, I thought about coming forward.”
It is also a forgery that was tweeted out by Wohl’s dad, who has a picture standing with Trump on his profile page and has over 47,000 followers. (The tweet has since been taken down).
David Wohl has deleted this tweet pic.twitter.com/5qQ9dZs1hY
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) April 30, 2019
The real Hunter Kelly told the Daily Beast that it was definitely not him and he would not make a false allegation like that.
He also said he was asked to come to DC to discuss politics from a gay Republican standpoint.
“It’s important for everyone to know that I was not sexually assaulted and would never falsely accuse anyone,” he wrote.
He added: “To keep it brief for now, I was approached by a political figure to come to DC to discuss political situations from the standpoint of a gay Republican. When I arrived they discussed Peter Buttigieg and started talking about how they would be working a campaign against him.”
He also told the Daily Beast this: “I went to bed and woke up to a fake Twitter @RealHunterKelly and an article that I in no way endorsed or wrote. I have since left and am working on a formal statement to give to everyone including the Buttigieg family.”
For the record, Wohl and Burkham’s asshattery is nothing new.
The bunglers also tried to pin a case of sexual assault on Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
That attempt also failed.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2WadiMo
Kimberly Guilfoyle Joins Trump 2020 Campaign as Senior Adviser
Kimberly Guilfoyle is joining President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign as a senior adviser.
“President Trump has a clear record of accomplishments and promises kept as he continues to Make America Great Again,” campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. “These exceptional additions to the re-election effort will help us take our case to the voters and ensure victory.”
Guilfoyle, a longtime Fox News host, left the network last year to join pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. Serving as vice chairwoman of the super PAC saw Guilfoyle embark on the campaign trail with her boyfriend Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son.
The Trump campaign press release notes Guilfoyle spent “several years” as Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DCRfqe
Lindsey Graham Knocks Napolitano on Fox News: ‘Completely 100 Percent Wrong’ on Obstruction
Fox News’ Judge Andrew Napolitano tonight stood by his assessment that the Mueller report demonstrates clear obstruction of justice from President Donald Trump. Napolitano has been criticized by Alan Dershowitz and POTUS for his take.
After Napolitano defended his position to Martha MacCallum, the host spoke in a subsequent segment with Senator Lindsey Graham.
And Graham very much disagreed with Napolitano, “I like Judge Napolitano, but he’s completely 100 percent wrong.”
Graham said not only is there no underlying crime, but that the White House cooperated with all the requests from the Mueller office.
“Name one event that Donald Trump engaged in that impeded the Mueller investigation,” he added.
You can watch above, via Fox News.
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2WigyFq
Fox News’ Napolitano Stands by Mueller Report Assessment: Shows ‘Classic Obstruction of Justice’
Fox News’ Judge Andrew Napolitano is standing by his assessment of the Mueller report.
Speaking with Martha MacCallum on Monday, Napolitano said asking White House counsel Don McGahn to lie amounts to “classic obstruction of justice” and defended himself against Alan Dershowitz‘s insistence he was wrong.
Napolitano told MacCallum he does not agree with Dershowitz on this one and still thinks it amounts to obstruction.
“Here’s the thing that people choose not to look at. The statute prohibits all attempts to interfere with the government. So if you think you are interfering with the government. If your purpose is to interfere with the government in order to save yourself — not to help the government — then you have committed the crime of obstruction. If you do nothing, no crime, ’cause silence is not a crime,” Napolitano said.
MacCallum then asked: “So if you call up Don McGahn and you rail and you say, you know, he should be gone. He should be gone, meaning Robert Mueller, the special counsel, and the next day, which is the way it’s portrayed in the report, just goes away. McGahn says I’m going to leave, I’m going to quit. His, you know, colleagues convinced him not to do that and then he never gets another phone call about it?”
“And then the president finds out that he told all of this to Special Counsel and he says go back there and take the testimony back,” Napolitano stressed. “That’s asking McGahn to lie, which is classic obstruction of justice.”
MacCallum then noted McGahn did not take the testimony back, prompting Napolitano to remind the statute includes the “attempt to interfere.”
Watch above, via Fox News.
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DDtezu
Ex-Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal Rips Barr Over Standoff With Congress: Looks Like He Wants to Be ‘Coward-in-Chief’
Former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal tore into Attorney General Bill Barr on MSNBC tonight for reporting that he’s threatening not to come before Congress to testify, reportedly over the format of the hearing.
Stephanie Ruhle asked why Barr would put himself at risk.
Katyal said Barr is supposed to uphold the rule of law and provide Congress with information, so this is striking:
“It’s like Bill Barr woke up today and he––or a few days ago––and he decided to not testify before Congress and say like, ‘You know, I’m jealous about President Trump being the coward-in-chief. I want to wrestle that title away from him.’ This is not the way attorneys general behave. It’s not the way cabinet members behave. It’s not even the way private citizens behave.”
Katyal again said Barr’s action is “cowardly” and “deeply undemocratic.”
You can watch above, via MSNBC.
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2Wad6g8
Ex-Bolton Aide Says National Security Adviser Believes Trump is a ‘Moron’
An ex-aide of National Security Advisor John Bolton says that his former boss thinks President Donald Trump is a moron.
The New Yorker’s Dexter Filkins spoke with former aide Mark Groombridge for a profile published on Monday.
Groombridge suggested that Bolton wasn’t convinced Trump has a ‘very good brain,‘ like the president likes to boast.
Instead, Groombridge said this, musing how Bolton keeps checking in at the office: “John is thinking, To the extent I can modify or mollify the President’s actions, I will. He is truly a patriot. But I wonder how he goes into work every day, because deep in his heart he believes the President is a moron.”
That was not the only tidbit that hinted at a stressed relationship in the profile.
Filkins also recounts a very graphic description of the dynamic between POTUS and his NSA advisor made by a diplomat.
For Bolton, the outcome of the summit vindicated a twenty-year argument that the North Korean regime wouldn’t be moved by negotiations. But, even though he was now in the White House, it seemed that the rest of his argument—that America needs to strike immediately—was having little effect. A Western diplomat who knows Bolton told me, “The trouble for Bolton is, Trump does not want war. He does not want to launch military operations. To get the job, Bolton had to cut his balls off and put them on Trump’s desk.”
Unlike former presidents, Trump — painted by those who spoke to Filkins as easily distracted even by a housefly — reportedly only has security briefings a few times a week.
Bolton reportedly likes to keep those briefings short and to the point with bullet points and graphics.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2UR15uF
Fox News Guest Wowed By ‘Energetic’ Joe Biden Rally: ‘That Was Excellent’
A Fox News guest said that 2020 Democratic challenger Joe Biden‘s speech was excellent and praised him for being “energetic.”
Emily Jashinsky from The Federalist made the remarks while speaking to Charles Payne about Biden’s appearance in Pittsburgh on Monday.
Jashinsky started off by agreeing that Biden had, indeed, shaken off the rust. Then, after noting his early media hits made her skeptical, she said this: “That was excellent. It was a good bid for the center, for some of the Democratic Trump voters.”
Then, noting some of the areas where he may have fallen a bit short, she added: “The problem is, it’s a pitch that would probably work very well in a general election against the president. But he has this primary hurdle to clear. And the progressive base is going to want to hear more about those things that he talked about, like a $15 minimum wage and less about how he’s looking back to how great the past was.”
She continued on: “He seemed energetic, he had his sleeves rolled up, it didn’t feel very scripted. I thought that was a good performance from Joe Biden even though it followed more mediocre performances.”
Watch above, via Fox News.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2WacZRK
Fox’s Juan Williams, Jesse Watters Clash After Synagogue Shooting: ‘It’s Not All Sides, It’s White Nationalist Terrorism!’
On Fox News’ The Five today, Juan Williams got heated with Jesse Watters over the issue of white nationalist terror in the U.S. following the horrific synagogue shooting this past weekend.
Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld noted how there’s been very little reporting on the shooter’s name and how that’s a sign of progress in coverage.
At one point during the discussion, Williams said, “I just can’t believe we’re not talking about white nationalism at this table.”
He said there’s a clear “epidemic of white nationalist terror” in the U.S. and if the attack “was al-Qaeda or ISIS,” the conversation would be very different.
Williams brought up stats on anti-Semitic attacks and said while he wouldn’t point fingers, “you have a situation in which lots of people who are on 8chan and all of these things identify with Trump and do think that they have been unleashed by this political environment.”
He brought up the Tree of Life synagogue shooting and the New Zealand mosque shooting to say “all of these things are related.” Gutfeld noted the church bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter.
Williams argued that there’s a reluctance in the U.S. to acknowledge domestic terrorism, and Kennedy added, “Democrats have been reluctant to condemn anti-Semitism, which I think is really critical, especially right now.”
Watters said, “It’s important to point out that the shooter in New Zealand, and the shooter in Pittsburgh, and the shooter here all said they hated Donald Trump, all right? So, Juan, be careful.”
Williams clarified again he’s not tying it to Trump directly, but said, “we have more white nationalist terror then we have seen in my lifetime, and I don’t see people calling it out. It’s an outrage.”
“I think we’re calling out hate on all sides,” Watters responded.
“No, it’s not all sides!” Williams said. “It’s white nationalist terrorism.”
“And we reject that, obviously, Juan,” Watters said.
You can watch above, via Fox News.
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DIigc2
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Doubles Down on Veterans Affairs Gaffe, Chalks Up Concerns to ‘Myth’ and Fox News
For several years now, problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs and its treatment and care of veterans has been a big news item. But, for the second time in as many weeks, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has demonstrated her lack of familiarity with the subject, and an apparent unwillingness to learn more.
VA care scandals rose to media prominence during President Obama’s time in office, and again early in Donald Trump‘s presidency when the long-term problems became part of the chorus of issues attributed to the new administration. It was, however, a problem even before that, and was even a major point of the late Sen. John McCain‘s run for the presidency.
But everything is fine and “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Ocasio-Cortez last week, in a clip highlighted by the Free Beacon. To her ignominy, Trump backed up Ocasio-Cortez’s “no problem” assessment in a Tweet… although only inasmuch as he claims that any problems have been resolved by him since taking office.
AOC took heat when she made the claim, and again when Trump dove in, but neither fact deterred her from repeating that same claim this week, as you can see in the clip above from America Rising (via Free Beacon on Twitter.)
She brought up the controversy over her prior comments, saying that she “fielded questions” at a town hall, and “you might have heard Fox News talking about it.” This may have been not just a general dig at FNC but a specific one aimed at Fox & Friends co-host Pete Hegseth, who lost it on the congresswoman last week over the issue.
“There is a myth that all VAs everywhere are broken,” said Ocasio-Cortez in the new video. “Because, the idea that if we can starve our public systems, we’re seeing this with NYCHA, if we can starve them of budgets, and make sure that they can’t do their job, then we can say the whole system should be thrown away.”
The particular policy aim to which the congresswoman has objected is one, previously championed by John McCain as well as other bipartisan efforts, that designs to give veterans more flexibility and choice when it comes to their health, including being able to obtain care from non-VA facilities.
That hugely popular VA reform that passed in Congress last year, the VA MISSION Act, specifically included this popular reform that Ocasio-Cortez is fear-mongering as “privatization” of government. Part of it was re-authorization of the Choice Act. That Choice Act, a direct response to many deaths among American veterans attributed to wait times and inadequate care, was signed into law by President Obama in 2014. It was passed with a near unanimous vote. It was brokered by McCain and, wait for it, Democratic socialist Sen Bernie Sanders.
Maybe Sanders was trying to starve the VA of resources in the hopes of “privatizing” healthcare but… probably no, he wasn’t though.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2WeeNsV
Fox News Host Jesse Watters Suggests Joe Biden Had ‘Botox’ and ‘Fillers’ at First 2020 Rally
Fox News host Jesse Watters went on a tear against Joe Biden’s first rally as a 2020 candidate — even speculating that the former vice president had cosmetic surgery done before the event.
Watters said Biden’s rally, which went down in Pittsburgh Monday afternoon, was “weak” and poorly attended. “The people behind him looked bored,” Watters continued before invoking Trump’s criticism of Biden: “He looked like he was trying to counteract the Sleepy Joe narrative that has been forming. He was stumbling all over his lines, couldn’t read the prompter well, he was stepping on things. He just did not look polished. He looked extremely rusty.”
The Fox News added that “a lot of the people back in hair and makeup said they thought that he had fillers in, and botox.”
“I didn’t say that, but a lot of the people in hair and makeup said that,” Watters hedged. “And they know. Because they look at faces all day long.”
Watters isn’t the first person to speculate that Biden is getting work done. The Washington Examiner and Daily Mail have both spoken to docs who said they’re sure the former vice president is seeking remedies beyond Vitamin D for his boyish good looks.
Watch above, via Fox News.
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DENgt8
JUST IN: Rod Rosenstein Submits Resignation — Out at DOJ May 11
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will leave his post on May 11th.
In a lofty letter to President Donald Trump released on Monday, Rosenstein said he was grateful to Trump for the opportunity to serve and noted the successes of the DOJ under the current administration.
“I am grateful to you for the opportunity to serve; for the courtesy and humor you often display in our personal conversations; and for the goals you set in your inaugural address: patriotism, unity, safety, education and prosperity,” Rosenstein wrote.
Here is Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's resignation letter to Trump today — he'll officially leave on May 11.
"We keep the faith, we follow the rules, and we always put America first." pic.twitter.com/4DrfQcNFjq
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 29, 2019
He also touted the Justice Department’s successes in recent months, noting “productivity rose and crime fell.”
“Our nation is safer, our elections are more secure and our citizens are better informed about covert foreign efforts and schemes to commit fraud, steal intellectual property, and launch cyberattacks,” Rosenstein further wrote. “We also pursued illegal leaks, investigated credible allegations of employee misconduct and accommodated congressional oversight without compromising law enforcement interests.”
In response to Rosenstein’s departure, Attorney General William Barr wished him well.
“His devotion to the Department and its professionals is unparalleled,” Barr said, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Over the course of his distinguished government career, he has navigated many challenging situations with strength, grace, and good humor. Rod has been an invaluable partner to me during my return to the Department, and I have relied heavily on his leadership and judgment over the past several months.”
[Image via Getty Images]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2Wf5Uiy
Director John Singleton Dies at 51
Filmmaker John Singleton, the acclaimed director of Boyz n the Hood, passed away today at 51 years old.
Following a recent stroke, his family announced today he would be taken off life support.
In a statement this afternoon, his family said, “John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends. We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time.”
A great many people who either knew Singleton and/or loved his work took to Twitter to share their condolences:
RIP John Singleton. So sad to hear. John was a brave artist and a true inspiration. His vision changed everything.
— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) April 29, 2019
The youngest-ever Best Director nominee and an inspiration to us all. John Singleton, you will be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/cMWrDz9633
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) April 29, 2019
Mourning the loss of a collaborator & True Friend John Singleton. He blazed the trail for many young film makers, always remaining true to who he was & where he came from!!! RIP Brother. Gone Way Too Soon!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 29, 2019
This is way too sad. The word 'groundbreaker' is thrown around too easily, but it applied to John Singleton, an inspirational, influential film-maker. While he had many accomplishments in TV and film, you felt he had still more surprises up his sleeve. 51 is far too young to go. https://t.co/pyxb11seS7
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 29, 2019
My prayers go out today to John Singleton and his family. May God bless the young cinematic king who gave us images that will stay with us forever.
pic.twitter.com/tohsQTUPbj
— Robert Townsend (@Robert_Townsend) April 29, 2019
JOHN SINGLETON . A GENIUS .
Thank you for capturing US like no other .— Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) April 29, 2019
[image via screengrab]
from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2DDmfq0
Beast from the east: Indian mountaineers reckon they've found Yeti footprints
Mountaineers from the Indian army on a expedition in Nepal have found mysterious large footprints in the snow that they think belong to the Yeti, or the abominable snowman, the military said on Tuesday.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2vpRIYv
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2vpRIYv
Suspected explosive device found, man arrested in New Zealand's Christchurch
New Zealand police said on Tuesday a man was arrested and bomb disposal officers found a package with a suspected explosive device at a vacant property in Christchurch, where 50 people were killed in attacks by a lone gunman on two mosques in March.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2PBS07T
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2PBS07T
Factbox: The main political parties in South Africa's election
South Africans voting for a new national parliament on May 8 will have 48 parties to choose from -- more than at any election since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2PL18qZ
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2PL18qZ
Sri Lanka maintains high alert for attacks ahead of Ramadan
Sri Lankan security forces maintained a high level of alert on Tuesday after the Easter Sunday bombings, officials said, amid intelligence reports that Islamist militants were planning fresh attacks before the start of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2INZUKJ
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2INZUKJ