Cardi B due in court in New York City after rejecting plea in strip club melee

Cardi B is accused of throwing bottles and chairs at two bartenders at a New York City strip club after accusing them of having sex with her husband.

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Louisiana abortion law: Fury as Democratic governor says he will sign bill banning terminations into law

Louisiana lawmakers have passed a strict new abortion ban which will stop some women from having the procedure before they even know they are pregnant.In a 79-23 vote on Wednesday, the Louisiana House gave final passage to a bill barring abortion once there is a detectable fetal heartbeat, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.The state joins Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio, which have all passed similar “heartbeat” bills this year.Missouri politicians also approved an eight-week ban on abortion and Alabama has gone even further, outlawing virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. None of the bans have taken effect, and all are expected to face legal challenges.Louisiana Democratic governor John Bel Edwards supports the ban and intends to sign it into law despite opposition from national party leaders who say such laws are attacks on women.He said in a statement after the ban’s passage: “I know there are many who feel just as strongly as I do on abortion and disagree with me – and I respect their opinions.“As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.”Abortion opponents are pushing new restrictions on the procedure in the hope a case will make its way to the high court, and two new conservative justices appointed by US president Donald Trump could help overturn the US Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe V Wade decision that legalised abortion nationally.Louisiana’s prohibition would only take hold if neighbouring Mississippi’s law is upheld by a federal appeals court. A federal judge temporarily blocked that Mississippi law on Friday.Abortion rights activists said Louisiana’s bill would effectively eliminate abortion as an option before many women realise they are pregnant, calling the proposal unconstitutional.The legislation includes an exception from the abortion ban to prevent a pregnant woman’s death or “a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” – or if the pregnancy is deemed “medically futile”.However it does not include an exception for a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.A doctor who violates the prohibition under the bill could face a prison sentence of up to two years, as well as having their medical licence revoked.Although similar abortion bans have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats nationwide, Louisiana’s proposal won wide bipartisan support and was sponsored by a Democrat from the north-west corner of the state, Senator John Milkovich.Support from Mr Edwards, who is running for re-election this autumn against two Republicans, is expected to help shore up his position with some voters in his conservative home state, even if it puts him at odds with national Democratic Party leaders and donors.The ban is one of several bills that Louisiana politicians are advancing to add new restrictions on abortion.Another bill nearing the governor’s desk would limit where medication-induced abortions can be performed to the state’s three licensed abortion clinics.Reacting to the news Mr Edwards was poised to sign the bill, Allison Galbraith, second vice chair of Maryland Democratic Party, said: “We keep a big tent, but I’ve no room for being so incompetent or spineless that you don’t get or don’t care what these bills do.”Adam Best, an activist and co-host of The Left podcast, tweeted: “Democrats are the party of civil rights and social justice. Being pro-choice is non-negotiable. “You can’t have DINOs like John Bel Edwards making draconian abortion laws. Should be zero tolerance for Dems like that.”Krishan Patel, who described himself as a progressive Democrat from Irvine on his Twitter profile, said: “If John Bel Edwards wants to make the government force a girl violently raped by her own father to carry that pregnancy out to term and give birth, then he does not deserve any Democratic support.”Leana Wen, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, added that the law would “devastate the health and well-being of women and families”.While Jacob Taber tweeted: “The Democratic Party has no room for misogynists who want to police women’s bodies.”The chief executive of Walt Disney said it would be “very difficult” for the media company to keep filming in Georgia if a new abortion law takes effect.Bob Iger said the law would mean many people would not want to work in the US state.Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp signed the legislation earlier this month. The law bans abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks.If it survives court challenges, the law is due to take effect on 1 January.Disney has shot blockbuster films such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in the state.Netflix has also warned it would “rethink” its film and television production investment in Georgia if the law goes into effect.Agencies contributed to this report.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2XgcMgi

Pork Producers, Corn Growers Urge Trump to Drop Mexico Tariffs

The president said Thursday that 5% duties could be placed on all imports from Mexico on June 10, rising in increments to 25% in October unless Mexico halts the flow of immigrants heading to the U.S. border. “We appeal to President Trump to reconsider plans to open a new trade dispute with Mexico,” David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a hog farmer from Lillington, North Carolina, said Friday in an emailed statement.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2HP5kDI

Trump Tariffs on Mexico Irk Key Republican Allies in Congress

The president’s announcement Thursday surprised many Republicans who hoped to focus on passing a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada known as the USMCA. Trump said he will impose a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico -- ramping up 5 percentage points every month until hitting 25% in October -- unless Mexico takes "decisive measures" to stem migrants entering the U.S.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/3104Xxl

Trump would be 'in handcuffs' if not president, says Democrat Warren

Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be "in handcuffs and indicted" for obstructing the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference. The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading Democrats for the party's 2020 nomination, was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump. Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on Moscow's election interference.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EK7cf1

New Mexico town gets death threats after halting crowd-funded border wall

A New Mexico mayor on Thursday said he and his staff received multiple death threats after they briefly halted construction of a crowd-funded, private border wall by a group that then urged supporters to tell the city to "stop playing games," and alleged it was tied to drug cartels. The Florida-based group has raised $23 million via crowd-funding site GoFundMe.com to build private border walls to halt smuggling and a surge in undocumented migrants, after funding for President Donald Trump's promised wall was blocked. Perea described the tactics of We Build the Wall as a "cheap blow," and the American Civil Liberties Union accused it of pursuing a "white Nationalist" agenda.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ELc5UX

Man charged after Nassau County police find woman, 2 boys with autism, 1 teen in car with 'CALL 911' sign

A man was charged after police say a woman holding a "CALL 911" sign and her three children were found inside his car on Long Island.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2HKmGRS

Escalating Iran crisis looks a lot like the path US took to Iraq war

The U.S. went to war in Iraq in 2003 based on flawed intelligence supported by hawkish policy makers. Is it doomed to repeat the error with Iran?

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2QC9DFe

Disney says it won't make any more films in Georgia if draconian abortion laws come into force in the US state

Disney's chief executive has warned Georgia that the company's film and TV productions are likely to abandon the state if its controversial abortion bill becomes law. Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" for the entertainment giant to continue working in the state if the so-called "heartbeat bill", which outlaws terminations from as early as six weeks, comes into force. The Walt Disney Company has shot some of its biggest films in the US state, including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. Speaking to Reuters, Iger said: "If it becomes law, it'll be very difficult. "I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. "Right now we are watching it very carefully." Sen John Milkovich speaks outside the State Capitol in Louisiana where the House passed Milkovich's 'fetal heartbeat' bill Georgia has been dubbed the "Hollywood of the South" after it lured production companies with favourable tax laws. The state offers a tax credit that has lured many film and TV productions. The industry is responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and some 455 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to the state. However, its proposed abortion laws have caused fury across the industry, with leading stars lining up to condemn the bill. Netflix has also warned it could pull out of the state. Georgia's bill bans abortions in cases where a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks. It is due to come into effect on January 1 2020, although campaigners have already said they will fight it in the courts. It came as last night Louisiana on Wednesday also passed a bill banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, becoming the seventh state to do so. The bans are expected to be blocked in lower courts, but supporters plan to appeal such decisions until they reach the Supreme Court.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2YXwIVw

Florida Gov. DeSantis meets with Netanyahu in Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, calling the embattled Israeli prime minister a "strong leader" on the governor's final day of a trade mission to Israel.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2HN8VCc

US national spelling bee crowns eight co-champions after running out of challenging words

A superhuman group of adolescents broke the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, with eight contestants crowned co-champions after the competition said it was running out of challenging words.It was a stunning result, coming just after midnight, for the 92nd annual event, which has had six two-way ties but had never experienced such a logjam at the top.After the 17th round, Jacques Bailly, the event’s pronouncer, announced that any of the eight remaining contestants who made it through three more words would share in the prize.“We do have plenty of words remaining in our list, but we’ll soon run out of words that will challenge you,” Mr Bailly told the contestants at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Centre in National Harbour, Maryland.He added: “We’re throwing the dictionary at you. And so far, you are showing this dictionary who is boss.”None of the contestants faltered. They each got their own moment of triumph as they correctly spelled their words in the 20th round, then patiently sat back in their seats as the following contestants had their moments. They supported each other with high-fives and hugs, and each placed a hand on a single trophy.The champions were, along with the final words they spelled:Rishik Gandhasri, 13, of San Jose, California: auslaut.Erin Howard, 14, of Huntsville, Alabama: erysipelas.Saketh Sundar, 13, of Clarksville, Maryland: bougainvillea.Shruthika Padhy, 13, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey: aiguillette.Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Dallas: pendeloque.Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Flower Mound, Texas: palama.Christopher Serrao, 13, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey: cernuous.Rohan Raja, 13, of Irving, Texas: odylic.The competition normally offers a $50,000 (£39,610) prize to the champion. Instead of splitting it eight ways, all eight contestants will receive $50,000 and their own trophies.There have been marathon spelling bees before — the 2017 event went 36 rounds, with two spellers battling it out after the 17th round — but the competition has never hosted such a large group of spellers who could not be defeated.The field is typically winnowed down to fewer than four by the 16th round.This year, the ninth-place finisher, 13-year-old Simone Kaplan of Davie, Florida, was thwarted in the 15th round.From that point on, the contestants correctly spelled 47 straight words.Already nervous, they started showing signs of fatigue as the competition stretched on past its expected window.At the beginning of the 17th round, Rishik had a question for Mr Bailly.“Out of curiosity, would you happen to know what time it is?” he asked. It was 11:18 pm.It was one of several moments of levity from a group of students who appeared largely unfazed by the pressure, with their parents in the audience often looking more unsettled.Rohan prompted laughter in the 17th round as he recoiled at his errant pronunciation of “Gaeltacht.”“Oh God,” he said, “I sound like I vomited.”The New York Times

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2KisaF6

How the 2016 Debates Are Still Haunting Democrats

Democrats are trying to avoid the missteps of the 2016 primary debates — a goal that has proven elusive as more candidates have announced.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Xln5jg

Stone Was Like ‘Uncle Roger,’ Miller Testifies to Grand Jury

Prosecutors focused their examination on Miller’s relationship with Stone and Stone’s connection to WikiLeaks founder Assange, Miller’s attorney Paul Kamenar told reporters after the proceeding. Stone was indicted by the grand jury in January on charges of lying to Congress about communications with Assange, obstruction and witness tampering.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2KgPhQI

Auto industry dented by latest Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on Mexico will affect myriad industries, but few are as exposed as automakers. Shares of several major automakers and auto suppliers dived five percent or more following Trump's announcement Thursday night that the United States would impose a five percent tariff on all Mexican imports on June 10, explicitly linking the trade action to a demand that Mexico crack down on illegal immigration. The White House intends to gradually raise the tariff level until it hits 25 percent on October 1, a levy that "could cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty," said a note from Deutsche Bank.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EN8W75

Jussie Smollett: Possible deal was in the works a month before charges dropped, documents show

New documents on the Jussie Smollett case show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.Smollett was charged in March with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he'd been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Police contend the black and openly gay actor allegedly staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity.Prosecutors dropped charges on 26 March without Smollett admitting guilt. Then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors' decision. Smollett has maintained his innocence. The approximately 460 pages of new documents show that detectives investigating Smollett's allegations were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with the Empire actor could include a $10,000 fine and community service. The detectives did not pass the information to superiors. "They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was," said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. In the documents released on Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County State's Attorney's office on 28 February that they could no longer investigate the crime. Smollett was indicted on 7 March. The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier, who informed detectives "that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service". The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.It was the attorneys for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about attack had been dropped. At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didn't think justice was being served. However, he didn't directly criticise prosecutors."My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney," Johnson said. "That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation." The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association said the dismissal of the charges was "an affront to prosecutors across the state" as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating. The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainer's report that he was attacked, resulting in a "substantial number of overtime hours."Additional reporting by agencies

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Judge considering Missouri abortion clinic license case

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A judge is deciding whether to ensure Missouri's only abortion clinic can keep its license past Friday, the latest development in a decades-long push by abortion opponents to get states to enact strict rules on the procedure.

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Riyadh rallies allies against Tehran at Mecca summits

Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of "sowing division". Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks, expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same "baseless accusations" at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) early on Saturday.

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9 Cool Things We Learned Driving the Spectre Land Rover Defender

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Police confirm missing Utah girl's body has been found

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A body found after a five-day search is that of a 5-year-old girl taken from her home and killed by her uncle, Utah police confirmed on Thursday.

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Showdown over Missouri abortion clinic postponed as governor weighs in

Gov. Mike Parson said court intervention in the fight over whether to renew the license of Missouri's lone abortion provider would be "reckless."

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/30UIsKd

Amit Shah: Modi's enforcer emerges from behind India's throne

As the battle-hardened drill sergeant for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah has long been considered India's second most-powerful person, and his appointment Friday as home minister elevates his position to leader-in-waiting. While Modi is the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's people person, firing up rallies and mastering Twitter, Shah has for years made sure that Modi's orders are carried out to the letter while turning the world's biggest political party into the undisputed force across the nation of 1.3 billion people. Shah's piercing stare and strongarm tactics have made him a feared and respected figure in the Hindu nationalist party -- opposition parties and critics call him "ruthless" -- a status only increased by his role masterminding the BJP's second straight landslide election victory this month as the party president.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2HOzgQj

Fox News’ Martha MacCallum Hits Back at Michael Wolff for Claim Kavanaugh Was Fed Questions Before Her Interview

Fox News’ Martha MacCallum tonight blasted Michael Wolff over a claim in his new book about her interview with then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

At least one claim in Wolff’s book has already been rejected by the special counsel’s office, but he’s standing by it and the rest of the book.

Wolff did an interview with The New York Times in which he was questioned about his fact-checking process and said this:

It’s a distinction between journalists who are institutionally wedded and those who are not. I’m not. You make those pro forma calls to protect yourself, to protect the institution. It’s what the institution demands. I’m talking about those calls where you absolutely know what the response is going to be. They put you in the position in which you’re potentially having to negotiate what you know. In some curious way, that’s what much journalism is about. It’s about a negotiated truth.

There is a claim in his book that Kavanaugh got the questions from his Fox News interview with MacCallum ahead of time, and from Fox. Wolff told the Times he didn’t ask Fox News for comment because that’s “a difference between an institutional reporter and a non-institutional reporter. I don’t have to ask the silly questions.”

He also asked, “Can you imagine a circumstance under the sun in which Fox would come clean on that?”

Fox News told the Times in a statement the claim is “pure fiction,” and MacCallum herself responded on The Story tonight.

“Michael Wolff,” she said, “you may not care to know the facts but I do. So here they are. I wrote my questions on a legal pad the old fashioned way, on my way to D.C. in a car. No one from the White House or for that matter from Fox weighed in on my interview at all, period. This is a news show. We deal in facts. I have been doing this for 25 years and I have never given anyone my questions prior to an interview. That is the story. That is not ‘negotiated truth.'”

She also brought on Howard Kurtz and asked, “How does he get away with this?”

You can watch the segment above, via Fox News.

[image via screengrab]

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2Z0ksDH

Bar owner gets death threats for complaining about water drinkers

Bar owner gets death threats for complaining about water drinkers



A bar owner in England came under fire for complaining about people who just drink water.

Chick-fil-A has hilarious response to car crashing into restaurant

Chick-fil-A has hilarious response to car crashing into restaurant



Chik-fil-A isn’t going to let something like “getting hit by a car” keep them down.

Vegan blogger eating meat again, claims diet caused 'early menopause'

Vegan blogger eating meat again, claims diet caused 'early menopause'



A former vegan who lived off a gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, meat-fee and refined sugar-free diet has started eating burgers.

Burger King customer pulls up to drive-thru window, see employees brawling inside store

Burger King customer pulls up to drive-thru window, see employees brawling inside store



A mother trying to get some ice cream for her son was instead treated to violence and profanity.

Florida woman who assaulted Burger King employee for not providing free fries arrested, police say

Florida woman who assaulted Burger King employee for not providing free fries arrested, police say



A Florida woman was arrested on Monday after her attempt to “have it your way” turned violent.

Anheuser-Busch sending 150,000 cans of drinking water to flood-devastated communities in Oklahoma and Missouri

Anheuser-Busch sending 150,000 cans of drinking water to flood-devastated communities in Oklahoma and Missouri



Anheuser-Busch operates two breweries — on in Georgia and one in Colorado — that pause beer production to can emergency drinking water at periodic intervals throughout the year.

Brewery apologizes for Crips and Bloods inspired beers

Brewery apologizes for Crips and Bloods inspired beers



It turns out, a brewery’s decision to release a pair of beers with a Crips and Bloods theme was a bad idea.

Baltimore's mayor blames NSA for ransomware attack that cripple city's computer networks

Baltimore's mayor blames NSA for ransomware attack that cripple city's computer networks



Mayor Jack Young says the ransomware is a spinoff of a cyberweapon that hackers stole it from the NSA in a 2017 breach; Gillian Turner reports from Baltimore.

New app tracks data trackers on your mobile device

New app tracks data trackers on your mobile device



It may come as a surprise that there are dozens of trackers running on your iPhone, delivering the data they gather throughout the day and night.

Navy wants 350 billion social media posts for epic research project

Navy wants 350 billion social media posts for epic research project



The U.S. Navy wants to amass 350 billion social media posts for a massive data archive that will provide new insight into how people communicate online.

Baltimore seeks federal aid to pay for damage caused by crippling ransomware attack

Baltimore seeks federal aid to pay for damage caused by crippling ransomware attack



Residents are still unable to pay city water bills, tickets, taxes and close real estate deals online, prompting city employees to work 12-hour shifts in order to conduct all day-to-day city business; Gillian Turner reports from Baltimore.

US military building ‘missile-killing’ lasers that it will mount onto jets

US military building ‘missile-killing’ lasers that it will mount onto jets



Anti-missile lasers could soon be attached to U.S. fighter jets after a successful ground test.

Military sealift may need more help to get combat vehicles to Europe

Military sealift may need more help to get combat vehicles to Europe



As the Pentagon accelerates its pivot toward great power competition and moves beyond 15 years of counterinsurgency, the US military continues to build up forces, increase training and conduct exercises with regional allies in both the European and Pacific theaters.  

Facebook ignores Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi amid growing backlash over doctored video

Facebook ignores Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi amid growing backlash over doctored video



Facebook is standing by its refusal to take down a doctored video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi amid a growing backlash from Democrats. 

'White-collar sweatshop': Google Assistant contractors slam tech giant

'White-collar sweatshop': Google Assistant contractors slam tech giant



Google's use of artificial intelligence to power many of its products, including its Google Assistant, inspires awe and praise.

Businesses balk at FCC bid to block robocalls

Businesses balk at FCC bid to block robocalls



Some businesses are pushing back against a regulatory proposal that would allow phone companies to block unwanted robocalls.

Fake accounts pose as candidates, reporters to push pro-Iran agenda

Fake accounts pose as candidates, reporters to push pro-Iran agenda



A propaganda effort possibly out of Iran has been using Facebook and Twitter to try and impersonate real Americans, including a handful of US congressional candidates, according to new research.

Doggy Devours Drink

This is my three-year-old rescue dog, Ace, thoroughly enjoying making a mess of his treat. More

The post Doggy Devours Drink appeared first on Viral Viral Videos.

from Viral Viral Videos http://bit.ly/2HIDwAO

Hillary Clinton Reportedly Plans to Form Hollywood Production Company with Chelsea Clinton

Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea Clinton reportedly plan to form a production company to pursue various projects in Hollywood.

Bloomberg News reports that the Clintons have spoken with multiple studios to finance a number of film and TV projects.

Sources tell Bloomberg that the Clintons plan to focus on stories about women and by women, and hope to use their projects to influence society now that Clinton is out of political office.

Hillary Clinton has already signed on to help produce a TV show with Steven Spielberg called The Woman’s Hour.

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama created a production company, Higher Ground Productions, and have a deal at Netflix.

[Image via screengrab]

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2ww3m4E

Valerie Jarrett Says Obama Would Have Been Impeached ‘In a Nanosecond’ if He Acted Like Trump

Former White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett said her former boss, then-President Barack Obama, would have been impeached “in a nanosecond” if he had acted like President Donald Trump does.

On Thursday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Signal Boost show, hosts Zerlina Maxwell and Jess McIntosh — both former senior campaign aides to Hillary Clinton — welcomed Jarrett, and asked her to weigh in on the current dilemma that Democrats seem to think they face in impeaching Trump.

“If President Obama had done half of the things and said half of the things that President Trump is saying, even as recently as this morning, would he have been impeached, and how long do you think it would have taken?” Maxwell asked.

“About a nanosecond,” Jarrett replied, to laughter from the hosts. “Yes, I think that the standards have slipped dramatically, and there’s no earthly way President Obama could have gotten away with any of this.”

“Not just the words and the content,” she continued, “but just the policy reversals and what we’re doing to the fabric of our country. I don’t think any of that would have been acceptable to the Republicans had it come from President Obama.”

“Do you think that impeaching or not impeaching is the right question to be asking right now?” McIntosh asked.

“No, I actually don’t,” Jarrett said. “What I’m motivated by is, what are we going to do to get people engaged in improving our democracy?”

“And I’m so deeply troubled, Jess, by the fact that 43% of eligible Americans did not vote in the last election,” she continued. “So last summer, Mrs. Obama and I started a new organization called When We All Vote. It’s nonpartisan because I just think we have to change the culture in our country around voting. Right now, the energy tends to be at the extreme and special interests dominate the day, and if everybody voted, that wouldn’t be the case. We would be able to hold our elected officials accountable.”

“Right now, in my opinion, the Republicans are just kind of, they’ve lost their soul and their grounding,” Jarrett said. “I don’t even recognize this Republican party anymore. They’re willing to tolerate just about anything for the sake of getting reelected, means that we have to do something to ensure that they don’t get reelected.”

Watch the clip above, via SiriusXM.

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2JNJLW1

CNN Ratings Slump: Network Nearly Doubled in May By MSNBC, Almost Tripled By Fox News

It was a tough month in the ratings department for CNN.

According to the latest numbers from Nielsen, CNN posted 553,000 total viewers in the total day category — down 15 percent from May 2018. MSNBC put up 912,000 viewers in that category, and Fox News posted 1,342,000. CNN did squeak by over MSNBC in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic with 137,000 viewers to 134,000. But those numbers paled in comparison to Fox News — which posted 231,000.

The news didn’t get much better for CNN in primetime. The network averaged 761,000 overall viewers from 8-11 p.m. in May — lagging well behind MSNBC (1,654,000) and Fox News (2,388,000). Worse yet, CNN also got thumped in the key demo. The network posted 185,000 in the 25-54 age bracket, trailing MSNBC’s 242,000 and Fox News’s 377,000.

Individually, it was a big month for Sean Hannity. The Fox News 9 p.m. host put some distance between himself and his rival, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, leading all of cable news with 3,138,000 overall viewers and 506,000 in the demo. (Maddow posted 2,608,000, and 410,000 in those categories respectively.) Tucker Carlson also scored — finishing No. 2 in cable news with 2,761,000 overall viewers, and 473,000 in the 25-54 bracket.

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2YXwM7S

Dan Abrams on Trump Attacking Mueller: ‘The President Has Smeared an American Hero’

Mediaite founder and ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams went off on President Donald Trump for his attacks on Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Speaking on The Dan Abrams Show on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel, Abrams said “The president smeared an American hero today, and I’m not talking about John McCain.”

“When I hear the president of the United States smear Robert Mueller … I get upset because we need more Robert Muellers in this country,” Abrams said.

“We need people who are more law-and-order, apolitical beings,” Abrams said, praising people like Mueller and Chris Wray, the current director of the FBI

“He stuck by the finding that a sitting president cannot be indicted, he could have easily asked for a reinterpretation of that finding. … Mueller didn’t even accuse the president of the obstruction crime, because he thought it would be unfair.”

“The Russian interference in our election was real … and now the president is lying about Robert Mueller,” Abrams continued. After explaining why the “conflicts” the President alleged about Mueller were completely unsupported by the facts laid out in the Mueller report, Abrams stated:

“Hearing the president insult [Mueller] like this, should be offensive to anyone who calls themselves pro-law enforcement in this country,” Abrams said.

Listen above, via SiriusXM’s POTUS channel.

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2wtYxZx

Kamala Harris targets abortion bans with ‘Reproductive Rights Act,’ focusing on constitutionality behind restrictions

Kamala Harris has unveiled a new proposal targeting state abortion bans amid a wave of new restrictions being passed across the country. The 2020 presidential hopeful’s “Reproductive Rights Act” would shift the burden from abortion providers to states attempting to pass bans by forcing them to prove the constitutionality behind the restrictive measures. If a state is unable to do so, they will not receive a pre-clearance requirement from the California Democrat’s Justice Department, which would be needed to enact the state’s law, according to a fact sheet provided by the senator’s campaign. The policy leans on an example created by a core special provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, known as Section 5, which barred nine states from implementing new voting laws with federal approval due to their discriminatory track records.Ms Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, said in a statement announcing her new proposal: “A woman’s constitutional right to an abortion is under attack. Today I announced a plan as president to block these dangerous and deadly state laws before they take effect.” She has frequently spoken about women’s rights and reproductive health care access along the campaign trail, saying during an interview last week, “I will always fight for a woman's right to make whatever decision she believes is in the best interest of her and her family and the government should not be in the business of taking those decisions away from women."The policy proposal arrives as states like Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi all have passed restrictions against abortions in recent months. The bills have sparked days of nationwide protests and backlash from legal experts, who say the restrictions do not hold constitutional merit. For example, Alabama’s law is arguably the most restrictive in the country, limiting abortion access once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This typically occurs just six weeks into a pregnancy, at a time when most people are unaware they are with a child. Those restrictions fly in the face of the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, which determined abortion access was a constitutional right. However, Republican politicians voting for the abortion bans fully acknowledge the end game with passing legally ambiguous bills: to challenge that exact decision and have the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of abortions once again. "Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v Wade was handed down in 1973,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement when signing the new law. “The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the US Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”The Reproductive Rights Act is just one of several policy proposals Ms Harris has launched in recent weeks ahead of the first Democratic presidential primaries. The senator has also unveiled an equal pay policy that would force companies to reveal their gaps in wages among different genders — and face major fines for not paying employees equally — as well as a federal investment in teacher’s wages.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2VVkvz1

Israel to hold election rerun after coalition deadlock

Israel's parliament voted early Thursday to hold new elections only months after April polls in an unprecedented move provoked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to remain in power despite failing to form a coalition. The vote was prompted by Netanyahu's failure to reach a coalition deal even though his Likud party, along with its right-wing and religious allies, won a majority of 65 of 120 seats in the April 9 elections. In a matter of weeks, Netanyahu has shifted from victory celebrations to tense, behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure his long tenure in power continues, eventually opting for new elections.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2KbYU2R