From 32ae9fec9876d1828dcdbea61771e4e638ae6927 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Yunkang Yang Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2018 17:20:11 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] add18morearticles --- codedArticles.csv | 47 ++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------- 1 file changed, 20 insertions(+), 27 deletions(-) diff --git a/codedArticles.csv b/codedArticles.csv index 688906e..b8a7b10 100644 --- a/codedArticles.csv +++ b/codedArticles.csv @@ -1,27 +1,20 @@ -coder,date,source,title,article -Mikelle Ackerley,8/15/18,blaze,Trump directly addresses OmarosaÕs worst allegation against him Ð hereÕs what he said,"President Donald Trump was accused by his former White House aide and ÒThe ApprenticeÓ contestant Omarosa Manigault of using a horribly racist word, and he directly addressed the claim on Monday. -ÒShe made it upÓ -In a pair of tweets from his official social media account, the president denied the claim from Manigault that he had used the Òn-word,Ó and that there was an audio tape of him doing so. -He said that he had a conversation with television producer Mark Burnett, who told him no such tape existed. -Ò[Mark Burnett] called to say that there are NO TAPES of the Apprentice where I used such a terrible and disgusting word as attributed by Wacky and Deranged Omarosa,Ó he tweeted. -ÒI donÕt have that word in my vocabulary, and never have,Ó he added. ÒShe made it up.Ó -ÒLook at her MANY recent quotes saying,Ó he added in a second tweet, Òsuch wonderful and powerful things about me Ð a true Champion of Civil Rights Ð until she got fired.Ó - - - -.@MarkBurnettTV called to say that there are NO TAPES of the Apprentice where I used such a terrible and disgusting word as attributed by Wacky and Deranged Omarosa. I donÕt have that word in my vocabulary, and never have. She made it up. Look at her MANY recent quotes saying.... - - - -....such wonderful and powerful things about me - a true Champion of Civil Rights - until she got fired. Omarosa had Zero credibility with the Media (they didnÕt want interviews) when she worked in the White House. Now that she says bad about me, they will talk to her. Fake News! - - ÒOmarosa had Zero credibility with the Media (they didnÕt want interviews) when she worked in the White House,Ó he continued. ÒNow that she says bad about me, they will talk to her. Fake News!Ó -Trump was referring to ManigaultÕs statements defending him against charges of racism before the 2016 election and after she joined his administration. -The alleged tape figures a central role in ManigaultÕs book, where she says that she sought to uncover the evidence of racism until she was fired by White House chief of staff John Kelly. She recorded the conversation when she was fired and subsequently released that audio recording. -Trump had attacked ManigaultÕs credibility earlier on Monday, saying that she begged him for a job at the White House after she had been a contestant at ÒThe ApprenticeÓ without winning three times. ÒShe was vicious, but not smart,Ó he tweeted. - - - -While I know itÕs Ònot presidentialÓ to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry! - -In interviews Monday, Manigault claimed she had other recordings from her time at the White House and that she was willing to share them with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian election interference and alleged collusion with the Trump campaign" \ No newline at end of file +coder,date,url,source,title,article +Mikelle Ackerley,8/15/18,https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/08/13/trump-directly-addresses-omarosas-worst-allegations-against-him-heres-what-he-said,Blaze,Trump directly addresses Omarosaês worst allegation against him _ hereês what he said,"President Donald Trump was accused by his former White House aide and –The Apprentice” contestant Omarosa Manigault of using a horribly racist word, and he directly addressed the claim on Monday. –She made it up” In a pair of tweets from his official social media account, the president denied the claim from Manigault that he had used the –n-word,” and that there was an audio tape of him doing so. He said that he had a conversation with television producer Mark Burnett, who told him no such tape existed. –[Mark Burnett] called to say that there are NO TAPES of the Apprentice where I used such a terrible and disgusting word as attributed by Wacky and Deranged Omarosa,” he tweeted. –I donêt have that word in my vocabulary, and never have,” he added. –She made it up.” –Look at her MANY recent quotes saying,” he added in a second tweet, –such wonderful and powerful things about me _ a true Champion of Civil Rights _ until she got fired.” .@MarkBurnettTV called to say that there are NO TAPES of the Apprentice where I used such a terrible and disgusting word as attributed by Wacky and Deranged Omarosa. I donêt have that word in my vocabulary, and never have. She made it up. Look at her MANY recent quotes saying.... ....such wonderful and powerful things about me - a true Champion of Civil Rights - until she got fired. Omarosa had Zero credibility with the Media (they didnêt want interviews) when she worked in the White House. Now that she says bad about me, they will talk to her. Fake News! –Omarosa had Zero credibility with the Media (they didnêt want interviews) when she worked in the White House,” he continued. –Now that she says bad about me, they will talk to her. Fake News!” Trump was referring to Manigaultês statements defending him against charges of racism before the 2016 election and after she joined his administration. The alleged tape figures a central role in Manigaultês book, where she says that she sought to uncover the evidence of racism until she was fired by White House chief of staff John Kelly. She recorded the conversation when she was fired and subsequently released that audio recording. Trump had attacked Manigaultês credibility earlier on Monday, saying that she begged him for a job at the White House after she had been a contestant at –The Apprentice” without winning three times. –She was vicious, but not smart,” he tweeted. While I know itês –not presidential” to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry! In interviews Monday, Manigault claimed she had other recordings from her time at the White House and that she was willing to share them with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian election interference and alleged collusion with the Trump campaign" +Megan Main,,https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/20/report-h-r-mcmaster-trashed-trump-at-july-dinner-said-he-had-intelligence-of-a-kindergartner/,Breitbart,"Report: H.R. McMaster Trashed Trump at July Dinner, Said He Had Intelligence of a ïKindergartnerÍ","National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster trashed President Trump at a dinner in July with Oracle CEO Safra Catz _ mocking his intelligence, five sources told Buzzfeed in a report published on Monday. McMaster reportedly called Trump an ñidiotî and a ñdopeî with the intelligence of a ñkindergartner,î according to the sources , four of whom told Buzzfeed they spoke with Catz directly. ñ[Catz] said the conversation was so inappropriate that it was jaw-dropping,î one source said. McMaster also reportedly disparaged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, and TrumpÍs son-in-law Jared Kushner at the dinner. McMaster reportedly said Kushner had no business being in the White House and should not be involved in national security issues. Sources tell Buzzfeed the dinner took place on July 18 at the Washington, D.C. restaurant Tosca. OracleÍs senior vice president for government affairs, Ken Glueck, and a National Security Council spokesman ñheatedly denied the commentsî to Buzzfeed . National Security Council Michael Anton told Breitbart News in a statement: ñActual participants in the dinner deny that General McMaster made any of the comments attributed to him by anonymous sources. Those false comments represent the diametric opposition of General McMasterÍs actual views.î Glueck , who attended the dinner, told Buzzfeed that ñnone of the statements attributed to General McMaster were said,î and that Catz ñconcurs entirelyî with that. But Buzzfeed reported that two sources told them that administration officials threatened to retaliate against those who knew of the dinner if they spoke to Buzzfeed. Glueck denied he made his statement under pressure. The infamous dinner has been reported by several different outlets, most recently Axios in August. After that dinner, Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson decided to support a campaign alleging McMaster was anti-Israel, after speaking with Catz about the dinner. Sources told Buzzfeed that the decision stemmed from comments McMaster made to Catz praising the Iran nuclear deal and describing Israel settlements in Palestinian territory as a major problem „ two views antithetical to President TrumpÍs. McMaster previously worked at a think tank funded by George Soros that had helped push through the Iran nuclear deal. Adelson said Catz told him about the dinner. ñIt certainly enlightened me quite a bit ƒ Now that I have talked to somebody with personal experience with McMaster, I support your efforts.î Catz, who is Israel-born, has served on the executive committee of the Trump transition team, and has been floated for numerous posts in the Trump administration. She was reportedly alarmed by McMasterÍs views and confided in others about the dinner. Trump confidant Roger Stone spoke in detail about the dinner during a September 11 interview on the Alex Jones Show. He said McMaster was attempting to recruit Catz „ who has donated to both Democrats and Republicans „ to chair the presidentÍs Intelligence Advisory Board. ñMcMaster became inebriated but during that time he took a call from the president,î Stone said, adding that when McMaster returned to the table ñhe had nothing but disparaging things to say about his boss.î Stone then quoted McMaster as saying, ñThe president is a dope ƒ he is incapable of understanding anything beyond 140 characters _ the idea of this guy having the nuclear football is scary _ I see my mission as preventing him from blowing up the globe.î Catz was offended by the comments, told Adelson about the conversation, and Adelson associates tried to give the story to the New York Post, but Kushner had called Rupert Murdoch and spiked the story, according to Stone . He said Catz is refusing to talk to reporters but will if the president asks her about the meeting. A sixth source who did not have details of the dinner told Buzzfeed that McMaster had made similar comments to him about the presidentÍs intelligence in private, including that Trump lacked the ñnecessary brainpowerî to understand matters before the National Security Council. It is not the first time that McMaster has been caught disparaging Trump. He appeared at an invite-only conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Institute of the Study of War in September, and was reported to have ñchuckled dismissivelyî when asked about TrumpÍs tweets on North Korea. McMaster fired three National Security Council staffers: Derek Harvey, Rich Higgins, and Ezra Watnick Cohen „ all officials who had worked on the Trump campaign, were seen as Trump loyalists, and NSC aides whom McMaster felt he could not control. A source close to Harvey told Breitbart News earlier this year that McMaster had warned Harvey, a friend of his and a highly-respected retired colonel, to stop talking to Bannon. Days after Harvey was seen by McMasterÍs top aide leaving BannonÍs office, he was fired from the NSC. It has also been widely reported that McMaster has led the campaign to get Trump to stop using the term ñradical Islamic terrorism.î McMaster also opposed TrumpÍs Riyadh summit earlier this year as too ambitious, and opposed decertifying the Iran nuclear deal. He also supported boosting the number of troops in Afghanistan by between 3,000 and 5,000 troops. Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney issued a statement after BuzzfeedÍs report calling for McMasterÍs ouster. ñEver since H.R. McMaster was appointed National Security Adviser to the President, his tenure has been marked by one debacle after another,î he said . ñHis many acts of insubordination and malfeasance should have cost McMaster his job long ago.î ñMcMaster has made it a habit to publicly disrespect the president, and his contempt for Donald Trump disqualifies him from future service,î he said. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster trashed President Trump at a dinner in July with Oracle CEO Safra Catz _ mocking his intelligence, five sources told Buzzfeed in a report published on Monday. McMaster reportedly called Trump an ñidiotî and a ñdopeî with the intelligence of a ñkindergartner,î according to the sources , four of whom told Buzzfeed they spoke with Catz directly. ñ[Catz] said the conversation was so inappropriate that it was jaw-dropping,î one source said. McMaster also reportedly disparaged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, and TrumpÍs son-in-law Jared Kushner at the dinner. McMaster reportedly said Kushner had no business being in the White House and should not be involved in national security issues. Sources tell Buzzfeed the dinner took place on July 18 at the Washington, D.C. restaurant Tosca. OracleÍs senior vice president for government affairs, Ken Glueck, and a National Security Council spokesman ñheatedly denied the commentsî to Buzzfeed . National Security Council Michael Anton told Breitbart News in a statement: ñActual participants in the dinner deny that General McMaster made any of the comments attributed to him by anonymous sources. Those false comments represent the diametric opposition of General McMasterÍs actual views.î Glueck , who attended the dinner, told Buzzfeed that ñnone of the statements attributed to General McMaster were said,î and that Catz ñconcurs entirelyî with that. But Buzzfeed reported that two sources told them that administration officials threatened to retaliate against those who knew of the dinner if they spoke to Buzzfeed. Glueck denied he made his statement under pressure. The infamous dinner has been reported by several different outlets, most recently Axios in August. After that dinner, Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson decided to support a campaign alleging McMaster was anti-Israel, after speaking with Catz about the dinner. Sources told Buzzfeed that the decision stemmed from comments McMaster made to Catz praising the Iran nuclear deal and describing Israel settlements in Palestinian territory as a major problem „ two views antithetical to President TrumpÍs. McMaster previously worked at a think tank funded by George Soros that had helped push through the Iran nuclear deal. Adelson said Catz told him about the dinner. ñIt certainly enlightened me quite a bit ƒ Now that I have talked to somebody with personal experience with McMaster, I support your efforts.î Catz, who is Israel-born, has served on the executive committee of the Trump transition team, and has been floated for numerous posts in the Trump administration. She was reportedly alarmed by McMasterÍs views and confided in others about the dinner. Trump confidant Roger Stone spoke in detail about the dinner during a September 11 interview on the Alex Jones Show. He said McMaster was attempting to recruit Catz „ who has donated to both Democrats and Republicans „ to chair the presidentÍs Intelligence Advisory Board. ñMcMaster became inebriated but during that time he took a call from the president,î Stone said, adding that when McMaster returned to the table ñhe had nothing but disparaging things to say about his boss.î Stone then quoted McMaster as saying, ñThe president is a dope ƒ he is incapable of understanding anything beyond 140 characters _ the idea of this guy having the nuclear football is scary _ I see my mission as preventing him from blowing up the globe.î Catz was offended by the comments, told Adelson about the conversation, and Adelson associates tried to give the story to the New York Post, but Kushner had called Rupert Murdoch and spiked the story, according to Stone . He said Catz is refusing to talk to reporters but will if the president asks her about the meeting. A sixth source who did not have details of the dinner told Buzzfeed that McMaster had made similar comments to him about the presidentÍs intelligence in private, including that Trump lacked the ñnecessary brainpowerî to understand matters before the National Security Council. It is not the first time that McMaster has been caught disparaging Trump. He appeared at an invite-only conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Institute of the Study of War in September, and was reported to have ñchuckled dismissivelyî when asked about TrumpÍs tweets on North Korea. McMaster fired three National Security Council staffers: Derek Harvey, Rich Higgins, and Ezra Watnick Cohen „ all officials who had worked on the Trump campaign, were seen as Trump loyalists, and NSC aides whom McMaster felt he could not control. A source close to Harvey told Breitbart News earlier this year that McMaster had warned Harvey, a friend of his and a highly-respected retired colonel, to stop talking to Bannon. Days after Harvey was seen by McMasterÍs top aide leaving BannonÍs office, he was fired from the NSC. It has also been widely reported that McMaster has led the campaign to get Trump to stop using the term ñradical Islamic terrorism.î McMaster also opposed TrumpÍs Riyadh summit earlier this year as too ambitious, and opposed decertifying the Iran nuclear deal. He also supported boosting the number of troops in Afghanistan by between 3,000 and 5,000 troops. Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney issued a statement after BuzzfeedÍs report calling for McMasterÍs ouster. ñEver since H.R. McMaster was appointed National Security Adviser to the President, his tenure has been marked by one debacle after another,î he said . ñHis many acts of insubordination and malfeasance should have cost McMaster his job long ago.î ñMcMaster has made it a habit to publicly disrespect the president, and his contempt for Donald Trump disqualifies him from future service,î he said. " +Xinyin Hu,6-Aug,https://www.breitbart.com/2018-elections/2018/08/01/ny-democrat-escalates-abolish-ice-wants-prosecute-ice/,Breitbart,"NY Democrat Escalates ïAbolish ICE!Í Wants to ïProsecute ICE!Í","The ICE immigration-enforcement agency must be abolished and prosecuted, says the far-left progressive running for Attorney General of New York state. ñICE has to be abolished, and I say that as somebody who is running for one of the top law-enforcement jobs in the country,î said Zephyr Teachout, a law professor and an ally of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic candidate for a House seat in New York who jump-started the Abolish ICE! campaign. Teachout is using the issue to win votes from progressive groups and from immigrant and migrant communities: ICE was born in xenophobia, in a time after 9/11 and has grown up to become a tool of fear and illegality. And as Attorney General, I will continue to speak out against ICE, I will prosecute ICE for their criminal acts. ï[ICE] is a tool of cruelty, unconstitutional behavior, illegality.Í „ Zephyr Teachout is promising to prosecute ICE if elected AG of New York pic.twitter.com/lq7uRc2us6 „ NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 1, 2018 ñIn the race for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James has the support of 25 percent of likely voters, compared to 16 percent for Representative Sean Patrick Maloney [and] 13 percent for Zephyr Teachout,î says a July 31 poll and statement from Siena College. The poll shows she has 27 percent favorability among Democrats, while 61 percent say they are undecided about her. Her call for the prosecution and abolishment of ICE comes just seventeen years after 3,000 Americans were murdered by terrorists who smashed the Twin Towers in TeachoutÍs home city of New York. The 19 terrorists included several who eluded deportation because of very weak immigration-law enforcement. Teachout is a law lecturer at Fordham Law School in New York, where the huge population of illegal-immigrant service-workers has forced down wages for the ordinary Americans who make her takeout coffee and bus her restaurant tables. White House officials are touting ICEÍs accomplishments amid the ñAbolish ICEî push by open-borders advocates. Teachout echoes the open-borders claims, saying ñthe idea that we should see people as illegal, the idea that we should see immigrants as a national security threat ƒ just does not make any sense.î ñAbolishing ICE Would Mean Abolishing AmericaÍs Borders„ and Opening the Floodgates to Crime, Drugs, and Terrorism,î says a July 16 statement from the White House. The campaign-style statement echoes the White HouseÍs political push to persuade voters that Democrats are pro-migration extremists. That task is fairly straightforward because multiple polls show that a large slice of the partyÍs base strongly supports the exemption of most migrants from the nationÍs popular immigration laws. Democrats are using videos and sympathetic media coverage of migrant children to persuade suburban voters „ especially among women „ to cast voters against President Donald Trump in the November election. The strategy makes sense, partly because many well-off suburban voters are squeamish about the immigration policies which protect blue-collar neighborhoods from cheap-labor migration, MS-13 recruits, and a flood of children who require expensive specialized help in schools. However, the White House has not championed immigration enforcement as an economic benefit to white-collar suburbanites, despite the widespread use of cheap-labor, white-collar foreign workers. I love NowThis and it was a joy to stop by and meet you! https://t.co/Hprc5c5vIT „ Zephyr Teachout (@ZephyrTeachout) July 30, 2018" + Megan Main,14-Aug,https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mbvd/florida-state-house-candidate-fake-diploma,Buzzfeed,A Florida State House Candidate Who Faked Her College Diploma Is Dropping Out,"A Republican candidate running for Florida's State House has admitted to lying about graduating from a college „ going so far as to pose with a fake diploma „ but says she is staying in the race despite calls for her to drop out. Melissa Howard, who is running in the GOP primary for the 73rd District in the state House of Representatives, had written in her biography on her campaign website and on her Facebook page that she graduated in 1994 from Miami University in Ohio. However, last Tuesday, FLA News Online , which describes itself as a conservative publication that covers politics and news, reported that she had not actually graduated. Howard denied the report and flew to Ohio on Friday, where she posted a photo to Facebook of her posing with what appeared to be a framed Miami University diploma. The photo is no longer on her social media accounts, but others shared it online. Melissa Howard , a #Republican candidate for the Florida House, lied about having a college degree and posed with a fake diploma after a news outlet questioned her credentials. Twitter Ads info and privacy According to the New York Times FLA News Online then retracted the story, but reinstated it after Miami University officials confirmed they did not have any records of Howard „ who attended the school from 1990 to 1994 „ ever graduating. The university also noted that it doesn't actually have a marketing program. ""Miami UniversityÍs degree for marketing majors then, as it is now, was a Bachelor of Science in Business,"" the university said in a statement to BuzzFeed News . It ""does not appear to be an accurate Miami University diploma,"" the university added, noting that it did not contain the correct signature for the dean. Howard is running against attorney and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Gregory in the GOP primary on Aug. 28 in what is a closely watched race to replace Rep. Joe Gruters, who is running for state Senate. In response to the report, Gregory and other prominent Republicans in the district called for her to drop out of the race. ñI think it is a dishonorable act that can bring criminal charges,î Gregory told the New York Times. ""At a time when so many conservative voters have seen swamp politics, it is important that we have conservative leaders like me that are ready to focus."" Even before news broke of the fake diploma, a mailer made by supporters of Gregory had accused Howard of lying about the grade she received from the National Rifle Association (NRA). Howard wrote on Facebook that she received an A, but she actually got a B, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The mailer also questioned Howard's claim that she is a lifelong Republican, and generally whether she is a truthful person. Finally, on Monday, Howard admitted that she had indeed faked her college degree, but insisted she was staying in the race. ""I made a mistake in saying that I completed my degree,"" she wrote in her message. ""What I did was wrong and set a bad example for someone seeking public service. I am staying in the race and intend to win and lead by example from now on."" The university and Gregory's campaign did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' requests for comment. Howard's campaign page was offline Monday evening, but her Facebook page remained up and still included her college career in her bio. BuzzFeed News has also reached out to Howard's campaign for more information. While reporting this story, Howard's Facebook page was taken down. " +Megan Main,7-Aug,https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/08/judge-ellis-loses-his-patience-shouts-at-muellers-prosecutors-then-ends-court-early/,GatewayPundit,Judge Ellis Loses His Patience _ Shouts at MuellerÍs Prosecutors _ Then Ends Court Early,"Judge T.S. Ellis lost his patience with MuellerÍs prosecutors Thursday afternoon and ended court early after the govt lawyers made the same mistake twice. ItÍs amateur hour with MuellerÍs lawyers! The Judge even gave MuellerÍs lawyers a good finger-wagging as he shouted at them_this is so good! Via Law and Crime: The last witness called to the stand was J. Philip Ayliff, a certified public accountant (CPA) at Paul ManafortÍs long-serving tax-preparation agency, Kositzka, Wicks and Co. (KWC), of Richmond, Virginia. As time inched along during the last witnessÍs testimony, nothing of particular interest seemed to be occurring at all. Ayliff was mostly providing foundational testimony regarding the basic functions of a tax-preparation company. Prosecutors then moved on to specifics and attempted to ñpublishî one of ManafortÍs e-file forms. Judge T.S. Ellis IIIïs weariness all but amazed the courtroom as he denied the request_complete with an actual and pronounced finger-wag_before shouting: ñNo! You move it along!î Composing themselves again, the prosecution moved slowly forward before asking Ayliff to define the term ñfinancial interest.î Ayliff began to answer the question but was immediately cut off by Ellis who noted that Ayliff was not a noticed expert. The defense then belatedly objected, prompting a quick and sarcastic dressing-down from the judge_but it was again the prosecutionÍs turn for scorn. Static filled the courtroom as the longest bench conference of the day ensued. Upon returning to AyliffÍs testimony, the jury learned that the issue had been deferred until Friday_if ever. Then, Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye asked about another term of art contained on federal tax forms. Judge Ellis, who was already standing by this point, advised Ayliff to wait and announced the court would recess early. After the jury left, Judge Ellis explained to the press what was discussed during the bench conference. That is, not only was Ayliff not an expert and not a noticed expert as necessitated by the Federal Rules of Evidence_but his testimony had the potential to derail an already-agreed-upon definition of the term(s) in question. This, Ellis said, could have ñconfused or cloudedî things for the jury. Judge T.S. Ellis, a Reagan appointee, became very irritated with MuellerÍs prosecutors Wednesday as they droned on an on over ManafortÍs lavish lifestyle and his expensive suits. ñIt isnÍt a crime to have money and be profligate with your spending,î Judge Ellis said to MuellerÍs hack lawyer, Asonye. On Wednesday MuellerÍs lawyers took a beating from Judge Ellis after they went into detail about ManafortÍs spending habits, whining about his expensive suits and how he paid for them via wire transfer_as if thatÍs somehow illegal. At one point, Judge Ellis became so irritated with MuellerÍs thugs fixating on ManafortÍs spending habits, he interrupted the prosecutor and sternly said, ñLetÍs move on. Enough is enough. They can add.î It looks like MuellerÍs lawyers fall apart when theyÍre actually challenged by an ethical judge; theyÍre also getting smacked around in a the junk Russian bot case by Concord ManagementÍs legal team because they arenÍt prepared to try that case. " +Xinyin Hu,7-Aug,http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/08/07/iran-crowds-reportedly-chant-death-to-dictator-as-us-sanctions-increase-economic-unrest.html,Fox,Iran crowds reportedly chant 'death to the dictator!' as US sanctions increase economic unrest,"Days of unprecedented protests aimed at Iran's sluggish economy along with ""biting"" sanctions imposed by President Trump are ramping up pressure Tuesday on the Islamic Republic's ruling class and causing many analysts to wonder if regime change could be on the horizon. Videos circulating on social media purportedly taken from inside Iran show thousands of protesters marching through the streets. In one video, crowds leaving a soccer match are heard yelling ""death to the dictator! Death to Khamenei! Death to Rouhani!"" and ""Islamic regime must get lost!î according to a translation tweeted by a Middle East analyst. Another video said to be taken in Tehran shows idle buses lined up as far as the eye can see, with the sameanalyst reporting IranÍs government has refused to pay back its debts to a contractor that gives the drivers fuel, leaving them _ and the thousands of Iranians they would have been transporting _ stranded. Watch this Breaking on #IranUpdate, 100 thousand of anti regime protestors who were watching the football match are leaving the stadium and all of them are chanting ""death to the dictator, death to Khamenei, death to Rouhani, and Islamic regime must get lost.""#Iran#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/etNpc6VVwG „ Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) August 3, 2018 ""Look at our situation. We've been waiting for 24 hours,î a bus driver is reported to have said in another clip. ñHow dare the regime sends money to Hezbollah and Palestine when the country is in trouble. Our revolution's aim wasn't to support dirty [Hezbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah and we can be oppressed here. Enough."" A senior Trump administration official told Fox News the restored sanctions against Iran that went into effect at midnight are designed to constrict the revenue Iran uses to fund ñterrorists, dictators, proxy militias, and the regimeÍs own cronies.î #IranUpdate More than 6k buse drivers in Tehran have been waiting for 24 hours to get fuel. But the contractor refuses to provide their need because the gov hasnÍt paid back its debts to the company. Tens of thousands of people waiting for these buses to go to work etc.#Iranpic.twitter.com/UDR60Xnntt „ Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) August 5, 2018 Trump signed the executive order Monday to restore some of the sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal during the Obama administration. The executive order targeted transactions involving U.S. dollars, as well as the countryÍs automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals, including gold. In November, the administration says it will restore sanctions on IranÍs oil and gas and banking sector. An administration officialsaid the U.S. will aggressively enforce these sanctions, potentially subjecting even allied businesses to penalties. #BREAKING: While thousands of protesters were chanting ""#Shah of #Iran, return to #Iran"" during their anti-#Iran's Islamic Regime protest in #Gowhardasht, #Karaj, the Special Unit of Police launched threw grenade & tear gas at them now.#IranProtests #RezaPahlavipic.twitter.com/izZuJhp1ir „ Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) August 4, 2018 ñIndividuals or entities that fail to wind down activities with Iran risk severe consequences,î said Trump in a statement. Trump on Tuesday added he is ñasking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!î ñThe Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level,î he tweeted. ñAnyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States.î The uncertainty caused by the re-imposition of the sanctions have proved devastating for the Iranian economy, which was already weakened by decades of previous sanctions and mismanagement and theft by high-ranking officials. Iran's rial now trades over double its government-set rate to the U.S. dollar, the Associated Press reported, and has lost nearly 80 percent of its value compared to last year at this time, according to the New York Times. Women take the lead in #IranProtests shouting ""Death to the Dictator!"" pic.twitter.com/tKDxtgDTlB „ Lisa Daftari (@LisaDaftari) August 6, 2018 ""We are facing an economic war and the U.S. government is restoring sanctions and also trying to increase them,"" the new governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnasser Hemmati, told the Associated Press on Sunday. ""But our government is powerful...and is capable of opening up the foreign currency market on the same day."" Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday, meanwhile, said in a television interview he has ñno preconditionsî for talks with America and his country can rely on China and Russia to help its oil and banking sectors as the U.S. ramps up sanctions in the coming months. And Britain, France and Germany have been working with Iran, China and Russia to salvage the Iran deal, which the Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of. Here is Shiraz, #Iran People do not want this regime. They chant: îDeath to the dictatorî@DOTArabic #IranRegimeChange pic.twitter.com/wkGKa7Zvjl „ mahsti25 (@mahsti25metana1) August 4, 2018 ñWe are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iranƒthe preservation and maintenance of effective financial channels with Iran, and the continuation of IranÍs export of oil and gas,î a joint statement from Great Britain, France, Germany and the European Union said. But regardless of European and Asian support, the protests are continuing in Iran _ and show no signs of stopping. In Mashad, the countryÍs second-largest city, demonstrations were captured on video Monday after a cleric told the public to take to the streets because the government isn't fulfilling its promises, according to The Wall Street Journal. Another video reportedly showed crowds chanting insults about security forces in the city of Kazerun. The protests have also turned deadly, as one demonstrator was reported to have been killed in Karaj on Friday. Activists there told Al Arabiya that a young man was gunned down by security forces, while IranÍs Fars news agency claimed he was killed by unknown attackers. " +Xinyin Hu,13-Aug,https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-foia-blumenthal_us_5b6b061ae4b0fd5c73dfbd06,HuffingtonPost,Democrats File Freedom Of Information Act Requests For Brett Kavanaugh Documents,"ñThis extraordinary step is really a last resort „ unprecedented and unfortunate „ but necessary to fully review Judge KavanaughÍs nomination,î Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. WASHINGTON _ Senate Democrats said they filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking documents tied to Supreme Court nominee Brett KavanaughÍs work as staff secretary for George W. Bush, calling the effort ñunprecedentedî and a ñlast resort.î Republicans have dismissed demands for thousands of the documents, which correspond to KavanaughÍs time in the Bush White House, as a ñfishing expeditionî and a stalling tactic. They maintain that documents from KavanaughÍs later work in the White House CounselÍs Office for Bush, as well as his lengthy trial record as a D.C. appellate court judge, will allow senators to sufficiently evaluate the Trump nomineeÍs suitability for the high court. ñThe number of pages would range in the millions, an unprecedented document dump that would take well into next year to review,î Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman
Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa) wrote in The Wall Street Journal this week. ñAnd thatÍs exactly what Democratic leaders want and have wanted all along.î As White House staff secretary from 2003-2006, Kavanaugh acted in a powerful position as a gatekeeper for all information that reached BushÍs desk. Democrats are particularly interested in whether he authored or edited any documents relating to the Bush administrationÍs controversial enhanced interrogation and warrantless wiretapping programs. The voluminous record request, however, would almost certainly delay KavanaughÍs confirmation till the end of the year _ past the Oct. 1 goal set by Senate Republicans. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday that he and other Democratic members of the committee had petitioned the National Archives and Records Administration, the Department of the Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency via an expedited FOIA request to produce documents relating to KavanaughÍs documents as staff secretary. ñThis extraordinary step is really a last resort _ unprecedented and unfortunate _ but necessary to fully review Judge KavanaughÍs nomination,î Blumenthal said on a call with reporters. ñI regret that Chairman Grassley has left us no other choice.î Blumenthal added that Democrats may take legal action if the government does not respond to the expedited FOIA request within 20 days as required by law. Such a lawsuit, however, may take even longer to wind its way through the courts. Last week, the National Archives, which is tasked with preserving and documenting government records, said that it would not be able to comply fully with GrassleyÍs document request _ which did not include the staff secretary records _ until the ñend of October.î But
Republicans
said they would press forward with the confirmation process anyway, relying on a separate document review being conducted by a group of Bush lawyers.
Grassley
said he still expected to hold a confirmation hearing ñsometime in September.î Democrats are also angry that their separate request for KavanaughÍs staff secretary documents has been denied by the National Archives. The agencyÍs general counsel said that, under the Presidential Records Act and a separate Office of Legal Counsel memo, it may only respond to document requests made by chairmen of congressional committees. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, complained in a letter to the National Archives this week about its ñoverly restrictive readingî of the law governing presidential records. Asked Wednesday by a reporter if Democrats planned to take legal action to challenge the National ArchivesÍ interpretation of the law, Blumenthal demurred. ñIf necessary, we need to avail ourselves of every tool under the Constitution to seek these documents,î he said. " +Xinyin Hu,,https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gretchen-whitmer-michigan-gubernatorial-primary_us_5b6a0f1ee4b0fd5c73de95ee,HuffingtonPost,Gretchen Whitmer Wins Democratic Nomination For Governor Of Michigan,"Gretchen Whitmer, a former Democratic leader in the Michigan state Senate, won her partyÍs nomination for governor in TuesdayÍs primary. As predicted by polls and pundits, Whitmer defeated former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and businessman Shri Thanedar. Her win reflects the enduring strength of MichiganÍs Democratic establishment and the influential labor unions who rallied behind her candidacy _ and possibly, the limits of left-wing power outside of deep blue strongholds. Whitmer, 46, will face Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, 64, winner of the Republican primary, in the general election for the open governorÍs seat. Analysts believe she has a strong shot of restoring Democratic control of the governorÍs mansion after eight years of GOP rule by Rick Snyder, who was term-limited. ñShe ran a very traditional campaign both in terms of the Democratic Party and the state of Michigan,î said Matt Grossmann, a political scientist and public opinion expert at Michigan State University. ñShe was able to hold off some national interest in the end for Abdul El-Sayed and a well-financed campaign from Shri Thanedar.î MichiganÍs governorship is a top target for Democrats, who hope to capitalize on President Donald TrumpÍs unpopularity in a state he won narrowly in 2016. TrumpÍs approval rating is 36 percent in the Great Lakes State, according to an NBC News poll in late July. After two terms, Snyder is not much more popular. As of April, he had a 38 percent approval rating. Snyder presided over the lead poisoning of FlintÍs water supply and the steady deterioration of the stateÍs now infamous roads. Perhaps not surprisingly then, Whitmer ran heavily on kitchen-table issues, chief among them ñfixing the damn roads,î as she memorably put it in a campaign advertisement. Through the application of user fees, she plans to create a state infrastructure bank that would draw additional federal money to upgrade roads, bridges and water delivery systems. Whitmer also supports a host of traditional progressive priorities. She wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, provide state residents two years of debt-free college or trade school and roll back the stateÍs right-to-work law. The contrasts between Whitmer and her two opponents were clearest on health care and education policy. Unlike El-Sayed, 33, and Thanedar, 63, Whitmer does not support state-level single-payer health insurance. She also wants to increase regulation of for-profit charter schools, rather than do away with them entirely. However, Whitmer successfully argued that her familiarity with the legislative process made her a better steward of liberal priorities than El-Sayed and Thanedar. Despite being in the legislative minority, she helped negotiate the stateÍs Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act in 2013. The following year, Whitmer was part of a successful effort to modestly increase the minimum wage, which is now $9.25 an hour. When Whitmer could not stop conservative legislation, she protested it. In December 2013, the state senator spoke publicly for the first time about being raped in college during a floor speech against a law that required women to take on additional insurance to get reimbursement for an abortion. ñI am proud of my progressive record,î Whitmer told a crowd of activists at the mid-July Michigan Democratic Party picnic in Milford. Women are more in tune with what we need socially because women are mothers.Debbi Madrigal Whitmer initially faced skepticism from state party bigwigs, like Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (D), who openly tried to recruit U.S. Sen. Gary Peters into the race. She ultimately won the backing of virtually every elected Democrat in Michigan. Duggan headlined a rally for her the Sunday before the election. To win, Whitmer raised $6.9 million as of the end of July. An outside group backing her, Build a Better Michigan, also chipped in over $2.2 million. She was nonetheless outspent by Thanedar who dumped in about $11.5 million from his personal fortune. In addition, Whitmer benefited from organized laborÍs far reach in the state. Mary OÍNeill, a retired teacher in Troy, was backing Whitmer because of her commitment to improving roads and schools. OÍNeill hadnÍt heard much about El-Sayed or Thanedar, but she knew about Whitmer thanks to her union, the Michigan Education Association. And Whitmer had the advantage of being the only woman on the ballot, in a year when a mobilized core of Democratic women has helped propel women candidates to victory _ often over favored male rivals. Debbi Madrigal, a Plymouth resident perusing the townÍs street fair on a hot Sunday in mid-July, explicitly cited WhitmerÍs gender when explaining her support for the candidate. ñWomen are more in tune with what we need socially because women are mothers,î Madrigal said. Like all statewide Democratic candidates, Whitmer, who hails from East Lansing, stands to gain from high turnout in Detroit. But that could prove a challenge: In recent years when former President Barack Obama was not on the ballot, the cityÍs voters have not turned out in high numbers. And Whitmer likely has some work to do reunifying the Democratic electorate after a long and bruising primary. Dispatching with El-Sayed, who got a last-minute boost from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), disappointed many of the stateÍs youngest and most progressive voters. ñI donÍt think Abdul is done or that he wonÍt be able to take advantage of having an increased state and national profile, especially at a time when the Democratic Party is looking for folks with impressive backgrounds and a clear left orientation,î Grossmann, the public opinion expert said. " +,,https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-feud-with-koch-network-exposes-rift-between-populist-forces-and-establishment-gop/2018/07/31/2e5fd874-94d3-11e8-80e1-00e80e1fdf43_story.html?utm_term=.e106acd3c9c7,WashingtonPost,Trump feud with Koch network exposes rift between populist forces and establishment GOP,"President TrumpÍs tight grip on the Republican Party is being openly challenged by the powerful network of ideological conservatives linked to billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, splaying out long-simmering tensions over the partyÍs future just months before the midterm elections. Trump on Tuesday dismissed the mounting criticism of his trade and immigration policies from Koch and his allies as the battle cry of a faction that has ñbecome a total joke in real Republican circles.î ñI donÍt need their money or bad ideas,î Trump wrote on Twitter, adding, ñI have beaten them at every turn.î The Koch network pointedly declined to endorse Trump as a presidential candidate in 2016. But this latest feud „ following last weekendÍs gathering at which Koch-affiliated officials sought to distance their operation from Trump „ has exposed the rift between a president pushing his party toward populism, and establishment Republicans espousing the long-standing policy of free trade. Republican lawmakers, awkwardly stuck between two of the partyÍs most influential forces, are scrambling to adjust. On Monday, GOP senators privately deliberated about the path the Koch network has charted and its implications, according to
two Republicans
familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. In a private meeting at the Capitol, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) recounted his visit to the Koch conference to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other GOP senators and aides, and described the frustration he encountered over TrumpÍs trade policies and conduct, the
Republicans
said. Some senators in the meeting struggled to make sense of the Koch networkÍs new strategy of limiting its work for GOP candidates. ñThese guys want to change the direction of the country. They donÍt understand how hard that is,î McConnell said, according to one of theRepublicans. Representatives for McConnell and Cornyn declined to comment, citing a practice of not discussing private meetings. Trump supporters expressed outrage Tuesday at what they saw as a betrayal. ñThe donor class controlled the Republican Party „ that is, until the rise of Trump. The Kochs see that being ripped away, thus the open contempt for the president and his movement,î said former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. TrumpÍs critics, however, said the fissures within the Republican Party have only grown over the past year, and they called the split a sign of wider unease. ñThe Kochs are rather appalled at what theyÍre seeing from Republicans who they helped elect in 2010, 2014 and 2016 „ and who promised to be fiscally responsible and support free markets,î said conservative activist Erick Erickson, who has worked with Koch-affiliated groups and who will host a conservative summit this week in Austin that is partly sponsored by the Koch Institute. While much of TrumpÍs agenda, such as the GOP-authored tax law and a sweeping rollback of regulations, has heartened the partyÍs business wing and libertarian-leaning leaders, there remains resistance to TrumpÍs raw populism and economic nationalism, which many traditional Republicans have argued for decades is the antithesis of conservative principles. Those frictions, often latent during TrumpÍs presidency because of his popularity with core Republican voters, have now erupted ahead of NovemberÍs elections, with the GOP striving to protect its congressional majorities and increasingly debating whether to rally with Trump or against him. The Koch network „ which over the past decades has become a robust conservative grass-roots organizing and advertising apparatus with a heft comparable to that of the Republican National Committee „ has pledged to spend as much as $400 million in this election cycle on policy issues and campaigns. The Koch groups are quickly choosing sides with little reservation, cautioning Republicans who are ardent supporters of the presidentÍs trade and spending policies that they are at risk of being opposed. ñIt brings home how much Trump has broken with traditional Republicans,î said conservative commentator William Kristol, a Trump critic. ñVoters may matter more than the Kochs, but Trump keeps opening up these avenues for others to start criticizing him or breaking away, whether itÍs the anti-government and free-trade Kochs or the Republican hawks on foreign policy.î On Monday, the Koch network announced that it does not plan to support Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in his campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who is running for reelection in a state that Trump won by more than 35 percentage points. Trump held a campaign rally for Cramer in June. ñThey just flat-out threw him under the bus in front of this full room of people,î said an attendee of the Koch conference who was not authorized to speak publicly. ñI hadnÍt heard them do that before.î
Republican officials
on Tuesday privately interpreted what the Kochs did as a warning shot, meant to convey that siding with Trump, while politically enticing, will carry a political cost with their groups. Most Republican senators were treading carefully Tuesday since they are eager to win support both from Trump and from Koch-aligned donors „ a balancing act that could be difficult as tensions flare.
Sen. Tim Scott
(R-S.C.), who attended the Koch summit, said, ñItÍs their money and their choices,î adding, ñTheyÍve got to make their decisions.î Dan Eberhart, an oil industry executive and a Cramer fundraiser, downplayed the financial effect on the North Dakota race. ñI donÍt necessarily think the Kochs splitting a little from the GOP makes it harder to fundraise,î said Eberhart, who attended the Koch summit and stands by Cramer. ñThe success of the tax cuts and the importance of the Supreme Court energizes GOP donors to keep the Senate in Republican hands.î
Cramer
, a Trump backer, has told allies he remains confident about his chances and will continue to support the president. ñI respect the decision by the Koch Network to not engage in the North Dakota Senate race,î
Cramer
said in a statement. ñMy voting record may not be exactly what every national organization wants, but it is exactly what the majority of North Dakotans expect.î Other
Republicans
said they were optimistic that the warring wings of the party could reconcile before the elections, in which the GOP is trying to stave off a possible Democratic wave ñThe Koch network has had tremendous impact on helping us who wanted to change the direction of the country a couple years ago,î
Sen. David Perdue
(R-Ga.), a former corporate leader and Trump ally, said in an interview. ñI canÍt imagine people in the Koch network supporting a Democrat in some of those elections.î Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, another Trump ally, took a darker view. ñCharles and his people are drawing the line in the sand. They know Trump represents a fundamental break with their approach,î he said. The Kochs are not the only prominent Republican family that has evolved in its engagement with the GOP in the past year. Billionaire Robert Mercer and his daughter, Rebekah, have supported a few conservative Senate candidates but have broken with Bannon, their longtime adviser, and kept a decidedly low profile compared with their all-out support for Trump in 2016. The clash between the president and the Koch network is more of an expected divorce than a stunning breakup, according to more than
a dozen Republicans
working with Congress and the White House. Several Trump administration figures „ including Vice President Pence and his chief of staff, Nick Ayers, plus Secretary of State Mike Pompeo „ have cultivated strong ties to the Kochs for years, before and after the 2016 campaign, when Trump criticized Koch-backed politicians as ñpuppets.î But the president and most of his loyalists never warmed to the Kochs, even as their interests at times have aligned. Marc Short, a former Koch operative, left his post as White House legislative director in July. TrumpÍs backing has been crucial for some of the networkÍs biggest legislative efforts, including overhauling the Department of Veterans Affairs. Yet the trade war brewing under his leadership has jarred the anti-protectionist coalition, which was created in 2003 when Charles Koch convened a small group of like-minded business leaders to oppose steel tariffs and rising federal spending under the George W. Bush administration. Koch opened his twice-annual conference in Colorado last week by offering the more than 500 major donors in attendance an impassioned critique of protectionism, which he called a ñdestructiveî force that is ñperverting the key institutions of our society.î Later, Koch political associaterailed against TrumpÍs recent $12 billion in emergency aid to farmers as a ñbailout of bad policy.î Koch, 82, has been at the helm of his familyÍs political organization since his younger brother, David, announced in June that he would be retiring from Koch Industries and politics for health reasons. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Charles Koch said he was determined to take on TrumpÍs policies, not the president personally. ñWeÍve had divisiveness long before Trump became president,î Koch said. ñIÍm into hating the sin, not the sinner.î " +Yuen Lam Jessica Chan,7-Aug,https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/us/politics/iran-sanctions-trump.html,NewYorkTimes,"U.S. to Restore Sanctions on Iran, Deepening Divide With Europe","WASHINGTON „ The United States said Monday it was reimposing economic sanctions against Iran that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord, ratcheting up pressure on Tehran but also worsening relations with European allies. The sanctions are a consequence of President TrumpÍs decision in May to withdraw from an international deal that sought to limit IranÍs nuclear program in exchange for easing pressure on the countryÍs shaky economy. The Trump administration is betting that backing out of it will force Iran to shut down its nuclear enrichment efforts, curb its weapons program and end its support of brutal governments or uprisings in the Middle East. In a statement,
Mr. Trump
said the Iranian government ñfaces a choice: Either change its threatening, destabilizing behavior and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.î International inspectors have concluded that Tehran is complying with the accord, and European officials have said that the Iran nuclear agreement is crucial to their national security. ñWe are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran,î the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and the European Union,î said in a joint statement on Monday. Russia and China also signed on to the 2015 deal. By restoring the sanctions, the United States is effectively forcing its allies to go along with the penalties, pressuring major European companies to choose between the tiny Iranian market and the huge American market. ñWe have suspended our activities in Iran, which were anyway very limited, until further notice according to applicable sanctions,î Daimler, the German maker of Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks, said in a statement on Monday. The sanctions ban any transactions with Iran involving United States dollar bank notes, gold, precious metals, aluminum, steel, commercial passenger aircraft and coal, and they end imports into the United States of Iranian carpets and foodstuffs. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran said the sanctions would endanger ordinary Iranians „ particularly those who would feel the effects of the penalties on passenger jets. The Trump administration ñwants the world to believe itÍs concerned about the Iranian people,î Mr. Zarif said in a tweet on Monday. ñUS hypocrisy knows no bounds.î Every other signer of the nuclear deal has opposed Mr. TrumpÍs action and argued that the agreement was the best chance at slowing, and ultimately ending, IranÍs nuclear ambitions. They now worry that once Tehran is no longer receiving any economic relief, pressure in Iran will rise to resume its nuclear activities. The current agreement prevents Iran from amassing enough fuel to build a nuclear weapon until 2030. Mr. Trump argued that was not long enough. But the other world powers have argued that delaying the problem another dozen years „ after which Iran may have a new leader „ is vastly preferable to the potential of provoking a conflict in the near future. Two weeks after the United States withdrew from the deal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlined a strategy for opening new negotiations with Iran. He demanded that Iran end all nuclear enrichment and development of nuclear-capable missiles; release all American citizens; end its support for Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Houthi militias; and withdraw its forces from Syria. He said such changes would be consistent with ñglobal norms,î although the enrichment of nuclear material for civilian purposes and the development of rockets is, in most states, allowed under international law. Additionally, Russia, Turkey, Iraq and the United States also have forces fighting in SyriaÍs seven-year civil war. In a conference call with reporters on Monday, senior administration officials said they wanted a change in behavior from Tehran, and were not demanding a change in government. They noted that the threat of sanctions had already had an effect on the Iranian economy „ including a plunge in the value of the rial, IranÍs currency; growing unemployment; and increasing protests. Some analysts worry that the Trump administrationÍs decision to go ahead with sanctions will encourage Europe, Russia and China to find ways around the American-led financial system and undermine the success of economic penalties in other areas. The European Union on Monday updated a so-called blocking statute that seeks to protect European companies from any penalties imposed by the United States for doing business with, or in, Iran. The measure threatens companies with penalties if they comply with American sanctions, putting some in a bind. The law was originally passed in 1996 to protect companies against penalties imposed for doing business in Cuba, Libya and Iran „ all of which were under American sanctions. For years, the United States largely ignored European investments in Cuba to avoid friction. But while top American officials said on Monday that they would continue talking to foreign counterparts to cooperate on sanctions, they vowed to undertake vigorous enforcement of the restored penalties against Iran „ regardless of European concerns. They also said more than 100 major businesses had already announced an intent to leave Iran, ahead of the sanctions. In practice, the blocking statute is likely to be difficult to enforce. ñThe idea that the European Commission would come after Siemens or Total for not doing business in Iran is legally dubious and politically very tricky,î said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. ñI canÍt imagine that happening.î While European leaders insisted they would resist the sanctions, some have quietly taken actions to comply. The Bundesbank, GermanyÍs central bank, introduced a change to its rules last month that could block the transfer of hundreds of millions of euros from an Iranian bank in Hamburg back to Iran. The Bundesbank is the conduit for major international transfers of money. European leadersÍ powerlessness to counter American sanctions has only widened a divide over a host of issues including NATO, immigration and relations with Russia that could undercut current efforts to defuse tensions over trade. Sanctions could also further irritate China and India, both of which have significant economic relations with Iran. For Beijing, the threat of American sanctions arising from transactions with Iran is just one in a growing portfolio of disputes, including a worsening trade war, restrictions related to North Korea and military tensions in the South China Sea. Many large Chinese firms are state owned and have limited exposure to the American market, leaving them able to continue dealings with Iran. Beijing is unlikely to seriously curb economic ties with Tehran unless it receives significant concessions on other issues „ something the Trump administration is unlikely to grant. India is one of the largest buyers of IranÍs oil, and has pledged to invest millions in IranÍs Chabahar Port. Recent demands by top American officials that India reduce its oil imports from Iran to zero by November led to hard feelings in New Delhi. Those demands were later softened, but the damage was done. An even tougher round of sanctions is scheduled to go into effect in November, including sanctions on IranÍs sale of crude oil and transactions with its Central Bank. Europe could undertake the provocative step of instructing state-owned banks and energy companies „ which are largely insulated from American penalties „ to do business with Iran. ñBut I donÍt see Europeans ready to pull the trigger on those types of measures, so most companies are making the unhappy decision to side with the U.S.,î said Peter Harrell, who was a sanctions official in the Obama administration. ñThe Trump administrationÍs approach to Iran is to build a coalition of the unwilling that has to pull out,î Mr. Harrell said. " +Xinyin Hu,8-Aug,https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/08/nyregion/uber-vote-city-council-cap.html,NewYorkTimes,Uber Hit With Cap as New York City Takes Lead in Crackdown,"Even as Uber has become one of Silicon ValleyÍs biggest success stories and changed the way people across the globe get around, the company has faced increased scrutiny from government regulators. It has also struggled to overcome its image as a company determined to grow at all costs with little regard for its impact on cities. On Wednesday, the tech giant was dealt a major setback in its largest American market after the New York City Council voted to cap Uber vehicles and other ride-hail services, providing a model for other cities that are trying find ways to rein in the company. The City Council approved a package of bills that will halt new licenses for Uber and other ride-hail vehicles for a 1 year while the city studies the booming industry. The legislation also allows the city to set a minimum pay rate for drivers. The new rules will make New York the first major American city to restrict the number of ride-hail vehicles and to establish pay rules for drivers. New YorkÍs aggressive stance raises questions over UberÍs growth as the company, which has been valued at $48 billion, plans to move toward an initial public offering next year. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker, say the bills will curtail worsening street congestion and improve low driver wages. ñWe are pausing the issuance of new licenses in an industry that has been allowed to proliferate without any appropriate check or regulation,î Mr. Johnson said before the vote, adding that the rules would not diminish existing service for New Yorkers who rely on ride-hail apps. Mr. de Blasio has supported the legislation and is expected to sign it. The cap on new for-hire vehicles would take effect immediately after the mayor signs the bill. Still, Uber has warned its riders that the cap could produce higher prices and longer wait times for passengers if the company cannot keep up with growing demand. Ride-hail apps have become a crucial backup option for New Yorkers swept up in the constant delays on the cityÍs subway, as happened on Wednesday when signal problems again snarled train lines across a large swath of the city. The battle over UberÍs future in New York has been prompted in part by growing concerns over financial turmoil among drivers „ a problem underscored by six driver suicides in recent months. On Wednesday, a large group of drivers rallied outside City Hall before the vote and held signs displaying the names of the six drivers who took their lives. New York is the latest city to grapple with questions over how to regulate the company. In London, UberÍs most lucrative European market, Uber recently regained its taxi license after the company agreed to stricter regulations, including providing the city with traffic data. Uber has also faced regulatory battles in American cities, like Austin, Tex., and in countries like Canada, Brazil and Italy. [Read more about the potential impact of the Uber cap.] The companyÍs new chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, has embarked on a global charm offensive to repair the companyÍs image after a series of controversies, including complaints over gender discrimination and harassment. Uber criticized the CouncilÍs decision to approve the cap, but said the company would work to keep up with growing demand despite the limit on new vehicles. ñThe CityÍs 12-month pause on new vehicle licenses will threaten one of the few reliable transportation options while doing nothing to fix the subways or ease congestion,î Josh Gold, a spokesman for Uber, said in a statement. Uber said the company would immediately reach out to tens of thousands of for-hire vehicle owners who are already licensed but work for other services and try to recruit them to work for Uber. The company said it would also continue to press for another solution, known as congestion pricing „ a proposal to toll drivers entering ManhattanÍs busiest neighborhoods and that would require approval from state lawmakers. Many experts believe congestion pricing is the best way for New York City to fix congestion and secure the funds needed to fix the subway. Mr. Johnson supports the idea, but Mr. de Blasio has opposed it. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who controls the subway, has said he will push for congestion pricing during the next state legislative session to help pay for an overhaul plan for the subway. The City Council also moved recently to regulate Airbnb, another tech company that has upended the hotel industry. Mr. Johnson, a Democrat who became City Council speaker in January, has quickly taken bold steps to make a name for himself on high-profile issues, including convincing the mayor to pay for half-price MetroCards for poor New Yorkers. [Read why some Taxi and Uber drivers are united in a cap on ride-sharing vehicles] Many taxi and Uber drivers say they support the cap proposal. They hope it will halt the flood of new vehicles clogging city streets and allow them to make more trips and improve their earnings. Uber and other ride-hail services could add new vehicles only if they are wheelchair accessible. Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, tried unsuccessfully to cap Uber in 2015. Since then, the number of for-hire vehicles in the city has surged to more than 100,000 vehicles, from about 63,000 in 2015, according to the city. If the city sets a minimum wage of $17.22 an hour after expenses, that would increase driver earnings by about 22.5 percent on average, according to a study by independent economists. About 40 percent of for-hire vehicle drivers have incomes so low that they qualify for Medicaid and about 18 percent qualify for food stamps, according to the study. The taxi industry has also been decimated by UberÍs rise. The price of a taxi medallion, which is required to operate a taxi in New York, has plunged from more than $1 million to less than $200,000. Elizabeth Cassarino, a yellow taxi driver, said she supports the cap and hopes it will improve business for taxis. As she drove a taxi through the clogged streets of Manhattan on Wednesday, she said her credit cards were maxed out and she had trouble making enough money to pay for food. ñFinally,î she said. ñWeÍre starving to death.î " +,,https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2018/07/17/former-fbi-lawyer-lisa-page-said-anti-trump-texts-with-peter-strzok-mean-exactly-n2501115,Townhall,Former FBI Lawyer Lisa Page Said Anti-Trump Texts With Peter Strzok 'Mean Exactly What They Say',"Yesterday was day two of testimony from former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who was also the mistress of disgraced FBI Agent Peter Strzok. The two sent tens of thousands of texts, anti-Trump in nature during some of the most politically sensitive investigations the FBI has undertaken in recent memory: the Clinton email probe and the counterintelligence investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. Strzok was a key player in both investigations. Throughout 2016, the two sent texts that have raised eyebrows and questioned the credibility of the FBIÍs impartiality. From ñweÍll stop itî and an ñinsurance policy,î both referring to the Trump presidency, GOP lawmakers want to know what Strzok meant. The insurance policy is allegedly the Trump dossier, which was a campaign opposition research file compiled by former MI6 spy Christopher Steele, who was hired by Fusion GPS during the 2016 election; Fusion was hired by the Clinton campaign to find dirt on Trump. That document was allegedly used to secure a FISA warrant to spy on TrumpÍs former foreign policy adviser Carter Page. StrzokÍs testimony last week before Congress was a rodeo fraught with drama, as Democrats kept interrupting, some GOP members bringing up StrzokÍs extramarital affair with Page, and other acts of insanity. Rep.
Steve Cohen
(D-TN) said he would have given Strzok a Purple Heart.
Strzok
was combative, said his anti-Trump texts were an expression of ñdeep patriotism,î and that his ñweÍll stop itî text was made in reference to TrumpÍs remarks about Gold Star parent Khizr Khan. It was ridiculous. StrzokÍs main point was that his biased texts werenÍt evidence of bias. For Page, there were no fireworks. No explosive moments that we know of since it was behind closed doors. Yet, House Republicans found her testimony credible and respected her willingness to get to the truth. Her testimony on Friday did, however, raise concerns with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) concerning whether the FBI was driving towards a desired outcome on the Russia investigation. Now, Page reportedly told House members that those anti-Trump texts meant exactly what they mean, according to
Rep. John Ratcliff
(R-TX) (via ABC News): VOTE Page appeared on Capitol Hill on Monday for a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee after initially answering questions last Friday. Page and Peter Strzok, who testified publicly in a fiery marathon hearing on Capitol Hill last Thursday, are at the center of Republican concern about political bias at the FBI and Justice Department regarding the handling of the Russia and Clinton email investigations.
Rep. John Ratcliff
, R-Texas, told reporters that Page has been more cooperative than Strzok in her interview, offering lawmakers ñplausible answersî and ñplausible explanations.î ñIn many cases, she admits that the text messages mean exactly what they say, as opposed to Agent Strzok, who thinks that we've all misinterpreted his own words on any text message that might be negative,î
Ratcliff
told reporters. ñShe's certainly more cooperative than Peter Strzok was and the pieces of information filled in some blanks along the way, but we've got a huge jigsaw puzzle to put together,î
Rep. Steve King
, R-Iowa, agreed. When I questioned Lisa Page on Friday about the anti-Trump text messages that were sent between herself and Peter Strzok, there were significant differences in her testimony and StrzokÍs as it relates to what she thought some of these text messages meant. pic.twitter.com/H73LfRFzUc „
John Ratcliffe
(@RepRatcliffe) July 16, 2018

Democrats

said last Friday that PageÍs testimony did not come in conflict with StrzokÍs, but Ratcliff disagreed. Of course, Democrats are not going to agree with Republicans on this, or anything that makes the president looks good. Both
Strzok
and Page texted about the Clinton email probe, in which both were concerned that the FBI was going too hard on Hillary. Evidence of a possible breach in the homebrew server Clinton used was also presented to Strzok who reportedly did nothing about it. As for the Russia investigation, thatÍs now being handled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who removed Strzok from the investigation in August of 2017 when he found out about the texts. Strzok was reassigned to human resources. He was a top counterintelligence agent. Now, heÍs the face of the controversy that has engulfed the FBI and provided a rather embarrassing chapter in its history. " +Megan Main,20-Aug,https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/paul-manafort-trial-jury-ends-day-1-with-no-verdict-questions,WashingtonExaminer,"Paul Manafort trial: Jury ends first day with no verdict, asks judge 4 questions","The jury in the Virginia trial for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort ended its first day of deliberations with no verdict „ but a few questions. Just before 5 p.m., Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia received a note from the court officer, to which he let out an exasperated sigh. Soon after, lawyers for Manafort and special counsel Robert MuellerÍs team came in. Manafort then arrived, looking tired in a black suit, before court came into session at around 5:05 p.m. The jury of six men and six women entered soon after. In its first question, the jury asked if a person had to file a foreign bank report, known as an FBAR, if they owned less than 50 percent of the account and didn't have signatory authority, but did have authority to disburse funds. Ellis reread an earlier instruction to the jury, which said ownership had to be more than 50 percent. ManfortÍs defense team had previously argued it was Manafort's consulting firm, not he himself, that should have filed the FBAR reports, and he only owned 50 percent of the company for three of the four years charged by the government. Though the accounts were under the names of corporate entities in Cyprus, some had ManafortÍs name on them, government evidence shows. The jury also wanted the definition of a ñshelf companyî and to have ñreasonable doubtî redefined. A shelf company is a company or corporation that has had no activity since being created, but is set up and ready for someone to take over. Ellis told jurors to rely on their recollection of the evidence and testimony given during the trial to answer the question. ManafortÍs former business partner and key government witness Richard Gates brought up ñshelf companiesî during his testimony, characterizing some of the overseas entities as such. The government is not required to prove the definite guilt beyond all possible doubt, Ellis then told the jury about their third question, but simply reasonable doubt. ñDoubt based on reason,î he explained. The jury finally asked if the exhibits list could be amended to include which indictment each exhibit was related to „ and Ellis declined. The jury will meet again Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. to begin day two of deliberations. As he exited the courthouse, Kevin Downing , an attorney for Manafort, told the press gathered that it was ña very good dayî for his client. Manafort was charged by Mueller „ who is overseeing the federal governmentÍs investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election „ earlier this year for filing false tax returns, failing to report his interest in foreign bank accounts, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. The bank fraud charges are the most serious, each carrying maximum penalties of up to 30 years in prison. In closing arguments, MuellerÍs team painted Manafort as a sophisticated criminal who lied for years. The defense painted their client as a victim for trusting the team he built around himself, including Gates. ñMr. Manafort lied to keep more money when he had it, and lied to get more money when he didn't,"" special counsel prosecutor Greg Andres said Wednesday. Ellis reminded jurors Thursday not to discuss the trial with anyone and to ñput it out of your mind.î ñI think it will be easier for me to do because I have boring dinner tonight,î Ellis said to laughs, but declined to say where the dinner was because he said he feared people would show up to talk to him. " +Megan Main,20-Aug,https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/16/jeff-sessions-pledges-prosecute-3d-guns/,WashingtonTimes,Sessions pledges DOJ will prosecute 3D-gun crimes,"The nationÍs top law enforcement officer committed Thursday to prosecuting individuals that create undetectable 3D printed firearms on Thursday. ñUnder federal law, it is illegal to manufacture or possess plastic firearms that are undetectable. Violation of this law is punishable by up to five years in prison,î Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. ñWe will not stand for the evasion, especially the flouting, of current law and will take action to ensure that individuals who violate the law by making plastic firearms and rendering them undetectable, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.î Mr. Sessions did not elaborate on any plan of strategy to track or monitor the creation of such weapons. The Justice Department filed a brief on Wednesday stating that the lawsuit filed by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson should be dismissed. The DOJ argued that it only has jurisdiction over exports posing a security threat from foreign actors, so they cannot regulate domestic concerns. Supporters of Defense Distributed, the original site that published plans for 3D printed guns, argue that the debate over the software lies in free speech, not gun legislation. They argue information its self is protected, and separate from actually creating the guns. In defiance of a judgeÍs order against Defense Distributed, the plans were published by a website called Code Is Free Speech and spread through social media. " +Andres Oyanedel,7-Aug,https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/saudi-arabia-ruptures-ties-with-canada-serving-notice-to-would-be-critics/2018/08/06/5ad193f6-99a7-11e8-b55e-5002300ef004_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a51864a2e524,WashingtonPost,"Saudi Arabia ruptures ties with Canada, serving notice to would-be critics","RIYADH, Saudi Arabia „ The storm started with a tweet by CanadaÍs foreign minister last week expressing alarm at the recent arrest of a womenÍs rights activist in Saudi Arabia who had relatives living in Canada, and calling for her release. On Monday, the Saudi government responded, with fury. The Canadian ambassador was ordered to leave within 24 hours, and the Saudi government halted trade and investment deals between the two countries. Saudi media reported that educational exchange programs would be suspended „ affecting 12,000 Saudi students studying on state-sponsored scholarships in Canada. And Saudi ArabiaÍs national airline said it was suspending flights to Canada, beginning on Aug. 13. It was hardly the first time the kingdom, an absolute monarchy, had been chided for human rights abuses, or even the first time Canada had criticized the Saudi government since it started arresting the female activists in May. But under Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi ArabiaÍs young crown prince, a kingdom once known for its go-slow approach to foreign affairs has frequently reacted to perceived challenges from abroad with haste, spit and fire, analysts said. CanadaÍs criticism had highlighted Saudi ArabiaÍs ongoing crackdown on perceived dissidents, including a group of prominent female activists who campaigned for the lifting of a driving ban on women and other rights. Prosecutors have accused some of the women of suspicious contact with unnamed foreign parties but kept silent on the reasons for other arrests. Human rights groups have speculated that the sweep is intended to send a message that the Saudi leadership will not tolerate any hint of political activism. State Department official said Monday that the United States had ñasked the Government of Saudi Arabia for additional information on the detention of several activistsî and encouraged the Saudis to ñrespect due process and to publicize information on the status of legal cases,î according to Reuters. Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, gestures while speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Moscow in June. (Yuri Kadobnov/AP) In a statement early Monday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry described CanadaÍs criticism of the arrests as ñblatant interference in the KingdomÍs domestic affairs, against basic international norms and all international protocols,î and an ñunacceptable affront to the KingdomÍs laws and judicial process.î The statement expressed particular anger at CanadaÍs call for the release of the activists, calling it ñreprehensible.î Beyond the feud, the lightning escalation highlighted Saudi ArabiaÍs increasingly assertive foreign policy under Crown Prince Mohammed. While he has won praise for shaking up the hidebound kingdom, trying to diversify its economy and easing some social restrictions, he has also helped entangle Saudi Arabia in foreign conflicts „ including a civil war in Yemen and a feud with neighboring Qatar „ that the kingdom has struggled to exit. In a strange episode in November, Saudi authorities detained Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and forced him to resign his post. (He later reclaimed the position.) When GermanyÍs foreign minister appeared to criticize the Hariri episode, Saudi Arabia summoned the German ambassador and complained of ñshameful and unjustified remarks.î Saudi Arabia has said its intervention in Yemen was necessary after a rebel group allied with Iran, Saudi ArabiaÍs regional rival, ousted the Yemeni government. ñItÍs becoming a pattern. Over the last three years, the leadership is becoming more unpredictable, more volatile,î said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice UniversityÍs Baker Institute. ñItÍs injecting a lot of uncertainty at a time when they need people to enter Saudi Arabia and engage with it.î But the Saudi decision to confront Canada was not without its logic, Ulrichsen added. ñIt sends a message to others who would think of criticizing Saudi policy, as several European countries have been doing over Yemen,î he said. And it was ñcost-free, in their analysis „ less costly in terms of their political, strategic and economic relationships than taking a stand against the U.S. or the U.K., for example.î Two more activists were arrested last week, according to Human Rights Watch. One of the women, Nassima al-Sadah, had run for local elections and campaigned for abolishing so-called guardianship laws, which require women to seek approval from a male relative to travel or to marry. The other, Samar Badawi, received the U.S. secretary of stateÍs International Women of Courage Award and is the sister of dissident blogger Raif Badawi. Raif Badawi had been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail in Saudi Arabia for ñinsulting Islam through electronic channels.î His wife, Ensaf Haidar, and their three children became Canadian citizens on Canada Day last month and live in Quebec. Chrystia Freeland, CanadaÍs foreign affairs minister, said in a tweet Aug. 2 that she was ñvery alarmedî to learn of SamarÍs arrest and that the government would ñcontinue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi.î Three days later, the Canadian Embassy in Saudi Arabia posted the Foreign MinistryÍs statement calling for the release of the womenÍs rights advocates on its Twitter account, in Arabic, ensuring it would be more widely read by Saudis. ñThat could have been what triggered this response and made it so visceral in nature,î Ulrichsen said. In a statement on Monday, Freeland said, ñCanada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, including womenÍs rights, and freedom of expression around the world.î Saudi Arabia is CanadaÍs second-largest export market in the Persian Gulf region; Canadian exports to the kingdom exceeded $1.4 billion Canadian in 2017, according to Statistics Canada data. The overwhelming majority of the exports to Saudi Arabia are vehicles and equipment, which included a $11.5 billion deal to sell more than 900 light armored vehicles to the Saudis. That agreement, struck in 2014 by the Conservative government of then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was heavily criticized by civil rights groups, who said it was opaque and raised concerns that the weapons would be used to carry out human rights abuses. Justin Trudeau, HarperÍs successor, approved the deal in the spring of 2016 when his government began issuing export permits, arguing that he had little choice but to respect contracts signed by the previous government. Freeland said in February that her departmentÍs investigation into reports that Saudi Arabia was using Canadian-made arms to perpetrate human rights violations turned up ñno conclusive evidenceî to support those claims. At a news conference Monday in Vancouver, Freeland said that CanadaÍs diplomats have asked ñprocedural questionsî of their Saudi counterparts and are ñwaiting for answers on how Saudi Arabia intends to go forward with the relationship.î She said her message to Saudi students is that they are welcome in Canada and that ñit would be a shame if they were deprived of the opportunity.î " +,,https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/12-times-christopher-steele-fed-trump-russia-allegations-to-fbi-after-the-election,WashingtonExaminer,12 times Christopher Steele fed Trump-Russia allegations to FBI after the election,"Congressional investigators know that Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the Trump dossier on behalf of the Clinton campaign, kept supplying allegations to the FBI after the 2016 election „ and even after he was terminated as a source by the bureau for giving confidential information to the media. Because he had broken his agreement with the FBI, bureau procedure did not allow agents to keep using Steele as a source. But they did so anyway „ by devising a system in which Steele spoke regularly with Bruce Ohr, a top Obama Justice Department official whose wife worked for Fusion GPS, which hired Steele to search for dirt on Donald Trump in Russia. Ohr then passed on Steele's information to the FBI. In a highly unusual arrangement, Ohr, who was the fourth-highest ranking official in the Justice Department, acted as an intermediary for a terminated source for the FBI's Trump-Russia probe. His task was to deliver to the FBI what Steele told him, which effectively meant the bureau kept Steele as a source. Agents made a record of each time Ohr gave the bureau information from Steele. Those records are in the form of so-called 302 reports, in which the FBI agents write up notes of interviews during an investigation. There are a dozen 302 reports on FBI post-election interviews of Ohr. The first was Nov. 22, 2016. After that, the FBI interviewed Ohr on Dec. 5; Dec. 12; Dec. 20; Jan. 23, 2017; Jan. 25; Jan. 27; Feb. 6; Feb. 14; May 8; May 12; and May 15. The dates, previously unreported publicly, were included in a July letter from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to the FBI and Justice Department. Congressional investigators have read the Ohr-Steele 302s. But the FBI has kept them under tight control, insisting they remain classified and limiting access to a few lawmakers and staff. Congress is not allowed to physically possess copies of any of the documents. Now,
Grassley
says there is ""no continuing justification for the FBI to keep the documents secret."" Grassley, who exercises oversight authority over the FBI, is formally challenging the bureau's decision to keep the Ohr-Steele 302s under wraps. Grassley's insistence has been met, unsurprisingly, with no cooperation from the FBI. One small bit of the Ohr 302s has already been made public. The House Intelligence Committee, in its memo focusing on the FBI's application to the secret FISA court to win a warrant to wiretap onetime Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page, included a 16-word passage from an Ohr 302 in which Ohr described Christopher Steele's motivation to stop candidate Trump. (Even though Ohr's interviews with the FBI took place after the election, he apparently described things Steele told him during their contacts in the months before the election, as well as new information.) Here is the relevant portion of the House memo: Before and after Steele was terminated as a source, he maintained contact with DOJ via then-Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr, a senior DOJ official who worked closely with Deputy Attorneys General Yates and later Rosenstein. Shortly after the election, the FBI began interviewing Ohr, documenting his communications with Steele. For example, in September 2016, Steele admitted to Ohr his feelings against then-candidate Trump when Steele said he ""was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president."" This clear evidence of Steele's bias was recorded by Ohr at the time and subsequently in official FBI files „ but not reflected in any of the Page FISA applications. After the release of the House memo,
Sen. Grassley
, along with
Sen. Lindsey Graham
, R-S.C., wrote to the FBI noting the existence of ""numerous FD-302s demonstrating that Department of Justice official Bruce Ohr continued to pass along allegations from Mr. Steele to the FBI after the FBI suspended its formal relationship with Mr. Steele for unauthorized contact with the media, and demonstrating that Mr. Ohr otherwise funneled allegations from Fusion GPS and Mr. Steele to the FBI."" Grassley also noted other documents of interest: In addition to the 302s, written by the FBI agents who interviewed Ohr, Ohr himself also made notes of his talks with Steele. Those notes, which were never classified, have apparently been given to Congress; in his letter,
Grassley
referred to ""63 pages of unclassified emails and notes documenting Mr. Ohr's interactions with Mr. Steele."" Grassley's argument for declassification of the Ohr-Steele 302s is that the existence of the documents is widely known. Also, some of the material in them has been included in congressional documents and reported in the press. And Ohr's own notes of the meetings, in the possession of Congress, are not classified. So now, there is no reason for the 302s to remain classified and for the FBI to withhold copies from Congress. The ultimate goal, given Grassley's statement that there is no reason for the FBI to ""keep the documents secret,"" is for the public to see them. What would all of that show? It's likely that the 302s and notes, if released, would show that the FBI was both still trying to get new information out of Steele after the election and that it was also trying to verify the information Steele had already provided in the dossier installments he handed over in preceding months. Remember, the FBI had already presented some of the dossier's allegations as evidence to the FISA court. After going out on a limb like that, the bureau wanted to know if the allegations were true or not. In a larger sense, the Ohr-Steele 302s could shed some light on how an effort „ it certainly included Steele, but also others „ to keep Trump from being elected morphed into an effort to keep Trump from being inaugurated and then morphed into an effort to remove Trump from office. A version of that effort is still going on, of course, even as some in Congress try to find out how it started. " +,,https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rick-gates-testifies-he-committed-crimes-with-paul-manafort,WashingtonExaminer,Rick Gates testifies he committed crimes with Paul Manafort,"Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates testified Monday that he had committed crimes with Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Manafort is currently on trial in Alexandria, Va., on charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. The charges are unrelated to ManafortÍs work on the Trump campaign and mostly relate to activities he was involved in before Manafort joined the campaign. The prosecution called its star witness to the stand Monday afternoon, asking if Gates was ñinvolved in any criminal activityî with Manafort, his former business associate. ñYes,î Gates answered, according to several reporters in the room during the exchange. ñDid you commit any crimes with Mr. Manafort?î prosecutor Uzo Asonye asked. ñYes,î Gates replied. Rick Gates has taken the stand in the Manafort case. Prosecutor Uzo Asonye asked, ""Were you involved in any criminal activity with Mr. Manafort?""Gates answered, ""Yes."" ""Did you commit any crimes with Mr. Manafort?"" Asonye said. ""Yes,"" said Gates. Gates later testified that one of his crimes was stealing money directly from Manafort. He admitted on the stand that he had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort. Gates testified he and Manafort had 15 foreign accounts that they did not report to the federal government. Gates said he knew such actions were illegal, but he did not submit the required tax forms ñat Mr. ManafortÍs direction.î Rick Gates testifying he and Paul Manafort had 15 foreign accounts they did not report to the federal government, and knew it was illegal. He said he did not submit the required forms ""at Mr. Manafort's direction."" Manafort's team has indicated it will pin the blame on Gates for the illegalities being raised in the trial. None of the allegations of the Trump campaign's collusion with Russia are being raised in the case. " +,,https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/31/noncitizens-find-it-easy-register-vote-cast-ballot/,WashingtonTimes,"Noncitizens across U.S. find it easy to register to vote, cast ballots","A Russian national or any other noncitizen can easily influence a U.S. election by simply registering to vote in California „ just ask Elizaveta Shuvalova. Ms. Shuvalova said she didnÍt even know her name was added to the San Francisco voter rolls in 2012, when she was a 21-year-old Russian citizen living legally in the U.S. but ineligible to vote. ñIÍve never registered for anything in my entire life,î said Ms. Shuvalova,who became a U.S. citizen early last year. ñThis is news to me.î The Washington Times obtained a San Francisco County voter log that detailed Ms. ShuvalovaÍs registration history and presented the document to her. It showed that she signed up as a Democrat in July 2012 and that her registration was canceled in May 2016 after she told election officials she wasnÍt a citizen. Her registration, as a Republican, was reactivated in March 2017. ñThis is definitely a shocker to me. It is like an identity fraud because this is not coming from my end,î said Ms. Shuvalova, who now lives in New York, works as a personal trainer and calls herself a Democrat. ñLike I told you, I havenÍt even been a citizen during that time frame. So what can we do about it?î More of a shocker is how easily Ms. Shuvalova was registered to vote in California without a citizenship check. Conservative watchdogs say the problem is surprisingly common across the country. Noncitizens are signing up to vote in states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia, according to research by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a nonprofit law firm that advocates for election integrity. The foundation found that a large percentage of those noncitizens managed to cast ballots, too. Ms. Shuvalova was signed up „ possibly without her knowledge „ by an organization circulating a petition for a 2013 ballot initiative to stop a massive condominium development on the San Francisco waterfront. A signed registration card was submitted with the petition to qualify Ms. Shuvalova as a petition signer, said John Arntz, director of the San Francisco Department of Elections. Activists often hand in stacks of registration cards with their petitions, he said. Election officials say they conduct routine cross-references of voter registration information with databases at the stateÍs Department of Motor Vehicles and the secretary of stateÍs office but did not flag Ms. Shuvalova as a noncitizen. The box for ñvote by mailî was checked on her registration card, and the county began sending her ballots. County records show she received nine ballots but never voted. The only ballot returned to the election office was in May 2016, a month before the stateÍs Democratic primary, with the words ñnot citizenî written on it. Her self-identification as a noncitizen was noted on the voter log. The county canceled Ms. ShuvalovaÍs registration at that time. Yet she was somehow reregistered again a year later, about the time she became a citizen. Four months later, she moved to New York but remained on the California voter rolls. Ms. Shuvalova said she doesnÍt recall registering to vote either time or returning the ballot saying she wasnÍt a citizen. Mr. Arntzsaid nothing would have prevented Ms. Shuvalova from voting prior to 2016 and she would have remained on the voter rolls if his department had not received the ballot with ñnot citizenî scrawled across it. But he didnÍt think the Shuvalova case represented a broader problem. ñIf it was a problem, this would be an issue that comes up every election or something we would have experienced more through time. But it doesnÍt,î he told The Times. ñThis is the first instance that IÍve actually had a conversation like this,î he said. ñSo, no, I donÍt think it is a problem. I donÍt think thereÍs many records out there like this.î The Public Interest Legal Foundation said it already has other examples from Mr. Artz. Logan Churchwell, communications and research director for the foundation, said Ms. ShuvalovaÍs file was one of more than two dozen records gleaned from San Francisco, based on a request for other self-reported noncitizens. In six of those cases, the noncitizen also had a voting history. ñOur voter registration system masks noncitizens and allows the opportunity to vote until they decide to self-report at their own peril. All of this could have been prevented if states actually verified citizen eligibility upfront,î Mr. Churchwell said. In response to the inquiries by The Times, Mr. Arntz said the Shuvalova case would be forwarded to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon for review. ñThis voter did not recall completing a registration affidavit in 2012. So then the question would go potentially to whoever organized the petition circulation,î he said. Mr. Arntz said he was almost certain that nobody had been prosecuted in San Francisco for being a noncitizen on the voter rolls during his 16 years at the department. ñI canÍt remember forwarding an allegation that someone was a noncitizen who registered to vote or did vote,î hesaid. " +Megan Main,20-Aug,https://www.weeklystandard.com/haley-byrd/congressional-republicans-refuse-to-criticize-donald-trumps-use-of-white-house-nondisclosure-agreements-ndas,WeeklyStandard,Republican Senators on Trump's NDAs: 'I'm Not Going to Judge',"Republican senators, freshly returned to Washington after a week and a half on recess, didnÍt have much to say about President Donald TrumpÍs unprecedented use of sweeping non-disclosure agreements pertaining to unclassified information for White House staffers on Wednesday night, most telling reporters they hadnÍt considered the issue. ñI just donÍt know what to make of that,î said Mississippi Republican
Roger Wicker
, adding that he hadnÍt asked anything similar of his staff: ñWeÍre so boring in our office, no one would want to expose much.î TrumpÍs NDAs, intended to prevent his staffers from being publicly critical of him, his family, or his business, were first reported when the Washington Post obtained an early draft of one of the documents this spring. Their existence has since been confirmed by numerous outlets. Most recently, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and Trump himself have alluded to the use of such agreements in their pushback against former administration official-turned antagonist Omarosa Manigault Newman. As national security and free speech lawyer Mark Zaid points out, the federal government uses NDAs when handling sensitive national security information, but non-disclosure agreements drafted specifically to limit criticism of the president (and his family and his business) are unheard of in government. And as National ReviewÍs Jonah Goldberg argues the likelihood that these agreements arenÍt enforceable may not matter as much as the fact that high-level staffers signed away, in perpetuity, their ability to speak openly about the president. Still, the issue flew beneath the radar in the Senate on Wednesday, where questions about Manigault NewmanÍs numerous allegations were overshadowed by the White HouseÍs apparent attempt to flip the script by releasing a three-week-old announcement it had been holding onto for a rainy day. ñI have no clue what thatÍs about,î Louisiana Republican
Bill Cassidy
candidly answered when asked about the NDAs. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, tied up with various government funding packages over the past few weeks, said he hadnÍt thought about the issue. ñI donÍt know what theyÍve done at the White House. You know IÍve never worked down there. But a lot in the private businesses, they have it everywhere„non-disclosure, and confidential stuff and so forth,î he told THE WEEKLY STANDARD. ñI donÍt have it in my office.î Senator John Kennedy also said he hadnÍt asked his staff to sign such an agreement. But, he added, ñIÍm not going to judge [Trump]. I donÍt know.î Tennessee Republican
Bob Corker
told reporters an untrusting environment at the White House had everything to do with the use of intimidation tactics such as NDAs. ñTheyÍve brought in a whole different kind of culture over there,î he said. In Congress,
Corker
asserted, members often deal with each other in trust. ñI know thatÍs not the case over there. I mean, IÍve had people call me sometimes over there and it sounds like theyÍre in a coat room or something. The culture is just vastly different, probably, than any administration weÍve seen in modern times.î Asked whether he thought anything could be done to change that situation, Corker was skeptical. ñI would doubt that,î the
retiring senator
said. " \ No newline at end of file