so logical: https://youtu.be/UYToz2ePoyY
And:
https://vimeo.com/134892175?
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Some interesting op eds:
China's Xi Looks Increasingly Dazed and Confused Christian Whiton, FOX News
We're Headed for a Recession. Can Anyone Stop It? Jordan Weissmann, Slate
Can Warren Bring Ideas Back to Presidential Politics? Walter Shapiro, TNR
Stacey Abrams: The Grift That Keeps On Grifting Joe Cunningham, Red State
Why People Believe Epstein Conspiracy Theories Jill Filipovic, The Guardian
not only provides good jobs but lessens our European allies dependence on Russian energy. (See 1 below.)
Jeffrey murdered? Broken bones more associated with homicide. " (See 2 below.
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Six police officers were shot during a nearly eight-hour standoff with an armed suspect in Philadelphia, PA.
- Police attempted to serve a narcotics warrant Wednesday night when convicted felon Maurice Hill opened fire with an AK-47.
- All six officers are expected to recover from their injuries and the suspect was taken into custody after police used tear gas to flush him out of the home.
- There were multiple reports of crowds at the scene mocking and harassing police officers, with local CBS reporter Alexandria Hoff tweeting, "A major moment of disappointment this evening was watching a crowd of people taunt police officers, laughing and yelling at them in the midst of the gunfire."
- A two-minute video was also posted on Twitter showing some of the antics of the crowd following the suspect's arrest.
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Rick Perry says fossil fuels combined with modern technology will jump-start the Ohio Valley
By Salena Zeto
JEFFERSON HILLS, Pennsylvania — Rick Perry can barely contain his enthusiasm.
“It's a great time to be an American,” the energy secretary and former Texas governor declares. “We're the number one oil and gas producing country in the world. We're delivering our liquefied natural gas to 36 different countries. We're impacting the geopolitical framework of the world in a way, maybe certainly since World War II, that we haven't been able to.”
Perry was at the National Energy Technology Laboratory in suburban Pittsburgh, a little-known facility created over 100 years ago to support the coal industry and to cultivate and grow emerging technologies. Today it’s the Department of Energy’s premier for fossil fuel energy research.
Click here for the full story.
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2) Jeffrey Epstein Autopsy Reveals Broken Neck Bones
The autopsy of deceased alleged child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein shows several broken bones in his neck, raising additional questions about the wealthy criminal’s death, according to a report.
The Washington Post reported late Wednesday that among Epstein’s broken bones was his hyoid, a horseshoe-shaped bone situated near the Adam’s apple in men. Forensic experts told the Post that hyoid breaks are plausible in hanging cases yet are more common in homicide victims who are strangled to death.
Law enforcement received a call Saturday at 6:39 a.m. that Epstein was in cardiac arrest in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell and was later pronounced dead at New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. According to the New York Post, Epstein was discovered with a bed sheet around his neck which was tied to his bunk bed. “The convicted pedophile, who was 6 feet tall, apparently killed himself by kneeling toward the floor and strangling himself with the makeshift noose,” the paper stated.
Epstein was placed on suicide watch last month after he was found on the floor of his cell with bruises on his neck, but he was later returned to the jail’s special housing unit for inmates needing close supervision. Under the jail’s protocol, Epstein would not have been given a bedsheet had he been on suicide watch, the Associated Press said.
New York City’s chief medical examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson said the autopsy on Epstein was performed on Sunday and stated she would release the determination upon “further information.” The Post further reports Sampson’s office has requested information regarding the condition of Epstein prior to his death, possible video surveillance footage of him in his cell, and the results of a toxicology test.
Epstein’s death angered federal and local officials, prompting the immediate launch of an investigation into the prison’s personnel and practices. Attorney General William Barr directed the Department of Justice’s inspector general to probe the matter. The FBI has also opened a full inquiry.
“I was appalled, and indeed, the whole department was, and frankly, angry to learn of the MCC’s failure to adequately secure this prisoner,” Barr said on Monday. “We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation. The FBI and the Office of Inspector General are doing just that.”
“Let me assure you this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it,” the nation’s chief legal officer added.
The guards on Epstein’s unit the night of his apparent suicide were working overtime shifts to make up for staffing shortages, according to several report. One of the guards, who had a different job in the jail and did not regularly perform correctional officer duties, was working a fifth straight day of overtime and the other guard was working mandatory overtime. The prison’s warden, Lamine N’Diaye, and the two guards have been reassigned.
Epstein was facing charges of sex trafficking that stemmed from activities over a period of three years in the early 2000s. He served a 13-month prison sentence in Florida in 2008 after he was charged with similar offenses and was forced to register as a sex offender. His attorneys unsuccessfully lobbied for bail and house arrest on the new charges, but a federal New York judge declared him a flight risk and a danger to the community. Federal prosecutors in New York are pursuing a parallel investigation into whether any of his associates will face charges for assisting him in what authorities say was his rampant sexual abuse of girls as young as 14.
Ghislaine Maxwell, believed to have been Epstein’s former girlfriend and personal assistant, is one of the financier’s alleged co-conspirators and may still face charges. Maxwell is accused of recruiting teenage girls for Epstein and his associates
Over a dozen FBI agents raided Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean on Monday in a sign that the investigation into the convicted pedophile is ongoing.
Editor’s note: the photo collage for this article is not a literal representation of x-rays or imagery used by coroners to make this particular determination. A file photo from a medical evaluation unrelated to Jeffrey Epstein has been used to illustrate a neck x-ray.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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3)RASHIDA TLAIB, ILHAN OMAR WILL BE BARRED FROM ISRAEL, COUNTRY CONFIRMS
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that he supports the ban "due to their blatant support for the boycott of the State of Israel, terrorism against Israel and minimizing the Holocaust.
BY HERB KEINON
Israel will not allow US Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) into the country because of their vocal BDS advocacy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
Netanyahu issued a statement saying that no country in the world respects the US Congress more than Israel, but that Isaeli law prohibits entry to those calling for a boycott of the country. He said that other countries as well – including the US – bar entry to those who are perceived to want to harm them. He said that Israel is a “vibrant and free democracy” that is open to all criticism, with the exception of a call for boycotts. “Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar are leading activists in promoting boycott legislation against Israel in the US Congress,” Netanyahu said. He said that Israel received their itinerary only a few days ago, and it became clear that they were “planning a campaign whose sole purpose was to strengthen the boycott and to undermine Israel's legitimacy.” He pointed out that they referred to the visit as a visit to “Palestine,” and not to Israel, and – as opposed to all other Democratic and Republican representatives in the past – did not request any meeting with official Israeli representatives, either from the government or the opposition. Netanyahu said that the NGO that is sponsoring the trip – Miftah – is a fervent advocate of BDS and includes members who have supported terrorism against Israel. The prime minister said that the decision to bar entry was made by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, and that he supports the decision. In 2017 the Knesset passed an anti-BDS law that blocks foreign BDS activists from gaining entry to Israel. The law, however, has only been implemented sporadically. Deri also issued a statement on the matter, saying the congresswomen use their high-profile positions to support BDS organizations advocating boycotts of Israel. “The State of Israel respects the US Congress, as part of the close alliance between the two countries, but it is inconceivable that anyone who intends to harm the State of Israel will be allowed in,” the statement read. Deri made clear that if Tlaib, who has family in the West Bank, requests entry for humanitarian reasons to meet with her family -- subject to the appropriate obligations -- he would consider. Both Netanyahu and Deri’s statements came shortly after US President Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to bar the two lawmakers – the first two female Muslims in Congress – tweeting: “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!” Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely confirmed that Israel will not allow US Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib from entering Israel. "Israel has decided," she said. "We will not allow the congresswomen to enter the country. We will not allow anyone who denies our right to exist in the world to enter the country. In principle, this is a very correct decision."Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that he supports the ban "due to their blatant support for the boycott of the State of Israel, terrorism against Israel and minimizing the Holocaust. "Furthermore, the planned visit they have prepared is entirely aimed at provocation and incitement against the State of Israel, and not to study the State of Israel's activities," he said. "A self-respecting state does not allow those who undermine its existence to enter its borders and continue incitement." Blue and White No. 2 Yair Lapid slammed the decision, saying the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows the decision is a mistake. "Netanyahu knows it's a mistake not to let them in," Gantz told Reshet bet radio. "He deals with internal politics instead of what's good for the State of Israel. It will create a crisis with the Democratic Party."
3a)Subject: Netanyahu's Statement re barring Tlaib and Omar
PM Netanyahu just announced the following, regarding the proposed visit of Tlaib and Omar. I agree with him for the reasons he state. LLM
PM Netanyahu Comments on US Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Thursday, 15 August 2019):
"No country in the world respects America and the American Congress more than the State of Israel.
As a free and vibrant democracy, Israel is open to critics and criticism, with one exception: Israeli law prohibits the entry into Israel of those who call for and work to impose boycotts on Israel, as do other democracies that prohibit the entry of people who seek to harm the country. In fact, in the past the US did this to an Israeli member of Knesset, as well as to other public figures from around the world.
Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar are leading activists in promoting the legislation of boycotts against Israel in the American Congress. Only a few days ago, we received their itinerary for their visit in Israel, which revealed that they planned a visit whose sole objective is to strengthen the boycott against us and deny Israel’s legitimacy. For instance: they listed the destination of their trip as Palestine and not Israel, and unlike all Democratic and Republican members of Congress who have visited Israel, they did not request to meet any Israeli officials, either from the government or the opposition.
A week ago, Israel warmly welcomed some 70 Democratic and Republican members of Congress, who expressed broad bipartisan support for Israel, which was also demonstrated a month ago in a resounding bipartisan vote against BDS in Congress.
However, the itinerary of the two Congresswomen reveals that the sole purpose of their visit is to harm Israel and increase incitement against it.
In addition, the organization that is funding their trip is Miftah, which is an avid supporter of BDS, and among whose members are those who have expressed support for terrorism against Israel.
Therefore, the Minister of Interior has decided not to allow their visit, and I, as Prime Minister, support his decision.
Nonetheless, if Congresswoman Tlaib submits a humanitarian request to visit her relatives, the minister of interior has announced that he will consider her request on the condition that she pledges not to act to promote boycotts against Israel during her visit."
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4) Fusion, the ‘Collusion’ Puppeteer
Bruce Ohr’s 302s, just released to the public, show Glenn Simpson pulling the strings.
The Justice Department is investigating how a former British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, came to exert so much influence over the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s erroneous Trump-Russia collusion narrative. Let’s hope the department is also investigating an even more influential man who had even less business manipulating the government: Glenn Simpson, the head of opposition-research firm Fusion GPS.
That’s a pressing question in light of new documents from high-ranking Justice official Bruce Ohr, obtained recently by Judicial Watch. The papers include, among other things, a dozen official FBI interviews (known as 302s) of Mr. Ohr that date from just after the 2016 election through May 2017. The documents suggest Mr. Simpson was the real puppet master of the collusion drama.
Most of the FBI’s debriefs of Mr. Ohr center on information about or from Mr. Steele—itself a major breach of FBI protocol. The bureau fired Mr. Steele as a source in autumn 2016, when it became clear he was blabbing about the FBI investigation to the press. The FBI nonetheless continued to use Mr. Ohr as a back door to its discredited source. The 302s relate the numerous times and ways Mr. Steele contacted Mr. Ohr with information—although many of the details of the conversations remain redacted.
More eye-popping in the 302s is the ease with which Mr. Simpson landed meetings with powerful officials, for no apparent purpose other than to peddle unverified accusations against the Trump team. This isn’t a former intelligence officer or government official, or even someone with specialized knowledge of Russia. Mr. Simpson is a private citizen—and one who Mr. Ohr and the FBI knew was providing information to Hillary Clinton ’s team (as Mr. Ohr acknowledges in his initial 302). Yet when Mr. Simpson called, officials across Washington hopped to, swallowing the claims that would become the basis of a false hysteria.
We already knew Mr. Simpson’s relationship with Mr. Ohr began well before the July 2016 launch of the FBI investigation. We knew Mr. Simpson used his many press connections to get the collusion story out. And we know from former FBI counsel James Baker’s House testimony the FBI was aware in 2016 that “Simpson was going around Washington” giving Mr. Steele’s dossier “to a lot of different people and trying to elevate its profile.”
Now we have specifics. Thanks to the 302s, we have Mr. Ohr on Nov. 22, 2016, reporting that Mr. Simpson had been “talking to [then-Assistant Secretary] Victoria Nuland at the U.S. State Department.” We have Mr. Ohr several weeks later relaying that he met Mr. Simpson for breakfast on Dec. 10, where Mr. Simpson turned over a “thumb drive,” which was “entered into evidence.” At that meeting Mr. Simpson also informed Mr. Ohr—who in turn informed the FBI—that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was “the go-between” who connected “Russia and the Trump campaign,” that a Russian was funneling money “to the National Rifle Association,” that there was “communication” between the Trump campaign and a Russian bank, and plenty more. Bob Mueller found none of this in his report.
We have Mr. Ohr explaining he received more information from Mr. Simpson on Jan. 20, 2017, the day President Trump was inaugurated. We separately have him offering in early December 2016 to “provide his wife’s research” for Fusion GPS “to the FBI.” The FBI later that month gladly took possession of the “totality of the work Nellie Ohr conducted for Simpson,” and entered it “into evidence.” Put another way, a great deal more of the anti-Trump Simpson file beyond just the dossier made its way to the FBI. These whispers of Mr. Simpson’s helped provoke a counterintelligence investigation into a sitting president, a special counsel and a media frenzy—for more than two years.
Then consider that Mr. Simpson is the progenitor of the dossier as well. Mr. Steele wrote it because Mr. Simpson hired him to do so, on behalf of the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee. Why Mr. Steele? In Senate testimony, Mr. Simpson casually marked it down to their having previously “worked together.” Then again, if the goal all along was to push opposition research to senior officials, it seems just as likely Mr. Steele was chosen because of his existing high-level contacts—with the Ohrs, with Obama State Department employee Jonathan Winer, and with FBI agents.
The former FBI leadership—Director James Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, counterespionage chief Peter Strzok —continue to insist the bureau did nothing wrong. But given the humiliating truth that there was no Russia collusion, the FBI’s actions can be described in only one of two ways. At worst, its leadership willfully acted against the Trump administration on information it knew was bogus. At best, its leadership was so standardless and inept as to allow a paid political operative to lead it around by the nose. In either case, there’s no excuse or justification.
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