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March 1, 2019

DEMS SLAM BIDEN FOR CALLING VP PENCE ‘DECENT’

Joe Biden clarified his comments about Vice President Mike Pence being a “decent guy” following criticism on Twitter because of Pence’s position on LGBTQ rights.

“I was making a point in a foreign policy context, that under normal circumstances a Vice President wouldn’t be given a silent reaction on the world stage,” he tweeted Thursday. “But there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights, and that includes the Vice President.”

Biden, the former Vice President who is considering a presidential run in 2020, made his initial comments about Pence during a speech in Omaha. He was discussing foreign policy and reaction to Pence’s speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.

Report: Army Soldiers Tried to Sell Arms to Drug Cartel

(AP) – Two U.S. Army soldiers tried to sell stolen weapons and explosives to members of a Mexican drug cartel, and more service members are involved in the conspiracy, Newsweek reports.

Former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal specialist Tyler J. Sumlin and Sergeant First Class Jason W. Jarvis were charged with eight felony counts in December, including transferring firearms to an out-of-state resident, conspiracy to smuggle goods from the US and transporting explosive materials without a license.

The pair started planning the sale on or before June 2018, according to the indictment.

NYPD Warns of MS-13 ‘Hits’ On Off-Duty Cops Living on Long Island

The New York Police Department is reportedly warning officers that murderous MS-13 gangbangers are “looking to ‘hit’” off-duty police living in certain Long Island communities.

According to the New York Post, the hits are meant to enhance a wannabe gangbanger’s “credibility.”

“Whenever a law enforcement officer is being threatened, especially by an organization like MS-13 which we already know is uber violent and has killed numerous people throughout the country if not throughout the world, this has to be taken serious,” former FBI agent Manny Gomez told a New York CBS affiliate.

NYT: Trump Ordered Kelly to Grant Kushner Top-Secret Clearance

President Donald Trump last May ordered John Kelly to grant son-in-law and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner a top security clearance despite concerns from senior administration officials, The New York Times reports.

Kushner’s clearance was rejected twice by White House security analysts due to concerns about potential foreign influence. Trump has publicly denied intervening in the process, but Kelly, at the time his chief of staff, in an internal memo wrote how he had been “ordered” to do so by the president.

$330 Million: Bryce Harper Signs Largest MLB Contract Ever

The Phillies and Harper, according to a source, agreed to a 13-year contract worth $330 million. The contract has a no-trade clause, but it does not have an opt-out clause. Harper, his agent told reporters, wanted to stay in one city for the rest of his career. That city will be Philadelphia.

“The sky’s the limit for him,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “There’s really no ceiling.”

February 28, 2019

TRUMP WALKS AWAY FROM NKOREA’S KIM, VIETNAM SUMMIT

(REUTERS) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had walked away from a nuclear deal at his summit with Kim Jong Un because of unacceptable demands from the North Korean leader to lift punishing U.S.-led sanctions.

“It was all about the sanctions,” Trump said at a news conference after the talks were cut short. “Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn’t do that.”

Lawyers: RogerStone‘Violated’ Gag Order By Calling Cohen a Liar

Michael Cohen scathing’s testimony – that Donald Trump was tipped off before WikiLeaks dumped a “massive” amount Hillary Clinton’s emails to embarrass the Democratic nominee – is a lie according to Roger Stone.

Stone, one of President Trump’s earliest backers, told the Boston Herald in a text: “Mr. Cohen’s statement is not true.”

Stone also denied the Cohen assertion to BuzzFeed News, The New York Times and ABC News.

Stone, 66, is charged with witness tampering, obstruction and lying to Congress in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. He’s been put on a partial gag order while awaiting trial.

GOP operative and President Donald Trump ally Roger Stone is “playing with fire” by publicly pushing back at Michael Cohen’s testimony Wednesday involving the GOP operative, Law&Crime reported.

“Given that his prosecution involves Stone’s communications with Wikileaks/Assange as well as touches upon President Trump’s alleged knowledge, a reasonable interpretation of the Court’s gag order is that it was violated,” national security lawyerMark Zaid told Law&Crime.

Former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg also told Newsweek the “statement probably does violate the gag order,” adding Stone is “playing with fire.”

House Approves EXPANDED Background Checks for Gun Sales

(AP) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would expand background checks for gun sales to include firearm purchases at gun shows and over the internet, a measure likely to face Senate and White House opposition.

Chief Justice John Roberts Sides With Liberals in Death Penalty Case

(AP) – The Supreme Court is ordering a new state court hearing to determine whether an Alabama death row inmate is so affected by dementia that he can’t be executed.

The justices ruled 5-3 on Wednesday in favor of inmate Vernon Madison, who killed a police officer in 1985. His lawyers say he has suffered strokes that have left him with severe dementia.

Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s four liberals in siding with Madison, now 68.

H.W. Bush’s Service Dog Sully Starts New Job at Walter Reed

The service dog that stood by former President George H.W. Bush’s side until his death last year started a new role at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday.

Sully was installed as a “foreman” at the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where he will help wounded service members, their families, and staff at the military complex.Bush died Nov. 30, after which the nation mourned him during several days of memorial services. In a widely circulated photo, Sully was seen laying down in front of Bush’s casket.

February 27, 2019

TRUMP: DENUCLEARIZATION MEANS ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR NKOREA

(AP) – President Donald Trump says Vietnam, the site of his second round of nuclear talks with Kim Jong Un, is thriving economically and that North Korea could, too, if it would give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

House Dems, With 13 Republicans, Vote to Block Trump’s Border Emergency

(Reuters) – In a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives on Tuesday brushed aside veto threats and passed legislation to terminate the emergency he declared at the U.S.-Mexico border in order to build a wall there.

By a vote of 245-182, the House passed the resolution, setting up a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Only 13 Republicans supported the move to stop the president’s declaration.

General: Pentagon’s Drug Funding Shouldn’t Go for Wall

Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy said Pentagon funds for preventing drug trafficking should not be diverted to help pay for wall construction on the southern border, a top general said Tuesday.

In remarks before a Senate panel, Gen. O’Shaughnessy said the U.S. Northern Command, which he leads, uses such funding for its Joint Task Force North in Texas to stop transnational threats, including drug trafficking, Stars and Stripes reported.

Trump’s Fmr. Lawyer Cohen: Let America Decide ‘Who Is Telling The Truth’

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen on Tuesday said he was looking forward to Wednesday’s open hearing in the House where he plans to make his case for why people should believe him over Trump.

“I’m going to let the American people decide exactly who is telling the truth,” Cohen said.

Prosecutors: 81-Year-Old Wearing MAGA Hat Attacked

An 81-year-old New Jersey man was assaulted during an attack stemming from a dispute over his “Make America Great Again” hat, reports CBS New York.

The victim had minor injuries but refused medical treatment, the news outlet reported, citing local prosecutors.

Woman at Biden Event: ‘Just Say Yes’ to 2020 Run

Former Vice President Joe Biden should “just say yes” to a 2020 presidential run, a woman in the audience at a University of Delaware event shouted Tuesday.

“Oh my god, just say yes,” she said after Biden said he was “very close” to making a decision.

“The first hurdle for me was deciding whether or not I am comfortable taking the family through what would be a very, very difficult campaign. No matter who runs, it’s a very difficult campaign,” he said during a discussion with presidential historian Jon Meacham.

Report: Methodists Reject Easing Same-Sex Restrictions

United Methodist Church leaders have rejected a measure that would have eased restrictions on gay clergy and same-sex marriages, NPR reported.

Delegates twice voted against the “One Church” plan at a special session of the church’s General Conference in St. Louis, the news outlet reported.

The Sporting News: Kaepernick Sought $20M From XFL

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick held talks with executives at the new XFL about joining the league for its 2020 debut season, The Sporting News reports.Sources claim the quarterback sought a $20 million contract, the same amount he reportedly wanted from the Alliance of American Football, a direct competitor to the XFL, to play in their league, according to the Associated Press.

February 26, 2019

PENCE MEETS SENATE GOP BEFORE HOUSE VOTE ON EMERGENCY

Vice President Mike Pence and Justice Department officials will huddle with Senate Republicans on Tuesday about President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration ahead of a House vote expected to shoot it down, The Hill reported.

The meeting comes ahead of a vote in the Democratic-majority House to block Trump’s declaration. Its expected passage sends the fight to the Senate, where Democrats need to flip four Republicans.

Trump ARRIVES IN VIETNAM, TAmPS Down Expectations

(AP) – Redefining success, President Donald Trump headed to his second meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un on Monday, determined to tamp down expectations that he’ll achieve big strides toward denuclearization. Yet he was still eager to claim an attention-grabbing victory to offset the political turmoil he faces at home.

Trump laid out ultimate goals for both the U.S. and Kim in an appearance before the nation’s governors Monday before boarding Air Force One to fly to Vietnam: “We want denuclearization, and I think he’ll have a country that will set a lot of records for speed in terms of an economy.”

Cohen to Offer New Trump Russia Details to US Congress

(Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen plans to tell U.S. lawmakers this week that Trump asked him several times about a proposed skyscraper project in Moscow long after he secured the Republican presidential nomination, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Dems Block Senate GOP Bill on Infants Surviving Abortions

(AP) – Senate Democrats on Monday blocked a Republican bill that would have threatened prison for doctors who don’t try saving the life of infants born alive during abortions.

The measure seemed doomed from the start but offered the GOP a chance to appeal to conservative voters.

Jon Stewart Praises ‘Trump DOJ’ on 9/11 Victims Fund

Former Comedy Central star Jon Stewart on Monday heaped praise on the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump for its management of a 9/11 victims compensation fund that is running out of money.

video of the remarks was posted on YouTube.

Stewart said the proper funding “comes down to 12 Republicans on the Senate side” needed to vote to help replenish the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund.

And the fact there even needs to be a debate about this is “bulls**t,” he lamented.

YouTube Blocks Advertising Promoting Anti-Vax Content

YouTube is blocking channels that promote anti-vaccination content from running ads, asserting they violate policy prohibiting advertisements with videos containing “dangerous and harmful” content.BuzzFeed News first reported the move, noting a number of ads for companies selling health-related items slipped through YouTube’s system and were allowed to play during videos on channels that promote anti-vax agendas.

February 25, 2019

EX-NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICERS: NO FACTUAL BASIS FOR EMERGENCY DECLARATION

58 former senior national security officers say President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration for border security has no factual basis behind it.

“Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border,” the group said in a joint statement it will issue Monday, according to Politico.

Schiff Vows Lawsuit for Classified Mueller Report

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is vowing to sue for the full release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report and subpoena Mueller himself to testify before Congress.

“Well, we will obviously subpoena the report, we will bring Bob Mueller in to testify before Congress, we will take it to court if necessary – and in the end, I think the department understands they’re going to have to make this public,” Rep. Schiff told ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos.

Schiff added a promise to hold nothing back, including suing the Trump administration or the Justice Department for full disclosure.

Trump Books Lincoln Memorial for July 4th Gala He’ll Host

President Donald Trump says he’ll host a July Fourth celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. And though the event he’s calling “A Salute to America” is months away, he’s boasting it’ll be one of the city’s biggest Independence Day gatherings — ever.

Trump tweeted Sunday: “HOLD THE DATE! We will be having one of the biggest gatherings in the history of Washington, D.C., on July 4th. It will be called “A Salute To America” and will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. Major fireworks display, entertainment and an address by your favorite President, me!”

Pope Vows to End Cover-Ups, Fight Sex Abuse with God’s Wrath

(AP) – Pope Francis closed out his extraordinary summit on preventing clergy sex abuse by vowing Sunday to confront abusers with “the wrath of God” felt by the faithful, end the cover-ups by their superiors and prioritize the victims of this “brazen, aggressive and destructive evil.”

But his failure to offer a concrete action plan to hold bishops accountable when they failed to protect their flocks from predators disappointed survivors, who had expected more from the first-ever global Catholic summit of its kind

LA Times Op-Ed: Rename John Wayne Airport Over ’71 Racist Remarks

A rereading of American acting legend John Wayne’s 1971 Playboy interview is leading to a call for an airport baring his name to be rebranded, as Michael Hiltzik wrote in an L.A. Times op-ed.

“With a lot of blacks, there’s quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and possibly rightfully so,” Wayne told Playboy in 1971. “But we can’t all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks.

In an Upset, ‘Green Book’ Wins Best Picture at Oscars

(AP) – The segregation-era road-trip drama “Green Book” was crowned best picture at the Academy Awards, handing Hollywood’s top award to a film seen as a feel-good throwback to some but ridiculed as an outdated inversion of “Driving Miss Daisy” by others.

In a year where Hollywood could have made history by bestowing best-picture on Netflix (“Roma”) or Marvel (“Black Panther”) for the first time, the motion picture academy instead threw its fullest support behind a traditional interracial buddy tale that proved as popular as it was divisive. But Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” weathered criticism that it was retrograde and inauthentic to triumph over more acclaimed films and bigger box-office successes. Spike Lee was visibly upset by the win.

“Green Book” also won best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali and best original screenplay.

February 22, 2019

TRUMP TO LEAVE 200 AMERICAN PEACEKEEPERS IN SYRIA AFTER PULLOUT

AP – The Trump administration, which abruptly announced in December that it was pulling out of Syria, said Thursday that it will keep 200 U.S. troops in the country for now.

“A small peace keeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for period of time,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a one-sentence statement.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had harshly criticized Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, applauded the president’s decision to leave a few hundred as part of an “international stabilizing force.”

Jussie Smollett apologizes to the ‘Empire’ cast and crew but insists that he’s innocent

Thursday night, actor Jussie Smollett called the cast and crew of the television show “Empire” together for a meeting. According to CNN, citing an unnamed person who attended the meeting , the cast and crew were expecting the actor to come clean about what really happened.

Smollett did apologize to his coworkers for any embarrassment they might have felt since the story began.

But then, to the shock and dismay of the person who attended the meeting, Smollett stuck to his story of innocence. For the most part, the source said, he paraphrased what was in the statement that his attorney put out that afternoon, blaming the legal system and the media for his woes.

Nike’s New Kaepernick Jersey Sells Out in Hours

A new jersey celebrating NFL quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick sold out hours after it was put on sale, Nike confirmed.

Kaepernick himself posted an image on Instagram late Wednesday, the same day the black jersey with his old number 7 went on sale.

“The Nike Kaepernick Icon Jersey is out of stock! Thank you to everyone that took the time out of their day to pick one up. I am humbled and appreciate all your continued support. Check the link in the bio to be notified for the next drop!” Kaepernick wrote.

Florida Mayor Arrested After Firing at SWAT Team

WTSP – A Florida mayor fired upon police as they raided his home early Thursday morning before he was taken into custody.

Port Richey Mayor Dale Massad fired two shots at Pasco County deputies as they busted through his door to arrest him on charges of practicing medicine without a license. None of the officers were hit and they did not return fire.

SpaceX Rocket Launched Carrying Israel’s First Lunar Lander

AP – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Thursday night carrying Israel’s first lunar lander on a mission that if successful will make the Jewish state only the fourth nation to ever to achieve a controlled touchdown on the moon’s surface.The unmanned robotic lander dubbed Beresheet – Hebrew for the biblical phrase “in the beginning” – soared into space from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at about 8:45 p.m. EST (0145 GMT Friday) atop the 23-story-tall rocket.

February 21, 2019

EMPIRE’ ACTOR CHARGED WITH MAKING FALSE POLICE REPORT AFTER MAGA ATTACK CLAIMS

AP – “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was charged Wednesday with making a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, police said.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorder conduct, an offense that could bring one to three years in prison and force the actor to pay for the cost of the investigation into the Jan. 29 beating.

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Coast Guard Officer Planned ‘Terror Attack’

USA Today – A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and self-described white nationalist planned a domestic terrorist attack targeting politicians and journalists, federal prosecutors say in court papers.

Christopher Paul Hasson was arrested last week on gun and drug charges, but intended “to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country,” according to court documents filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Maryland.

Hasson has been stockpiling weapons since 2017, the government said, and created a list of targets including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

CNN: Justice Department Preparing to Say it Has Received Mueller Report

After the expected announcement, U.S. Attorney General William Barr will review Mueller’s findings and submit his own summary to Congress, CNN reported.

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the CNN report. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, also declined to comment.

Democrats have been concerned that Barr, who has discretion over what is ultimately made public, will choose to limit disclosure, although the new attorney general has said he would seek to make public as much of Mueller’s findings as he can.

Trump, responding to the CNN report on Wednesday, noted that decision would be up to Barr.

Bookies Agree: Trump Favorite to Win 2020 Race

President Donald Trump is a 3-2 favorite to win the 2020 presidential election, with his odds unchanged following Sen. Bernie Sanders’ official bid announcement, says sportsbook brand manager Dave Mason of BetOnline.ag.

“There were no changes to Sanders’ odds following the announcement,” Mason said. “We had it as a foregone conclusion that he will be in the Democratic mix.”

Sen. Kamala Harris sits behind Trump in the bet count at 8-1 odds and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, is third with 10-1 odds. Former Vice President Joe Biden is fourth at 12-1 odds and Sanders fifth at 14-1.

O’Rourke and Biden have yet to announce a presidential bid but have hinted at entering the race.

Google Hides Secret Microphone in Nest Home Security System

Business Insider – Google says the built-in microphone was ‘never supposed to be a secret’.

In early February, Google announced that its home security and alarm system Nest Secure would be getting an update. Users, the company said, could now enable its virtual-assistant technology, Google Assistant.

The problem: Nest users didn’t know a microphone existed on their security device to begin with.

The existence of a microphone on the Nest Guard, which is the alarm, keypad, and motion-sensor component in the Nest Secure offering, was never disclosed in any of the product material for the device.On Tuesday, a Google spokesperson told Business Insider the company had made an “error.”

February 20, 2019

BERNIE SANDERS RAISES $4 MILLION IN HALF A DAY

Money is pouring in for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Sanders hauled in $4 million in fundraising Tuesday from about 150,000 people just hours after announcing his 2020 presidential bid, The Hill reports.

Sanders is running for the Democratic nomination for the second time after losing to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

“I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country,” he wrote in an email to supporters following an interview on Vermont Public Radio.

MAGA Teen Sues Washington Post for $250 Million

A high school student from Covington, Kentucky, sued the Washington Post for defamation on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper falsely accused him of racist acts and instigating a confrontation with a Native American activist iThe lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Kentucky by Covington Catholic.

The lawsuit claims that the newspaper “wrongfully targeted and bullied” the teen to advance its bias against President Donald Trump because Sandmann is a white Catholic who wore a Make America Great Again souvenir cap on a school field trip to the March for Life anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 18.

Representatives from the Washington Post did not respond to a request for a comment.

Ala. Pols Want KKK ‘Ride Again’ Editor to Resign

Alabama’s congressional representatives have called for the publisher and editor of a local newspaper to resign after he wrote the Ku Klux Klan should “ride again.”

“Time for the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again,” Goodloe Sutton wrote in the small town of Linden, Alabama’s newspaper, the Democrat-Reporter, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. “Seems like the Klan would be welcome to raid the gated communities up there.”

Sen. Doug Jones, R-Ala., tweeted Monday night: “OMG! What rock did this guy crawl out from under? This editorial is absolutely disgusting & he should resign -NOW! I have seen what happens when we stand by while people-especially those with influence- publish racist, hateful views. Words matter. Actions matter. Resign now!”

Roger Stone Complains About Gag Order

Political consultant and longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone on Tuesday complained of a gag order issued in his criminal case, The Hill reports

The “real reason they want to gag me is so I cannot raise money necessary to mount a vigorous legal defense,” he wrote in a fundraising email.

Additionally, he said he has been targeted because of his relationship with the president, and has been surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

“We both know I have been targeted by Mueller and the Deep State simply because I am a long-time confidant and friend of the president and I effectively helped defeat Hillary Clinton,” Stone wrote. “The Democrats want me side-lined in 2020 so I cannot help the president.”

Ariana Grande Matches Beatles Billboard Record

Singer Ariana Grande made history this week by becoming just the second musical act — along with the Beatles in 1964 — to own the top three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Billboard reported Tuesday that three songs from Grande’s latest album “Thank U, Next” are sitting atop the chart.

“7 Rings” is at No. 1 for the fourth straight week, while “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” made its debut as the No. 2 song. Sitting in the third spot is “Thank U, Next,” which moved up four spots.

February 19, 2019

16 States Sue Trump Over Emergency Wall Declaration

A group of 16 states filed suit if federal court in California to stop President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, The Washington Post reported.

Earlier in the day, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra told MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” he planned to file California’s lawsuit.

Joining California and New York are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Virginia. All have Democratic governors but one – Maryland, whose attorney general is a Democrat – and most have legislatures controlled by Democrats, The New York Times reported.

Justice Dept Official: Rosenstein to Step Down by Mid-March

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will leave the Department of Justice by the middle of March, according to a new report.

Fox News reported Monday night that Rosenstein, who was already expected to depart in the wake of Attorney General William Barr being confirmed last week, is leaving to give Barr the chance to transition into his new role. The network cited a senior DOJ official in its report.

Fox reported that Barr has chosen Jeffrey Rosen, an academic who currently serves as president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to serve as his deputy AG.

Last month, it was reported that Rosenstein would leave the DOJ at the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, which is looking at whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.

Roger Stone: Photo of Judge and Crosshairs ‘Misinterpreted’

Political operative Roger Stone posted an image of the federal judge handling his case with what appeared to be crosshairs Monday.

The photo has since been taken down from his Instagram account, but Mediaite posted a screenshot of it. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s face is in the photo. In the top left corner are what seem to be crosshairs.

There is text behind the photo, which Stone later revealed to be “Corruption Central.”

The photo was taken down soon after it was published. Stone has since posted two subsequent images that contained statements, trying to clarify where he found the original photo and what it meant.

“A photo of Judge Jackson posted on my Instagram has been misinterpreted. This was a random photo taken from the Internet,” Stone wrote. “Any inference that this was meant to somehow threaten the judge or disrespect court is categorically false.”

CBS’ Lara Logan: Press No Longer Has ‘Pretense of Objectivity’

CBS News foreign correspondent Lara Logan criticized the international media corps as predominantly “liberal,” crowding out conservative outlets that represent the other side of the coin.

In an interview with retired Navy SEAL Mike Ritland for his Mike Droppodcast, posted by Breitbart, Logan asserted the “media everywhere is mostly liberal, not just the [United States].”

“One ideological perspective on everything never leads to an open free diverse tolerant society,” she said. 

“The more opinions and views … of everything that you have, the better off we all are. So creating one ideological position on everything throughout your universities, throughout academia, in school and college, in media, and everywhere else, that’s what concerns me. I don’t have to agree with everybody.”

NC Elections Head Says Ballots Handled Illegally

AP – A Republican operative conducted an illegal and well-funded ballot-harvesting operation, North Carolina’s elections director said Monday, but the first session of a days-long hearing produced scant evidence that the GOP congressional candidate he worked for knew about it or even benefited.

The director’s testimony came at the opening of a state elections board hearing into whether mail-in ballots were tampered with in the race for the state’s 9th congressional district seat that saw Republican Mark Harris narrowly defeat Democrat Dan McCready.

The race wasn’t certified, leaving the country’s only congressional election without a declared winner. The elections board is expected to either declare a winner or order a new election after the hearing.

Grand Jury Reportedly Convened in R. Kelly Case

A grand jury has been convened in Cook County, Illinois, in connection with new allegations against singer R. Kelly, CNN reports, citing two sources close to the case.

The latest round of accusations against the singer, who has allegations of sexual misconduct against him dating back 25 years although he has never been convicted — arise in the wake of a new sex tape that shows the singer engaging in sex acts with an underage girl, according to reports in CNN and The New Yorker. Attorney Michael Avenatti claimed last week that he had given the tape to the State’s Attorney’s office.

Intense video: Good Samaritans Rescue Woman From Burning Car

A fiery wreck in St. John Parish, Louisiana turned into a dramatic rescue scene.Video captured by Anita Haley shows several people pulling a woman from the window of her car, as the vehicle is covered in flames.

February 18, 2019

Trump Slams ‘Deranged’ McCabe: Planned ‘A Very Illegal Act’

President Donald Trump early Monday lambasted former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, calling his claims to CBS’ “60 Minutes”  that deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was “absolutely” on board with investigations targeting the president after he fired FBI Director James Comey “deranged.”

He also looped in fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions in his early morning Twitter attacks.

“Wow, so many lies by now disgraced acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe,” Trump tweeted. “He was fired for lying, and now his story gets even more deranged. He and Rod Rosenstein, who was hired by Jeff Sessions (another beauty), look like they were planning a very illegal act, and got caught.

CHICAGO POLICE SEEK FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW WITH JUSSIE SMOLLETT

Chicago police and representatives for Jussie Smollett weren’t speaking publicly about the investigation into a reported attack on the “Empire” actor a day after authorities said the case had “shifted” and they wanted to interview Smollett again.

Pamela Sharp, a spokeswoman for Smollett, said Sunday that there were no updates “as of now.” Another spokeswoman, Anne Kavanagh, later said she couldn’t comment on whether Smollett had agreed to another interview.

The website TMZ, meanwhile, reported Sunday that the case would be heard by a grand jury”earyl next week.”

AMAZON PAID NO FEDERAL TAXES ON $11.2 BILLION IN PROFITS LAST YEAR

Chicago Tribune -Amazon, the e-commerce giant helmed by the world’s richest man, paid no federal taxes on profit of $11.2 billion last year, according to an analysis of the company’s corporate filings by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a progressive think tank.

Thanks to a variety of tax credits and a significant tax break available on pay handed out in the form of company stock, Amazon actually received a federal tax rebate of $129 million last year, giving it an effective federal tax rate of roughly -1 percent.

DISGRACED EX-REP. ANTHONY WEINER RELEASED FROM PRISON

The New York Post – Disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner has been released from federal prison in Massachusetts.

The New York Democrat, a once-rising star who also ran for mayor, was convicted of having illicit online contact with a 15-year-old North Carolina girl in 2017. He began serving a 21-month prison sentence that November at the Federal Medical Center Devens, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Boston in Ayer, Massachusetts.

KAEPERNICK’S LAWYER PREDICTS NFL RETURN

Now that Colin Kaepernick has settled his collusion grievances with the NFL, the next step is getting him back in the league, his lawyer said Saturday night.

Attorney Mark Geragos told CNN that Kaepernick “absolutely wants to play” and made a pretty bold prediction about when that might happen.

“I think you’re going to see … within the next two weeks that somebody is going to step up and do the right thing, and you want me to predict who?” Geragos asked, per ESPN. “Besides the Panthers, it would not surprise me if Bob Kraft makes a move.”

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