News and Headlines. In The News, Politics/Deep State/Government Corruption, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Gazette journalists tweet about the shooting inside their building: ‘Please help us
Multiple people were shot in Maryland on Thursday after a suspect opened fire outside of the Capital Gazette’s newsroom in Anne Arundel County — as journalists covering the terrifying scene inside their building.
Amid the shooting, reporters and employees for the local newspaper continued to do their jobs.
Anthony Messenger, an intern for the news outlet, tweeted of an “active shooter” at 888 Bestgate — the office building of the Gazette. “Please help us,” Messenger wrote.
Reporter Phil Davis detailed more information of what happened in his newsroom online, writing: “A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.”
Marketing firm accidentally exposes 340 million records online
A little-known marketing firm may have exposed the personal information of every adult in the US.
On Wednesday, a security researcher named Vinny Troia said he stumbled on a massive database containing the detailed records of 340 million people —all of which was mistakenly made available online.
The records were held in a database from Exactis, a firm that specializes in helping companies reach potential customers via email, phone number or postal address. For some reason, Exactis failed to place the database behind a firewall, leaving it open for anyone to access.
Pennsylvania homes raided in investigation into mystery explosions
Authorities descended on two homes in a suburbs of Philadelphia on Thursday as part of the investigation into a series of mysterious blasts in upper Bucks County since April.
Pennsylvania State Police told Fox News in a statement an “active investigation” is underway in the area of Brick Tavern Road in Milford Township, located about 45 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
FBI agents, in addition to state and local police, could be seen searching two properties in the neighborhood. While state police did not yet say if anyone had been taken into custody, FOX 29 reported at least one arrest was made.
FBI says Columbia student who campaigned against sexual violence had child porn, enticed minor
A Columbia University student who launched an organization devoted to stopping sexual violence has been accused by the FBI of displaying the “highest degree of hypocrisy,” after he was arrested for allegedly trying to have sex with a 2-year-old girl.
A U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York announced this week that Joel Davis, a 22-year-old from New York City, could face up to life in prison stemming from a variety of counts, including distribution of child pornography and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
“As if this wasn’t repulsive enough, Davis allegedly possessed and distributed utterly explicit images of innocent infants and toddlers being sexually abused by adults,” he added.
Portland ICE facility protest camp broken up by feds as crowds shout ‘no racist police!’
Dozens of members of the Federal Protective Service arrived at 4310 Southwest Macadam Avenue early this morning, twelve days after the protesters set up shop, to give the crowds there a final warning to clear out, according to KPTV.
Then they moved in.
“You go home. Shame! Shame!” a woman is heard bellowing as officers are seen in video footage carrying away a couch and other assorted debris into a U-Haul truck. The clip, taken by a reporter from The Oregonian, shows officers standing shoulder-to-shoulder, holding batons.
Homeland Security Officials Urged To Remove Badges In Public, Lock Doors And Windows
Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Claire Grady, issued a dire warning to DHS officials Wednesday, warning them that they should remove their badges in public and lock doors and windows in their homes after the personal information of thousands of DHS employees appeared online.
The security breach came over the weekend; anti-immigration activists scoured LinkedIn and other social media sites and created a “data list” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and DHS officials connected to the country’s immigration system. The information was posted online and then removed, but Antifa members captured screenshots of the material and continued to share it.
5 tortured bodies found stuffed in a vehicle in Cancun, bringing month’s total to 57
Adding to the recent string of violent crimes in one of Mexico’s most popular tourist towns, authorities in Cancun said they found five bodies stuffed in a car Wednesday morning.
The bodies have not been identified, according to The Associated Press. But Noticaribe, a news organization based in Quintana Roo, reports that all five victims were men and showed signs of torture.
Trump’s Approval Rating with Hispanics Jumps 10 Points
President Trump’s approval rating has ticked up to 47 percent in the new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released exclusively to The Hill, a 2 point hike from last month.
Trump’s approval rating was lifted in part by a 10 point climb among Hispanic voters. His approval rating rose by 6 points among Republicans and by 4 points among Democrats compared to last month’s poll. According to the same poll, Trump’s approval rating reached its highest point last year, at 49 percent.
Melania Trump makes trip to border ‘on behalf of children and the families’
First Lady Melania Trump met with members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection andImmigration and Customs Enforcement Thursday morning during her second visit in recent days to the border with Mexico amid a mounting immigration crisis.
At a roundtable with officials near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, Mrs. Trump voiced her concern for the children and families who have arrived at the U.S. southern border from Central America, but also added her support for the CBP and ICE agents working along the border.
Manslaughter charge: Georgia officer shot fleeing black man
KINGSLAND, Ga. – A Georgia police officer who fatally shot a black man who was running away from him was fired and jailed on charges of voluntary manslaughter and violating his oath of office, just one week after alerting a dispatcher to his frantic pursuit.
Kingsland Police Officer Zechariah Presley surrendered Wednesday to the Camden County Sheriff’s Office after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation obtained warrants for his arrest.
A GBI statement says Presley, who is white, was following a vehicle that stopped at an intersection on June 21 when the driver and passenger ran. Presley pursued the driver, later identified as Anthony Marcel Green.
Man allegedly breaks into woman’s home twice, rapes her, found waiting in victim’s bed:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man is behind bars after allegedly attacking a woman twice before breaking into her home a third time, jumping in her bed and waiting for her to return home after raping her.
After the attack, the victim called 911 for help.
Less than two hours later, police returned to the same home after Turner allegedly attacked the victim again. This time police said the woman was lying in bed when Turner came through the same broken window. He began choking and punching her in the face before forcing her to have sex. Defending herself, the woman said she squeezed the man’s private parts, forcing him to let her go.
But the alleged attack didn’t end there.
Shocking video shows attackers taking photos of victim after they knocked him out
A 37-year-old man sucker-punched in the head by two men on a New York City was photographed and robbed as he laid unconscious for several minutes.
After the two attackers calmly left the scene, several other people can be seen on surveillance video released by police gathering around the victim and going through his pockets, taking out his cell phone and identification.
The original two assailants, included the man who punched the victim, returned to the intersection and took pictures of the 37-year-old, who was still out cold on the street.
He collected nearly $200K as Vietnam vet with 2 Purple Hearts. But he never served.
A Charleston man collected nearly $200,000 in VA benefits over the past few years while listed as a Navy medic who received two Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam.
But Keith R. Hudson, 70, was never in the military, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina said Wednesday.
“This is a particularly awful type of white collar crime,” U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon said in a news release. “Veteran health benefits are for those who served our nation in the military. The VA has limited numbers of physicians and resources. There is not much to spare.”
VA suicide data shows vets still desperately struggling
The suicide rate among vets has not improved and remains a deeply disturbing problem, despite work by the VA and others, according to a VA analysis and statistics obtained by Fox News.
Last week, the VA released findings from a years-long investigation into veteran suicide data from 2005-2015 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings are clear: the suicide rate is constant.
Veterans are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as non-veterans, according to the VA report. Additionally, VA researchers found the number of vets who take their own lives each day “remained unchanged at 20.” And even more-recent data obtained by Fox News suggests things may not be much better in 2018
Former Equifax manager charged with insider trading linked to cyber breach
The Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former Equifax software engineering manager with insider trading, prior to the disclosure that the credit-monitoring company had suffered a massive cybersecurity breach.
The SEC says Bonthu lost his job at Equifax after refusing to cooperate with an internal investigation as to whether he violated the company’s own insider trading policy.
SEC proposes to limit whistleblower awards
The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking to limit whistleblower payouts after doling out tens of millions of dollars in a recent case.
The SEC voted 3-2 Thursday to propose a limit limiting whistleblower payouts after an $83 million award in March to three tipsters – the largest payday in the history of the SEC’s whistleblower program—raised concerns that the jackpots may be getting “too large,” according to the proposal.
Two whistleblowers shared nearly $50 million and a third whistleblower received more than $33 million for their assistance in an enforcement action involving Merrill Lynch that resulted in a $415 million settlement. The previous record was a $30 million award in 2014.
What every American should know about a Foxconn in their backyard
When Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, the world’s largest computer electronics manufacturer and a major supplier for Apple Inc., breaks ground Thursday in Racine County, just south of Milwaukee and about 90 miles north of Chicago, it’s on its way to becoming the largest private-sector employer in Wisconsin — adding a projected 13,000 positions at full capacity
As the project has gained traction over the past year, detractors have besmirched their own state as “Foxconnsin,” given the heavily sweetened deal for the private concern. Yet proponents of Foxconn living and working in the industrial and agricultural region can’t wait to watch the economic boost roll in for a state already sitting on a record-low unemployment rate near 3%.
What’s behind AT&T’s $800 million ‘administrative fee’ increase?
Small fees increases for consumers are resulting in massive gains for AT&T.
In April and June, AT&T has quietly increased the “administrative fee” it charges wireless customers from 76 cents to $1.99, according to a report released Wednesday by Walter Piecyk, an analyst with brokerage firm BTIG. The fee, which does not apply to prepaid lines and some large enterprise contract customers, applies to all customers with contract-based plans. The company stands to earn roughly $800 million in additional revenue, according to Piecyk’s calculations.
AT&T has likely not faced higher costs in these arenas, Piecyk said. “It’s hard to believe that interconnection costs have increased in the past 6 months enough to justify this fee increase,” the brokerage firm said. “In fact, wireless operators have been crediting lower interconnection costs when explaining why their cost of service was in decline. Not surprisingly, we don’t recall any reductions in administrative fees by AT&T or its peers associated with reductions in interconnection expenses.”
Trump’s IRS nominee promises to ‘rebuild trust’ in the tax agency
IRS commissioner nominee Chuck Rettig told Congress Thursday that his top priority as head of the tax agency would be to rebuild the trust it has lost.
“My overriding goal will be to strengthen and rebuild trust between the IRS, the American people, and their representatives in Congress,” Rettig said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.
The Beverly Hills tax lawyer said he has experienced the problems with the agency’s service first-hand, and that he would not allow the IRS’ failures to be viewed just as “facts of life.”
Politics/Deep State/Government Corruption:
5 Questions The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Upset Poses For Democrats
The victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over the third most powerful Democrat in the House of Representatives, Joe Crowley, this week has sent shockwaves through the party. Much like Republican Eric Cantor’s loss in 2014, the upset suggests deep disunity and a desire to punish the old establishment in favor of a radical new vision. In Ocasio-Cortez’s case, that vision is so progressive as to potentially remake the Democratic Party.
But not everyone seems quite so thrilled. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attempted to downplay the result. She suggested it was just another local election in a very blue New York City district and did not represent a Democratic Party careening towards the socialism the young nominee embraces.
Rosenstein vows to clean up DOJ after IG report, defends response to Russia probe requests
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein publicly vowed Thursday to hold wrongdoers accountable for the actions revealed in the recent watchdog report on the Clinton email case, while defending his agencies’ response to requests from congressional committees for documents related to the Russia investigation.
Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Rosenstein noted that he is always willing to testify before the committee, but said “today is not a happy occasion.”
‘Even a blind person’ can see Mueller using Manafort to ‘target’ Trump: judge
A federal judge says “even a blind person” can see that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is prosecuting Paul Manafortas a way to acquire evidence against his “true target,” President Trump.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III made the comment in an opinion released this week that nonetheless sided with Mr. Mueller and against Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager. He rejected Mr. Manafort’s argument that the Mueller-brought tax-evasion indictment exceeded the special counsel’s authority and should be dismissed.
Judge Ellis, sitting in the Eastern District of Virginia, expressed dismay at the special counsel system and at Mr. Muellerin particular.
GOODLATTE: FBI LAWYERS INSTRUCTED STRZOK NOT TO ANSWER ‘MANY, MANY’ QUESTIONS IN DEPOSITION
FBI lawyers instructed Peter Strzok during a congressional deposition on Wednesday not to answer “many, many questions” about his involvement in the Hillary Clinton and Russia investigations, said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte.
“Unfortunately the FBI counsel in the room has instructed Mr. Strzok not to answer many, many questions, and that’s going to be a serious problem moving forward,” Goodlatte told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “So we will be raising questions with the FBI and the Department of Justice about why it is that their counsel is instructing Mr. Strzok not to answer questions.”
Jordan to Rosenstein: Why are you keeping info from us?
Republican accuses the deputy attorney general of ‘hiding’ documents related to the Russia investigation during a House hearing on the oversight of the FBI and DOJ during the 2016 election.
Gowdy to Rosenstein on Russia probe: ‘Finish it the hell up’
Republican lawmaker tells Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray that America is being ‘torn apart’ by the investigation during a House hearing on anti-Trump agent Peter Strzok.
If Hillary And Democrats Laundered $84 Million In 2016, They Should Face Justice
Hillary Clinton’s days of political relevance may be behind her, but her scandals are not. While Clinton’s years at the State Department were marred by scandal after scandal, they pale in comparison to her time running for higher office.
In 2016, the Democratic presidential candidate may have presided over the largest campaign finance scandal in U.S. history. A lawsuit based on federal records alleges the Clinton machine laundered $84 million in excessive six-figure contributions through the Hillary Victory Fund, to dozens of Democratic state parties, on to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and ultimately to Clinton’s campaign.
World News:
German man suspected of murdering 21 co-workers by poisoning their food
Authorities in Germany launched a probe Wednesday into a string of 21 deaths over nearly two decades after the arrest of a man suspected of trying to poison a co-worker’s sandwich.
The 56-year-old man, named only as Klaus O, was detained back in May after surveillance video showed him opening a colleague’s lunchbox and putting a suspicious powder inside, German tabloid Bild reported.
“In the beginning we thought it was a misconceived prank between co-workers, and not a murder attempt,” Tilo Blechinger, the manager for the metal fittings manufacturer ARI Armaturen, told the DPA news agency.
Kim Jong Un ordered army officer executed after giving soldiers extra food: report
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly ordered a high ranking army officer to be executed after he was accused of giving extra food and fuel rations to troops and their families.
Daily NK reported that Hyon Ju Song, the lieutenant general of the Korean People’s Army in the country’s capital, Pyongyang, was executed by a firing squad for “charges of abusing authority and engaging in anti-Party acts.”
Hyon was reportedly a rising star in the army before his death. He served as a member of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s Central Committee and battalion commander under the Supreme Guard Command.
Live grenades found on wounded Gaza terrorist evacuated to an Israeli hospital
Yesterday the IDF stopped multiple attempts of terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israel from Gaza. The wounded Gaza terrorist was evacuated to an Israeli hospital. The Dr. was surprised to find grenades in his pocket and evacuated the area.
Earlier on Wednesday, an IDF force fired at a 15-year-old Gaza terrorist in the northern Gaza Strip as he infiltrated the Gaza Strip fence into Israel. He was then rushed to an Israeli hospital in serious condition, suffering from gunshot wounds.
The IDF spokesman announced at the time that “IDF troops identified three terrorists who damaged the security fence and attempted to infiltrate Israel from the southern Gaza Strip. In response, the troops fired towards the suspects and thwarted the infiltration”.
The wounded Gaza terrorist was evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, Israel. A doctor giving treatment to the terrorist found the grenades on the terrorist’s body.
Commentary/Opinion:
Replacing Justice Kennedy: Battle Lines Drawn, Rumored Short List of Candidates Emerges
The roster features roughly two dozen names, several of which jump out at me. This is pure speculation, but I’d guess that Trump is being counseled — and may be naturally inclined, guided by some of his political instincts — to select a woman or person of color this time. Identity politics are anathema, but such factors sometimes play a significant role in shaping optics.
Do optics really matter on this issue? Technically no, but with an extremely closely divided Senate, there’s little margin for error.
The feelings and concerns of GOP wildcards like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski must be considered. And while the vast majority of Senate Democrats will likely vote against anyone Trump puts up, a handful of Democratic votes can realistically be secured; part of that process may involve making a ‘no’ vote look and feel as painful and obstructionist as possible (relatedly, Chuck Schumer really shot himself in the foot by leading a filibuster against Gorsuch).
Anthony Kennedy: The Most Important Voter In America
Kennedy’s departure was met with wailing and gnashing of teeth from the American left, who understand now that President Trump will have a court-redefining legacy whoever he picks. The oldest conservative justice on the Supreme Court today is Clarence Thomas, who at 70 is younger by a significant clip than the top three leaders of the Democratic Party in the House.
He could last another decade, and paired with a solid cohort of three younger conservative justices, will in all likelihood make Chief Justice John Roberts the swing vote on the Court. Conservatives, much as they despise Roberts’ saving throw for Obamacare, are overjoyed at that possibility.