Clinton
Declares 'Crisis In Our Democracy', As Harvard Gives Her A Medal
Clinton, who has frequently given a dour appraisal of Americas current
political and social reality, was given the Radcliffe Medal, which honors
those who have had a transformative impact on society. Organizers said
they chose Clinton because the former secretary of state was a human rights
champion, as well as a skilled legislator and an advocate of American
leadership on the world stage. Fox
VOA VIEW: Hillary is an idiot and Harard
is a liberal nothing.
Trump
Makes It Easier To Fire Poor-Performing Federal Workers
To empower our civil servants to best help others, the government
must always operate more efficiently and more securely, the president
said in a statement. The White House said Trump, who famously promised
to drain the swamp in Washington while running for president, signed
the three orders Friday afternoon. Fox
Subtropical
Storm Alberto Eyes Gulf Coast For Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and this year, it
looks like it might also bring an early start to the 2018 hurricane season.
Although hurricane season doesn't begin until June 1, a tropical system
off the Yucatan Peninsula has become Subtropical Storm Alberto as of 11
a.m. Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. For holiday beachgoers
flocking to the US Gulf Coast looking for their first taste of summer sun,
Alberto is making the forecast look pretty grim. CNN
VOA VIEW: The storm must be watched carefully.
Trump
Adds 15,000 Work Visas
President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security announced
Friday it was making available an additional 15,000 visas for a seasonal
work program that were badly needed by businesses, particularly in the
Trump-voting crab town of Hoopers Island. "The limitations on H-2B visas
were originally meant to protect American workers, but when we enter a
situation where the program unintentionally harms American businesses it
needs to be reformed," said DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in granting
the additional visas. NBC
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Lava Flows From
Volcanic Crack In Hawaii
The Kilauea volcano had a catastrophic eruption three weeks ago in
Hawaii, and between the gushing lava, ash and toxic gas, it's a never-ending
nightmare for Lower Puna residents. Since May 3, more than 2,000 quakes
have struck on or around the Big Island. Volcanic vents, or fissures, have
cracked open, shooting lava that's gobbled up dozens of homes and vehicles.
And a river of lava has reached the Pacific Ocean, causing the dangerous
"laze," or lava-haze. CNN
Trump
Signs Orders Targeting Federal Workers, Union Activities
President Donald Trump began fulfilling a promise to facilitate the
firing of federal workers Friday, quietly signing a set of executive orders
to rewrite the government's employment rules. The three actions, two of
which crack down on federal employee unions, are designed to "make it easier
for agencies to remove poor-performing employees and ensure that taxpayer
dollars are more efficiently used," Andrew Bremberg, director of the White
House Domestic Policy Council, told reporters. NBC
VOA VIEW: A positive move.
EPA:
Pruit Spent $3.5M On Security In 2017 Due To Threats
Scott Pruitt spent nearly $3.5 million on security in his first year
as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, a government breakdown
said Friday. The EPA released the cost breakdown, titled "Administrator's
Security Detail Quarterly Payroll," which detailed only the cost per quarter
of Pruitt's security. It did not provide information on how the money was
spent. UPI
Trump
Lawyer Giuliani Says White House Wants Briefing On Classified Russia Probe
Info
President Donald Trump's legal team wants a briefing on the classified
information shared with lawmakers about the origins of the FBI investigation
into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election and may take it
to the Justice Department as part of an effort to scuttle the ongoing special
counsel probe. Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's attorneys, told The Associated
Press on Friday that the White House hopes to get a readout of the information
next week, particularly about the use of a longtime government informant
who approached members of Trump's campaign in a possible bid to glean intelligence
on Russian efforts to sway the election. NBC
VOA VIEW: Trump
if finally taking the offensive.
Commander
Of USS John S McCain Pleads Guilty, Retires
The former commanding officer of the USS John S. McCain pleaded guilty
Friday to dereliction of duty for a crash in 2017 that killed 10 sailors.
Under the plea deal, Navy Cmdr. Alfredo Sanchez was issued a punitive letter
of reprimand and was ordered to forfeit $6,000 in wages. Sanchez also agreed
to submit a letter of resignation. "I am ultimately responsible and stand
accountable," he said during a court-martial. UPI
Subtropical
Storm Alberto Forms; Watches Issued For US, Mexico, Cuba
Forecasters issued tropical storm watches for portions of the United
States, Cuba and Mexico on Friday after Subtropical Storm Alberto, the
first named storm of the season, formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea.
The center of the storm was located about 110 miles southeast of Cozumel,
Mexico, and 180 miles south-southwest of the western tip of Cuba as of
the National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. EDT update. UPI
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Harvey
Weinstein Charged With Felony Rape, Criminal Sex Act In NYC Court
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was charged Friday with
counts of felony rape and committing a criminal sex act, stemming from
cases involving two women, prosecutors said. Weinstein, 66, surrendered
Friday at the New York City Police Department's 1st Precinct in Lower Manhattan.
He appeared in court later and was charged with assaulting Lucia Evans,
who told investigators he forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004.
The NYPD is also looking into an accusation by another woman who said he
assaulted her in her apartment eight years ago. UPI
VOA VIEW: Even the powerful have a problem
with the feds.
FBI
Warns Russians Hacked Hundreds Of Thousands Of Routers
The U.S. law enforcement agency urged the owners of many brands of
routers to turn them off and on again and download updates from the manufacturer
to protect themselves. The warning followed a court order Wednesday that
allowed the FBI to seize a website that the hackers planned to use to give
instructions to the routers. Though that cut off malicious communications,
it still left the routers infected, and Fridays warning was aimed at cleaning
up those machines. Reuters
Trudeau
Raises US Auto Import Probe Concerns With Trump
The two leaders also discussed the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) negotiations and bringing talks to a timely conclusion, Trudeaus
office said. The Trump administration earlier this week began a national
security investigation into auto imports that could lead to new U.S. tariffs
similar to those imposed on imported steel and aluminum in March. Reuters
Trump
Defends Chicago Police, Tweets They 'Have Every Right To Legally Protest'
President Trump tweeted in defense of the Chicago police on Friday,
saying they had every right to legally protest, days after a police union
in the city planned a demonstration against Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who it
claims is anti-police. Chicago Police have every right to legally protest
against the mayor and an administration that just wont let them do their
job, Trump tweeted. The killings are at a record pace and tough police
work, which Chicago will not allow, would bring things back to order fast
... the killings must stop! Fox
VOA VIEW: Emanuel is a joke.
Trump
Heralds US Military In Naval Academy Commencement Address
President Donald Trump heralded more than 1,000 newly-commissioned
US Navy and Marine Corps officers on Friday for becoming "leaders in the
most powerful and righteous force on the planet" as he delivered the commencement
address at the US Naval Academy. "Together you are the tip of the spear,
the edge of the blade and the front of the shield defending and protecting
our great country," Trump said. "You know there is no mission our pilots
can't handle. There is no hill our marines can't take and there is no stronghold
the SEALs can't breach. CNN
Rep.
Dana Rohrabacher Loses Endorsement For Saying It's Ok To Not Sell Homes
To Gay People
Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California is facing criticism
and has lost an endorsement from a Realtors group for saying that people
should be able to refuse to sell their homes to gay people. The Orange
County Register reported on Thursday that Rohrabacher, who is up for re-election
this year, expressed that view during a meeting with a group of Realtors
last week in Washington. Wayne Woodyard, who is a member of the National
Association of Realtors and met with Rohrabacher last week, told The Orange
County Register that Rohrabacher said during the meeting, "Every homeowner
should be able to make a decision not to sell their home to someone (if)
they don't agree with their lifestyle." CNN
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US
Talking To North Korea About Summit
President Donald Trump said the June 12 summit with North Korea may
be possible after all on Friday, a day after he canceled the event, saying
North Koreas response was nice and that both sides want to meet. North
Korea issued a statement Friday saying it was still willing to give the
U.S. time and opportunities to reconsider talks at any time, at any format.
Newsday
Trump
Administration Has Cut Deal With China's ZTE
The Trump administration has told Congress that it's reached a deal
that would allow Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corp. to stay in
business, a source familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity
to discuss a confidential matter said Friday. A resolution of the ZTE case
could clear the way for the United States to make progress in its high-stakes
trade talks with China. But news of the agreement drew immediate fire on
Capitol Hill. Newsday
VOA VIEW: Good or bad deal - time will
tell.
Exit
Polls Point To Landslide Vote To Relax Irish Abortion Laws
Ireland has voted by a landslide to lift the ban on abortion that had
been enshrined in its constitution for three decades, the first exit polls
from a historic referendum suggest. If confirmed at Saturdays count, the
shock result three years after Ireland became the first country in the
world to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote would underline
the speed and scale of change in a country that is still majority Catholic.
Guardian
Trump
Welcomes Statement From North Korea, Says Talks To Reinstate Summit 'Productive'
President Trump kept the diplomacy door open with North Korea on Friday,
welcoming the regime's latest productive statement and saying the two
sides are still talking following the administrations decision to cancel
a planned summit with Kim Jong Un. In a tweet on Friday night, the president
said talks about reinstating a June summit that was canceled earlier this
week were progressing: "We are having very productive talks with North
Korea about reinstating the Summit which, if it does happen, will likely
remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th., and, if necessary, will
be extended beyond that date." Fox
VOA VIEW: Pelosi and other liberals look
very bad.
USC
President C.L. Max Nikias To Quit Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
The president of the University of Southern California, C.L. Max Nikias,
agreed to resign late Friday amid criticism of the school's handling of
a scandal involving the campus gynecologist, who is accused of sexually
abusing students over a nearly 30-year stretch. In a statement, the executive
committee of USC's board of trustees said, "We recognize the need for change
and are committed to a stable transition." NBC
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NFL
Players React To New Anthem Policy
If the NFL hoped its new national anthem policy would settle the debate
about players protesting before games, the league may be disappointed.
On Wednesday, the league issued a ruling agreed by team owners that a
club will be fined by the league if its personnel are on the field and
do not stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem. Players, however,
will be permitted to stay in the locker rooms during the anthem. Guardian
VOA VIEW: Clubs will pay a lot if they
don't make their own policy.
In
Russia, France's Macron Tries His Next Charm Offensive On 'Cher Vladimir'
When Emmanuel Macron visited the White House a month ago, commentators
nicknamed the French president the "Trump Whisperer" for establishing a
close personal rapport with President Trump. Now Macron is in Russia, where
he is sidling up to Vladimir Putin on a two-day trip to St. Petersburg,
the splendorous czarist-era imperial capital and the Russian president's
hometown. NPR
Swedish
Law Declares Sex Without Consent Is Rape
The Swedish parliament has passed a bill that the government said,
"states the obvious: if sex is not voluntary it is illegal." The new legislation
rules that sex without explicit mutual consent is rape. Previously, the
law stated rape was committed only in instances where a victim was violently
coerced or threatened into a sexual act. NPR
Amazon
Echo Recorded And Sent Couple's Conversation All Without Their Knowledge
As secret recordings go, the Portland couple's conversation was pretty
mundane: They were talking about hardwood floors. But their Amazon Echo
was listening and recording their discussion. The device then sent the
recording to someone in their contacts without the couple's knowledge.
The wife, identified only as Danielle, told Seattle TV station KIRO 7 that
they learned something was amiss when they received a phone call from the
husband's employee who lived in Seattle, telling them what he had inadvertently
received. He told them to unplug their Alexa devices right away. NPR
Rape
Victim Awarded $1 Billion In Historic Jury Verdict
A Georgia rape victim was awarded $1 billion in whats believed to
be the largest jury verdict ever handed down in an American assault case,
according to reports Friday. Its one of the biggest victories for women
in the United States, Chris Stewart, a lawyer for victim Hope Cheston,
said at a press conference. They said a little black girl in Clayton County
who was raped is worth $1 billion. That was a big win for us, he said,
according to the local station 11alive.com. NY Post
VOV VIEW: Judicial madness.
Bill
Kristol Searches Out Republicans to Primary President Trump in 2020
Bill Kristol, anti-Trump activist and editor-at-large of The Weekly
Standard, set his sights Wednesday on finding a Republican to challenge
President Donald Trump in 2020. Kristol attempted to convince New Hampshire
activists that primarying a sitting president is possible. "I have a feeling
that we are now entering ... a turbulent era, when the character of both
parties is up for grabs," Kristol told activists at Saint Anselm College
over breakfast. PJ Media
DHS
Bumps Up Cap on H-2B Visas for Lack of 'Sufficient, Qualified, U.S. Workers'
The Department of Homeland Security today announced that an additional
15,000 H-2B visas for temporary nonagricultural workers will be available
for Fiscal Year 2018, in addition to the 66,000 visas already issued this
year. DHS said Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen approved the visas after consulting
with Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, lawmakers and business owners and determining
"there are not sufficient, qualified, U.S. workers available to perform
temporary non-agriculture labor to satisfy the needs of American businesses."
PJ
Media
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Congressman's
'Effed Up' Demands Revealed By Staffers
A Virginia congressman has been accused of turning his staff members
into personal gofers forcing some to fetch groceries and clothes, while
others drove his daughters around and picked up dog poop. Multiple former
aides spoke to Politico about Rep. Tom Garretts alleged demands, which
were also handed out by his wife. NY Post
Pompeo:
No Regime Change In Iran, But Regime Must 'Behave Like A Normal Nation'
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Voice of America Persian today
that a goal of U.S. policy toward Iran after shunning the 2015 nuclear
deal will be "to set conditions where Iran will behave like a normal nation."
"Look, we've asked them to stop spreading terror around the world, not
to build out militias in Iraq, not to put Iranian dollars and Iranian citizens,
who are losing their lives in Syria -- it's inappropriate for Middle East
security and it's bad for the country," he said. PJ
Media
VOA VIEW: Pompeo has been a good SS, so
far,
Massive
Comcast Security Glitch Allows Almost Anyone to Access Your Wireless Router
Comcast has a serious security issue that was discovered by security
researchers Karan Saini and Ryan Stevenson, who reported the issue to ZDnet.
The issue allows easy access to customers Xfinity wireless routers. Anyone
with a subscribers account number and street address number (such as the
123 in 123 Main St.) can easily get access to the router by going to the
companys website and entering the two numbers. That will instantly reveal
the WiFi name and password. PJ Media
Lebanon
Tells Syria Development Law Could Hinder Refugees' Return
Lebanon expressed concern to Syria on Saturday over a new law aimed
at redeveloping areas devastated by seven years of war, saying the initiative
could hinder the return of many Syrian refugees to their homeland. Lebanese
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil wrote in a letter to his Syrian counterpart
Walid al-Moualem that the terms of Law 10 could make it difficult for
refugees to prove property ownership, and in turn discourage some from
returning. Reuters
Hawaii
Volcano Produces Methane And 'Eerie' Blue Flames
Scientists in Hawaii have captured rare images of blue flames burning
from cracks in the pavement as Kilauea volcano gushes fountains of lava
in the background, offering a look at a new dimension in the volcano's
weeks-long eruption. The volcano produces methane when hot lava buries
and burns plants and trees. The gas flows through the ground and up through
existing cracks. "It's very dramatic. It's very eerie," Jim Kauahikaua,
a U.S. Geological Survey scientist, told reporters. He said it was just
the second time he's ever seen blue flames during an eruption. Newsday
Starbucks
To Tell Staff 'Prejudice Is Deeply Rooted' At Anti-Bias Training
Starbucks is closing more than 8,000 of its coffee shops across the
US on Sunday for a four-hour, anti-bias training session almost two months
since an employee at a Philadelphia location called the police on two black
men accused of trespassing as they waited, without making a purchase, to
be joined for a meeting. Since the incident, which sparked protests and
threats of a boycott against a chain known for actively promoting a diverse
workforce and taking liberal stands on issues such as same-sex marriage,
senior executives have repeatedly apologized. Guardian
McConnell:
'Nothing Particularly Surprising' About Info Revealed in Contentious FBI
Briefing
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said there was "nothing
particularly surprising" revealed in a classified briefing Thursday about
oversight of the FBI's campaign-season investigation into Russia's influence
operation and possible Trump campaign contacts. Some House GOPs sought
information on a confidential FBI source who, during the investigation
into possible campaign ties to a foreign power, spoke with Trump campaign
aide Carter Page, Trump campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis and campaign adviser
George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to investigators in October
and has been cooperating with special counsel investigators. PJ
Media
VOA VIEW: Republicans must take the FBI
and DOJ to court - all the way.
Why
Amazon Associates Removed Legal Insurrection From Its Program
Amazon dropped the conservative news and law publication Legal Insurrection
from its profit sharing associate program, the publication announced Wednesday.
The reason behind why Legal Insurrection was terminated from the associates
program raises unanswered questions about Legal Insurrections supposed
violations of an agreement with Amazon, including Amazons abilities to
track links in emails and a dubious claim that Legal Insurrection implied
Amazon endorsed the publication. Daily Caller
Disgraceful.
Mitch McConnell Tells Reporters He Supports the Mueller Witch Hunt
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday after
attending a classified briefing that he continues to support special counsel
Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential
election, including possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
McConnell told NPR that Muellers investigation and a separate probe by
the Justice Departments inspector general into the FBIs actions during
the 2016 election will ultimately provide answers to a number of questions
swirling around the presidential race. Gateway Pundit
Clinton
Shedded After Admitting She Wants To Be CEO Of Facebook
The scandal plagued former secretary of state said if there were any
company should would run it would be Facebook, the biggest news platform
in the world because of the sites capacity for political influence. If
you could be a CEO of any company right now, what would you choose and
why? Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey asked after Clinton was
honored with an academic award from Harvard Universitys Radcliffe Institute.
Gateway
Pundit
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Trump
Shakes Literally Every Naval Academy Graduates Hand
President Donald Trump gave a speech to the graduates of the Naval
Academy Friday morning. Then, the president went a step further, offering
to shake the hands of every single graduate more than 1,000 midshipmen.
I was given an option. I could make this commencement address, which is
a great honor for me, and immediately leave and wave goodbye. Or I could
stay and shake hands with just the top 100, Trump said, Or I could stay
for hours and shake hands with 1,100 and something. What should I do? What
should I do? Daily Caller
McCain
Admits Iraq War Was A Mistake
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona admitted Friday that the Iraq
War was a mistake. The principal reason for invading Iraq, that Saddam
had WMD, was wrong, McCain wrote in his new book. The war, with its cost
in lives and treasure and security, cant be judged as anything other than
a mistake, a very serious one, and I have to accept my share of the blame
for it. Daily Caller
VOA VIEW: McCain once in a while says
the truth.
Three
FBI Agents Set to Testify: Including Lead Investigator in Clinton
According to The Hill, Bill Priestap, the assistant director of the
FBIs counterintelligence division, and Michael Steinbach, the former head
of the FBIs national security division, will testify shortly after the
release of the IG report. Bill Priestap was the FBI official who changed
the wording in the James Comey July 2016 speech to remove the word President
and replace it with another senior government official to hide this fact
from the American public. Gateway Pundit
Assange
Reportedly Offered to Meet Adam Schiff, Congressman Refuses Unless He
is in US Custody
Appearing on MSNBC on Friday, Randy Credico, a personal friend of Assange,
announced that he had met with Schiff on Wednesday to extend the offer
for a meeting. I had gone there with a mandate from Assange for Mr. Schiff
to go over there and interview him, Credico said. I got the okay from
Assange for him to do that. Credico asserted that Assange had sent him
on a secret mission to invite Schiff so that he could clear everything
up. Gateway Pundit
The
Legal Difference Between Sexual Misconduct, Assault, And Harassment, Explained
Dozens of women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment
and assault against former Hollywood media mogul Harvey Weinstein. At least
two of them are now getting their day in court. New York City police detectives
arrested Weinstein Friday morning for allegedly raping one woman and forcing
another woman to perform oral sex on him, according to the New York Times.
Weinsteins arrest represents a pivotal moment for #MeToo, moving womens
stories of sexual predation out of the court of public opinion and into
the criminal justice system. Vox
Santa
Fe School Shooter Used His Father's Guns. Could Father Be Punished?
The teenager who murdered eight students and two teachers at Santa
Fe High School in Texas didnt have to go to great lengths to find the
guns that fueled his rampage. The shotgun and the .38 caliber pistol he
took to school belong to his father and were available to him right at
home. Its the latest mass shooting at a school where a student used a
parents gun (or guns) a trend thats simmered quietly in the background,
even as politicians and school districts grapple with what to do about
these violent acts. Vox
Its
the Year of Democratic Women. The GOP Remains a Party of Men.
It has been obvious throughout the early stages of the primary season
that Democratic women running for office are having a phenomenal year.
It has been less thoroughly discussed, perhaps because it is literally
an example of the same-old, same-old, that GOP candidates (and primaries)
have been overwhelmingly male. This phenomenon was perhaps best dramatized
by the Georgia gubernatorial primaries, where Stacey Abrams (the eventual
nominee) and Stacey Evans were the Democratic candidates, and five white
men on the GOP side battled it out with testosterone-laden messages about
toughness, guns, and hostility to aliens. NY Mag
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