Update 3: Shortly after the memo's release, Trump responded on twitter, claiming first that "The Democrat memo response on government surveillance abuses is a total political and legal BUST. Just confirms all of the terrible things that were done. SO ILLEGAL!"...
... followed by a tweet that in the "Dem Memo: FBI did not disclose who the clients were - the Clinton Campaign and the DNC. Wow!"
Puppet Masters
© Alexei Druzhinin/TASS
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin
During the phone conversation between the leaders, the situation in East Ghouta and problems of providing humanitarian access to this and other regions of Syria were discussed, according to the Kremlin's press service.
"Special attention was given to the fact that the cessation of military activity does not apply to the operations against terrorist groups," the Kremlin said.
© ABC
Kennedy said, "The issue I think we have to acknowledge, One is that this is a complex one and it's a hard one. Two, the thing that makes me so angry in part of this debate that does get framed largely from my Republican colleagues is that this is a mental health issue. Folks the data on this could not be more clear, people with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrate them."
He continued, "Study after study shows when it comes down to the mass shootings the vast majority are not perpetrated by people suffering from mental illness. Now, are there circumstances, where someone is mentally ill? Yes. Do we need to invest in mental health care? Absolutely. You know what the first big bill coming out of Congress under this administration was? A bill to cut Medicaid, the largest payer of mental health service in this country by $800 billion. So don't turn around and tell me this is a mental health issue when you just tried to cut the biggest payer of it by $800 billion."
Comment: So... mass murdering people is NOT mental illness? Poor Joe, he really does have a mental disorder.
© CNN
In fact, the shady dossier makes exactly the same claim - that Putin personally "ordered" the cyberattacks on the Clinton campaign and leaked embarrassing emails to "bolster Trump," as part of "an aggressive Trump support operation." Like Obama's ICA, Clinton's dossier provides no concrete evidence to back up the claim.
After learning Obama Justice and FBI officials relied heavily on unsubstantiated rumors in the dossier to wiretap a Trump adviser during the election, congressional leaders now suspect the dossier also informed Obama intelligence officials who compiled the ICA.
In a bizarre demand, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference apparently called for attendees of Obama's speech, which took place inside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, to keep it a secret.
"The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, will address the 2018 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on February 23, 2018 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center," a description of the ESPN-sponsored event says. "A lifelong sports fan and athlete, President Obama will address a wide range of subjects in his talk, from his most memorable moments in the White House, to his post-presidency plans."
And as the Olympians compete in their dopey games, the Syrian war has escalated to "another Aleppo", "another Srebrenica", this time in East Ghouta. But it's not just the headlines being recycled. The reality on the ground is pretty much the same as it was in Aleppo, with western journalists providing information cover for the terrorists occupying the area, holding civilians hostages, indiscriminately shelling civilian targets in Damascus, and trying to convince the world that they're not Al-Qaeda. As the Syrians progressed in their liberation of East Ghouta, Western terrorist sympathizers stepped into the fray, with the UNSC voting for a 30-day truce. But will Al-Qaeda abide by it? Unlikely.
With the proxy war waged in PyeongChang and Syria in full swing, the third front - Russiagate - is still going strong despite there being no evidence for it existing in the first place. There's more evidence for Bigfoot. The Dems have now released their much hyped memo. Mueller has indicted Russians and more Americans. And yet that Russian collusion is still nowhere to be found.
Join us this Sunday 25 February, from 12-1:30pm EST / 5-6:30pm UTC / 6-7:30pm CET as we discuss these topics and more.
Running Time: 01:54:56
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In the recently released 2018 US Department of Defense Nation Defense Strategy, it claims:
North Korea seeks to guarantee regime survival and increased leverage by seeking a mixture of nuclear, biological, chemical, conventional, and unconventional weapons and a growing ballistic missile capability to gain coercive influence over South Korea, Japan, and the United States.Yet North Korea's immediate neighbor - South Korea - felt comfortable enough with this "rogue regime" that it not only invited high level diplomats to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, it had its own athletes compete side-by-side with their North Korean counterparts as a unified team.
© Amir Cohen / Reuters
Protesters hold signs calling upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down.
Protesters hold signs calling upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down.
The "Bibi Netanyahu go home" slogan once again united the Israeli crowd holding their weekly anti-government corruption protest in Tel Aviv. Waving signs that read "Bibi, you are not above the law," "Love Israel, separate from Netanyahu," they chanted, "A mafia country and a corrupt Prime Minister."
Earlier this month Israeli police recommended that Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted over allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Despite the pressure and daily calls to resign, Netanyahu maintains his innocence, further exacerbating the public anger.
Comment: As Bibi considers himself above the law, both national and international, his resignation is highly unlikely.
- Confidant of Netanyahu turns state witness in corruption case: Israeli media
- A litany of scandals: Inside the Netanyahu corruption probe & why he could be indicted
- Israel police arrest 'Crime Minister' Netanyahu associates in corruption investigation
- Netanyahu corruption investigation circles in: Seven more of PM's cronies brought up on charges
Xi Jinping could remain as head of state after 2023 under new rules
The official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday that the Party had proposed to "remove the expression" that the president and vice-president "shall serve no more than two consecutive terms" from the country's constitution.
The move would set in motion a more authoritarian future for China under Mr Xi, and is being described by experts as confirmation that Beijing has no interest in further opening up or delivering real democracy.
Comment: Of course, we couldn't miss the China-bashing moment from a Western media outlet. Those authoritarian Chinese who have no interest in Western-style democracy, how dare they consider having their leader for longer!
Steven Tsang, the director of the China Institute at SOAS, University of London told The Telegraph: "Democratization was never on the agenda under the Communist Party, which is a consultative Leninist system, one that fundamentally rejects liberal democracy, despite its claim that China is democratic 'with Chinese characteristics'.
Susan Rice
Susan Rice sent herself an unusual email on January 20th memorializing a secret meeting she had on January 5th with Obama, Comey, Biden and Sally Yates to discuss 'Russian interference'.
Senate Judiciary Chairmen Grassley and Graham sent Susan Rice a list of questions she must answer the Committee by January 22nd 2018.
Susan Rice's lawyers responded to Congress late Friday in a letter claiming the Obama admin was afraid to share classified intel with General Flynn. Seriously?
Comment: By publishing nonsense like this, the Democrats are rendering themselves entirely irrelevant as a political party in the US.