Category: News

Lawmakers met in a bicameral committee conference Wednesday to hash out Homeland Security appropriations for fiscal year 2019, coming out even more assured that a strong law enforcement presence is necessary to prevent illegal immigration and drug trafficking after speaking with border patrol experts.

Border patrol professionals spoke to committee members about challenges they face while guarding the southern border — an area that has become a focus of divisiveness between Democrats and Republicans, who have not come to an agreement on a solution to decrease the amount of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S.

“The point was made today that because of the better detection at the points of entry for illegal drugs that they are picking up more and more drugs coming in not at the ports of entry but the unpatrolled areas of the border,” Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Capito told a group of reporters inside the Capitol. “In some sense, maybe the cartels and others are sensing that because these are unpatrolled areas they are much more vulnerable, and that’s troubling to me coming from the state that I represent.”

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, a Republican, said he hoped the conference would “lead to serious substantive talks and a solution.”

Lawmakers must make a compromise by Feb. 15 to prevent an additional government shutdown.

Republican North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, alongside Shelby and Capito, described the need for a “three-legged stool” approach to protecting the border.

“Yes, you need technology, yes, you need personnel — but you also have to have a border barrier,” he said.

Shelby indicated a comprehensive solution must include a barrier, without one they are just wasting time he said.

Republican Georgia Rep. Tom Graves said he had a whole new appreciation for border patrol personnel after the conference.

“What they deal with is absolutely incredible, so for anyone to leave this meeting today and not accept the facts that are out there about the challenges that they face every day on the border is not an accurate representation of what we perceived today,” he said.

Democratic leaders previously assured negotiations would resume when the government re-opened, but it is still unclear who is going to budge first.

“I feel that we have taken a step forward, and we are ready to now put the pencils on the paper and get back to work,” Capito said.

Watergate was a “cover-up” of a group of over zealous Nixon administration officials hiring 5 men to burglarize  the “Watergate” building where the DNC offices were located. Wiretaps and burglarizing the Democratic National Headquarters were the crimes.  This to date, is the biggest scandal and “cover-up” of modern politics.  It pales in comparison to the “Benghazi-gate” cover-up.   Four fellow Americans are dead, and the White House’s “official” statements following the attacks were lies .  Veteran Political “Operative”, for the Obama Administration, David Axelrod took to the airwaves Sunday October 14, and Fox’s Chris Wallace attempted to hold his feet to the fire.  Yet, we are left with the same questions.  From that interview we  learn just what Veep Joe Biden was talking about in regards to his explanation on Benghazi:

WALLACE: But, David, just the day before, several State Department officials testified under oath that there were repeated requests for more security that were rejected. What is the vice president talking about?

AXELROD: I think the vice president was talking about what the White House knew. There are embassies all over the world and installations all over the world, and these requests go into the security professionals at the State Department. And there is no doubt, some of these matters went into the security department at the state security agency at the State Department. But it didn’t come to the White House and that what is the vice president was responding to.

WALLACE: So, we’re now getting into a definition of what the word “we” means. When the vice president says “we” he’s not talking about the Obama administration, because, the question was not about what you knew, it is that there were requests for more security. Biden is not talking about the Obama administration. He’s not talking about the State Department.

He’s just talking about himself and the president?

AXELROD: No, I think, Chris. Again, he was talking about was what he, the president knew because these matters were being handled at the State Department.

What?  Axelrod answers “NO” and then in fact answers the question with a definitive “YES”.    And what he is admitting to is this–that the President didn’t know there were “requests” for more security in Benghazi.  How would he know?  Obama has not been attending these “Security briefings”, in fact the day after the attack, instead of cancelling his campaign trip to Nevada, the President again, skips the briefings.  Axelrod admits to this in the Fox interview.

WALLACE: The reason I ask this is because you say, well, the president made a statement. Yes. The president made a statement, and then he went off to a fundraiser or to a campaign stop in Nevada.

Question, before he went to the fundraiser in Nevada, did he meet with his National Security Council to try to sort out the shifting stories, because State said they never said it was a spontaneous demonstration and intel did, you are quite right — did he meet with the national security council before he went to campaigning in Nevada?

AXELROD: Chris, I assure you that the president was in contact with all those who had information and responsibility in the national security chain about this incident.

As the “spin” intensifies, enter the Main Stream Media.  Watergate had “Woodward and Bernstein”.  We have lost any real journalist on that level who will risk everything in pursuit of truth.  The NY Times editorial on Sunday October 14th entitled “No Shame” cites the Republicans and Darryl Issa as the hypocrites, who cut the budget for security personnel.  That’s interesting, since Susan Lamb testified under oath that “budget” matters had no bearing on the denial of the requests for added security.  In an article by “Time Magazine” entitled “After Benghazi, Is Al-Queda back?” addresses the “Arab Spring” and the Democratically elected new leaders in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia as examples of pillars of “Islamist” who denounce Al-Queda.  This is just plain spin, and the facts are anything but what this article in Time Magazine is implying!  Morsi in Egypt is part of the Muslim Brotherhood.  He has asked for the release of the “Blind Sheik” and here is footage from the rally held the night Morsi was elected.    That video is a Muslim Brotherhood Cleric speaking at the same podium Morsi took to just a few minutes later.

Yet, these Muslim Brotherhood backed Candidates, who are sweeping elections in all these Middle eastern countries, according to Time magazine, are the good guys?  This is what happened as a result of this so called Arab Spring.   Just as in Iran in 1979, we have radical Islamist organizations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood who backs and is in fact the Party in which President Morsi is leader of, taking power and bolstering this radical agenda, which has ties to Al-Queda.  Make no mistake, what is going on in the Middle East is anything but the Democratic process,  as Lara Logan knows too well.

As the spin continues to add up, the headlines on Benghazi are no where to be found in any major “Main Stream” source.  The questions that remain unanswered, are these:

Why did the Obama Administration roll out Susan Rice with a false narrative about a YouTube video?  I myself, link this back to the UN Blasphemy Laws Rice signed onto back in December 2011, and spoke to this in my last article here.    Who within the Obama Administration came up with this false narrative about this YouTube video?  This question goes to the heart of the cover-up, and remains unanswered. 

It is “malarkey” Joe Biden, to think that NO ONE at the State Department , after witnessing in real time that barbaric coordinated attack, that no one called over to the White House?  Yet, that is what you are trying to sell us, right Joe?  You and Barack, just didn’t know a thing!    You didn’t know about any of what was going on in the Security Briefings, you didn’t know about any “requests”,  you didn’t know your own State Department was watching a massacre in real time, you didn’t know 10 days after it had nothing to do with a YouTube video, and you didn’t know what the  White House approved of Rice to say, was not the truth.  May I ask, do you Joe, or Barack know anything about running this Country?

This is and should be the lead story on every paper and website in the US.  There should be journalist outside the White House lining up demanding answers to these blatant lies, and false narratives.  Nixon resigned instead of face impeachment.  Many say we lost all faith in the office of President at that time.  Benghazi is the place we lost all faith in our “Fourth Estate”.   And we must realize its dead and gone.  Carry on my fellow Americans, we will continue to seek the truth, I know we will.

Holiday sales during November and December increased 5.5 percent over the same period in 2016 to $691.9 billion as growing wages, stronger employment and higher confidence led consumers to spend more than had been expected, the National Retail Federation said today. The number, which excludes restaurants, automobile dealers and gasoline stations, includes $138.4 billion in online and other non-store sales, which were up 11.5 percent over the year before.

The results exceeded NRF’s forecast of between $678.75 billion and $682 billion, which would have been an increase of between 3.6 and 4 percent, and marked the largest increase since the 5.2 percent year-over-year gain seen in 2010 after the end of the Great Recession. NRF had forecast that non-store sales, which include online sales, would grow between 11 and 15 percent to between $137.7 billion and $142.6 billion.

December alone was up 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted from November and up 4.6 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

“We knew going in that retailers were going to have a good holiday season but the results are even better than anything we could have hoped for, especially given the misleading headlines of the past year,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Whether they shopped in-store, online or on their phones, consumers were in the mood to spend, and retailers were there to offer them good value for their money. With this as a starting point and tax cuts putting more money into consumers’ pockets, we are confident that retailers will have a very good year ahead.”

“Retail has proven once again that it is the most nimble industry in the economy, able to transform and reinvent itself to meet always-changing consumer demands,” Shay said. “Retail today doesn’t look like retail 10 years ago and it certainly won’t look the same in another 10 years. But retail is retail, and will always be here to serve its customers.”

With unemployment at a 17-year low, a pickup in income, strong consumer confidence and a rising stock market, NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said a number of factors provided a strong base for spending during the holidays. The season came on the heels of the three strongest monthly year-over-year gains for retail sales since the fourth quarter of 2014, nominal disposable personal income was up a combined 3.5 percent year-over-year in October and November, and consumers were feeling better about using their credit cards, with outstanding balances up 6 percent year-over-year.

“The economy was in great shape going into the holiday season, and retailers had the right mix of inventory, pricing and staffing to help them connect with shoppers very efficiently,” Kleinhenz said. “Strong employment and more money in consumers’ pockets along with the news of tax cuts clearly helped with the pace of shopping. The market conditions were right, retailers were doing what they know how to do, and it all worked. We think the willingness to spend and growing purchasing power seen during the holidays will be key drivers of the 2018 economy.”

NRF’s numbers are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, which reported today that overall December sales – including automobiles, gasoline and restaurants – were up 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted from November and 5.4 percent year-over-year.

There were increases in every retail category except sporting goods during the holiday season, which NRF defines as November 1 through December 31. Specifics from key retail sectors during November and December combined include:

• Building materials and supplies stores increased 8.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• Furniture and home furnishings stores increased 7.5 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• Electronics and appliance stores increased 6.7 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• General merchandise stores increased 4.3 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• Clothing and accessories stores increased 2.7 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• Health and personal care stores increased 2.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• Sporting goods stores were down 0.5 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released its list of 32 House Republicans it will target ahead of the 2020 election Monday after picking up 40 seats in the 2018 midterm elections.

Some of the names seem like long shots — like long-serving Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot, who won by more than four points — but others, like Texas Rep. Will Hurd, survived on margins of less than one point, reported Roll Call.

“Many of the districts on our list have big suburban populations; many have also experienced rapid population growth in recent years – particularly in diverse communities,”  DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said in the press release. “This leaves Democrats with a large number of ripe pick-up opportunities.”

The DCCC wants to flip suburban districts like the ones held by Republican Reps. George Holding of North Carolina, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington and Ann Wagner of Missouri.

Here are other House Republicans the Democrats are already targeting for 2020:

The Veterans

The DCCC’s list of 32 Republicans and one open seat (North Carolina’s 9th district, which is investigating alleged election fraud) include some veteran lawmakers who would have seemed like shoe-ins until recently.

New York Rep. Chris Collins squeaked by with less than half a percent in November after he was indicted for securities fraud in August. California Rep. Duncan Hunter says he’s not guilty of allegations he misused roughly $250,000 in campaign funds, and he also defeated his Democratic rival for another term. Hunter beat Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar by roughly three points.

Also on the list? Iowa Republican Steve King. He’s set to face challenges from both the left and the right after losing his committee assignments for saying he didn’t understand when the term “white supremacist” became “offensive” language. Republican Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra announced he was running against King in January.

Other longtime Republican lawmakers on the DCCC’s list include Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, who won by less than a point in 2018, and Georgia Rep. Rob Woodall, who squeaked by with just 419 more votes than his opponent according to Roll Call.

There are numerous Republicans on the list who the DCCC will have a much harder time unseating. For example, New York Rep. John Katko had about a five-point lead on his rival in 2018 despite being in a district that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, according to Ballotpedia.

Also seemingly safe are Reps. Brian Mast of Florida, who’s more of a newcomer, and Scott Tipton of New Mexico.

The Freshmen

These Republican lawmakers just got into office, but the DCCC is already planning ahead to make them one-term representatives. The DCCC’s hit list includes freshman Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota.

And the DCCC is already on the attack against freshman Florida Rep. Ross Spano, calling him “unfit” for potential campaign finance violations he has yet to clear up, reported Florida Politics. But Spano was also one of many lawmakers who chose to forgo his congressional salary during the partial government shutdown that ended Jan. 25, reported the Orlando Sentinel.

The “open” seat on the DCCC’s list is for North Carolina’s 9th District. Republican Mark Harris is the apparent winner over Democrat Dan McCready, but allegations of voter fraud have kept the race from being certified for months.

USMC veteran Larry Hinkle (blue shirt on the left) joined other walkers and Wounded Warrior Project to tour the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Larry and other warriors taking part in the Walk Of America found inspiration seeing how amputee veterans are cared for. (PRNewsfoto/Wounded Warrior Project)

When Larry Hinkle talks about Texas, the pride the U.S. Marine Corps veteran has in the Lone Star state is evident.

“I’m a fifth-generation Texan,” Larry said, beaming about his home.

He is one of three American warriors selected to join three British veterans to walk 1,000 miles around the United States. Walk of America is designed to increase awareness of the needs of veterans in the U.S. and U.K. while also raising funds to help veterans service organizations provide for this generation of wounded warriors.

Larry recently walked into San Antonio with the five other veterans on the journey, ending the day’s trek outside the Alamo, another source of Texas pride.

The six warriors’ journey started in early June in Long Beach, California. After two weeks, the group had experienced multiple California climates while walking more than 100 miles. Week two saw the veterans of six U.S. and U.K. branches of service hike on to San Antonio.

“Getting to visit Brooke Army Medical Center and see warriors – that is a source of inspiration; that is who we are walking for,” Larry said.

Week two also gave Larry a chance to share the pride of his home state.

“There is so much history in Texas, so much patriotism.”

Larry is one of three Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) veterans taking part in the walk. WWP partnered with Walking With The Wounded to raise awareness of the challenges warriors face while also providing an opportunity for the veterans involved. The two nations fought so well together as coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq that partnering to take on the invisible wounds of war seemed only natural.

“We’ve been in the same places, the same trenches. There is just an immediate connection.”

Camaraderie from his days in the service returned through his bonds with other veterans in the Walk of America. Sunday, Larry and the group will participate in the start of an Astros game.

“I can’t wait for the Brits to get a Texas-sized welcome in Houston.”

 

by Gabrielle Okun

Researchers found that eating dinner early might reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer.

A study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) discovered eating dinner at least two hours before bedtime can lower the risk of cancer. The researchers studied the relationship between the timing of eating food and sleep to possible cancer risks, according to the report, published by the International Journal of Cancer Tuesday. The study discovered there is a 20-percent chance of lowering cancer risks if people eat at least two hours before bedtime in comparison to people who eat dinner after 10 p.m. or go to bed soon after their nighttime meal.

“Our study concludes that adherence to diurnal eating patterns is associated with a lower risk of cancer,” said Manolis Kogevinas, the study’s lead author. The results “highlight the importance of assessing circadian rhythms in studies on diet and cancer.”

Kogevinas noted the findings could impact the cultures of many southern European nations where people eat dinner late.

“Further research in humans is needed in order to understand the reasons behind these findings, but everything seems to indicate that the timing of sleep affects our capacity to metabolise food,” added Dora Romanguera, an ISGlobal researcher, according to ISGlobal.

Spaniards tend to eat lunch between 2 and 4 p.m., and dinner between 9 and 11 p.m., according to Enforex.

Petraeus: I Said Al Qaeda Behind Benghazi — But Line Was Removed

Former CIA director David Petraeus spoke behind closed doors to the House Intelligence Committee.  According to committee member Peter King (R-NY), Patraeus’ testimony challenged the Obama administration’s repeated claims that the attack was a “spontaneous” protest over an anti-Islam video and conflicted with his own statements to lawmakers earlier in September.

Fox News: “His testimony today was that from the start, he had told us that this was a terrorist attack,” King said, adding that he told Petraeus he had a “different recollection.”

Still, the claim that the CIA’s original talking points were changed is sure to stoke controversy on the Hill.

“The original talking points were much more specific about Al Qaeda involvement. And yet the final ones just said indications of extremists,” King said, adding that the final version was the product of a vague “inter-agency process.”

Further, King said a CIA analyst specifically told lawmakers that the Al Qaeda affiliates line “was taken out.”

If it’s true the Petraeus changed his original story could it be that he was under some sort of duress due to his illicit affair? Did someone with power threaten to break the story of the married four star general’s relationship with another woman? Did Patraeus decide to bring the story into the open thus removing it as a possible object for blackmail?

No matter what the truth finally reveals this tale is not only fodder for gossip mongers but has all the makings of a best seller…and non fiction at that.

Watch the latest video at <a href=”http://video.foxnews.com”>video.foxnews.com</a>

Donald Trump said he would work every day to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States and two major makers have reportedly decided to do so even before the president-elect takes office.

First, Trump met with Ford chairman Bill Ford and Mr. Ford reportedly told the president-elect that his company would not be relocating their Kentucky plant to Mexico.

“I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky. I owed it to the great State of Kentucky for their confidence in me!” Trump said.

Ford had planned to move SUV production from Kentucky to Mexico, before the meeting with President-elect Trump:

“We had planned to move the Lincoln MKC out of Louisville Assembly Plant,” probably to the Cuautitlan factory in Mexico, Christin Baker, a Ford spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

While the singular reference does not indicate a trend, one of the world’s largest technology companies is reportedly also reconsidering its overseas manufacturing operations due to Trump’s election.

“Apple asked both Foxconn and Pegatron, the two iPhone assemblers, in June to look into making iPhones in the U.S.,” a source said. “Foxconn complied, while Pegatron declined to formulate such a plan due to cost concerns.”

When asked why the request was made, the 2016 election was pointed to as the key element.

The concern is that President-elect Donald Trump may push Apple to to make a certain number of iPhone components in America.

Two massive American job creators are changing plans due to the election of Donald Trump. Many more are likely to follow suit once he actually implements his policies.

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — U.S. Border Patrol agents of San Diego Sector arrested a woman with more than 140 pounds of narcotics hidden inside her car last week.

 

On January 24, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Border Patrol agents assigned to the San Clemente Station were conducting highway interdiction duties on Interstate 5 when they conducted a vehicle stop on a gray 2016 Nissan Versa.

 

The driver consented to a search of the vehicle by a Border Patrol K-9 team.

 

The Border Patrol K-9 alerted to the vehicle.  Agents conducted a search of the interior compartments and discovered multiple packages of suspected narcotics concealed under the floorboard.

 

Agents removed a total of 57 packages of suspected narcotics.  The substances in the packages tested positive for cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin.  There were 34 packages of cocaine weighing approximately 87 pounds, 19 packages of fentanyl weighing approximately 44 pounds, and four packages of heroin weighing approximately nine pounds.  The narcotics have a street value of more than $2,250,000.

 

Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott commended the agents on their historic drug seizure, indicating, “The fentanyl seizure in itself was the largest in San Diego to date.  This preceded the Nogales Port of Entry’s 254 pound fentanyl seizure yesterday, the largest in CBP history.  These two seizures alone had the potential to kill millions of Americans.”

 

The driver, a 23-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested.  The narcotics and subject were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The vehicle was seized by the Border Patrol.

Since October 1, 2019, San Diego Sector agents have seized over 300 pounds of cocaine, 79 pounds of fentanyl, and 975 ounces of heroin.

The Marines Corps has identified Lance Cpl. Riley S. Kuznia, 20, as the Marine who was fatally shot inside the Marine Barracks Washington, D.C. on Jan. 1.

“We are truly saddened by this terrible loss. Riley was a highly driven and goal-oriented Marine whose positive attitude set the example here at the Barracks,” Col. Don Tomich, the commanding officer of Marine Barracks said in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Riley’s family and friends, and our priority continues to be taking care of them during this tragic time.”

Authorities from the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the incident Tuesday, in which Kuznia, of Karlstad, Minnesota, was fatally shot while on duty.

The Marine’s mother, Markelle Kuznia, posted photos of her son on Facebook and asked others to add “all the amazing memories you shared with this goofy kid.”

“With broken hearts, we have lost a loving son, cherished brother and dedicated Marine,” she wrote.

Kuznia was shot at 5 a.m., and the Marine Corps declared there is no threat to local residents.

The shooting was not self-inflicted, according to Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Jackson, and the investigation is still underway. No other information is releasable until the investigation is complete.

Kuznia served as a team leader for Guard Company and had many decorations, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal, according to the statement.

Minnesota Governor-elect Tim Walz expressed his condolences Wednesday on Twitter, saying, “We are forever grateful for your service to our state and our country.”

The Marine Barracks are located at the corner of 8th and I Streets in Southeast Washington, D.C., and make up the oldest active post in the Marine Corps, according to their website.