DELEITURAS

The special counsel’s office released a scathing memo Saturday in the case against Paul Manafort in what is likely the last court filing in the case against the former Trump campaign chairman.

But the filing, which clocks in at more than 800 pages, including exhibits, appeared to contain no new or bombshell information regarding the core focus of the special counsel’s investigation: whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.

Observers of the special counsel’s probe had hoped the prosecutors would lay out new evidence about Manafort’s work during the campaign, including his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a former Manafort business associate who has links to Russian intelligence, or other Trump campaign officials.

But the filing generally reviewed information that has already been disclosed in the case. In a 25-page memo, prosecutors portrayed Manafort as a “bold” criminal, who broke the law “while under a spotlight due to his work as the campaign chairman and, later, while he was on bail from this Court.”

Manafort, 69, pleaded guilty in the special counsel’s investigation on Sept. 14, 2018 on charges related to political consulting he did in Ukraine. He was convicted in a separate tax case in Virginia on Aug. 21, 2018. Prosecutors handling that case recommended a sentence of between 19 years and 24.5 years in prison for Manafort, who faces sentencing on March 6.

The special counsel’s office did not make a recommendation of its own for a prison sentence for Manafort. The charges in his case carry a legal maximum of a 10-year prison sentence.

The special counsel’s office accused Manafort of lying to prosecutors and the FBI even after he entered his plea agreement. They’ve claimed that the longtime GOP political operative lied about his contacts and discussions with Kilimnik regarding work in Ukraine.

Manafort, Kilimnik and Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign official and Manafort business partner, worked on behalf of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych through 2014.

“His deceit, which is a fundamental component of the crimes of conviction and relevant conduct, extend to tax preparers, bookkeepers, banks, the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice National Security Division, the FBI, the Special Counsel’s Office, the grand jury, his own legal counsel, Members of Congress, and members of the executive branch of the United States government,” prosecutors said of Manafort.

Pastor James McConnell is a Belfast, Ireland pastor who came under fire and police scrutiny earlier this year for daring to characterize Islam as heathen and Satanic.

Speaking to his congregation in north Belfast, Mr McConnell said “a new evil had arisen” and “there are cells of Muslims right throughout Britain”.

“Islam is heathen, Islam is satanic, Islam is a doctrine spawned in hell.”

He said he agreed with the late MP Enoch Powell, whose 1968 “Rivers of Blood” speech criticized immigration.

“Enoch Powell was a prophet, he called it that blood would flow on the streets and it has happened.”

Preaching the gospel should not result in government persecution. But that it was what happened here. After this sermon, the pastor was subjected to a two-hour police interrogation and was forced to apologize for his remarks to avoid prosecution. The fact is that it is not, and should not be, a ‘hate crime’ to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to point out the Truth even when it is not convenient or politically correct. Europe used to the bastion and protector of Christianity and now it follows the new, intolerant faith of multiculturalism, diversity, and progressivism and dares to even interfere with what is being preached from the pulpit.

What does such an incident teach us about the state of freedom of religion in the West and how far Western Civilization has fallen and strayed from the path of righteousness? We are on dangerous ground indeed when a Western government thinks it can tell a preacher what he can or cannot preach or a church what it can or cannot teach.

I am the son, grandson, and great-grandson of ministers of the gospel and so this hits home especially hard. A Christian should not be subject to a police investigation for proclaiming the teachings of the Bible in the sacred space of a church. Christians are commanded to go unto all the earth and preach the “good news” whether or not the government approves. Eleven of the twelve disciples were in fact martyred for defying the various government entities of the day for preaching Biblical truths. As Christians, we follow man’s law only as long as it does not violate what we are commanded to do and say as Christians. Once a government oversteps its bounds in that regard then we are to follow the Higher law, not man’s law. Many thanks to Pastor McConnell for daring to speak of what is contained in Scripture in spite of his government’s restrictions on speech and religious beliefs.

Either Pastor McConnell is proclaiming the truth or he is not. You be the judge.

 

All I have to say is “Amen, and preach it brother.”

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. (1 Timothy 4:1 )

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi expressed opposition to filing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Monday claiming that he is not worth the effort, despite being unfit to hold the office.

“I’m not for impeachment. This is news. I’m going to give you some news right now because I haven’t said this to any press person before,” Pelosi said while being interviewed by The Washington Post. “But since you asked, and I’ve been thinking about this: Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country.”

“And he’s just not worth it,” she continued.

Pelosi, who has been a frequent and vocal critic of the president, argued that Trump is not fit to hold the highest office in the land in any capacity.

“No. No. I don’t think he is [fit]. I mean ethically unfit. Intellectually unfit. Curiosity-wise unfit,” she said. “No, I don’t think he’s fit to be president of the United States.”

“That’s up to us to make the contrast to show that this president, while he may be appealing to you on your insecurity and therefore your xenophobia, whether it’s globalization or immigrants, is fighting clean air for your children to breathe, clean water for them to drink, food safety, every good thing that we should be doing that people can’t do for themselves,” Pelosi continued before noting that it is government’s responsibility to control certain aspects of Americans’ health and well-being.

The California congresswoman argued that the current political climate is the most divisive in the country’s history, which is not only due to Trump himself, but can also be attributed to the Republicans in Congress who enable him.

“This is coming across too negatively. I don’t usually talk about him this much,” Pelosi added. “This is the most I’ve probably talked about him. I hardly ever talk about him. You know, it’s not about him. It’s about what we can do for the people to lower health-care costs, bigger paychecks, cleaner government.”

The latest trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi titled “Awake”, released during Wednesday night’s World Series game 7, reveals previously unseen scenes and details that will give you goosebumps.

Opening with Luke aboard the Millenium Falcon, the trailer emphasizes the battle between the dark and light sides of the force as well as the internal struggles for Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren.

We see Rey holding first a blue (Jedi) and then red (Sith) lightsaber with voiceover by Kylo Ren saying “Let go of the past. It’s the only way to become what you are meant to be.” Whether he is talking to himself or pulling at Ren is unknown but it appears that the next generational fight between good and evil is on the horizon.

When Rey says that she wants someone to show her place in all this, who she is talking to is a mystery. Is she consulting Luke or Ren?

Before I leave you to watch the trailer for yourself, get ready for one cute surprise – yeah, it’s a porg, a seabird native to the planet of Luke’s current exile – and it roars.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be in theaters Dec. 15.

Click:quo wordle

Unelected EU President Donald Tusk says there is a special place in hell for Brexiteers.

The unelected European Union Council President Donald Tusk declared in a Tweet that “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted #Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.”  The EU and Europhiles say that Brexit supporters don’t have any plan on what to do regarding leaving the European Union but ignores any Brexit supporter when they say what the plan is.

Brexit supporting MPs have slammed the unelected EU President for his comments as they feel vindicated when they say that the European Union elites are elitist, out of touch and arrogant.

Leading Brexiteer Conservative MP for Northeast Somerset Jacob Rees Mogg slammed Tusk’s comments saying “Mr Tusk is hardly in the Aquinas class as a theologian and he seems to have forgotten the commandment about not bearing false witness.”

Former UKIP leader and Brexit architect “After Brexit, we will be free of unelected, arrogant bullies like you and run our own country. Sounds more like heaven to me.”

House Leader Andrea Leadsom MP for South Northamptonshire slammed Donald Tusk’s calling for him to apologize for his “disgraceful” and “spiteful” comments

“I’m sure that when he reflects on it he may well wish he hadn’t done it,” Leadsom told BBC Radio 4’s World.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis, when asked on ITV Peston’s programme how he felt “when President Tusk practically reserved your place in hell?”, said: “Perhaps he’ll join us there.

“When people throw insults around it says more about them than the people they’re insulting.”

An even more aggressive response came from Sammy Wilson spokesman of the DUP the government who keeps Theresa May’s minority government afloat. Wilson in a blistering response said,

“This devilish Euro maniac is doing his best to keep the United Kingdom bound by the chains of EU bureaucracy and control. It is Tusk and his arrogant EU negotiators who have fanned the flames of fear in an attempt to try and overturn the result of the referendum.”

Some Pro European Union leaders and politicians feeling like Tusk’s comments have hurt the cause of the EU, have warned him of the consequences or outright slammed Tusk.

Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar warned the sneering unelected EU President he would be in “terrible trouble” over the comments in which he made about Brexiteers he claims without evidence don’t have a solution.

Former Greek Finance Minister and left-wing economist Yanis Varoufakis who is Pro EU but warns there must changes if it is to survive replied to the comments from the unelected EU President saying: “Probably very similar to the place reserved for those who designed a monetary union without a proper banking union and, once the banking crisis hit, transferred cynically the bankers’ gigantic losses onto the shoulders of the weakest taxpayers.”

The concerns among pragmatist Europhile politicians is the comments will further strengthen Eurosceptics across much of Europe which has turned evermore Eurosceptic, especially as the citizens of many EU countries are already very divided on membership.

Personal attacks against the side one negotiates with has never shown to be helpful for trying to find a deal, and Tusk’s comments are widely regarded as making the chances of a No Deal Brexit much higher.

Summer is one of the most popular times of year for people in the United States to take a trip that involves international travel. If you are planning a trip which involves driving across a border, sailing to a coastline, or flying halfway around the world, the American Red Cross has some steps you can take to stay safe.

1. Download the first aid app. The American Red Cross first aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in your hand. Whether you’re in the United States or abroad, arming yourself with basic first aid skills can save a life. Be sure to download the app while you’re still in the United States, otherwise you’ll download the local Red Cross or Red Crescent’s mobile app (which will be in the local language).
2. Make a plan. Just like at home, it’s important to establish a time and place to meet family members in case you get separated.
3. Know what natural disasters are possible. There’s no reason to panic, but it’s important to research whether your destination faces emergencies you’ve never experienced. While you’ll need to gauge the local context, the Red Cross offers basic tips about what to do during natural disasters like tsunamis, volcanoes, and hurricanes.
4. Register your trip with the State Department. Enter your travel details with the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program online, which allows the State Department to better assist you in case of an emergency while you are abroad. You can also get information about safety conditions in the country you are planning to visit.
5. Write down contact details for the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to carry with you in case of emergency while traveling.
6. Check out the State Department’s ‘What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis‘ and have an evacuation plan that doesn’t rely on the U.S. government.
7. Keep your destination country’s emergency numbers handy. You know to use 911 in the United States, but how will you reach the fire department, police, or an ambulance abroad? Find your destination country on this reference sheet from the State Department—and write down the emergency numbers before you take off.
8. Know the six-month passport rule. Some countries deny travelers entry if their passport expires in less than six months. Renew your passport about nine months before the expiration date.
9. Let your credit card company know what countries you will be visiting and when. This way, they won’t think your card is stolen and shut it off just when you need it the most.
10. Pack your International Certificate of Vaccination. Also referred to as the “yellow card,” it lists your immunizations, allergies, and blood type. The “yellow card” is available from your physician or local health department.
11. Bring medications, bug repellent. If you’re traveling somewhere with mosquito-borne illnesses—such as malaria, dengue, or Zika—be sure to spray repellent and/or cover your arms and legs with lightweight clothing at critical times of the day. Don’t forget your medications and it’s a good idea to bring other stuff like OTC pain reliever and something for an upset stomach.
12. Check for emergency exits and evacuation routes. The American Red Cross has helped many communities around the world install signs that indicate evacuation routes in case flooding or another natural disaster occurs. Be sure to identify evacuation routes at your destination and, as always, pay attention to the location of emergency exits.

• FACT, an ethics watchdog group, has filed a complaint with the IRS against Fair Fight Action, a nonprofit organization lead by Stacey Abrams. 
• FACT claims Fair Fight is violating its tax-exempt status by promoting Abrams political career instead of solely focusing on its stated goal of promoting voting rights. 
• After losing her 2018 gubernatorial bid, Abrams has openly considered a 2020 run for Senate and the White House. 

An ethics watchdog group has filed a complaint with the IRS against Stacey Abrams’ nonprofit organization, Fair Fight Action, for allegedly violating federal law.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) — a government watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. — is claiming that Fair Fight is working to promote Abrams’ political career in lieu of promoting voting rights, which, if accurate, would be in violation of their 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status.

Originally founded in 2014 as Voter Access Institute, Abrams changed the name to Fair Fight Action in December 2018. Fair Fight’s stated goal is the promotion of voter rights, and it advocates for a number of different election reforms. However, under its 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status, it cannot provide “support for an individuals’s personal political activities.”

In its complaint to the IRS, FACT argues that Abrams has used Fair Fight to blatantly promote her own political ambitions.

Since Abrams lost her gubernatorial election, Fair Fight has helped pay for Abrams statewide speaking tour, paid for Facebook ads that attacked Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp and promoted herself, pay for a Super Bowl ad, hosted watch parties for supporters to “cheer” for Abrams as she gave the Democratic response to the State of the Union, and accepted donations from a “Stacey Abrams Fundraiser.”

These activities have gone on as Abrams has openly mulled a 2020 Senate candidacy and even a presidential bid. Former Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly considering Abrams as his running mate, should he run and win the Democratic presidential nomination. Any political run for office by Abrams, experts argue, would elevate concerns over Fair Fight’s activities.

“It is extremely concerning that Stacey Abrams appears to be abusing our nation’s tax laws for her personal political gain,” Kendra Arnold, the executive director of FACT, said in a statement on Tuesday. “The IRS has on numerous occasions ruled against groups trying to advance personal interests, and it is imperative the IRS investigate Fair Fight Action’s conduct.”

Abrams’ team hit back against the complaint.

“We know the playbook for Trump and his allies. They’re going to do whatever it takes to undermine our movement to ensure free and fair elections. We have to fight back now,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo — Abrams’ 2018 campaign manager who now runs Fair Fight — in an email to supporters. Groh-Wargo called the complaint “baseless” and said her group was not promoting Abrams.

FACT pushed back against the accusation that they are a partisan organization, pointing out that they have filed similar complaints with Republicans as well.

“Whoever we identify with questionable behavior, they fail to respond to the actual legitimacy of the complaint and just try to characterize us in one way or another,” Arnold said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We have filed complaints against every type of candidate and elected official. We do not consider party affiliation.”

This is not the first time a nonprofit led by Abrams has received negative headlines.

Third Sector Development, a nonprofit launched by Abrams that focuses on registering black voters, has been hit with seven different tax liens over the past few years for unpaid employment contributions. Georgia state regulators filed three tax liens against the group in the past year, and the Georgia Department of Labor had filed four tax liens between 2014 and 2016. Abrams has blamed the issues on clerical errors.

 

by Tim Pearce

A decade-long oil boom in the U.S. has cut into the overall U.S. trade deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars, according to business information provider IHS Markit.

The total U.S. merchandise trade deficit in 2017 was $250 billion less than what it would have been absent the shale oil boom. The oil boom cut U.S. demand for foreign-made petroleum products, according to an IHS Markit study released Wednesday.

“The improved U.S. trade position in petroleum has been a counterbalancing force helping to keep the U.S. trade deficit in check over the past decade,” IHS Markit vice chairman Daniel Yergin and co-author of the report said in a statement. “The resurgence of domestic oil and gas production has flipped the trade position of several products along the energy value chain on their heads, while that of other products, such as crude oil, have been significantly reduced.”

U.S. crude oil and natural gas liquids production nearly doubled in the decade between 2007 and 2017, rising from about 7 million barrels a day to about 13 million barrels a day. During the same amount of time, the trade deficit on petroleum products fell from $320 billion to $75 billion, according to the study.

“The United States moving from net imports to being a net petroleum exporter would be an historic shift, something not achieved since at least the Truman administration,” report co-author David Witte, IHS Markit senior vice president and head of energy and chemicals, said in a statement. “It speaks to the profound and continued impact that the U.S. shale boom has had in terms of investment, job creation, manufacturing, GDP and now trade.”

In September, the U.S. became the world leader in crude oil production, passing Saudi Arabia for the first time in decades. The U.S. also passed Russian production in June for the first time since 1999, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. has leveraged its dominant oil and gas industry to gain advantages in international relations. China backed away from retaliatory tariffs it was considering on American crude oil because the country would have risked “severely hurting its domestic refining industry,” FGE energy consultant Den Syahril told Bloomberg.

Though it might not make the evening news in the U.S. there is still much danger in Mexico to those who try to fight against the drug cartels.

Maria Santos Gorrostieta, a physician, stood up to the drug gangs when she was mayor of her district. Even after surviving two assassination attempts the 36 year old woman continued to fight against the violence of the drug cartels. It was her mission to stand strong in the face of such danger, teaching her children through example.

‘Despite my own safety and that of my family, what occupies my mind is my responsibility towards my people, the children, the women, the elderly and the men who break their souls every day without rest to find a piece of bread for their children.

‘Freedom brings with it responsibilities and I don’t dare fall behind. My long road is not yet finished – the footprint that we leave behind in our country depends on the battle that we lose and the loyalty we put into it.’

Read the entire story of this iconic woman’s heroism at the Daily Mail UK. Look at the photos, showing her scars. This is what bravery looks like.

From the UK Daily Mail: She had survived two assassination attempts which claimed the life of her first husband and left her with horrific wounds that never really healed.

But despite being a marked woman, Maria Santos Gorrostieta remained defiant to the very end.

With unimaginable courage, the 36-year-old stood up to the drugs gangs that had ravaged Mexico and Tiquicheo, the district where she once served as mayor. When some doubted that she had been shot, Gorrostieta bared the scars that riddled her flesh and swore she would never give in.

It was almost inevitable that she would eventually pay for her bravery with her life.

 

According to an analysis by Black Book, it has emerged that the frequent appearance of luxury cars—both classic and modern—on social media sites such as Instagram have some direct influence on their resale value. When celebrities like David Beckham and Dwayne Wade post their photos on social sites that include their admirable luxury automobiles, whether classic or modern, people take note and react to them.

Social platforms provide a way to publicize luxury cars

Social networking can be linked to the craze seen among the younger generation of collectors that is taking over the genre of exotic cars, making the auction prices rise drastically. According to Eric Lawrence, the Black Book director of specialty, the well-off collectors see the images of luxury cars posted on social media by celebrities, which drives up the demand of the particular exotic cars.

The common trend is quite different from several decades ago, when exotic cars were reserved for the real stars, such as Roger Staubach, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe. Moreover, the few who could afford the cars kept a low profile. Additionally, there were few media outlets for them to show off their prized possessions. However, nowadays, even the not-so-prominent basketball players can manage to buy a luxury car, like a Ferrari or Bentley, and thanks to social media, they can show off to all.

Eric Lawrence notes that consumption has become something to show off, and it is common, for example, to see someone post a picture of themselves on Instagram as they hit a golf ball from the roof of their luxury car, such as a Bentley.

Do you also want to make a serious statement with the car you will arrive in at a function or event? Well, you should look no further than milanirentals.com, the leading and most reliable exotic car rental service that covers many locations in the region. Here, you will get the luxury car of your choice.

Economic recovery contributes to the growth of the vintage cars market

In the period between 1977 and 2008, the stars most common cars—the Aston Martin DB5 coupe, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, and the Ferrari 250 GTL—registered a rise in value by 5% each year. From 2008 onward, these cars have recorded an appreciation in value by as much as 60% each year.

According to McKeel Hagerty, the founder of Hagerty Insurance, which offers insurance coverage for classic and collectible cars, there are factors other than social media that influence the luxury car market. McKeel identifies the economic recovery after the financial depression as a significant factor causing the high growth in the vintage cars market. He adds that social media has also played a role in the extraordinary growth,as studies have shown automobile pictures being posted in big numbers on Facebook, coming after kids and pets.

New multimillionaires and the newly made industrialists are the users of social media

Eric Lawrence clarifies that the Black Book study capitalizes on trend forecasting and opinion evaluation by his team of experts. It is not lost on him that most of the older wealthy people do not use social media as much, so their findings mostly concern the new multimillionaires and upcoming industrialists, who form the second tier of the very affluent. The members of the group are the ones inclined to post things on social media or to be vulnerable to the “Instagram effect.”

Conclusion

The appreciation in the value of luxury cars and the growth in their production and purchases has registered an unprecedented upward trend, thanks to the massive amounts of money in circulation and the social media effect. New billionaires are emerging every year, and there is still room for more. Bearing in mind that the highly affluent like to flaunt their wealth—mostly through their cars—luxury cars will continue rising in value, and will be produced and sold in throngs.