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Proceedings stalled in case against mass stabbing suspect

A lawsuit against a man accused of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old girl — and injuring eight others — during the child's birthday party at a Boise apartment complex is being put on hold due to concerns about the defendant's mental health.

Fourth District Court Judge Samuel Hoagland expressed concern on Tuesday at a hearing about moving forward with the case. He noted 31-year-old Timmy Kinner Jr.'s commitment to the prison ward would pose a major barrier to the case.

The case is running parallel to Kinner's criminal case, in which he faces 13 criminal counts, including first-degree murder.

Bifituu Kadir and Recep Seran, the parents of Ruya Kadir, the child Kinner is accused of killing, filed the civil lawsuit against Kinner in December following Ruya Kadir's death in July.

Source: Fox News National

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Golf: Kim leads as Spieth, Fowler start well at Texas Open

PGA: Valero Texas Open - First Round
Apr 4, 2019; San Antonio, TX, USA; Kim Si-woo watches his drive on the ninth hole during the first round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament at TPC San Antonio - AT&T Oaks Course. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

April 5, 2019

(Reuters) – Kim Si-woo reeled off five birdies in a six-hole stretch en route to the first-round lead at the Texas Open in San Antonio on Thursday.

The South Korean carded six-under-par 66 for a one-stroke advantage over Mexican Abraham Ancer, Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas and Americans Chris Stroud and J.T. Poston at TPC San Antonio.

Kim’s place at next week’s Masters is already assured but the four players behind him all need to win on Sunday to punch the final ticket to the first major championship of the year.

Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, among only a handful of the big names using the Texas Open to tune-up for the Masters, both shot 68 on an unusually benign day in a typically windy location.

Spieth more than most could do with a boost in confidence before heading to Augusta National, where his 2015 victory kicked off a major year that with a little luck could have ended with a calendar grand slam.

But he has been out-of-sorts this year so was in an upbeat mood after his round.

“Other than one three-putt it was kind of a bogey-free type round, putting myself in position on those approach shots to make par at worse,” he told Golf Channel.

“Swing is getting there, putting stroke feels really good, it’s progressing day to day.

“(I’m pleased with) the overall way I attacked the golf course to limit the amount of mistakes.”

Fowler, second behind Patrick Reed at the Masters last year, was also pleased with his round.

“It’s always nice to get out and make some birdies early, shake off some rust,” said Fowler, who skipped last week’s WGC-Match Play.

A strong week would also be a nice tonic for world number 61 Kim, who has struggled over the last month.

Starting his round at the 10th, he was plodding along at even par after seven holes, but birdied the next two with putts of five feet before slipping with a bogey at the first.

He responded magnificently with five birdies in the next six holes to grab the lead.

“If I’m reading (the greens) good I can putt well,” he said.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

Source: OANN

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Golf: Spieth rates his Masters chances but not everyone agrees

Jordan Spieth of the U.S. hits off the 2nd tee during the second day of practice for the 2019 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Jordan Spieth of the U.S. hits off the 2nd tee during the second day of practice for the 2019 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

April 9, 2019

By Andrew Both

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Reuters) – Jordan Spieth visited the Augusta National media interview room almost unnoticed for his assigned rendezvous with the press on Tuesday, like a guest invited to make up the numbers.

Only a handful of journalists bothered turning up to hear what the 2015 Masters champion had to say, a far cry from the not-so-long ago days when he packed out the house, seemingly destined to become an all-time great.

Though Spieth is only 25, and time is still on his side, his star has waned considerably since he captured the 2017 British Open, his third major title, leaving him only a PGA Championship short of the career grand slam of all four modern majors.

He became the second player after Jack Nicklaus to complete three legs of the slam before the age of 24, rarefied company to be sure.

Spieth almost pulled off a comeback for the ages in the final round last year, storming from nine strokes behind Patrick Reed to finish third with a closing 64.

But Spieth has regressed since then, so much so that a tie for 30th at the Texas Open on Sunday was his best stroke play result all year.

But he struck an upbeat note on Tuesday as he assessed his chances this week.

“My expectations are high,” he said.

“I feel great about the state of my game right now. I feel like my recent results aren’t a tell of where my game is actually at, and I feel I’ve made a lot of strides in the last couple of days in the tee-to-green game.

“Really just off the tee, my long game has been the only separation from being able to win golf tournaments over the last month or so.”

Not everyone is convinced.

“His golf swing has changed so much, it’s almost been completely stripped of all its athleticism,” Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said of Spieth in a conference call last week.

“His swing has completely changed, and it looks to me like he’s in a very tough spot, and who knows if he’ll ever find his way back.

“A lot of people who go down that road can’t remember how to get back home.”

That might sound a little bit negative but there are no more guarantees in golf than in any other walk of life.

Spieth of course was much more optimistic.

“I feel really good about my game, where it’s at, heading into this week,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of trust in the stuff that I’m working on… I don’t feel like there’s any added pressure this week.

“I feel kind of under the radar, which is really nice. That changes day-to-day out here though.”

(Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Source: OANN

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Key developments from Thailand's post-coup election

A military-backed party appears to have won the most votes in Thailand's first election since a 2014 coup after tilting the electoral system in its favor. If the preliminary results hold, it will likely add to nearly two decades of political instability in Thailand. Some key developments from the election.

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MILITARY RULES

Coup leader and prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha took full advantage of five years of junta rule to change the constitution and election laws to stack the electoral odds against anti-junta parties.

But the military-backed Palang Pracharat party's strong showing in the popular vote also suggests some Thais were happy with the certainty provided by Prayuth's strongarm rule and deeply opposed to the alternative — a government allied with exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

A lot of people who supported Prayuth did so because they believed "if you want to get away from Thaksin, that was your only hope," said Pavida Pananond, an associate professor at Bangkok's Thammasat Business School.

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STILL UNSTABLE

Thailand's has endured nearly two decades of political strife as conservative forces including the military tried to reverse the populist political revolution led by Thaksin, who swept to power in 2001 and was ousted by a military coup after several years. That instability looks set to continue even after Sunday's election.

The political system designed by the junta is inherently unstable. A 250-member junta-appointed Senate and a 500-member elected parliament will decide the next prime minister. That could result in Prayuth as prime minister but trying to govern without a majority in parliament. Supporters of the Thaksin-allied Pheu Thai party may also view the election results as illegitimate.

"It is highly likely that political tensions in parliament will boil over into very public debate and parliamentary dysfunction," said Jacob Ricks, a political scientist at Singapore Management University. "If a parliamentary majority is in the opposition, we might even see Prayuth use a heavier hand in coercing compliance."

And in Thailand, which has seen 12 coups since 1932, instability increases the odds of another military takeover.

___

NOT EVERY VOTE COUNTS?

Palang Pracharat's lead in the vote tallies and the Election Commission's delay in releasing complete results have sparked suspicion of irregularities in the counting.

Election cheating was the top trending topic on Twitter for Bangkok with hashtags such as "ECBusted," ''CheatingElection19" and "EChasNoCalculators."

The Pheu Thai party has also voiced concerns and wants to inspect disqualified ballots, which are more than a million in number.

"Even the reported numbers from the Election Commission and each media outlet are different. We have our own number too," said the party's secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai. "It will be clearer once the official result is announced."

___

THE FUTURE IS ALMOST HERE

A new political force, the Future Forward Party led by left-leaning millionaire businessman Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, campaigned on sending the military back to the barracks. With strong support from first-time voters it became the third-ranked party by votes.

The party's is in jeopardy because it faces legal challenges from the campaign period, but its strong performance is disconcerting for the junta. Though largely youth-orientated, Thanathorn's charisma, sharp debating skills and vigorous campaigning expanded the party's appeal and flagged him as a possible future prime minister.

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DEMOCRAT DISASTER

Thailand's oldest political party, battered for years by Thaksin's political machine, took another beating as voters in its Bangkok and southern strongholds deserted it, apparently in favor of the junta party as the more viable Thaksin alternative.

Leader and former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva resigned as election results rolled in late Sunday. The party's abysmal performance means it will likely finish in fourth or fifth place

The Democrats' failure "probably also means that the party is more likely to try to get into a coalition with Palang Pracharat," said Kevin Hewison, a professor emeritus from the University of North Carolina and veteran Thai studies scholar. "Otherwise, the party would be in opposition with Thaksin parties and I don't think that appeals to the Democrat core constituency."

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THAKSIN, DOWN BUT NOT OUT

With results yet to be finalized, the pro-Thaksin Pheu Party may yet win more seats in parliament than the junta's party. And even if not, Pheu Thai can still convincingly argue that it would have done better if the deck had not been stacked against it.

The pro-Thaksin forces had established the satellite Thai Raksa Chart Party to overcome the convoluted election rules that sought to minimize the number of seats they could win. But they overreached themselves by nominating the Thai king's sister as their candidate for prime minister, and instead of gaining some royal luster, found themselves disgraced and dissolved.

Pheu Thai supporters "are unlikely to embrace continued rule by Prayuth, but many feel as though they have no alternative beyond accepting and enduring it," said Ricks. "They are very aware of who carries the guns."

Source: Fox News World

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Slain Missouri Ku Klux Klan leader’s wife admits killing him

The wife of a Missouri Ku Klux Klan leader has admitted to fatally shooting her husband.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Malissa Ancona pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and abandonment of a corpse in the 2017 death of Frank Ancona Jr. She was sentenced to life in prison under a plea deal. Frank Ancona identified himself as an imperial wizard of the KKK.

Malissa Ancona initially reported her husband missing. She later claimed her son, Paul Jinkerson Jr., shot him while he was sleeping and after he had asked for a divorce. He faces the same charges as his mom.

But she said Friday that he had no role in the shooting. She said did help clean up the crime scene in a rural area of southeast Missouri and helped dump the body.

___

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

Source: Fox News National

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Texas woman gets 15 years in jail for stealing $1.3M from rodeo

A former bookkeeper for the Stockyards Northside Rodeo has been sentenced to prison for stealing $1.3 million from the rodeo over three years.

According to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office, D’ann Elizabeth Wagner was given a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty to theft of property over $200,000.

Wagner reportedly used the stolen money to go on vacations, gamble at WinStar Casino, and buy two Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

D'Ann Elizabeth Wagner 

D'Ann Elizabeth Wagner  (Tarrant County Jail)

The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is a popular stop for tourists looking for the Texas experience. Tickets are $25 apiece. And for three years, authorities say Wagner was keeping all of the money from online sales for herself.

Tarrant County Assistant DA Brooke Panuthos specializes in embezzlement and fraud cases. She says the theft happened over the course of three years from January 2014 to March 2017.

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Investigators discovered Wagner had set up a Paypal account on the rodeo’s website. But she had linked her own personal informational and used a debit card from Paypal to spend the money on herself.

“She was the exclusive account holder. It had her name, her date of birth and her social security number,” Panuthos said. “In order for it to be a first-degree felony, the threshold would be over $200,000. So you can image $1.3 million is six times that minimum threshold amount. So pretty significant.”

Click for more from Fox4News.com

Source: Fox News National

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Broncos CB Harris a no-show at workouts

FILE PHOTO: NFL: Pro Bowl
FILE PHOTO: Jan 27, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; AFC cornerback Chris Harris Jr. of the Denver Broncos (25) prior to the game against the NFC in the NFL Pro Bowl football game at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

April 2, 2019

The Denver Broncos began their offseason workout program Tuesday without Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

The conditioning program is voluntary, but Harris’ absence is noteworthy because the eight-year veteran has never previously skipped a voluntary workout.

The Broncos exercised their $1 million option on Harris last month and the 29-year-old has one year and $7.8 million remaining on his contract. His no-show most likely indicates he wants to see his contract extended sooner rather than later.

Denver general manager John Elway said at the Scouting Combine that the team would wait until after the draft to consider an extension for Harris.

“That has not been thought about just yet,” Elway told the Denver Post at that time. “We’ll see where things go.”

A four-time Pro Bowl selection and 2016 First Team All-Pro, Harris has appeared in 123 regular-season games (105 starts) since 2011 with 471 tackles, 19 interceptions and four touchdowns. He has also been in nine playoff games, including the Super Bowl 50 victory against Carolina.

Harris tallied 49 tackles, three interceptions, one sack and one TD in 12 games last season. He broke a bone his leg in early December and missed multiple games for the first time in his career.

According to Denver’s 9News.com, Harris’ 2019 salary ranks 29th among NFL cornerbacks. Thirteen corners will make at least $10 million, including former teammate Bradley Roby, now with the Houston Texans, and new teammate Kareem Jackson, who is 31.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Representatives of Russian Transneft, Ukranian Ukrtransnafta, Polish Pern and Belarusian Belneftekhim gather to hold talks on fixing tainted oil supplies to Europe, in Minsk
Representatives of Russian Transneft, Ukranian Ukrtransnafta, Polish Pern and Belarusian Belneftekhim gather to hold talks on fixing tainted oil supplies to Europe, in Minsk, Belarus April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko

April 26, 2019

By Katya Golubkova and Andrei Makhovsky

MOSCOW/MINSK (Reuters) – Russia is confident it can soon resolve a problem of polluted Russian oil contaminating a major pipeline serving Europe and affecting supplies as far west as Germany, a senior official said on Friday at talks with importers about the issue.

Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin did not give a precise timeframe but Moscow has previously said it would pump clean oil to the border with Belarus from April 29, seeking to end a crisis hitting the world’s second-largest crude exporter.

Sorokin was speaking at talks with officials from Belarus, Poland and Ukraine in Minsk on the issue. Belarus said the issue had cost it $100 million, while analysts say alternative supply routes for refiners cannot fully fill the gap.

Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Slovakia have suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Halting those supplies has knock-on effects further along the network.

The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment.

Russia’s Energy Ministry said pipeline monopoly Transneft and other Russian companies had a plan to mitigate the effects of the contaminated oil. It did not give details.

Russian officials have said contaminated oil has already been pumped into storage in Russia and Friday’s talks would focus on how to partially withdraw the tainted crude from the Druzhba pipeline running via other countries.

The suspension cuts off a major supply route for Polish refineries owned by Poland’s PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos, as well as plants in Germany owned by Total, Shell, Eni and Rosneft.

Some refiners have outlined plans for alternative supplies, but analysts say other routes cannot meet the shortfall.

OIL PRICES

Ukraine’s Ukrtransnafta suspended the transit of oil through the pipeline on Thursday, closing supplies via Druzhba’s southern route to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

The pipeline issue, which has supported global oil prices, lifted Russian Urals crude differentials to an all-time high on Thursday.

With pipeline supplies to Europe shut, Russia faces a challenge of how to divert about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) that was meant to be shipped through the network to other destinations at the time when export capacity is at its limits.

State-run Russian Railways held talks with energy firms on using up to 5,000 rail tankers to transport crude, RIA news agency reported on Friday.

Concerns about the quality of Urals crude also caused delays in loadings at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, when buyers refused to lift cargoes, resulting in a brief shutdown of the port on Wednesday and Thursday. An Ust-Luga official and traders said on Friday loadings had resumed.

Russian loading plans indicate it aims to boost Urals exports in May before the expiry of a deal on output cuts agreed with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, Reuters calculations and Energy Ministry data show.

The provisional loading plan for Russia’s Baltic Sea ports and Novorossiisk in May show exports rising to 10.7 million tonnes, the highest level in half a decade.

Minsk estimated its loss from lower oil product exports due to contaminated Russian oil at around $100 million, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Thursday, citing Belarusian state oil company Belneftekhim.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, in charge of government energy policy, said this week that those found responsible for contaminating the oil could be fined. He did not provide names.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko in WARSAW, Sandor Peto in BUDAPEST, Jason Hovet in PRAGUE, Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets in KIEV, Katya Golubkova, Olesya Astakhova, Gleb Gorodyankin, Olga Yagova and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW, Andrei Makhovsky in MINSK; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by Michael Perry and Edmund Blair)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO - A worker sits on a ship carrying containers at Mundra Port in the western Indian state of Gujarat
FILE PHOTO: A worker sits on a ship carrying containers at Mundra Port in the western Indian state of Gujarat April 1, 2014. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – India has once again delayed the implementation of higher tariffs on some goods imported from the United States to May 15, a government official said on Friday.

The new tariff structure was to come into force from May 2, the spokeswoman said without citing reasons for the delay.

Angered by Washington’s refusal to exempt it from new steel and aluminum tariffs, New Delhi decided in June last year to raise the import tax from Aug. 4 on some U.S. products including almonds, walnuts and apples.

But since then, New Delhi has repeatedly delayed the implementation of the new tariff.

Trade friction between India and the U.S. has escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans earlier this year to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States.

In a further blow, U.S. on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Iran’s eight biggest buyers including India to continue importing limited volumes.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar in New Delhi and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Raissa Kasolowsky)

Source: OANN

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One of Joe Biden’s newly-hired senior advisers has seemingly had a very recent change of heart.

Symone Sanders, a prominent Democratic strategist and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., staffer in 2016, was announced as one of the big-name members of Team Biden on Thursday.

But Sanders, who has also served as a CNN contributor, is seen in resurfaced footage from November 2016 expressing her opposition to a white person leading her party after Donald Trump’s election.

“In my opinion, we don’t need white people leading the Democratic party right now,” Sanders told host Brianna Keilar during a discussion on Howard Dean potentially becoming DNC chairman.

BIDEN HIRES FORMER BERNIE SANDERS’ SPOKESPERSON AS SENIOR ADVISER

“The Democratic party is diverse, and it should be reflected as so in leadership and throughout the staff, at the highest levels. From the vice chairs to the secretaries all the way down to the people working in the offices at the DNC,” she said.

Sanders wrapped up her remarks by saying: “I want to hear more from everybody. I want to hear from the millennials and the brown folks.”

Footage of the interview was resurfaced by RealClearPolitics.

After news of her hiring broke on Thursday, Sanders backed her new boss on Twitter.

TRUMP ASSESSES 2020 DEMS; TAKES SWIPES AT BIDEN, SANDERS; DISMISSES HARRIS, O’ROURKE; SAYS HE’S ROOTING FOR BUTTIGIEG

“@JoeBiden & @DrBiden are a class act. Over the course of this campaign, Vice President Biden is going to make his case to the American ppl. He won’t always be perfect, but I believe he will get it right,” she wrote.

The hiring of Sanders has been viewed as another indication of the expected tough fight that Biden and Sanders are in for as the two frontrunners battle a deep Democratic field.

While Sanders himself didn’t torch Biden as he jumped into the race, it’s clear that many of his progressive supporters view the former vice president as a threat.

Biden’s entry into the race – at least in the early going – sets up a battle between himself and Sanders, who thanks to his fierce fight with eventual nominee Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination, enjoys name ID on the level of the former vice president.

BIDEN VOWS THAT ‘AMERICA IS COMING BACK,’ SPARKING ‘MAGA’ COMPARISONS

Justice Democrats — who also called Biden “out-of-touch” – is an increasingly influential group among the left of the party. They’ve championed progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York as well as Sanders. The group was founded by members of Sanders 2016 presidential campaign.

Biden has pushed back against the perception that he’s a moderate in a party that’s increasingly moving to the left. Earlier this month he described himself as an “Obama-Biden Democrat.”

And Biden said he’d stack his record against “anybody who has run or who is running now or who will run.”

Former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile – a Fox News contributor – highlighted that “Joe Biden can occupy his own lane in large part because he’s earned it. He’s earned the right to call himself whatever.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But she emphasized that “elections are not about the past, they’re about the future…I do believe he has the right ingredients. The question is can he find enough people to help him stir the pot.”

Fox News Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, who is facing increased calls for her immediate resignation, remains in poor health and is not “lucid” enough to decide whether to step down, her attorney told reporters late Thursday.

Steve Silverman, speaking outside one of Pugh’s residences which was raided by the FBI and IRS earlier in the day, said the embattled city leader could make a decision as early as next week.

“She is leaning toward making the best decision in the best interest in the citizens of Baltimore City,” he said, adding that Pugh has “several options” to consider.

“She just needs to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions.”

BALTIMORE MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH, ON LEAVE AMID BOOK PROBE, HAS HOMES AND CITY HALL OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDS

Silverman said Pugh met with a doctor at home Thursday and plans to do so again Friday, the Baltimore Sun reported.

In the latest image-tarnishing scandal for struggling Baltimore, the first-term Democratic mayor faces accusations that she used children’s book deals to cover up kickbacks for favorable treatment as a state lawmaker and city leader that earned her roughly $800,000 over several years.

BALTIMORE’S ACTING MAYOR SAYS HE ‘WOULD HATE TO SEE’ EMBATTLED MAYOR RETURN AFTER BOOK SCANDALS

As a state senator, 69-year-old Pugh sold $500,000 worth of her self-published “Healthy Holly” illustrated paperbacks to the University of Maryland Medical System, a major state employer whose board she sat on for nearly 20 years.

Baltimore police officers stand outside the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Pugh and also in City Hall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Baltimore police officers stand outside the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Pugh and also in City Hall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

UMMS reportedly paid Pugh for 100,000 copies of her books between 2011 and 2018 with the stated intention of distributing the books to schools and day care centers. But some 50,000 copies remain unaccounted for and officials are probing if they were even printed.

Pugh also made $300,000 in bulk sales to other customers including health carriers that did business with the city of Baltimore.

BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL CALLS ON EMBATTLED MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY

The politically isolated Pugh slipped out of sight on April 1 after a hastily organized press conference where she called her no-contract book deals a “regrettable mistake.” That same day, Maryland’s governor called on the state prosecutor to investigate allegations of “self-dealing.”

Pugh took an indefinite leave of absence, citing her health deteriorating intensely after a bout with pneumonia.

Federal agents arrive at the Maryland Center for Adult Training in Baltimore. MD, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall, as well as the office of her lawyer and the home of a top aide.

Federal agents arrive at the Maryland Center for Adult Training in Baltimore. MD, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall, as well as the office of her lawyer and the home of a top aide. (Loyd Fox/Baltimore Sun via AP)

On Thursday morning, agents with the FBI and IRS searched her two Baltimore homes, her City Hall offices, and a nonprofit organization she once led. The home of at least one of Pugh’s aides was also scoured.

Silverman said federal agents also served a subpoena at his law firm, retrieving Pugh’s original financial records. They did not seek any attorney-client privileged communications, he said.

Pugh’s attorney said she was “emotionally extremely distraught” following the searches by FBI and IRS agents.

“There was nothing incriminating that came out of her home,” Silverman said.

UMMS spokesman Michael Schwartzberg told reporters that the medical system received a grand jury witness subpoena seeking documents and information related to Pugh.

Other probes against Pugh include a review by the city ethics board and the Maryland Insurance Administration.

BALTIMORE MAYOR’S $500G DEAL FOR ‘HEALTHY HOLLY’ CHILDREN’S BOOKS DRAWS SCRUTINY

In recent weeks, the calls for Pugh’s resignation have intensified with the strongest voice coming from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who did not mince words after Thursday’s early morning raids.

“Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust,” he said. “She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall.

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun via AP)

Many of her fellow Democrats, including those on Baltimore’s demoralized City Council and state lawmakers, are also insisting that Pugh put the citizens’ interests above any attempt to preserve her political career.

City Council member Brandon Scott called the Thursday raids “an embarrassment to the city.”

However, only a conviction can trigger a mayor’s removal from office, according to the city solicitor. Baltimore’s mayor-friendly City Charter currently provides no options for ousting its executive.

Six of Pugh’s staffers joined her on paid leave earlier this month; three of them were fired this week by the acting mayor.

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Pugh came to office in late 2016 after edging out ex-Mayor Sheila Dixon, who had spent much of her tenure fighting corruption charges before being forced to depart office in 2010 as part of a plea deal connected to the misappropriation of about $500 in gift cards meant for needy families.

She would certainly face a bruising 2020 Democratic primary if she were to return and run for reelection. Veteran City Council leader Bernard “Jack” Young, who is serving as acting mayor, said as she went on leave that he would merely be a placeholder. But this week, before the raids, he said “it could be devastating for her” if she tried to return.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations has blasted the United State and the European Union for imposing sanctions on his country, describing them as “economic terrorism.”

Bashar Ja’afari made his comments Friday in the Kazakh capital of Astana where Russia, Turkey and Iran held a new round of talks with the Syrian government and the opposition on steps to bring peace to the country.

His comments came as government-held parts of Syria are witnessing widespread fuel shortages that are largely the result of Western sanctions on Syria and its key ally Iran.

Ja’afari says: “This is economic terrorism that is escalating through unilateral economic measures.”

A final statement issued at the end of Astana’s 12th round rejected President Donald Trump’s formal recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights.

Source: Fox News World

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