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Bad Weather Boosts Negative Restaurant Reviews

There are a few things that will result in poor customer reviews of a restaurant: bad service, bad food — and bad weather.

A study of 32 Florida restaurants found that customers left more negative remarks on comment cards on days when it was raining than on days when it was dry.

Results showed the odds of patrons leaving very negative comments versus very positive comments were 2.9 times greater on rainy days.

In two other online studies done in other parts of the country, results suggested that unpleasant weather left people in bad moods, which was then linked to them having less positive views about the restaurants they visited.

“Restaurant managers may see more than the usual bad reviews on certain days, and it may have nothing to do with the service or the quality of the food,” said Milos Bujisic, co-author of the study and assistant professor of hospitality management at The Ohio State University.

“Restaurants can’t control the weather, but it may affect how customers review them.”

The research appears online in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research and will be published in a future print edition.

While weather was not the most important factor in how customers reviewed their dining experience, it can’t be ignored, said study co-author Vanja Bogicevic, a visiting assistant professor of hospitality management at Ohio State.

“It may be a smaller factor, but it is something that managers should pay attention to,” Bogicevic said.

In the first study, researchers examined the comments cards left at the Florida restaurants, all part of the same national fast-casual chain.


Alex Jones breaks down how vaccines are used to trigger deadly amounts of fluoride and glyphosate already present inside your body.

The researchers rated the comments on a five-point scale from 1 (very negative) to 5 (very positive). They also examined weather data from the National Climatic Data Center for each restaurant’s location on the days comment cards were left.

They examined 14 different weather variables, but only three were related to customer comments — rain, temperature and barometric pressure.

Higher temperatures — which in Florida, can often mean it is uncomfortably hot — were linked to more negative comments.

Higher barometric pressure was also connected to negative comments in Florida, which is also probably different from much of the country, the researchers said, because rising pressure is often associated with fair weather. In warmer climates, high barometric pressure is often linked to higher daytime temperatures.

Two other studies conducted online offered more insight into exactly how weather affected customer evaluations.

In one study, 158 people from around the country who visited a restaurant within the last 24 hours were asked to rate and describe the weather conditions right before their restaurant visit. They also rated their own mood and what kind of “word-of-mouth” review they would give the restaurant — in other words, whether they would recommend the restaurant and tell others positive things about their experience.

Results showed that people who described the weather as more pleasant also rated their mood more positively. Better moods — and not the weather itself — were related to more positive word-of-mouth.

(Photo by Pexels)

A third study specifically targeted people living in the Midwest, Northeast and Northwest regions of the United States, where the weather is variable over the year.

This study involved 107 people. Some were asked whether they visited a restaurant in the last seven days during pleasant weather, and some were asked if they had visited a restaurant in unpleasant conditions (very cold, raining or snowing).

Participants who reported eligible conditions for the study then answered questions about their mood that day, their dining experience and whether they would give good word-of-mouth to the restaurant.

Similar to the previous study, pleasant weather elevated consumers’ moods, which was linked to a better rating of their restaurant experience and better word-of-mouth compared to those who visited in unpleasant weather.

Bujisic noted that bad weather may affect not only the mood of customers, but also the wait staff and others who serve the customers.

“A rainy day may put employees in a bad mood and that will affect their service,” he said. “Managers need to explain that to their employees and work to keep them motivated.”

In addition, managers may want to find ways to boost customers’ moods during unpleasant weather, Bogicevic said.

“Think about creative strategies to make customers happy. Maybe offer a free drink or play more upbeat music,” she said.


After being exonerated, the Trump campaign’s statement on the Mueller report reveals they area ready to fight for the justice they deserve.

Source: InfoWars

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Google Under Fire After Calling ‘Unplanned’ ‘Propaganda’

Google came under fire Thursday after a journalist noted that it had classified the pro-life film, "Unplanned" as "drama/propaganda."

"Who knew that 'propaganda' was a movie genre?" The Daily Signal's Kelsey Bolar noted in a tweet Thursday, posted with a screen capture of Google's showtimes. Fox News reported it verified the Google classification, but by Friday morning, Google rated the film as being simply a "drama."

The movie is about former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, who becomes an anti-abortion activist after witnessing an abortion.

One Twitter user compared the search results with those for some of Michael Moore's documentaries and the Dick Cheney biopic "Vice," noting that none of them had been considered propaganda, reports Fox News.

However, Fox News also researched results for conservative movies, such as documentaries by filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, but none were labeled as propaganda.

A Google spokesperson told Fox News that after analyzing web content about "Unplanned," there was a large volume that called the movie propaganda. But after being made aware of facts that have been disputed through the company's "Knowledge Graph," the company works to fix issues, the spokesperson said.

After the controversy was sparked, Google has updated its search results, removing the propaganda tag.

The movie's supporters have accused Twitter of treating the movie unfairly after it blocked the film's account. The social media platform has since reversed the ban.

Source: NewsMax America

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Thai March exports seen falling 3 percent y/y: Reuters poll

FILE PHOTO: A view of the port of Bangkok in Thailand
FILE PHOTO: A view of the port of Bangkok, Thailand May 26, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

April 19, 2019

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s customs-cleared annual exports in March may have fallen 3 percent, a Reuters poll showed, after increasing 5.91 percent in the previous month.

Imports in March likely dropped 2.95 percent from a year earlier, after contracting 10.03 percent in February, according to the median forecast of 10 analysts in the poll.

According to the poll, Thailand likely recorded a trade surplus of $1.28 billion in March, compared with a surplus of $4.03 billion in February.

The commerce ministry predicts export growth of 8 percent this year.

(Reporting by Satawasin Staporncharnchai; Editing by Shreejay Sinha)

Source: OANN

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Road rage suspect arrested in fatal shooting of Arizona girl

Phoenix police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of a 10-year-old girl that investigators say was motivated by road rage.

Police Chief Jeri Williams said Friday that 20-year-old Joshua Gonzalez was booked into jail on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of Summerbell Brown and three counts of aggravated assault.

Authorities say a driver followed Summerbell and her family to their home Wednesday after their vehicle had cut him off.

The girl's father pulled into their driveway and got out to confront the suspect when he opened fire.

Summerbell was wounded and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Her father was shot, suffering non-life-threatening injuries.

Her mother and sister were in the car but escaped injury.

Williams says tips from the public were crucial for Gonzalez' arrest.

Source: Fox News National

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NFL notebook: WR Brown not coming here, Bills say

FILE PHOTO: NFL: Combine
FILE PHOTO: Feb 28, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks to the media during the 2019 NFL Combine at the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports - 12253066

March 9, 2019

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane will not bring wide receiver Antonio Brown to Western New York.

“We inquired about Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers,” Beane said Friday in an announcement meant to put to rest reports of an imminent deal between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Bills.

“We had positive discussions. But ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side. As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency.”

Brown has six consecutive 100-catch seasons but fell out of favor in Pittsburgh at the end of last season. He was inactive following reports of a walkthrough confrontation with teammate Ben Roethlisberger. The quarterback denied any incident took place. Brown claimed coach Mike Tomlin sent him home because of a sore knee.

–The Philadelphia Eagles were finalizing a trade that would send defensive end Michael Bennett to New England, according to multiple reports.

The Patriots were expected to send a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for Bennett and a seventh-round pick in 2020, according to Jeff McLane of Philly.com. ESPN’s Josina Anderson posted on social media that Bennett, 33, confirmed the trade to her.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection with Seattle, Bennett registered nine sacks and 34 tackles during his first season with Philadelphia in 2018.

–Three-time Pro Bowl safety Antoine Bethea was released by the Arizona Cardinals, who also announced that backup quarterback Mike Glennon was released.

Bethea, 34, had a team-leading 121 tackles in 2018 during the second season of a three-year, $12.75 million contract. The Cardinals will reportedly save $4.75 million in cap space.

–Safety Eric Weddle and the Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a two-year contract, the team announced.

The news came after Weddle visited the Rams’ headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The team did not disclose contract terms, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the deal has a $10.5 million base salary but could be worth as much at $12.5 million.

–Veteran wide receiver Danny Amendola was released by the Miami Dolphins, according to multiple reports.

The Dolphins signed Amendola, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, to a two-year, $12 million contract a year ago. By releasing him, the Dolphins will free up $6 million in salary cap money.

–The New York Giants traded pass rusher Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns for right guard Kevin Zeitler, according to multiple reports.

The two teams also are swapping mid-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, with the Giants sending a fourth-round selection (132nd overall) to the Browns for a fifth-rounder (155th), per NFL Network.

–The Detroit Lions released Pro Bowl guard and team captain T.J. Lang, who had one year left on a three-year contract signed in March 2017.

By cutting the suburban Detroit native, the Lions save $8.8 million in cap space and avoid paying him a $750,000 roster bonus that would have been due next week, according to ESPN.

–The Dallas Cowboys picked up the options on wide receiver Allen Hurns, center Joe Looney and linebacker Joe Thomas, and also signed defensive tackle Daniel Ross to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.

Hurns, 27, played all 16 games (seven starts) in his first season with the Cowboys, catching 20 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He suffered a gruesome leg injury in a wild-card game against the Seattle Seahawks, suffering a dislocated ankle and fractured knee. He previously has said he expects to be ready for the start of the 2019 season.

Looney, 28, started all 16 games at center in 2018 with All-Pro Travis Frederick missing the entire season due to Guillain-Barre syndrome.

–The Jacksonville Jaguars announced the release of five veterans, including Pro Bowl defensive tackle Malik Jackson, to clear about $30 million in salary cap space.

Reports emerged last week that the Jaguars were trying to trade Jackson and running Carlos Hyde, who also was released. The Jaguars also cut safety Tashaun Gipson, offensive tackle Jermey Parnell and long snapper Carson Tinker.

The Jaguars presumably are trying to free enough cap room to sign free agent quarterback Nick Foles when the league year begins Wednesday.

–Pittsburgh right tackle Marcus Gilbert indicated that he would not be with the Steelers next season, posting the message “Next chapter” on Twitter.

That chapter apparently will be written in Arizona. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that the 31-year-old veteran had been traded to the Cardinals for a sixth-round 2019 draft pick.

–Brad Childress is reportedly returning to the NFL as an assistant with the Chicago Bears, two months after resigning as head coach of the Alliance of American Football’s Atlanta Legends.

The 62-year-old former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings worked with Bears coach Matt Nagy on the Kansas City Chiefs’ staff from 2013-17.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Baby of Islamic State teenager in UK furor dies

FILE PHOTO: Renu Begum, sister of teenage British girl Shamima Begum, holds a photo of her sister as she makes an appeal for her to return home at Scotland Yard, in London
FILE PHOTO: Renu Begum, sister of teenage British girl Shamima Begum, holds a photo of her sister as she makes an appeal for her to return home at Scotland Yard, in London, Britain February 22, 2015. REUTERS/Laura Lean/Pool

March 9, 2019

DEIR AL-ZOR, Syria (Reuters) – The infant son of Shamima Begum, a teenager who left London to join the Islamic State group in Syria, has died, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday.

Begum, whose first two children also died, was stripped of her British citizenship last month on security grounds after she was discovered in a detention camp in Syria.

The 19-year-old left London to join IS when she was 15. She had sought to return to Europe with her third child, who was born about three weeks ago.

SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said the child had died. Begum has said in media interviews her son was named Jarrah.

Begum married Yago Riedijk, a Dutch fighter for IS who surrendered to Syrian fighters and was being held in a Kurdish detention center in northeastern Syria.

A British government spokesman said: “The death of any child is tragic and deeply distressing for the family.

“The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has consistently advised against travel to Syria since April 2011. The government will continue to do whatever we can to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and traveling to dangerous conflict zones.”

The family’s London-based lawyer on Friday said the baby’s death had been confirmed, after saying earlier that there were strong but still unconfirmed reports of the infant’s death.

The fate of Begum has illustrated the ethical, legal and security conundrum that governments face when dealing with the families of militants who swore to destroy the West.

The U.S-backed SDF is now trying to take Islamic State’s last, small patch of ground in eastern Syria. They have slowed their offensive on the jihadist enclave at Baghouz near the Iraqi border to allow many thousands of people to pour out in an exodus that has lasted weeks.

(Reporting by Rodi Said in Deir al-Zor province, Syria; Additional reporting by Paul Sandle and William Schomberg in London; Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by William Maclean, Mark Heinrich and Leslie Adler)

Source: OANN

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Brazil economy minister: Don’t dilute pension savings below $259 billion

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's Economy Minister Paulo Guedes is seen before meeting with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro at the National Congress, in Brasilia
FILE PHOTO: Brazil's Economy Minister Paulo Guedes is seen before meeting with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro at the National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File photo

March 25, 2019

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes on Monday speculated that the government’s signature economic reform bill on social security may be diluted, but urged lawmakers not to water down targeted savings over the next decade to less than 1 trillion reais ($259 billion).

Guedes also said his team and the Mines and Energy Ministry had ironed out a resolution for the government’s longstanding “transfer-of-rights” dispute with state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, and details would be made public in days.

(Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Writing by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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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