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Ala. Pols Call for KKK 'Ride Again' Editor's Resignation

Alabama's congressional representatives have called for the publisher and editor of a local newspaper to resign after he wrote the Ku Klux Klan should "ride again."

"Time for the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again," Goodloe Sutton wrote in the small town of Linden, Alabama's newspaper, the Democrat-Reporter, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. "Seems like the Klan would be welcome to raid the gated communities up there."

Sen. Doug Jones, R-Ala., tweeted Monday night: "OMG! What rock did this guy crawl out from under? This editorial is absolutely disgusting & he should resign -NOW! I have seen what happens when we stand by while people-especially those with influence- publish racist, hateful views. Words matter. Actions matter. Resign now!"

"For the millions of people of color who have been terrorized by white supremacy, this kind of 'editorializing;' about lynching is not a joke – it is a threat," Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., tweeted. "These comments are deeply offensive and inappropriate, especially in 2019. Mr Sutton should apologize and resign."

Sutton told the Montgomery Advertiser on Monday: "If we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out D.C., we'd all been better off."

He was then asked how the KKK could "clean" Washington, Sutton said, "We'll get the hemp ropes out, loop them over a tall limb and hang all of them."

Source: NewsMax Politics

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Attack on government minister walking to work shocks New Zealanders

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister-designate Jacinda Ardern speaks as she stands next to New Zealand Green Party leader James Shaw in Wellington
FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister-designate Jacinda Ardern speaks as she stands next to New Zealand Green Party leader James Shaw in Wellington, New Zealand, October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Nicolaci da Costa/File Photo

March 14, 2019

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealanders have expressed shock after a government minister was punched in the face while walking to work, a rare attack in a country where politicians mingle freely with the public with no security cover.

James Shaw, the climate change minister and leader of the Green Party, was walking alone to parliament on Thursday when he was approached by a man who started talking to him before grabbing Shaw and punching him several times in the face.

Two people came to help the minister but the man quickly jumped into a vehicle and drove away. Police said a 47-year-old man was later arrested and charged over the attack, and is expected to appear in court on Friday.

Shaw, who suffered a black eye, went straight to work after the incident but later visited the hospital as a precautionary measure. It was not clear if the attack was politically motivated.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the assault on Shaw was unprovoked and unexpected.

“We have an environment in New Zealand where politicians are accessible — and that’s something we should feel proud of,” she said in a statement. “We are after all, here to serve people. But today’s events really show we cannot take that for granted.”

“I think all of us will probably be united in wanting to ensure we have the kind of political environment where everyone can hold their views, but they can do that safely,” Ardern added.

The Prime Minister is the only New Zealand lawmaker given a security team. Other ministers and top officials walk freely and are often seen mixing with the public at shops and cafes in the capital Wellington.

Politicians condemned the attack on the minister and New Zealanders on Twitter cheered for Shaw’s speedy recovery and said they hoped the incident would not reduce their access to ministers.

“Violence is never ok. We’re thinking of you & look forward to seeing you back at parliament soon,” the opposition National Party leader Simon Bridges said on Twitter after the attack.

Wellington mayor Justin Lester said it was “a sad day for democracy”.

“This is outrageous behavior and if undertaken by a Wellingtonian, shameful. Elected representatives of all hues show courage to represent New Zealanders & we are lucky to have unparalleled access to them,” he added.

Serious crimes are rare in the New Zealand and attacks on lawmakers are almost unheard of. The only other recent instance was in 2016 when a protester threw a sex toy at Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce during a news conference.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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‘We want people to love it’: ‘Game of Thrones’ creators on finale

FILE PHOTO: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss arrive for the premiere of the final season of
FILE PHOTO: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss arrive for the premiere of the final season of "Game of Thrones" at Radio City Music Hall in New York, U.S., April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo

April 9, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The creators of global smash television series “Game of Thrones” say they knew how they would end the show five years ago, and are anxious that fans will like it.

“We want people to love it. It matters a lot to us,” said D.B. Weiss, who along with David Benioff created the series that is based on the novels of George R.R. Martin.

“We also know that no matter what we do, even if it’s the optimal version, that a certain number of people will hate the best of all possible versions,” Weiss told Entertainment Weekly in an interview that was published on Tuesday.

The final six episodes of HBO’s award-winning medieval fantasy series set among warring families in the fictional kingdom of Westeros launches on Sunday and concludes on May 19.

Weiss said he and Benioff had “known the major beats for at least five years” of how the show would end.

Season 7, which was broadcast in 2017, saw the characters head toward a great battle over the Iron Throne while a zombie army of White Walkers, led by the undead Night King, march south to destroy humanity.

The two executive producers said it has grown harder and harder to keep details of the plots secret. Although based on Martin’s series of novels “A Song of Ice and Fire,” the show has long gone beyond Martin’s books.

“We won’t be relieved until the final episode airs without a leak. We’re certainly happy we got through production without a leak. But there have been issues that have happened in post-production, or a week before an episode airs. So we’re entering the most dangerous time,” Benioff told Entertainment Weekly.

Weiss and Benioff said they plan to go offline when the finale is aired in May.

“We’ll be in an undisclosed location, turning off our phones and opening various bottles,” said Weiss.

“I plan to be very drunk and very far from the internet,” added Benioff.

“Game of Thrones” has won multiple Emmy awards and is HBO’s biggest hit ever with some 30 million viewers in the United States and an army of devoted fans worldwide.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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Suspect arrested in Paris for anti-Semitic hate speech

Paris officials say that an individual has been arrested for a torrent of hate speech directed at Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut during a Saturday march by yellow vest protesters.

The Paris prosecutor's office said Wednesday that the person was taken into custody Tuesday evening after a police inquiry was opened into a suspected public insult based on origin, ethnicity, nation, race or religion.

On Tuesday, thousands attended rallies across France to decry an uptick in anti-Semitic acts in recent months, including an attack on a cemetery where about 80 gravestones were spray-painted with swastikas. French President Emmanuel Macron observed a moment of silence with parliament leaders at the Holocaust museum in Paris.

France is home to the world's largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States.

Source: Fox News World

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Italy wants to sign Belt and Road deal to help exports: deputy PM

FILE PHOTO: Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio holds a news conference in Rome
FILE PHOTO: Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio holds a news conference in Rome, Italy, March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

March 10, 2019

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy wants to join China’s giant “Belt and Road” infrastructure plan to boost Italian exports, not to strengthen political ties with the Asian giant, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday.

Di Maio was responding to U.S. concerns at the prospect of a key ally supporting the Chinese initiative. A spokesman for the White House’s group of national security advisers, Garrett Marquis, on Saturday called the Chinese venture a “vanity project” that Italy should steer clear of.

The “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI), championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to link China by sea and land with southeast and central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, through an infrastructure network on the lines of the ancient Silk Road.

Aside from boosting trade and investment, Xi aims to advance exchanges in areas such as science, technology and culture.

“I have heard the alarm being raised from the United States yesterday about this deal on the Silk Road that Italy wants to sign with China,” Di Maio said at an event organized by supporters of his ruling 5-Star Movement.

“Let it be clear that, if we are looking at the Silk Road towards China for our exports, it is not to strike a political deal with China but only to help our companies,” he said.

He added that Italy was an ally of the United States and respected its concerns, but that the Chinese market was hungry for “made in Italy” products and know-how.

On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that he might sign a framework deal on the venture when Xi visits Italy from March 22-24.

A number of European Union states have signed memorandums on the BRI with China, including Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Malta, Poland and Portugal. If Italy signs, it would be the first members of the Group of Seven industrial powers to do so.

Washington argues that China is saddling poor nations with unsustainable debt through large-scale infrastructure projects that are not economically viable, and is using the project to further its political and strategic ambitions.

Italy fell into recession at the end of 2018 for the third time in a decade and the government is eager to find ways to boost the economy and revive the stalled construction sector.

(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli accused of running company from prison

"Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, 35, is being investigated by federal authorities for allegedly running his pharmaceutical business from behind bars.

Nicknamed "Pharma Bro" for his polarizing frat boy antics and behavior, this latest twist comes in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report suggesting Shkreli was using a contraband cellphone to secretly lead his company from within the thick walls of the Federal Correction Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

MARTIN SHKRELI CONTROVERSIES: A TIME OF EVENTS

In 2018, Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud, after he scammed investors out of millions of dollars. The controversial figure also made headlines for raising the price of anti-parasite drug Daraphim by 5,000 percent from $13.50 to $750 a pill. The drug helps with infection in malaria, AIDS and some cancer patients.

WSJ said that Shkreli secretly remains "a shadow power" at his drug company, Pheonixus AG, even with his limitations while serving time.

FILE- In this Feb. 4, 2016 file photo, pharmaceutical chief Martin Shkreli speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, during the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on his former company's decision to raise the price of a lifesaving medicine.

FILE- In this Feb. 4, 2016 file photo, pharmaceutical chief Martin Shkreli speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, during the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on his former company's decision to raise the price of a lifesaving medicine. (AP)

The WSJ said Shkreli used the phone to post regularly on social media and even fired the company's chief executive nearly a month ago.

‘PHARMA BRO’ MARTIN SHKRELI SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DEFRAUDING INVESTORS

"When there are allegations of misconduct, they are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken if such allegations are proven true," said the Bureau of Prisons on Friday. "This allegation is currently under investigation."

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) told AP that federal prisoners caught in possession of cellphones face up to an additional year behind bars if convicted. Shkreli also could face disciplinary action within the prison if he is found to have conducted business on their grounds.

"Like all correctional agencies, the BOP continues to tackle the problem of contraband being introduced into our facilities, including contraband cellphones," The BOP told AP. "The BOP continually evaluates and deploys as appropriate, contraband-detecting technologies, including walk-through metal detectors and whole-body imaging devices."

According to the WSJ report, a board member at his Pheonixus company said it's well known that he uses a cellphone in prison.

The lawyer for Shkreli, Benjamin Brafman, declined to comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Study: We Savor Meaningful Conversations Like “Decadent Dessert”

Most of us know what it’s like to savor a decadent slice of chocolate cake or a glass of our favorite wine.

But savoring is a concept that goes far beyond our taste buds.

While the word “savor” is often used in the context of food, we can also savor important experiences, moments or even visually compelling events, such as an exceptionally vibrant sunset. So, too, can we savor meaningful conversations, says University of Arizona researcher Maggie Pitts.

Pitts, an associate professor in the Department of Communication in the UA College of Social and Behavior Sciences, studies the concept of savoring as it relates to human communication.

Owen Benjamin reveals how growing your own food can have a positive impact on your personal life.

In a paper published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, she explores how people savor different types of communication. Her work builds on evidence from the field of positive psychology showing that savoring — or people’s capacity to recognize and appreciate enjoyable life experiences — can enhance wellbeing, relationships and quality of life.

So, what does “savoring” mean exactly? Pitts says it’s largely about slowing down the sensory experience.

“Savoring is prolonging, extending and lingering in a positive or pleasant feeling,” she said. “First, you feel something pleasant, then you feel pleasant about feeling pleasant, and that is where savoring comes in. It’s not just feeling good; it’s feeling good about feeling good, and then trying to trap that feeling.”

Using an online survey, Pitts set out to learn if and how people specifically savor communication experiences, both verbal and nonverbal.

She analyzed responses from 65 young adults, average age 22. Respondents were first asked whether or not they savor communication and then asked to share a detailed example of an experience they had savored.

From there, she identified seven different types of communication that people tend to savor:

1) Aesthetic communication. Survey respondents savored this type of communication because of some aspect of how it was presented — timing, delivery, choice of words or perhaps a surprise twist. An inspiring speech, good play on words or suspenseful announcement might fall in this category.

2) Communication presence. This category includes conversations in which participants reported being so deeply engaged and completely in the moment with another person that it felt as if no one else mattered. These types of exchanges often were described as “real” or “entirely honest.”

3) Nonverbal communication. From hand gestures to physical contact to facial expressions, these exchanges emphasize nonverbal cues. A meaningful hug or smile might fall in this category.

4) Recognition and acknowledgement. This category encompasses communication in which participants were publicly acknowledged or offered appreciation, like an awards ceremony or a speech honoring an individual.

5) Relational communication. This category includes communication that establishes, confirms or gives insight into a relationship, such as a couple’s discussion about the future together or an intimate disclosure that brings two people closer.

6) Extraordinary communication. Many participants savored communication around special moments, such as a wedding, illness, birth of a child or other “landmark memories.”

7) Implicitly shared communication. This category includes unspoken communication experiences that may be more difficult to articulate, such as feeling the excitement of a crowd around you, or looking at someone and instinctively knowing that you are sharing the same feeling.

While savoring typically happens in the moment, retroactive and anticipatory savoring are also possible and can be just as beneficial, Pitts said.

“You can time travel through savoring,” she said. “I can sit here now and think of something that happened earlier today or yesterday or 25 years ago, and when I recall that savoring moment I physiologically experience savoring, and that makes me feel relaxed and puts me in a good mood and can really boost my moment. There’s also this idea of anticipatory savoring. People do this when they plan for a vacation or a honeymoon or the weekend. We anticipate and we have that good feeling that helps us in the moment.”

(Photo by PxHere / CC0 Public Domain)

Pitts plans to expand her research on communication savoring with adults over 35 and with international populations. She has already gathered and begun to analyze more than 400 personal narratives that give insight into how people across age groups and cultures savor communication.

For the average person who wants to get better at savoring and reaping the benefits that come with it, Pitts says it starts with being open and present.

“Your mind can’t be overwhelmed, and you can’t be too cognitively taxed. We have to be in an open state to be able to become aware that something pleasant or meaningful is happening and then want to bottle it up in a jar so we can really appreciate it,” she said. “If you notice you’re experiencing something pleasant, think about what it is that’s pleasant. Connect it to other pleasant experiences. Why is it good? What could make it even better? It is a practice, and it takes practice, but anyone can do it.”

Erich “Mancow” Muller joins Alex Jones to break insider info from R. Kelly’s manager that he has heard R. Kelly speak in a demonic voice and may be demonically possessed.

Source: InfoWars

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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)

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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)

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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.”

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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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