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Reporter’s Notebook: Rocket fire lands near Fox News crew as it reported on Israel-Hamas violence

ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER --  Rockets from the Gaza Strip streamed through the sky above our crew.

And then, flashes of light.

Bang. Bang. Bang, we heard, as Israel’s missile defense system, the Iron Dome, intercepted some of the launches.

This round of conflict between Israel and Gaza was underway.

Just before 6 p.m. local time, the Israeli Air Force began pounding Gaza with airstrikes in response to a rocket being fired into central Israel earlier in the day.

Just before 6 p.m. local time, the Israeli Air Force began pounding Gaza with airstrikes in response to a rocket being fired into central Israel earlier in the day.

Just before 6 p.m. local time, the Israeli Air Force began pounding Gaza with airstrikes in response to a rocket being fired into central Israel earlier in the day. (Fox News)

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke alongside President Trump at the White House, his military struck key infrastructure inside Gaza, including the office of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas is the group currently in control of the Gaza Strip.

Here’s how it all began.

My phone rang just before 7 a.m. It was one of my desk producers and I knew before answering what it meant. Breaking news.

GAZA MILITANTS LAUNCH ROCKETS TOWARD ISRAEL AFTER STRIKE ON HAMAS CHIEF'S OFFICE

A rocket fired from Gaza had struck a civilian home, injuring six people. The house was destroyed and assessments were already underway about an Israeli response.

I got to the bureau, grabbed my flak jacket and jumped in the car with my cameraman, producer and technician.

We headed straight to what was left of the home.

When we arrived, you could smell the burnt metal from the rocket explosion, see wood splintered across the area and watch crews picking through the rubble.

Pieces of shrapnel hit 30 homes in the surrounding area and pierced through cars along the street with ease. The fact that Israeli officials weren’t collecting the bodies of the people living here was a miracle. We later found out one of the fathers woke up to air raid sirens blaring, grabbed his family and pulled them into a bomb shelter. The 275-pound warhead exploded before he could get the door to the shelter closed.

Pieces of shrapnel hit 30 homes in the surrounding area and pierced through cars along the street with ease. The fact that Israeli officials weren’t collecting the bodies of the people living here was a miracle.

Pieces of shrapnel hit 30 homes in the surrounding area and pierced through cars along the street with ease. The fact that Israeli officials weren’t collecting the bodies of the people living here was a miracle. (Fox News)

I talked with officers from the Israeli Defense Forces while on the scene, who confirmed that two new brigades were headed to the Gaza border, as well as 1,000 additional reserve troops.

We also spoke with a number of Israeli politicians at the site of the attack. The words of cabinet member Naftali Bennett stood out to me.

THE LATEST: ISRAELI FORCES ARREST 3 AT WEST BANK CAMPUS

“Hamas needs to see the gates of hell open on it,” he told Fox News.

Then we made our way south, toward the Gaza border.

During the drive, I contacted a source, who is a senior Hamas official inside Gaza. He told me Hamas was not responsible for the attack and that Israel was to blame for the deteriorating situation in Gaza.

“It’s an idiot idea if Israel thinks that attacking Gaza again will be the right response,” the official told Fox News.

He and I had breakfast a few weeks ago in Gaza City and discussed the possibility of conflict with Israel. As I arrived at the border, that possibility looked more and more real.

The border was eerily quiet as we prepared for live shots. The buzz of drones could be heard in the distance.

We later found out one of the fathers woke up to air raid sirens blaring, grabbed his family and pulled them into a bomb shelter. The 275-pound warhead exploded before he could get the door to the shelter closed.

We later found out one of the fathers woke up to air raid sirens blaring, grabbed his family and pulled them into a bomb shelter. The 275-pound warhead exploded before he could get the door to the shelter closed. (Fox News)

One of my producers was traveling with the Israeli prime minister and was updating me on his movements. Another producer, with me, was translating statements from factions in Gaza from Arabic to English, my technician was preparing our feed and IFB to the United States, my cameraman was getting the shot up and my bureau chief talked with me about our editorial angle on the story. This was happening all at the same time. It shows how many moving parts we have to bring you the most accurate and fresh reporting possible.

Our most active live hit occurred during Shepard Smith Reporting. Before the hit, mortars and anti-tank missiles were fired next to our position. Moments after I wrapped my first hit with Shep, another barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza into Israel.

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Covering breaking news on Shepard Smith’s show is like putting out a fire with a firefighter. He is simply the best in the business at managing the coverage from thousands of miles away and guides you through the show, to provide the viewers with the latest developments as they happen around you.

Fox viewers watched live as rockets flew into Israeli territory and were intercepted. Shep broke down the story, alternating hits between our team and Washington Institute Managing Director Michael Singh.

Trey Yingst reporting on the scene. During one of his most active live hits, mortars and anti-tank missiles fired nearby. Moments later, another barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza into Israel. 

Trey Yingst reporting on the scene. During one of his most active live hits, mortars and anti-tank missiles fired nearby. Moments later, another barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza into Israel. 

Fighting continued on the border throughout the night with more than 60 Israeli strikes in Gaza and numerous rockets fired into southern Israel. As the sun rose over the region, all was calm.

For now, an informal ceasefire is underway. Neither side wants to look weak, by adhering to the demands of their enemy. Egyptian negotiators are working at this hour on a permanent ceasefire agreement.

As I type this, we are on our way to a demonstration in the Israeli town of Sderot. Residents there are tired of living under rocket fire and want the air campaign against factions inside Gaza to continue.

Source: Fox News World

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North Korea’s Kim to travel to Vietnam by train, summit at Government Guesthouse: sources

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces on occasion of the 71st anniversary of the Korean People's Army in Pyongyang
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces on occasion of the 71st anniversary of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang, North Korea in this February 8, 2019 KCNA Photo. KCNA via REUTERS

February 20, 2019

HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam is preparing for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to arrive by train for his summit in Hanoi next week President Donald Trump, two sources with direct knowledge of security and logistics planning told Reuters on Wednesday.

It could take Kim at least two and a half days to travel the thousands of kilometers through China by train, from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to Vietnam, meaning he would have to set off later this week in time for his planned Feb. 25 arrival.

Kim’s train will stop at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang, where he will disembark and drive 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car, the sources said.

Separately, three other sources with direct knowledge of the summit preparations told Reuters the preferred location for the Feb. 27-28 meeting between Trump and Kim is the Government Guesthouse, a colonial-era government building in central Hanoi.

All five sources who spoke to Reuters said the plans were subject to change.

(Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: OANN

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Trump: ‘Everybody’ Acknowledges I Was Correct on the Border

President Donald Trump late Tuesday declared on Twitter that "everybody" now acknowledges that he was right about the crisis at the nation's border and that the problems are now "being fixed."

"Everybody is now acknowledging that, right from the time I announced my run for President, I was 100% correct on the Border," Trump tweeted.  "Remember the heat I took? Democrats should now get rid of the loopholes. The Border is being fixed. Mexico will not let people through!"

The tweet came after he told reporters earlier in the day that he is fighting "bad laws" on immigration, and that "we have to close up the borders."

He also said he doesn't plan to reinstate a policy leading to separation of thousands of migrant children from their families while blaming former President Barack Obama for starting the practice.

Meanwhile, more than 66,000 people were apprehended in February after they came across the border, marking a 38 percent increase from January. Most of them were either families or children traveling alone.

Source: NewsMax Politics

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DeVos Defends Plan to Eliminate Special Olympics Funding

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday defended a proposal to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics, pushing back against a storm of criticism from athletes, celebrities and politicians who rallied to support the organization.

DeVos became a target on social media after Democrats slammed her plan to remove the group's funding as part of nearly $7 billion in budget cuts for next year. The Special Olympics received $17.6 million from the Education Department this year, roughly 10 percent of its overall revenue.

In a statement responding to criticism, DeVos said she "loves" the organization's work and has "personally supported its mission." But she also noted that it's a private nonprofit that raises $100 million a year on its own. Ultimately, she argued, her agency can't afford to continue backing it.

"There are dozens of worthy nonprofits that support students and adults with disabilities that don't get a dime of federal grant money," she said. "Given our current budget realities, the federal government cannot fund every worthy program, particularly ones that enjoy robust support from private donations."

Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver on Wednesday pushed back against the proposed cut.

"This is not the old Special Olympics, it's not my mom's Special Olympics in some ways," he said on MSNBC. "This is a new Special Olympics. We are actively engaged in the educational purposes that the country has articulated at the federal level."

In a statement posted Wednesday night on its website, the organization called on "federal, state and local governments to join Special Olympics in remaining vigilant against any erosion of provisions that have made a substantial difference in the lives of people with (intellectual disabilities)."

The statement added, "U.S. Government funding for our education programming is critical to protecting and increasing access to services for people with intellectual disabilities."

The Trump administration tried to eliminate Special Olympics funding in its previous budget proposal, too, but Congress ultimately increased funding for the group. Lawmakers indicated that the latest attempt will also fail.

"Our Department of Education appropriations bill will not cut funding for the program," said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., chairman of the Senate subcommittee over the education budget. Blunt said he's a "longtime supporter" of the group and recently attended its World Games.

DeVos is expected to present her budget to Blunt's panel Thursday, just days after being grilled over it in the House. Democrats on a House subcommittee asked DeVos how she could cut Special Olympics funding while calling for a $60 million increase in charter school funding.

"Once again, I still can't understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget. You've zeroed that out. It's appalling," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said at the hearing.

DeVos told the panel that her department "had to make some difficult decisions," adding that the Special Olympics is best supported by philanthropy.

Following the hearing, Twitter was alight with comments from parents, advocates and celebrities who slammed DeVos and urged her to rethink the proposal.

Joe Haden, who plays for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and works as an ambassador for the Special Olympics, said he was sickened by the cut. "This is so wrong on so many Levels!" he said on Twitter.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, called the proposal outrageous. Kasich, who also represented Ohio in the U.S. House, said that when he was on the budget committee, "these types of programs were off limits — for good reason."

Others opposing DeVos included Julie Foudy , former captain of the U.S. women's soccer team, and actress Marlee Matlin , who said the benefits of the Special Olympics are "immeasurable."

Some Special Olympics athletes joined in to support the group, including Derek "Tank" Schottle, who posted a video that had been viewed more than 140,000 times by Wednesday.

"Win or lose, we're all winners in our hearts," he said. "What warms peoples' hearts is we're all humans, just like everybody else."

The Special Olympics' 2017 annual report, the latest available on its website, says the group received a total of $148 million in revenue that year, including $15.5 million from federal grants.

More than three quarters of the group's revenue comes from individual and corporate contributions and other fundraising efforts.

DeVos' budget places the Special Olympics funding among 29 programs up for elimination in 2020, arguing that they have achieved their purpose or that they are ineffective, don't meet national needs or are better funded from other sources.

The proposal separately calls for $13.2 billion in federal grants awarded to states for special education, the same amount that was given this year.

In her statement, DeVos said it was "shameful" that the media and members of Congress "spun up falsehoods and fully misrepresented the facts." She drew attention to the $13.2 billion in state grants, along with an additional $226 million for grants supporting teacher training and research to help students with disabilities.

"Make no mistake," she added, "we are focused every day on raising expectations and improving outcomes for infants and toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and are committed to confronting and addressing anything that stands in the way of their success."

This isn't the first time DeVos has run afoul of disability rights advocates.

Some were stunned by a 2017 Senate hearing in which DeVos, while being questioned about a federal law supporting students with disabilities, said it was "a matter that is best left to the states." When asked if she was familiar with the federal law, she said she "may have confused it."

DeVos again roiled advocates last December when she rescinded Obama-era guidance meant to protect racial minorities and students with disabilities from unwarranted discipline. In making the decision, DeVos said discipline decisions should be left to teachers and schools.

Source: NewsMax America

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Shift in Fed dot plot overstated: Harker

FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington
FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

March 26, 2019

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The shift in the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate projection at its March meeting was not dramatic and the significance of the move is sometimes overstated, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker said on Tuesday.

“My dot… didn’t come down that much because I wasn’t up where everybody else was,” Harker told a business meeting about the Fed’s so called “dot plot” of interest rate views. “The median did shift down but it shifted down by one notch; sometimes we overstate how much of a shift that was.”

(Reporting by Balazs Koranyi, Editing by William Maclean)

Source: OANN

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Julian Assange arrested by British police at Ecuadorean embassy

FILE PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London
FILE PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain, May 19, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

April 11, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police on Thursday after they were invited into the Ecuadorean embassy where he has been holed up since 2012.

“Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador,” police said.

Police said they arrested Assange after being “invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorean government’s withdrawal of asylum.”

(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Kate Holton, editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

Source: OANN

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Trump to CNN: ‘Congratulations’ on Lowest Ratings of the Year

President Donald Trump on Monday mocked CNN after The Daily Caller reported the new network posted its lowest ratings of the year this past week.

Trump tweeted, "Congratulations!" along with a link to The Daily Caller article noting CNN averaged an audience of 690,000 people the week of April 8-12, with only 180,000 viewers between the ages of 25-54, a vital demographic for the network. That same week, MSNBC averaged 1,600,000 viewers in prime time, with 249,000 aged 25-54. Fox News performed even better with 2,438,000 viewers and 394,000 in that age range.

During that time, CNN hosted three presidential town halls with Democratic candidates, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and former House and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. Gillibrand's town hall performed the worst, ratings-wise, with 507,000 viewers, lagging behind Inslee's 549,000 and Castro's 654,000.

CNN finished that week as the 15th most popular basic cable network, after the Food Network, the Discovery Channel, TLC, and A&E.

Source: NewsMax America

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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.”

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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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