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Guy Benson: 'Desperate' media politicized Stanley Cup champions' White House visit to keep Russia narrative alive

Fox News’ Guy Benson criticized the media for continuing to hammer the Russia collusion narrative, this time at the expense of National Hockey League star Alexander Ovechkin.

“For some people who are so emotionally invested in the opposite outcome, it seems like they are just desperate to bring the Russia story back. No matter how farcical, including casting aspersions on the Stanley Cup champion teams captain being under the same roof as the president. It's ludicrous,” Benson told “Fox & Friends” Wednesday.

The Washington Capitals, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, visited the White House Monday to celebrate their championship with President Trump.

Ovechkin, the team’s captain and playoff MVP, is Russian. Two of his teammates are Russian and he has in the past said he supported his home country and President Vladimir Putin.

DONNA BRAZILE: WE NEED TO SEE FULL MUELLER REPORT TO GET COUNTRY 'BACK ON SAME PAGE,' PROTECT FROM FUTURE ATTACKS

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, hoists the Stanley Cup after the Capitals defeated the Golden Knights in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Thursday, June 7, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, hoists the Stanley Cup after the Capitals defeated the Golden Knights in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Thursday, June 7, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) (AP Photo/John Locher)

The New York Times wrote an article Monday about the visit with the headline: “Washington's Most Popular Russian (and His Teammates) Honored at the White House.” The story made mention of the popular hockey star’s relationship to Putin.

“[Ovechkin] has some relationship with Vladimir Putin. He was in the Trump White House and some media outlets decided that that was worthy of a headline and a story, which is beyond parody frankly,” Benson said.

The co-host of Fox News Radio’s “Benson & Harf” also noted Democrats continue to call for the full Mueller report to be released, a notion he supported, but they should not expect any different conclusions than what Attorney General William Barr released in a four-page summary Sunday.

“If Barr were in any way distorting the fundamental finding of no collusion I think we would have heard from Robert Mueller already, he's corrected the record a few times when he feels like things are unfair,” Benson said. “If someone at the very top of the government were misrepresenting what he found on collusion I think he would say something about it and he hasn't.”

READ FULL MUELLER REPORT SUMMARY

Benson believes that Democrats and the media now have a lot to answer for and some are “clinging” to the notion President Trump was colluding with Russia.

“So some of them are clinging. And others are pretending like this never even happened,” Benson said.

“The Democratic Party I think has a lot to answer for. But as we've been talking about on the air for the last few days the media I think has been worse and that's where you're seeing a lot of broken hearts over the last couple of days people really grappling with a difficult reality that the president is in fact legitimately elected and not a Russian plant.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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How to Identify #MAGAPhobia

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Guest post by Adrienna DiCioccio

In today’s America, we find that there is a huge separation between beliefs and ideologies. MSM outlets, social platforms, and the Democratic party are at war with Trump “MAGA” supporters.  There have been countless attacks on people for simply showing their support to the POTUS for wearing a red MAGA hat. A recent study has found over 400 hoax hate crimes in America. Most would say this is Trump Derangement Syndrome or TDS, but now the newly coined phrase is “MAGAphobic.” – in short means bigotry towards Republicans who voted for Donald Trump.

The two most recent hoax hate crimes against Trump supporters are outrageously ridiculous. First, it was the Covington High School boys being attacked by fake Vietnam vet Nathan Phillips.  This led to minors being doxed by Trump haters and verified accounts on Twitter saying grotesque things such as “LOCK THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL AND BURN THAT BITCH TO THE GROUND.”

Second is Jussie Smollett and his hoax hate crime in Chicago claiming that two men in MAGA hats came up and yelled “This is MAGA country” and poured bleach on him while putting a noose around his neck. Come to find out he staged the whole thing—go figure. While the MSM pushed the story to the extreme and verified accounts bashed all Trump supporters as a threat to people all over the country.

Many conservatives believe there is something called liberal privilege and you don’t have to look hard to find it.  The fact is there is an ideology of extreme hate against President Trump and his supporters in the mainstream media and across social media. It has gotten to the point where people walk to the corner neighborhood store and get harassed. Or a mother takes her minor son shopping and watches him get slandered by an unhinged adult. Can we call this derangement of lies, hysteria and hate crimes MAGAphobia? I think we can simply because behind each one of these crimes there is a Trump hater. Who has one main goal and that is to get Trump out of office and ruin his 2020 campaign. Jack Posobiec’s MAGAphobia phrase defined by Will Chamberlin in the tweet below:

The hashtag #MAGAPhobia is trending on Twitter. Search and you will see all the lies and hoax hate crimes created by individuals who simply cannot accept the fact that Donald J. Trump is their president.

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No systemic problem with rule of law in Italy: Commission

European Commission Vice President Timmermans holds a news conference in Brussels
European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans holds a news conference after the weekly college meeting in Brussels, Belgium, April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

April 3, 2019

Source: OANN

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New York City to give additional $1.6 million to city attorneys to defend immigrants slated for deportation

Calling it a defensive fund against President Trump’s immigration policies, New York City officials plan to put an extra $1.6 million toward public defenders representing immigrants slated for deportation, according to the New York Daily News.

The move to bolster the funding arose from a deal between New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

Attorneys and immigrant rights groups had pushed for money, saying that courts were rushing decisions on deportation and that immigrants were at a disadvantage if they did not have the help of an attorney.

'THE VIEW' GRILLS NYC MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO: 'YOU SCREWED THE CITY UP' 

“This emergency funding will help us provide more attorneys to New Yorkers in need,” Johnson said, according to the Daily News. “This is crucial right now as the ICE deportation machine has ramped up efforts to interfere with the necessary work NYIFUP is doing by pushing people through the system with zero regard for due process. I will continue to fight these un-American and horrific immigration policies.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)

At present, the city has an allotment of $10 million for public defenders who work on immigration cases. The attorneys had requested an extra $6.6 million, citing the addition of immigration courts in New York aimed at accommodating a backlog of deportation cases, the Daily News said.

The attorneys expressed concern that hearings were being rushed.

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Immigrants facing deportation are not entitled to a public defender. Many areas have non-profits that provide such immigrants with pro-bono attorneys.

The city established the program to address the void.

“All respondents have a right to counsel at no expense to the government," the Department of Justice’s Executive of Immigration Review said. "EOIR has long worked to improve access to legal information and counseling and increase the level of representation for individuals appearing before the immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals.”

“This work has been carried out primarily through initiatives that facilitate access to information and help create new incentives for attorneys, non-profit organizations and their representatives, and law students to accept pro bono cases.”

Meanwhile, Immigration advocates were pressing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to keep public funding for legal services for immigrants around the state who are slated for deportation, as well as immigrants who need other services.

They told the Daily News they are concerned that the governor will cut funding for the Liberty Defense Project, which provides legal counsel and other support services.

“It is inexplicable that as the Trump administration continues its assault on New York’s communities, our State leaders are ripping away its lifeline for legal defense and protection against deportation,” said Steven Choi, the group’s executive director, to the Daily News. “It is a complete sham for our leaders – Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins – to say they stand up to Trump on behalf of our immigrants – and then remove the very assistance that protects New Yorkers from Trump’s deportation force."

Source: Fox News National

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Morgan Stanley to pay $150 million to settle California mortgage securities charges

A sign is displayed on the Morgan Stanley building in New York
FILE PHOTO: A sign is displayed on the Morgan Stanley building in New York U.S., July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

April 25, 2019

(Reuters) – Morgan Stanley will pay $150 million to settle charges it concealed the risk of mortgage-backed securities that were sold to two large California pension funds, the state’s attorney general Xavier Becerra announced on Thursday.

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) will receive $122 million from the settlement, while the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) will receive $8 million. The remainder will go to Becerra’s office.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

Source: OANN

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500 evacuated in fire at Singapore hotel; no injuries

Officials say about 500 people were evacuated during a fire at a luxury hotel in Singapore, but there were no reports of injuries.

Smoke billowed out of the Grand Hyatt hotel in the Orchard Road shopping district. Guests, passers-by and staff, including some wearing chef hats, gasped as they watched from a distance away.

The Singapore Civil Defense Force said the fire started in the kitchen of a restaurant on the hotel's second floor. It said water sprinklers extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived.

"There were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation," it said.

Last month, about 1,000 guests and staff were evacuated when a switch room caught fire at another Singapore hotel. There were no injuries.

Source: Fox News World

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Indonesia central bank seen holding key rate now, cutting it later this year: Reuters poll

FILE PHOTO: Visitors leave Bank Indonesia headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia
FILE PHOTO: Visitors leave Bank Indonesia headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, January 17, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

April 22, 2019

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s central bank will keep interest rates on hold on Thursday, a Reuters poll showed, though some economists say a rate cut to bolster economic growth is coming – and one sees a possible trim next month.

All 23 analysts in the poll predicted Bank Indonesia (BI) will hold its 7-day reverse repurchase rate at 6.00 percent, where it has been since hikes of 175 basis points (bp) between May and November 2018 to defend the then-ailing rupiah.

A slowing global economy and halt of U.S. Federal Reserve policy tightening have shifted rate cut expectations in much of Asia to probable from possible.

Indonesian central bank officials have noted that a steady rupiah, backed by strong capital inflows and benign inflation, support policy easing, but say a narrower current account deficit is needed before rate cuts.

Surprise trade surpluses in February and March have made some economists anticipate a loosening cycle.

Six of the seven analysts in the poll who gave views on the year-end expected lower rates then.

ANZ’s Krystal Tan has penciled in two 25-bp cuts.

“The conditions for BI to unwind its earlier rate hikes are finally starting to come together,” Tan said.

“Any signs of a dovish pivot in BI’s policy messaging should open the door for a move as soon as May, followed by another in August,” she added.

MINI-EASING CYCLE?

Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Mohamed Faiz Nagutha expects BI to “commence a mini easing cycle and cut policy rates by 75 bps over June-August”.

Citi economist Helmi Arman brought forward his forecast of a 25 bps rate cut to the third quarter, from the fourth, during which he expects another 50 bps in reductions.

But Antonius Permana of Bank Negara Indonesia cautioned that the current account gap may widen again in April-June, which could delay a BI cut.

However, Permana also noted that capital inflows may swell to comfortably cover any size of current account deficits, after unofficial quick counts for the April 17 election showed President Joko Widodo securing a second five-year term.

“Foreign capital inflows have the potential to grow bigger because the political uncertainty has subsided,” he said.

Financial markets in Southeast Asia’s largest economy surged when they opened a day after elections last week, buoyed by news of Widodo’s victory, though gains were pared in the afternoon. Markets were down on Monday.

Bucking the consensus, Fitch Solutions – a research affiliate of Fitch Ratings – said in an April 10 note BI could raise rates by 25 bps by end-2019, based on a prediction of higher inflation as a post-election rollback of subsidies.

(Polling by Tabita Diela and Maikel Jefriando; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Source: OANN

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

April 26, 2019

By Katya Golubkova and Andrei Makhovsky

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OIL PRICES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: OANN

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

April 26, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: OANN

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

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

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

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

BIDEN HIRES FORMER BERNIE SANDERS’ SPOKESPERSON AS SENIOR ADVISER

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

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

Footage of the interview was resurfaced by RealClearPolitics.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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

Fox News Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Fox News World

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