Trump Says 'Rocket Man' Kim Jong Un On 'Suicide Mission'
President Trump, in his first speech before the United Nations, launched a rhetorical broadside Tuesday at “rogue regimes” including North Korea, Iran and Syria – while pointedly warning Kim Jong Un that the United States will “totally destroy” his country if he does not turn back from the nuclear weapons path. “The scourge our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principle on which the United Nations is based,” Trump told the U.N. General Assembly. Fox
VOA VIEW: Trump did great with a powerful message.

Bolton: 'This Was The Best Speech Of The Trump Presidency'
John Bolton says President Donald Trump's address to the United Nations General Assembly was the "best speech of the Trump presidency." Bolton, a former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, said the centerpiece of Trump's speech was his criticism of the behavior of North Korea and Iran. "It's safe to say, in the entire history of the United Nations, there has never been a more straightforward criticism of the unacceptable behavior of other member states," Bolton said. He pointed out that Trump threatened the "total destruction'" of North Korea if it does not abandon its nuclear weapons program. As for Iran, Bolton said, Trump was just as direct in his criticism of former President Obama's nuclear deal with the Islamic republic. Fox

This Is Global Trumpism
No American President has ever spoken to the world like this. In his United Nations General Assembly debut, Trump applied the disruptive, bellicose, nationalistic persona that shattered US political norms and signaled an attempt to transform America's role in the world and the international system itself. "We must work together and confront together those who threaten us with chaos, turmoil and terror," Trump said in a survey of global geopolitics that paralleled his stark inaugural address eight months ago. It was dark, desolate, had a whiff of authoritarianism and pulsated with threats: None of his predecessors, for instance, stood in the well of the UN chamber and threatened to wipe a country -- in this case, North Korea -- off the face of the planet. It was the "axis of evil" on steroids as the President blasted "rogue states" and trumped George W. Bush-era rhetoric to put Pyongyang, Iran,  CNN
VOA VIEW: CNN liberal jealousy.

Congressmen Arrested For Protesting Over Immigration Outside Trump Tower
Three congressmen were among a group of protesters arrested outside Trump Tower on Tuesday, where they were participating in a demonstration in support of immigrants and protections recently ended by the Trump administration. Democratic Reps. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Adriano Espaillat of New York were arrested on civil disobedience charges along with the speaker of the New York City Council, Melissa Mark-Viverito, and six others, according to lawmakers' offices and Robin Levine, the spokeswoman with Mark-Viverito's office.  CNN

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Trump Bluntly Threatens To Wipe Out North Korea In His UN Debut
President Donald Trump bluntly threatened North Korea with annihilation and delivered a provocative argument to leaders of the world that the U.S. and other nations should always act in their self-interest even when confronting collective threats. In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump at times cast aside conventions of political and diplomatic dialogue in favor of the aggressive dialect of social media. He referred to “the loser terrorists” in the Mideast and and pinned a belittling nickname on North Korean regime leader Kim Jong Un. Bloomberg
VOA VIEW: Trump acted like a true leader.

Trump Warned Saudis Off Military Move On Qatar
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates considered taking military action in the early stages of their ongoing dispute with Qatar, until Donald Trump called leaders of both countries and warned them to back off, according to two people familiar with the U.S. president’s intervention. The two Gulf countries were looking at ways to remove the Qatari regime, which they accused of sponsoring terrorism and cozying up to Iran, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were confidential. Bloomberg

Did Obama Know About Comey’s Surveillance?
This week CNN is reporting more details on the Obama Administration’s 2016 surveillance of people connected to the presidential campaign of the party out of power. It seems that once President Obama’s appointee to run the FBI, James Comey, had secured authorization for wiretapping, the bureau continued its surveillance into 2017. CNN reports: US investigators wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election, sources tell CNN, an extraordinary step involving a high-ranking campaign official now at the center of the Russia meddling probe. WSJ
VOA VIEW: Obama knew and probably initiated surveillance of Trump.

Porn-Actor-Turned-Spy Who Posed As Jihadist
A former German intelligence agent who was also once an actor in gay pornography has been given a one-year suspended sentence for attempting to share state secrets while pretending to be a jihadist online. The 52-year-old, named as Roque M, was arrested last November in what initially appeared to be a case of an Islamist mole at work in Germany’s domestic spy agency. He was freed in July after prosecutors dropped most of the charges, finding no evidence of an attack plot or ties to Islamist groups. He told the court he pretended to be a jihadist planning an attack in online chatrooms because he was bored.  The Guardian

At Least 42 Dead After 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Mexico
At least 42 people are dead after a 7.1 magnitude hit central Mexico Tuesday afternoon on the 32nd anniversary of the biggest earthquake to ever strike the country's capital. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at about 2:14 p.m. ET near the town of Raboso in Puebla state. The 42 deaths occurred in the state of Morelos south of Mexico City, the state’s governor, Graco Ramirez, said in a tweet. He offered his condolences to the victims. Tremors from the quake could be felt in Mexico City, about 76 miles northwest of the epicenter. ABC News

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Putin Displays Massive Firepower In Russian War Games On Border With Europe
Russia's big Zapad 2017 military exercises, believed to be the largest since the end of the Cold War, entered the news again on Tuesday after a video emerged appearing to show a Russian attack helicopter firing its rockets into a group of bystanders during drills. Russia's defense ministry confirmed the video was authentic, but the denied reports on Russian news site 66.ru, which first published the video, that two people had been injured in the incident. The ministry told Russian news agencies the Ka-52 helicopter's targeting computer had accidentally locked onto a military truck visible in the video, near several civilian cars, as it and another helicopter took part in army exercises. ABC News

Nancy Pelosi Issues "Emergency Request" To House Dems On Obamacare Repeal Effort
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called on her Democratic colleagues to mount an urgent messaging campaign against an Obamacare repeal proposal that could receive a vote in the Senate. "It is all hands on deck to defeat the latest version of Trumpcare, Graham-Cassidy," the California Democrat said in a letter to House Democrats, calling it an "emergency request." The bill, proposed by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina and Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, would need 51 votes to pass under the budget reconciliation process. CBS News
VOA VIEW: Obamacare recipients will lose big if the Senate does not approve the repeal.

University Of Rochester Students Accuse Professor Of Being A "Manipulative Sexual Predator"
The University of Rochester is responding to claims it mishandled sexual harassment allegations against one of its star professors. A complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) calls Florian Jaeger a "manipulative sexual predator." It also accuses university officials of retaliating against faculty who complained about his conduct. University of Rochester officials say they thoroughly investigated the allegations last year and found Jaeger did not break any of its policies, reports CBS News correspondent Anna Werner. But his accusers claim that investigation was shoddy.  CBS News
 

Gun-Wielding FBI Agents Busted Into Manafort’s Home While He Was Asleep
Gun-wielding FBI agents busted into Paul Manafort’s home as he was asleep in bed and even searched his wife for weapons, it was revealed Tuesday. Agents took an unusually tough approach in executing a search warrant, dealing with potential financial crimes by President Trump’s former campaign chief, sources familiar with the July 25 raid, told CNN. The pre-dawn, guns-blazing tactics and weapons search of Kathleen Manafort left the Alexandria, Va. couple shaken, according to CNN’s report. NY Post
VOA VIEW: The agent in charge must be interviewed and evaluated.

North Korean Insider Tells Of Kim Jong-un’s Teen Sex Slaves, Caviar Lunches And Gory Public Executions
Now in South Korea, Hee Yeon has spoken of what life was like inside the secretive rogue state. She told The Mirror she saw “terrible things” in her home city of Pyongyang despite her family’s relative privilege. She said officials came to her school to pick out teen schoolgirls to work at the chubby dictator’s homes. The escapee said they would only choose the prettiest girls, who were taught to feed him caviar massage him. If they refused they would “disappear”, she said. Hee Yeon – who has met the despot himself – also told how he would dine out on imported delicacies like caviar and Chinese “Bird’s Nest Soup” which can cost £2,000-a-kilo. And she described one occasion where she was forced to watch as a group of 11 musicians accused of making a pornographic video were slaughtered. The Sun

ACA Fix Scrapped As Focus Turns To Graham-Cassidy Bill
A bipartisan effort to fix the Affordable Care Act was scrapped on Tuesday as senators pressed their cases for and against the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill. Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., said they weren't able to come to an agreement on a bill to stabilize the individual health insurance market. They said they "had hoped to agree early this week on a limited, bipartisan plan to stabilize 2018 premiums in the individual health insurance market that we could take to Senate leaders by the end of the month." UPI

Trump's Pick For Ambassador: 'No Question Russia Interfered'
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, President Donald Trump's pick to be the U.S. ambassador to Russia, told Congress on Tuesday there's "no question Russia interfered" with the 2016 presidential election. Huntsman answered questions from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as part of his nomination process. He said Russia's attempts to interfere in the U.S. election threatened the two countries' relationship. Citing his time as Utah governor, he said, "you have nothing more important than the integrity of your election process," Huntsman said. UPI

Paula Jones’ Lawyers Are Back To Help Another Woman Sue A President
An amicus brief filed in a New York court today could cause a major headache for Donald Trump. And it’s all thanks to the Access Hollywood tape and some of the same law professors who helped make it possible for Paula Jones to sue Bill Clinton. Almost a year ago, on the first Friday in October, The Washington Post published to its website footage of Donald Trump having a little chat with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush. In the 2005 footage, Donald Trump bragged about sexual assaulting women. I don’t even ask, said the future president. I just kiss. He added that he also would “grab them by the pussy.” “When you’re a star, they let you do it.” He later dismissed it as “locker room talk.” Daily Beast

Bannon Orders Breitbart To Step Up Negative Coverage Of Trump-Backed Candidate
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on Tuesday morning ordered top editors at Breitbart to step up its overwhelmingly negative coverage of the Alabama Senate candidate backed by President Trump, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Trump has endorsed Luther Strange in the race that will decide who will fill the Senate seat vacated when Jeff Sessions became attorney general. Bannon, who returned to Breitbart as executive chairman following his exit from the White House, is supporting anti-establishment candidate Judge Roy Moore. Shortly after Bannon told top editors to increase the site's volume of reporting on the race, Matthew Boyle, Breitbart's Washington editor, told staff "the only story that matters until next week is Alabama." CNN
VOA VIEW: CNN is a liberal trouble maker.

Trump's U.N. Speech Shows Nationalist Instincts Firmly Intact
Chalk one up for the nationalists. Among the many signals that Donald Trump sent in his speech to the United Nations on Tuesday, one was especially clear: former chief strategist Steve Bannon’s White House departure has not muted the president’s “America First” foreign policy instincts. Trump’s eight months in office have been characterized by a sometimes dramatic tug-of-war between “globalists” and “nationalist” advisers who have sought to move the president in myriad ways on issues both domestic and international. Reuters

Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein Interviewed Over FBI Ex-Director's Firing
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office has interviewed U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about President Donald Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Citing unnamed people familiar with the investigation, the Journal said the interview occurred in June or July. Mueller is looking into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and whether Trump may have obstructed justice by firing Comey in May. Mueller, himself a former FBI director, ultimately reports to Rosenstein because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the probe. Reuters

Jitters And Surprise In South Korea And Japan Over Trump’s Speech To The U.N.
The United States’ closest allies in Asia seemed blindsided by President Trump’s latest outburst against North Korea, in which he threatened not just to act against Kim Jong Un’s regime, but also to destroy an entire country of 25 million people. In his maiden speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump derided Kim as “Rocket Man” and said the United States would “totally destroy North Korea” if needed to protect its allies. Those allies, Japan and South Korea, were silent on Trump’s threat to bring war to their neighborhood, while China and Russia both warned that Trump risked fueling tensions. The Washington Post

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Former First lady Laura Bush Offers Advice For Her Successors
Former first lady Laura Bush on Monday is offering some advice for others who take on that role in the White House. "Start with what you know," Bush said in an interview on "CBS This Morning." In her own case, as a librarian and teacher in her career, she opted to focus on literacy and founded the first national book festival as first lady. Bush will appear at a forum Monday with the first lady of Namibia, whom she worked with as part of the First Ladies Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, which urges leaders' spouses to use their status to improve health care and education for women and girls. She said she had a "huge advantage" in watching her mother-in-law Barbara Bush serve as first lady, which "had a huge influence on me." CBS News

Trump Threatens To ‘Totally Destroy’ North Korea In First U.N. Speech
President Donald Trump, in his first address to the United Nations, derided Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, as a “rocket man” on Tuesday as the president warned that he may be forced to "totally destroy" the rogue nation. "If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph," Trump said, as he detailed the horrors of what he called the "depraved" North Korean regime. "Rocket man is on a suicide mission," he said, using a nickname for Kim that refers to the North Korean leader's recent missile tests.  NBC News
VOA VIEW: Good - Un and his regime must be eliminated.

‘Catastrophic’ Category 5 Maria Takes Aim At Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were facing the wrath of Hurricane Maria after the powerful Category 5 storm wrecked the Caribbean island of Dominica on Tuesday and lashed the island of Guadaloupe with 160 mph winds. It was about 120 miles southeast of St. Croix as of 2 p.m. ET and moving at a speed of 10 mph. The eye was expected to "pass near or over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Wednesday," the National Hurricane Center warned. "Potentially catastrophic" were the words the NHC used to describe Maria. NBC News

Hillary Clinton Slams President Trump’s ‘Dangerous’ U.N. Speech
Hillary Clinton wasn’t the one speaking to the United Nations Tuesday, but she knew what she would have said. The former presidential nominee joined Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” and blasted President Trump’s speech as “very dark, dangerous.” “It’s not the kind of message that the leader of the greatest nation in the world should be delivering,” she said. Addressing the General Assembly Tuesday, Trump told diplomats from 193 nations that the United States is prepared to “totally destroy” North Korea. “No nation on Earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles,” he said.  NY Daily News
VOA VIEW: Hillary is a loser.

Trump Targets ‘Wicked Few’
President Donald Trump pinpointed North Korea, Iran and Syria as "the wicked few" rogue regimes that aim to stir chaos, turmoil and terror throughout the world and summoned nations to confront the menacing powers in his inaugural speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. "If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph," the president warned. In a dark address that immediately drew comparisons to President George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil" declaration in 2002, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea and scrap the Iranian nuclear agreement. US News & World Report

Key Democrat: ‘Naive' To Think DACA Will Pass Without Border Security
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) predicted on Tuesday that a fix for some undocumented immigrants would have to be attached to increased border security despite frustration from some House Democrats and outside groups about linking the two. "It is naive for us to believe we would get 12 Republicans to vote for DACA or DREAM Act without putting something on the table," he told reporters, asked about frustration among some activists. Democrats have 48 seats, including Independent Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Angus King (Maine), who caucus with them. To get legislation over a 60-vote procedural threshold they would need the support of at least 12 Republicans.  The Hill

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Rouhani: Iran Will React ‘Swiftly’ To US Withdrawal From Nuclear Deal
Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, on U.S. soil, on Monday repeated an earlier warning that Iran’s nuclear program could return within a short time to the condition it was in before the nuclear deal was implemented, should President Trump withdraw from the agreement. CNS

Woman Raised By Lesbians: LGBT Is An 'Extremist Minority' Pushing 'The Extinction Of Gender'
Millie Fontana, a donor-conceived child of lesbian parents, is a child's rights activist who believes that same-sex marriage and the push for "gender equality" is a ruse, a coordinated step by an "extremist minority" to end "gender altogether." If people can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer -- you name it -- and children are told they don't need a biological mother and a father, and that people of any gender may marry and obtain children in myriad ways, then gender loses its meaning. CNS

Trump Slams Socialism
“The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. (Applause) From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. "Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems. America stands with every person living under a brutal regime. Our respect for sovereignty is also a call for action. Grabien News

Trump Draws Applause At The UN For Blasting Iran's 'Murderous Regime'
Donald Trump unleashed broadside after broadside against Iran on Tuesday at the United Nations, warning that the 'rogue state' is still racing toward the completion of a nuclear weapon that would destabilize the entire Middle East. 'Major portions of the world are in conflict, and some in fact are going to hell,' he said, in a speech to the General Assembly that included direct attacks on Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. The Obama administration entered into an agreement with Tehran and five other world powers in 2016, which it said would prevent Iran's rise as a nuclear military power. Iran says it has a right to peaceful nuclear development for electric power, and denies that it is pursuing weapons. Daily Mail UK

World Leaders Skip Out On Trump
Leaders of some of the world’s most influential – or controversial – countries skipped Donald Trump’s debut at the United Nations rather than face the prospect of being caught up in an embarrassing controversy by the unpredictable U.S. president. The list of state leaders missing the international event is long and growing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are two of the highest profile absences. McClatchy DC
VOA VIEW: It's hard to compete and be next to the master.

Trump Administration Prepares To Ease Export Rules For U.S. Guns
The Trump administration is preparing to make it easier for American gun makers to sell small arms, including assault rifles and ammunition, to foreign buyers, according to senior U.S. officials. Aides to President Donald Trump are completing a plan to shift oversight of international non-military firearms sales from the State Department to the Commerce Department, four officials told Reuters. Reuters

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Trump’s Lawyer Trashes Russia Dossier, Says Document ‘Riddled With Total Falsehoods’
President Trump’s personal attorney on Tuesday lashed out at a Trump-Russia dossier that has fed conspiracy theories by Democrats and influenced the FBI, saying the document is “riddled with total falsehoods.” Michael Cohen also said he was as close to President Trump as any one during the campaign and never witnessed any collusion with Russia, as liberals constantly allege. Mr. Cohen released the statement as he was about to appear in private before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Mr. Cohen’s move so angered Committee Chairman Richard Burr, North Carolina Republican, that he canceled the session and said Mr. Cohen will now testify in public. Washington Times

Hillary Clinton Slams Trump, Russians During Appearance At Warner Theatre
Hours after saying she may still formally challenge the results of the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton returned to Washington on Monday night and said a “brilliant” psychological campaign by the Russians — perhaps in direct concert with the Trump campaign — had a major impact on the outcome last November. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: Hillary is nuts.

Twitter Trump And Teleprompter Trump Merge On Global Stage
President Donald Trump often functions in one of two modes. One is the unshackled, quick-to-feel-slighted contrarian who believes in two eyes for an eye and retweets videos that suggest violence against opponents like Hillary Clinton and CNN. The other is a president who is able to strike a unifying tone, stay on a script and deliver – at least in set pieces – performances that are line with the way the country has come to expect its leader to behave in high-stakes moments. (See: his generally appropriate remarks to those displaced by massive hurricanes in Texas and Florida, or his first address before a joint session of Congress last February.) But on Tuesday, at his first address in front of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, Trump was his least bifurcated self. POLITICO

The Struggalo Is Real: ‘Hybrid Gang’ Clown Family Fights the FBI
When nearly two thousand Insane Clown Posse fans descended on Washington, D.C. on Saturday to protest the FBI's classification of those who are "down with the clown" as a "Hybrid Gang," it was the first time that were met with widespread sympathy. Few paid attention when the FBI deemed the group's fans a gang of sorts in 2011. In 2014, Shaggy and Violent J— the two clown-face-painted members of the rap group—teamed up with the ACLU. Last year, the duo began planning for a march on the capital, and still only a handful of reporters took notice. But then the "Mother Of All Rallies," a pro-Trump gathering, was scheduled and permitted for the same day, in almost the same location. Daily Beast

Ellison Compares Illegal Immigrants To Jews Fleeing Nazi Germany
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is comparing giving sanctuary to illegal immigrants in the U.S. to giving shelter to Jews fleeing the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. "And if you ask yourself 'What would I do if I was a Gentile in 1941, if my Jewish neighbors were under attack by the Nazis? Would I give them sanctuary?'" Ellison said Monday in comments on President Trump's move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Ellison said that as many as 100 million Americans "are deeply connected to people who have immigrated to the United States, some with official papers, some with none." The Hill
VOA VIEW: Ellion doesn't know what he is talking about?

Hurricane Maria's First Victim
One dead and two missing on Guadeloupe after Category 5 storm roared past the island with 160-mph winds - and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hurricane Maria has claimed its first victim. Officials say one person died on Guadeloupe after being hit by a falling tree when the Category 5 storm hit the French Caribbean island overnight. Authorities say the person did not comply with orders to remain indoors on Tuesday morning. They say two other people are reported missing after their boat sank off La Desirade island, just east of Guadeloupe. About 40 percent of the island is without power. That's 80,000 homes. Flooding has been reported in several communities, especially along the southern coast.  Daily Mail UK

Fox News Takes Back The Lead As Most-Watched Cable Network
One week after dropping to second, Fox News finished the week of Sept. 11 as No. 1 cable network in total day viewers. The Weather Channel ranked No. 1 for the week of Sept. 4 due to its wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Irma. TWC’s performance broke FNC’s 35-week streak as basic cable’s most-watched network. And Fox News’s run as basic cable’s most-watched network in prime time ended this past week as ESPN took the lead, with the return on Monday Night Football. Fox News’s streak lasted 16 weeks. Despite Fox News’s dominance, the network delivered year-over-year audience declines. The network was down -13 percent in prime time viewers, and down -4 percent in total day. MSNBC finished No. 3 in prime time viewers, and No. 4 in total day viewers this past week.  AdWeek

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Obamacare Repeal Must Move Quickly, Says Senate's McConnell
The U.S. Senate’s top Republican on Tuesday urged quick action on a bill to repeal Obamacare but stopped short of promising to bring it to the Senate floor for a vote, as the clock ticks down on the latest attempt to kill the 2010 healthcare law. Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s Republican leader, called the legislation drafted by senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy “an intriguing idea and one that has a great deal of support.” Reuters

Ryan, White House Reject Bipartisan Health Fix
House Speaker Paul Ryan and the White House have informed Senate Republican leaders that they oppose a bipartisan plan to stabilize Obamacare being written in the Senate, according to Trump administration and congressional sources, in a clear bid to boost the Senate's prospects of repealing the health law. After Senate Republicans failed to repeal Obamacare in July, talks began on fixing the law rather than dismantling it. POLITICO

No One Country Can Resolve Global Challenges Single-Handedly, Zambia Stresses At UN Assembly
Reaffirming Zambia’s commitment to international cooperation to address the challenges facing the planet, the country’s President today called on world leaders to come together and act boldly for the sake of the shared future. “In this globalized and inter-dependent world, no country, however wealthy or powerful, can resolve all these challenges single-handedly,” said Edgar Chagwa Lungu, addressing the general debate at the 72nd session of the General Assembly. “Common solutions are, therefore, required through a strong United Nations,” he added.  United Nations

At General Assembly, France Urges Return To Optimism, Values That Underpinned UN’s Founding
Citing a litany of world crises and quoting directly from victims of man-made and natural disasters, French President Emmanuel Macron today called for a return to the optimism and universal values that inspired the founding of the United Nations 72 years ago, taking into the account the new realities of the 21st century. “In the 21st century we need a responsible and efficient United Nations endowed with the means to overcome its owns blockages when hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake,” he told the 72nd UN General Assembly on the opening day of its general debate, calling on the UN Security Council’s five permanent members to forgo their right of veto in cases of mass atrocities. United Nations

Graham-Cassidy Bill Violates The 'First, Do No Harm'
In 1983, Senator Bill Cassidy became a physician, reciting the oath that physicians have repeated for a millennium — first do not harm. Today, in proposing his repeal and replace bill with Senator Graham, Senator Cassidy violates that oath. The Graham-Cassidy bill repeals the Medicaid expansion, allows states to waive essential health benefit requirements, and eliminates subsidies that allow low income people to purchase health insurance and health care. This will profoundly harm many of America’s most vulnerable citizens, among them, those affected by the opioid epidemic. The bill would weaken the fight against the effects of opioids.  Hill
VOA VIEW: Liberal nonsense.

FEMA Charters Cruise Ship For National Guard In U.S. Virgin Islands
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to use a cruise ship to house National Guard members in the U.S. Virgin Islands helping in the territory's recovery from Hurricane Irma. The MV Grand Celebration will arrive in St. Thomas on Saturday and will be contracted with FEMA through late December, the cruise ship's owner and operator, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, announced Tuesday. St. Thomas is also in the path of another Category 5 hurricane, Maria. The company, which owns only the one ship, plans to resume two-night cruises from the Port of Palm Beach in Florida to the Grand Bahama Islands on Dec. 23. The ship, which was used by Carnival Cruise Lines from 1987-2014, includes 750 staterooms and has a capacity of 1,900 passengers.  UPI

LSU's Phi Delta Theta Fraternity Suspended After Potential Hazing Death
The Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Louisiana State University has been formally suspended after an investigation was launched into a suspected hazing death of a student. Matthew Raymond Gruver, 18, was taken from the Phi Delta Theta fraternity to a nearby hospital Thursday morning where he died shortly after. Police are investigating a potential hazing incident involving Phi Delta Theta. Although the cause of death for Gruver is still unknown, a highly-elevated blood alcohol level and the chemical found in marijuana were found in his system according to the preliminary results of his autopsy. Thursday, the fraternity's general headquarters announced the suspension and removal of the charter from the university while mentioning Gruver's death. UPI

Republican Texas House Speaker Calls For Removal Of Confederate Plaque From Capitol
Joe Straus, the Republican speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, has requested that a Confederate plaque be removed from the state Capitol, The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday. “The plaque says that the Civil War was not an act of rebellion and was not primarily about slavery. This is not accurate, and Texans are not well-served by incorrect information about our history,” Straus wrote to the State Preservation Board. Daily Beast

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