Treasury
employee charged with leaking financial info on Trump campaign officials,
Russians
A Treasury employee has been arrested and charged with leaking multiple
reports about financial transactions relating to former Trump campaign
chief Paul Manafort, campaign official Richard Gates, accused Russian agent
Maria Butina and the Russian Embassy, federal law enforcement officials
said Wednesday. Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards is accused of illegally
photographing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARS) -- which are sent by banks
and other financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potential
illegal activity -- and leaking them to the press. Edwards worked as a
senior adviser at the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement
Network (FinCEN), according to a press release by the Southern District
of New York. Fox
VOA VIEW: The madness and left wing craziness
doesn't end.
ICE
forced to release illegal immigrants out of the front door in Arizona
amid space crunch, migrant surge
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials
faced with a lack of housing space, an agreement that limits how long
they can detain families and a massive increase in the number of border
crossers are having to resort to releasing illegal immigrants and asylum
seekers "out of the front door" in Arizona. Sheriff Leon Wilmot, head of
the Arizona Sheriffs Association, told Fox News that sheriffs have been
told ICE has run out of available space in its detention facilities and
has not been able to keep up with the pace of people crossing the border
and presenting themselves at ports of entry. Fox
VOA VIEW: Total madness.
Admin
wants to bring DACA case back to Supreme Court quickly with Kavanaugh in
With Brett Kavanaugh on the bench, the Justice
Department signaled on Wednesday that it wants to expedite lawsuits concerning
Trump administration positions through the lower courts in order to get
them before the Supreme Court's newly formed five-justice conservative
majority. The latest example came in a letter from to the 9th US Circuit
Court of Appeals warning if there wasn't a decision soon on the administration's
planned phase out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program
-- the Obama-era program that protects young undocumented immigrants who
came to the United States as children from deportation -- the Justice Department
would go directly to the Supreme Court. CNN
VOA VIEW: The Supreme Court is more
conservative.
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Judging
the Kavanaugh effect in key Senate races
President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans
have said they'll turn the vote on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the
Supreme Court into an asset in November, while Democrats have made it clear
they'd rather talk about health care or taxes. There's evidence that in
swing states critical to Democrats' Senate hopes in the Midwest, support
for Kavanaugh could hurt several incumbent Democrats. Others, less endangered,
could see a bump from their opposition to him. The region has become a
key battleground in 2018 as
Democrats try to regain momentum where Trump beat them in 2016. Trump's
approval rating is at 42% across Midwestern states, according to a recent
CNN poll conducted by SSRS, about the same as nationwide, where it's 41%.
CNN
VOA VIEW: Midterm results will make CNN
and other liberal media realize they misjudge Americans.
Rand
Paul: Saudis 'Are Not Our Friends'
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a member of the Foreign
Relations Committee, said he spoke to President Trump this past weekend,
"and I told him that we need to cut off arms to Saudi Arabia." "For over
a year now, I have been trying to get Congress to stop sending more arms
to Saudi Arabia," Paul told Fox News's Neil Cavuto on Tuesday. "It's important
to remember that Saudi Arabia is the largest state sponsor of radical Islam.
They fund tens of thousands of madrassas around the world, Pakistan, India,
Indonesia, Philippines, all teaching hatred of America. They have been
doing this for decades. They are not our friends." CNS
News
VOA VIEW: No Islamic nation is our true
friend.
Russians
Are Among the Foreign Observers of U.S. Midterm Elections
When American voters go to the polls on November
6, an international team invited by the State Department to observe the
elections will include six Russians, selected and paid for by President
Vladimir Putins government. The six Russians, including two members of
the countrys Central Election Commission, will join 30 others from 11
other countries all members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) to assess the mid-term elections for compliance with
international obligations and standards for democratic elections. CNS
News
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Plane
carrying first lady Melania Trump turns around after 'burning' smell reported
on board
A plane carrying first lady Melania Trump was
forced to turn around shortly after takeoff Wednesday after reports of
a "burning smell" by members of the press on board the flight. A Fox News
reporter said there was a thin haze of smoke and smell [of] something
burning. The smell quickly became stronger about 10 minutes after takeoff,
she added. The smell was reportedly coming from a malfunctioning comms
unit on board. The first lady's communications director Stephanie Grisham
said in a statement that it was simply a "minor mechanical issue," and
added, "everything is fine and everyone is safe. ABC
Trump:
'Not at all' giving cover to the Saudis in Jamal Khashoggi disappearance
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his
recent comments about Saudi Arabia's denials of any involvement in the
disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi were not an
attempt to give the oil-rich ally cover. No not at all, I just want to
find out what's happening, Trump told reporters. He added that he expects
to know who is at fault for Khashoggis alleged murder by the end of the
week. His comments came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with
Turkish President Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu
and refused to express any doubt or skepticism about the legitimacy of
a Saudi investigation into Khashoggis disappearance. ABC
VOA VIEW: There must be full facts before
any judgment is made.
Federal
Reserve unanimously backed higher interest rates, despite Trump
President Donald Trump's unhappiness with the
Federal Reserve for hiking interest rates seems to be having little sway
with policymakers. Central bank officials were unified in voting last month
to boost rates by a quarter point, the Fed's account of its September policy
meeting shows. Some members of the rate-setting panel -- the Federal Open
Market Committee -- also indicated it might be necessary to raise rates
more aggressively to keep the economy from overheating. But others argued
against stronger tightening of monetary policy without "clear signs" the
economy is running hot. Mr. Trump said Tuesday in an interview with Fox
Business Network that he views the Fed as his "biggest threat," criticizing
Chairman Jerome Powell and other Fed officials for moving "too fast" to
raise interest rates. CBS
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Budget
deficit hits highest level in 6 years after tax cuts
Earlier this week, the Treasury Department announced
that the U.S. deficit has ballooned to $779 billion. Stephanie Ruhle breaks
down how the GOP tax cuts and increased spending are pushing the country
deeper into debt. Policy advisor with America First Policy Andrew Puzder
and former New Jersey Senator Bob Torricelli join the conversation. MSNBC
New
York State gets back 90 cents for each dollar it sends to D.C.
New York State got back 90 cents in federal spending
for every dollar it sent to Washington last year, one of the highest imbalances
in payments between the states and federal government, according to a new
report. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, in a 35-page report released
Wednesday, found New York residents and businesses sent nearly $250 billion
to Washington in income tax payments, Social Security tax, unemployment
insurance tax and other payments in the fiscal year ended September 2017.
The state got back $225.7 billion in federal spending, including Medicaid
and Social Security payments, grants and salaries for federal employees
working in the state. The imbalance $24.1 billion equals 90 cents in
federal spending in New York for every dollar sent to Washington. Newsday
VOA VIEW: NY gets the best buy.
Legalize
marijuana but cautiously, prosecutor tells state Assembly in Manhattan
Make pot legal for adults, the capital city's
top prosecutor urged the Assembly on Tuesday but be careful. In arguing
for legalization, Albany District Attorney David Soares and other proponents
at an all-day hearing in Manhattan cited the disproportionate arrest rate
of blacks and Hispanics for marijuana despite comparable use among whites;
the benefits of reallocating police and prosecutorial resources to more
pressing priorities and expunging criminal records of those convicted of
behavior that could soon be legal; and the opportunities for a legalized,
regulated and taxed marijuana market. Newsday
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Melania
Trump visits babies, moms affected by opioid crisis
First lady Melania Trump toured a hospital's
neonatal care unit Wednesday to learn about the treatment given to newborns
suffering from opioid withdrawal, after she was initially delayed by mechanical
issues on her plane. Her flight was forced to return to a Washington-area
military base because of smoke in the cabin, and she took a different plane
to make the trip to Philadelphia. Mrs. Trump spoke briefly at a conference
at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on newborns who have been exposed
to opioids while in the womb. The hospital has provided care to mothers
with opioid use disorder and their newborn children for more than 45 years.
Las
Vegas Sun
Trump
to Withdraw U.S. From Postal Treaty, Squeezing China
President Donald Trump plans to withdraw the
U.S. from a 192-nation treaty that gives Chinese companies discounted shipping
rates for small packages sent to American consumers, another escalation
of his economic confrontation of Beijing. U.S. officials said the administration
sought to revise the treaty in September and was rebuffed by other nations,
prompting the decision to withdraw. The State Department will deliver a
notice to the Universal Postal Union in Switzerland Wednesday, White House
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. Under the unions
framework it takes a year for a country to withdraw, during which rates
can be renegotiated. The officials, who briefed reporters on condition
of anonymity, said postal rates wouldnt change for at least six months,
and that the U.S. would prefer to stay inside the unions system. Bloomberg
VOA VIEW: America First is starting to
escalate.
Mueller
Ready to Deliver Key Findings in His Trump Probe
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to
issue findings on core aspects of his Russia probe soon after the November
midterm elections as he faces intensifying pressure to produce more indictments
or shut down his investigation, according to two U.S. officials. Specifically,
Mueller is close to rendering judgment on two of the most explosive aspects
of his inquiry: whether there were clear incidents of collusion between
Russia and Donald Trumps 2016 campaign, and whether the president took
any actions that constitute obstruction of justice, according to one of
the officials, who asked not to be identified speaking about the investigation.
That doesnt necessarily mean Muellers findings would be made public if
he doesnt secure unsealed indictments. Bloomberg
VOA VIEW: The American people are tired
of Mueller's wasteful witch hunt.
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Mike
Pompeo visits Turkey as newspaper claims damning evidence against Saudi
Arabia in Khashoggi case
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told journalists
before leaving Riyadh on Wednesday that Saudi leaders, including King Salman
and his son, the 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "made no
exceptions on who they would hold accountable." "They made a commitment
to hold anyone connected to any wrongdoing that may be found accountable
for that, whether they are a senior officer or official," Pompeo said.
But he admitted that he had learned very little about the actual case of
the missing journalist from his meetings in Riyadh. "I don't want to talk
about any of the facts," Pompeo told journalists. CBS
Salesforce
CEO: tech billionaires 'hoard their money' and won't help homeless
Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO, has escalated
his attacks on fellow San Francisco billionaires, saying they are hoarding
money and dont want to help the homeless. In an interview with the Guardian
on Tuesday, the tech entrepreneur intensified his criticisms of Jack Dorsey,
the CEO of Twitter, saying: He just doesnt want to give, thats all.
And he hasnt given anything of consequence in the city. Benioffs recent
efforts to call out ultra-wealthy business leaders has caused divides in
the tech industry, which has typically been united in its resistance to
taxes that could fund services and combat income inequality.
Guardian
A
tale of two houses: how Jared Kushner fuelled the Trump-Saudi love-in
A key player in the US-Saudi relationship is
conspicuously missing from the talks held in Riyadh by the US secretary
of state, Mike Pompeo, to try to defuse the international crisis over the
disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi. Jared Kushner helped build the alliance
between the House of Saud and the House of Trump. The presidents son-in-law
and senior adviser took the lead in promoting Mohammed bin Salman as a
Saudi visionary, and persuaded the administration to hitch US Middle East
policy to the princes rising star. Together the two thirty-something princelings,
MBS and Kushner, stayed up late into the night planning to remake the map
of the Middle East with bold thinking and mountains of cash.
Guardian
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US
ready to negotiate free trade deal with UK 'as soon as' Britain quits the
EU
The US has confirmed it will be well prepared
to start negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain as soon
as the UK has left the European Union. Donald Trump, the US President,
has formally notified Congress of his intention to initiate negotiations
on a trade agreement in a major boost for Theresa May as she heads to Brussels
for a crunch summit. The Prime Minister will travel to the continent on
Wednesday afternoon before addressing EU leaders in the evening when she
will try to persuade them to break a negotiating impasse. The confirmation
that the US is preparing for trade talks with Britain to start immediately
after the UK has left the EU on March 29, 2019. Telegraph
VOA VIEW: Good for UK.
How
a quiet Green revolution is sweeping German politics
German politics has experienced a quiet revolution
in the past week. For more than a year, the fear of a populist surge has
dominated the national debate. All eyes have been on the Alternative for
Germany party (AfD). But when the upset came last weekend, it was from
an unexpected quarter: the Green Party. The Greens surged to second place
in Bavarian regional elections, almost doubling their vote. And it has
not stopped there. A national poll this week has them in second place across
Germany, leapfrogging both the AfD and the centre-Left Social Democrats
(SDP). But Angela Merkel and her coalition partners should have known about
the danger of a Green surge. It has been a long time coming. Telegraph
Northrop
Grumman wins $697 million U.S. defense contract
Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) has been awarded
a $697 million U.S. defense contract for upgrades to the EA-18G Growler
and EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft for the U.S. Navy and the
government of Australia, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. Reuters
Senate
panel wants to question Hyundai, Kia over engine fire reports
The Senate Commerce Committees Republican chairman
and ranking Democrat said on Wednesday they had asked top U.S. executives
at Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) to testify
at a Nov. 14 hearing on reports of engine fires involving vehicles from
the Korean automakers. The call to testify comes after safety advocates
raised concerns about fires in vehicles not involved in collisions. The
non-profit, consumer advocacy group Center for Auto Safety said last week
that 103 fire complaints had been filed with U.S. safety regulators since
June 12 and urged an immediate recall of nearly 3 million vehicles.
Reuters
World
population set to grow another 2.2 billion by 2050
The worlds population is set to grow by 2.2
billion between now and 2050, the UN said on Wednesday, and more than half
of that growth - 1.3 billion - is likely to be in sub-Saharan Africa, where
womens rights are hampered by limited access to healthcare and education,
along with entrenched gender discrimination. Monica Ferro, Director of
the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Geneva, said the trend globally is towards
smaller families, indicating that more people are making choices about
exactly how many children they want, or can afford to raise. Despite the
gradual transition to lower fertility rates, which began in Europe in the
late 19th century, no country can claim that all their citizens enjoy reproductive
rights at all times, Ms Ferro told journalists at a press briefing.
UN
VOA VIEW: A bad projection.
Veteran
UN Syria Envoy to step down, pledges to work 'until the last hour' for
peace
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, told
the Security Council on Wednesday that he is stepping down at the end of
next month, after four years and four months on the job. Staffan de Mistura,
said that he had been discussing with the Secretary-General my desire
for purely personal reasons to move on. I have deeply appreciated his constant
support and wise counsel on this matter. But briefing the 15-member Council
on an invitation from the Government of Syria to visit Damascus next week,
he said he would continue in his post up to the end of November, in an
effort to get UN-backed peace talks on track, and help lay the groundwork
for a new constitution. UN News
Marine
who saved 20 lives during Vietnam receives Medal of Honor
President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor
on Wednesday to a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant major who saved more
than a dozen fellow Marines during the Vietnam War. Retired Sgt. Maj. John
L. Canley was presented with the nation's highest military honor in the
East Room of the White House for his actions during the Battle of Hue City
in February 1968, which Trump regarded as "one of the bloodiest." He praised
Canley for his "unmatched bravery" and fearlessness. UPI
Israel
answers rocket fire with airstrikes on Gaza Strip
Israeli fighter jets targeted three areas in
the Gaza Strip Wednesday -- retaliation for an earlier rocket attack --
amid intense rioting along the border that may lead to more attacks on
Hamas. Officials said the airstrikes killed a 25-year-old man. Earlier
Wednesday, a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip hit a home in Beersheba,
Israel. No injuries were reported. UPI
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