Former U.S. Attorneys Predict Criminal Charges in FBI’s Probe of Clinton Server

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Two former U.S. attorneys said the FBI will likely reach a determination in the next few months in its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server, and based on publicly available evidence said the bureau could have a strong criminal case.

“I expect the FBI to conclude the investigation within 60 to 90 days and make a recommendation to the Justice Department, and I believe they will recommend a series of charges involving the classified information,” said Joseph DiGenova, who was U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia during the Reagan administration.

The FBI has been investigating whether classified information was mishandled over Clinton’s private email server since at least August. The probe reportedly has expanded to include contracts awarded by the State Department in relation to Clinton Foundation donors.

“These classified information cases are relatively simple cases to get into, and the FBI knows that what the Clinton people did with regard to her server was a clear violation of federal criminal law,” DiGenova added. “It is the negligent handling of classified information, which is prohibited by statute, and this is a gross example of it, and it dwarfs the information in the [David] Petraeus case.”

Matthew Whitaker, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa under President George W. Bush, said there is growing public evidence that laws were broken. (Read more from “Former U.S. Attorneys Predict Criminal Charges in FBI’s Probe of Clinton Server” HERE)

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Wal-Mart Just Made a MAJOR Announcement… This Will Be Horrible for Workers

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The world’s largest retailer is closing 269 stores, including 154 in the U.S. that includes all of its locations under its smallest-format concept store called Wal-Mart Express. The other big chunk is in its challenging Brazilian market.

The stores being shuttered account for a fraction of the company’s 11,000 stores worldwide and less than 1 percent of its global revenue. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the store closures will affect 16,000 workers, 10,000 of them in the U.S. Its global workforce is 2.2 million, 1.4 million in the U.S. alone . . .

The announcement comes three months after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Doug McMillon told investors that the world’s largest retailer would review its fleet of stores with the goal of becoming more nimble in the face of increased competition from all fronts, including from online rival Amazon.com.

“Actively managing our portfolio of assets is essential to maintaining a healthy business,” McMillon said in a statement. “Closing stores is never an easy decision. But it is necessary to keep the company strong and positioned for the future.”

Michael Exstein, an analyst at Credit Suisse, described the moves as “baby steps” in his report published Friday, but he believes they are positive ones. He noted that this is the first mass closing that Wal-Mart has announced in at least two decades. (Read more from “Wal-Mart Just Made a MAJOR Announcement… This Will Be Horrible for Workers” HERE)

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Bush Proves GOPe Stunningly Tone Deaf

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It is patently evident that the fate of the nation lies solely in the hands of the American people. Both political parties have serious flaws.

The Democrats have become the party of Socialists and, thus, offer nothing for the future of America except dependence on government which ultimately and historically leads to iron-fisted control of the people. The get-free-stuff crowd eventually comes to the harsh reality that under Socialism the hand-outs become more and more meager as the government determines what, when and how much. The heavy burden of Socialism eventually takes its toll. Over time, it spurs a desire for freedom, self-determination and free-market capitalism as it again beats in the melancholy hearts of the down-trodden who were so eager to give up their freedom and independence. That is the future offered by the Democrat Party.

The Republican Party, by contrast, touts Constitutionally based freedoms and a free-market where the people are not constrained by a heavy-handed government, but are driven by their own energies and desires to personally succeed and grow a nation with liberty at its core. That is the future that may still be offered by the Republican Party — if it does not let its old-establishment leaders get in the way. The greater the distance by the GOPe from the nation’s founding values and ideals, the greater the rebellion from the base that is refusing to be pushed around.

The cold reality of the extent of the divide within the party came when it was reported by the Associated Press that GOP establishment Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush says that he finally “got it” in regard to the angry mood of the American people. The U.S. News & World Reports’ headline reads, “Bush tells AP he misjudged intensity of anger among GOP voters before his White House campaign.” Though his campaign is most associated with the old-party elites, Bush is not alone in that potentially terminal disconnect.

The old dogs of Capitol Hill, too long cushy in their jobs, now fear the new bloods that look to turn them out into the streets. The GOP establishment (GPOe) has been amply and repeatedly warned about neglecting the concerns of its constituency.

An example of such a warning is an article I wrote, “The Spine of the GOP,” on May 3, 2011, citing what amounted to years of desertion by the GOP establishment. The initial outsiders became the conservative and moderate voters within the party. Governor Bush confirmed what middle America has long known, elitist Republicans — who also hold disdain for so-called outsider Republican candidates in the race of for the Presidency — had become increasingly detached. They were more immersed in retaining power and control than in serving the people.

Consider that the following article was written as a warning to the GOP establishment five years ago. With some ironic déjà vu, note that Donald Trump was also in the aim and was the bane of the GPOe back then. The mood of the electorate was souring with the American people already fed-up with promises not kept by elected officials.

“The Spine of the GOP,” by Sharon Sebastian, May 3, 2011 —

“Myopically, Republicans are asking themselves – why are voters swooning over Trump?

Republican voters began feeling disenfranchised in 2005-2006 when core conservative principles were discarded by a GOP in search of the independent and liberal vote. The outcry of being constituents without representation rang true in conservative circles. Unwarranted spending sprees and unprotected borders had dire consequences for the GOP in 2008 as liberals swept the vote. Once burned, voters today warn that a GOP that compromises values, rights and freedoms could mean the death knell of the party. In 2010, after two harried years of Barack Obama, voters put the GOP on life-support, which opened the door for a fragile recovery – a recovery that relies on spending cuts, defunding Obamacare, restraints on the EPA and an end to onerous backdoor, economy-killing government regulations. The Republican Party has prospects for new life – a half-life at best – until it proves itself to be a party of leadership in defense of the Constitution, adherence to fiscal responsibility and Americans’ God-given rights and liberties.

On such unsteady ground, GOP candidates fear Donald Trump. Consensus is that the appeal of Trump is his bluntness, his unreserved frankness about the dire condition of the country and who put us there. Trump wisely acquiesced that if his joining the race as an Independent would assure re-election of Barack Obama, then he would not do it. Trump says his focus is to make certain that Obama does not see another four years in office. Trump appears to have no interest in being eviscerated by the American people as the historical spoiler who helped push the nation into its demise by aiding, inadvertently or not, in the re-election of Barack Obama.

Politicians need to know that the American people are in no mood. If politicians are sitting in Congress taking up space and enjoying top of the line benefits, free gas, and a free ride at the expense of American families, then voters are done with you. If a politician is willing through compromise to sell-out this nation’s future, voters are done with you. If a politician abuses and refuses to listen to constituents’ concerns whether at town halls or on phone calls, they are done with you. And, if politicians disregard a revival of Constitutional principles, the balancing of the budget, the guidance of the founding faith and the immeasurable sacrifice and value of our men and women in the military, voters are done with you.

The American voter is developing a fine sense of detecting political double-speak versus earnest representatives who say what they mean and mean what they say. To restore this nation, politicians with a spine, who will not back down on issues of major consequence, must become America’s future leaders. Those who leech off of this nation, as it struggles for survival, are the antithesis of our founding fathers and have become the enemy within. Though a few slipped through during the last election, serial compromisers need not apply. Whether in office or running for office, it will not be wise to test the ire of the American voter with old style GOP give-away-the-farm politics as usual.”

So, where does the nation stand five years later? That Barack Obama is the root cause of and, with determination, accelerated the failing of our nation at home and abroad is now part of history. The final chapter of his legacy is to be written in 2016 with more threats of unconstitutional executive orders. Fully aware of Obama’s goal to downgrade America under the guise of “transformation”, the established, old-guard Republicans did little to abate his executive lawlessness, and indeed aided and abetted in some cases. Such cooperation and compromise with Obama’s agenda and the unprecedented empowerment of his presidency by Congress assigns cause for America’s demise to both sides of the aisle. It bears repeating. Those in Congress that took a stand against the tide of a progressively socialistic and weakened America — those politicians with a spine who will not back down on issues of major consequence — must become America’s future leaders.

Reminiscent of the quote from the late baseball manager Yogi Berra, the warning in the article posted five years ago to the GOPe, is today “like déjà vu all over again.” That Jeb Bush just now realizes that he “misjudged the intensity of the anger of the GOP voter” confirms that which the base of the party was already sorely aware. His statement gives credence that in regard to the established Republican elites, the Constitutionally-grounded, traditional voice in the GOP was being ignored. Today, that voice is making itself heard. They refuse to remain a constituency without representation. Beyond the halls of Congress and the campaign trail, Americans will have the final say. Voting to preserve our nation is the final message that must be delivered in what is, unquestionably, a struggle for America’s future. That is the most critical warning of all. (For more from the author of “Bush Proves GOPe Stunningly Tone Deaf” please click HERE)

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Sharon Sebastian, author of the book, “AGING: WARNING– Navigating Life’s Medical, Mental & Financial Minefields,” is a columnist, commentator, and contributor in print and on nationwide broadcasts on topics ranging from healthcare, culture, religion, and politics to domestic and global policy. Sebastian’s political and cultural analyses are published nationally and internationally.

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Watch: Man Uses Microchip Implanted in Hand to Pass Through Airport Security

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A man who implanted a microchip containing his airline booking details into his hand was able to use it to pass effortlessly through security to his flight.

Andreas Sjöström, vice president of digital for technology consulting company Sogeti, had the near-field communication chip (NFC) about the size of a grain of rice injected into his hand with a syringe, before using it at Stockholm Arlanda Airport to pass through security and board his plane.

The technology has been used before to make digital payments, control a mobile phone and unlock doors, in the same way contactless payment cards work. All it requires is a scanner to link up to that is compatible with the NFC.

Sjöström uploaded his Scandinavian Airlines EuroBonus member ID to the xNT implant and using NFC readers in the Swedish airport was able to register his boarding pass and passport by simply pressing his hand to a scanner.

Uploading a video of his effort to Youtube, Sjöström explained: “A few weeks ago I had an NFC chip implanted into my hand, just beneath the skin. In this video I use the chip to pass through Stockholm Arlanda airport, through security, at the lounge, and finally through the gate to the aircraft.” (Read more from “Watch: Man Uses Microchip Implanted in Hand to Pass Through Airport Security” HERE)

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Canadians Are Going Loonie on Social Media About THIS

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It is often said that a free-floating currency acts as a shock absorber.

But when Canadians go shopping for groceries these days, they’re getting nothing but the shock—sticker shock, that is.

On Tuesday, the Canadian dollar, commonly known as the loonie, broke below 70 U.S. cents for the first time since May 1, 2003.

For America’s northern neighbor, which imports about 80 percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables its citizens consume, this entails a sharp rise in prices for these goods. With lower-income households tending to spend a larger portion of income on food, this side effect of a soft currency brings them the most acute stress.

James Price, director of Capital Markets Products at Richardson GMP, recently joked during an interview on BloombergTV Canada that “we’re going to be paying a buck a banana pretty soon.” (Read more from “Canadians Are Going Loonie on Social Media About THIS” HERE)

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Watch: Cruz Kicks off Debate With Massive Shot at Obama; Trump Excels, Doubles Lead

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By B. Christopher Agee. Thursday’s GOP economy-focused presidential primary debate, hosted by the Fox Business Network, sought to get Sen. Ted Cruz’s take on Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address. Specifically, moderator Maria Bartiromo wanted to know what differences Cruz had with the optimistic economic picture Obama painted during Tuesday’s speech.

Saving his direct answer for the latter portion of his response, however, Cruz used the opportunity to address a pressing issue Obama’s address completely ignored.

“Today,” he said, “many of us picked up our newspapers and we were horrified to see the sight of 10 American sailors on their knees with their hands on their heads.”

Referring to the ships seized by Iranian forces earlier this week, Cruz lamented that Obama “didn’t so much as mention” their plight during his speech even as nine men and one woman remained in custody. He also noted that the act came just days before a deal is set to go into effect that would lift sanctions with Iran, releasing more than $100 billion.

Though the situation is “heartbreaking,” Cruz noted that “the good news is the next commander in chief is standing on this stage.”

If he is successful in his White House bid, the Texas legislator gave his word that “no serviceman or service woman will be forced to be on their knees.” (Read more from “Watch: Cruz Kicks off Debate With Massive Shot at Obama, Makes Powerful Vow to America” HERE)

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Trump’s Lead Over Cruz Doubles in Latest Poll

By Mark Murray. Donald Trump has more than doubled his national lead in the Republican presidential race ahead of Thursday night’s GOP debate here, according to the results from a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Trump is the first choice of 33 percent of national Republican primary voters – his highest percentage in the poll. He’s followed by Ted Cruz at 20 percent, Marco Rubio at 13 percent and Ben Carson at 12 percent. Chris Christie and Jeb Bush are tied at five percent. No other Republican presidential candidate gets more than 3 percent.

Trump’s 13-point lead over Cruz is an increase from last month, when he held a five-point advantage over the Texas senator, 27 percent to 22 percent. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Priebus, Trump, Fiorina, Paul and Now Huckabee Keep Eligibility Question Alive

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Shortly before a closed-door “Huckabee Huddle” with local pastors, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee weighed in on the question of the week. Yes: He too had questions about whether Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), born in Canada to a Cuban father and American mother, was eligible for the presidency. It certainly seemed to pose a problem.

“When it first surfaced, I didn’t think it did,” Huckabee said. “But after now reading a number of very thoughtful pieces by constitutional experts, I think it should give everybody a little concern. It’s an issue that’s got to be dealt with. There was one article from Lawrence Tribe, and there was another from a professor who wrote in The Washington Post, and it was very compelling argument. It was not a political argument. This person gave very serious reasons as to why this was a serious question.”

In a few words, Huckabee became at least the fourth rival to Cruz to ask whether his eligibility could be questioned. Carly Fiorina cited “legal scholars” who had judged the issue “legitimate.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who had once brushed off the question, suddenly called it a potential problem. And then there was Donald Trump, whose predictable obsession with the topic seemed to finally end the mutual admiration pact between Cruz and himself.

Listen to Constitutional Law Attorney KrissAnne Hall discuss the eligibility issue at 18:14:

That would have been bad enough, had Republicans as eminent as RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Gov. Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) refused to simply call Cruz eligible, or call the question ridiculous. Today, as Cruz campaigns in South Carolina, his supporters see the entire eligibility debate as an obvious bad faith ploy. (Read more from “Priebus, Fiorina, Paul and Now Huckabee Raise the Eligibility Question” HERE)

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Read the Gun ‘Seizure’ Bill Introduced by Democrats That Will Likely Send a Chill Down the Spines of Georgia Gun Owners

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Six Democrats in Georgia’s state House of Representatives unveiled a bill on Jan. 11 that would “require seizure” of “certain weaponry and ammunition” that is deemed as contraband, effectively banning “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.”

HB 731, which is sponsored by Mary Margaret Oliver, Carolyn Hugley, Pat Gardiner, Stacey Abrams, Dar’shun Kendrick and Dee Dawkins-Haigler, would amend current law to “prohibit the possession, sale, transport, distribution or use of certain assault weapons, large capacity magazines, armor-piercing bullets, and incendiary .50 caliber bullets.”

The text of the bill goes on to say that certain weapons would be required to be seized by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with increased penalties for use and possession of machine guns, among other related regulations.

Photo Credit: The Blaze

Information posted to sponsor Oliver’s website clearly notes that HB 731, which was introduced on the first day of the 2016 session, would “ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.” (Read more from “Read the Gun ‘Seizure’ Bill Introduced by Democrats That Will Likely Send a Chill Down the Spines of Georgia Gun Owners” HERE)

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Fox News Contributor Watches SOTU Address, Instantly Realizes What Obama REALLY Thinks of America

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Fox News contributor Mary Katherine Ham summarized her take-away from President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night in one sentence, which generated a huge response online, with one commenter simply responding that the media personality, “Nailed it.”

Ham tweeted: “The President is very disappointed in us for not fulfilling the promises of his ’08 speeches.”

The Townhall editor’s observation has been retweeted over 1000 times and generated many replies. Townhall senior editor Ed Morrissey wrote, “I blame you. You’re the one who crushed Obama’s dreams.” Another commenter added, “Like the gas prices that he wanted to soar, but are low.” One mimicked the president, “That’s not who we are.” And still another predicted the president’s next book: “Dreams of My Subjects” . . .

As reported by Western Journalism, liberal radio talk show host Tavis Smiley blames Obama, in part, for the divisiveness in the country. He told Megyn Kelly earlier this week that Obama started his presidency off on the wrong foot by prioritizing overhauling the nation’s healthcare system, rather than focusing on restoring the health of the economy and creating jobs. (Read more from “Fox News Contributor Watches SOTU Address, Instantly Realizes What Obama REALLY Thinks of America” HERE)

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Marco Rubio’s Record of Bad Judgment

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By George F. Will. What boxer Sonny Liston’s manager said of him (Sonny had his good points, the trouble was his bad points) is true of Marco Rubio. His strengths include intelligence, articulateness and, usually, cheerfulness. His misjudgments involve, in ascending order of importance, the Senate immigration bill of 2013, sugar, Libya and S . 590. Together these reveal a recurring penchant for ill-considered undertakings.

Rubio’s retreat, under withering political heat, from the immigration bill was undignified but not reprehensible. The bill had 1,197 pages because the 906-page Affordable Care Act had not slaked the congressional appetite for “comprehensive” solutions to complex problems. The immigration bill solved everything , down to the hourly wage of immigrant agricultural sorters ($9.84). Rubio shared this serene knowingness.

His sugar addiction is a reprehensible but not startling example of the routine entanglements of big government and big business. He has benefited from the support of Florida’s wealthy sugar producers, who have benefited from sugar import quotas and other corporate welfare that forces Americans to pay approximately twice the world price for sugar. What is, however, startling is Rubio’s preposterous defense of this corporate welfare as a national security imperative: Without our government rigging the sugar market, “other countries will capture the market share, our agricultural capacity will be developed into real estate, you know, housing and so forth, and then we lose the capacity to produce our own food, at which point we’re at the mercy of a foreign country for food security.” (Read more from “Marco Rubio’s Record of Bad Judgment” HERE)

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Marco Rubio Seeks to Dismiss Court Challenge to His Eligibility to Be President

By Alex Leary. Donald Trump in Pensacola on Wednesday night continued to question Canadian-born Ted Cruz’s eligibility to be president, wondering if Cruz were to win the nomination and a court ruled against him, “What do you do? Concede the election to Hillary Clinton or crazy Bernie?”

The jabs against Cruz, shadowed by some other Republican presidential candidates, have triggered serious talk about settling the ambiguity contained the Constitution and legal rulings.

And that has ramifications for another Trump rival: Marco Rubio.

This week Rubio sought to have a court complaint in Florida against him thrown out, saying the argument “would jeopardize centuries of precedent and deem at least six former presidents ineligible for office.” (Last week he told reporters of Cruz, “I don’t think that’s an issue.”)

Rubio was born in Miami in 1971. But Rubio’s Cuban immigrant parents did not become U.S. citizens until 1975. (Read more from “Marco Rubio Seeks to Dismiss Court Challenge to His Eligibility to Be President” HERE)

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