North Korean Defector Escapes Through Hail of Bullets

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By Alicia Powe. North Korea typically claims defections from the oppressed, tightly controlled hermit country are actually kidnappings by South Koreans.

But stunning footage was released by the American-led United Nations Command showing a disease-ridden North Korean soldier risking his life to escape the rogue regime and fleeing across the border into South Korea while being shot by his former comrades.

The footage, released Wednesday, marks the first time the U.N. Command disclosed security footage of a defection across the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, or DMZ, that divides North and South Korea, said Hochong Song, a public affairs officer for U.S. Forces Korea.

The 24-year old soldier can be seen speeding on the North Korean side of the DMZ toward the border in a vehicle as his fellow military officers fire at him.

The wounded defector then crawls across the border, finally emerging on South Korean territory before collapsing and being pulled into safety by border guards. (Read more from “North Korean Defector Escapes Through Hail of Bullets” HERE)

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North Korean Defector’s Daring Escape Caught on Video

By Justin McCurry. Dramatic footage has emerged showing a North Korean military defector fleeing across the border to South Korea as he is pursued and shot at by his compatriots before being hauled to safety by troops from the other side.

The video, released on Wednesday by the UN command in the South, shows the soldier, who defected last week, racing towards the border village of Panmunjom in a military vehicle before crashing it and continuing his escape on foot.

The video shows the man collapsed on the ground after being shot just south of the demilitarised zone [DMZ].

Later three members of South Korea’s security battalion security forces crawl to the wounded defector and drag him away to safety.

The release of the footage came amid news that the unnamed soldier, who was shot at least five times during his escape, was showing signs of recovery. (Read more from “North Korean Defector’s Daring Escape Caught on Video” HERE)

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CNN Blackout on House Democrat Under FBI Investigation

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By Peter Hasson. It has been 24 hours since news broke that Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Bob Brady is under FBI investigation for allegedly paying his primary opponent to drop out of the race, but CNN has published zero articles and devoted zero airtime to the story.

The FBI was granted a search warrant for Brady’s campaign email, [email protected], as part of its investigation into payments Brady’s campaign allegedly made to 2012 primary opponent Jimmie Moore. Two of Brady’s political consultants have already been charged in connection with the investigation.

A search of CNN’s website shows the news outlet has yet to publish an article acknowledging the investigation into the congressman.

And while CNN devoted plenty of coverage to President Trump’s feud with Lavar Ball, the father of UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball, the network has yet to even acknowledge the investigation into Brady on-air since the news broke, according to broadcast monitoring service TVEyes.

CNN isn’t the only major network keeping its viewers in the dark about the Brady investigation. MSNBC also has yet to mention the story on-air since it broke. (Read more from “CNN Blackout on House Democrat Under FBI Investigation” HERE)

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FBI Investigates Congressman for His Campaign Paying Opponent to Quit

By The Daily Beast. The FBI said it is investigating Rep. Bob Brady (D-PA) for an alleged scheme to pay his primary opponent to drop out of a 2012 race against him and for allegedly lying to investigators.

The revelation came from a search warrant application unsealed in a Pennsylvania federal court on Monday, which was first reported by Seamus Hughes. An FBI agent asked a judge to authorize access to Brady’s personal email account on the belief it holds evidence contradicting an anticipated defense about the campaign payments. The judge approved the warrant and the FBI said it got one CD worth of data from the email account.

Brady’s congressional office in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for comment. Brady has not been charged with a crime.

Jimmie Moore ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination in February 2012 after allegedly receiving $90,000 from the Brady campaign. The FBI said the payments were routed from the Brady campaign to businesses owned by his aides. Then the money was transferred to one of Moore’s aides, who used it to pay for services rendered to the Moore campaign. (Read more from “FBI Investigates Congressman for His Campaign Paying Opponent to Quit” HERE)

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Nude Photo Circulating of Republican Congressman

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Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton confirmed that he did send a photo of himself in the nude, which has been circulating online, and apologized for the indiscretion.

“While separated from my second wife, prior to the divorce, I had sexual relationships with other mature adult women,” Barton, said in a statement, first reported by the Texas Tribune. “Each was consensual. Those relationships have ended. I am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down.”

A censored image of Barton was originally posted by an anonymous twitter user, and has since been passed around, along with a message apparently from Barton that said “I want u soo bad [sic]. Right now. Deep and hard.”

Others have retweeted the image with various comments. (Read more from “Nude Photo Circulating of Republican Congressman” HERE)

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Fed Officials Fear Financial Market ‘Imbalances’ and Possibility of ‘Sharp Reversal’ in Prices

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Federal Reserve officials expressed largely optimistic views of economic growth at their most recent meeting but also started to worry that financial market prices are getting out of hand and posing a danger to the economy.

Minutes from the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Federal Open Market Committee meeting indicate members with almost universally positive views on growth — the labor market, consumer spending and manufacturing all were showing solid gains. While there were disagreements on the pace of inflation, and even a discussion about changing the Fed’s approach to price stability, the sentiment otherwise was largely positive.

Moreover, they said the picture could get even better if Congress lowers corporate taxes as part of the reform plan making its way through the Senate . . .

Stocks have been on a tear throughout 2017, setting a series of record highs and adding trillions in value. That’s come both on the heels of stronger corporate earnings and hopes that the tax reform plan, which would take the corporate rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, becomes a reality . . .

Some members feared what would happen if the market suddenly took a hit . . .

Concerns about the surge in stocks are not new at the Fed, but most officials have downplayed the idea that the market is in a bubble. Wall Street also has been at odds about the market, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch warning of a market top coming in 2018 though Goldman Sachs has predicted another big year.
(Read more from “Fed Officials Fear Financial Market ‘Imbalances’ and Possibility of ‘Sharp Reversal’ in Prices” HERE)

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With TSA on the Ropes, Holiday Travel May Be a Bear

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The Transportation Security Administration has bad news for tens of millions of Thanksgiving holiday travelers: Lines at airports may be even longer than usual as the agency tries once again to plug security holes in its baggage screening.

TSA is scrambling to respond to yet another damning investigation of its screening effectiveness, for the second time in little more than two years. And the agency is already phasing in revised security procedures — including those for passengers’ electronic devices — that could cause “a slight increase in wait times,” new TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in an interview.

“The procedure is new,” Pekoske said. “It’s new to passengers. It’s somewhat new to our screeners.”

The additional delays may not be as horrendous as the hourslong queues that left many passengers stranded at airports in the summer of 2016, a year after TSA leaders launched a crash course in security improvements in response to a previous failing grade from its inspector general.

But Pekoske said travelers could experience some of the longest wait times of the year on Sunday when many return home from the holiday. TSA has projected that more than 2.6 million passengers and airline crew members will be screened on Sunday alone, potentially making it one of the agency’s top five busiest days ever. (Read more from “With TSA on the Ropes, Holiday Travel May Be a Bear” HERE)

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Black (Eye) Friday: Which States Are the Most Chaotic for Black Friday Shoppers?

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Looking to avoid a slap-fight during your Black Friday shopping trip? Depending on what state you’re in, that might be easier said than done.

As hordes of American shoppers bundle up and hunker down in front of their local retailers on Nov. 24 (or even Nov. 23), some of them will need to be more ready for combat than others, a new study suggests . . .

Adjusting the data to account for each state’s population size, Declutter predicts that shoppers in Wyoming, Illinois, Arizona, Mississippi and Kansas are the most likely to run into trouble during their Black Friday browsing, while shopping in Montana, Connecticut, New Jersey, Masschusetts and Oregon will supposedly be more mellow. (Read more from “Black (Eye) Friday: Which States Are the Most Chaotic for Black Friday Shoppers?” HERE)

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Vermont Man Accused of Beating Mother With Gun Over Deer Meat, Report Says

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A man in Vermont was accused of beating his mother with a rifle on Saturday after she allegedly stole deer meat from him, a report said.

According to the Rutland Herald, Zachary C. Merriam, 21, allegedly chased his mother around her home and hit her with his 30-30 rifle, leaving bruises on her back, because he thought she’d taken a chunk of meat from a deer he’d hunted.

Police said the woman told them that her son didn’t try to shoot her at any point but she didn’t know if the weapon was loaded and worried it would accidentally fire, the report said.

Bruises reportedly found on the woman’s back appeared to be the result of the alleged incident, police said, and were photographed by police as evidence. (Read more from “Vermont Man Accused of Beating Mother With Gun Over Deer Meat, Report Says” HERE)

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Rand Paul in Pain With Every Breath

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The average person takes 20,000 breaths a day. Since November 3, my husband, Rand Paul, has not taken a single one without pain. He has not had a single night’s sleep uninterrupted by long periods of difficult breathing or excruciating coughing.

As his wife, I have been distraught over seeing him suffer like this. There have been several nights where I had my hand on my phone ready to call 911 when his breathing became so labored it was terrifying.

Despite this, he refused to give in to the pain and was determined to fly back to Washington last week to do his job. As we walked through the airport returning from D.C., he was shivering with a 102.5 fever, and the next morning his internist diagnosed pneumonia in his damaged lung.

It is incredibly hurtful that some news outlets have victimized Rand a second time as he struggles to recover, delighting in hateful headlines like “Not A Perfect Neighbor,” and concocting theories about an “ongoing dispute,” based on nothing more than speculation from an attention-seeking person with no knowledge of anything to do with us. (Read more from “Rand Paul in Pain With Every Breath” HERE)

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Roy Moore Communications Director Resigns

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By Ken Meyer. Roy Moore‘s communications director has resigned as his boss continues to fend off the sexual misconduct allegations hovering over his Alabama senate run.

The Washingtonian has received confirmation that John Rogers is no longer part of Moore’s controversial campaign.

(Read more from “Roy Moore Communications Director Resigns” HERE)

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Spokesman for Senate Candidate Roy Moore Resigns

By Greg Toppo. The communications director for U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore has resigned, Moore’s campaign said Wednesday, as the Alabama Republican combats allegations that he harassed and sexually assaulted girls as young as 14.

The Washingtonian first reported Wednesday that John Rogers, Moore’s spokesman, had left the campaign. The Reuters news agency reported Wednesday that Rogers decided to leave the campaign on Nov. 17, according to a campaign statement.

“As we all know, campaigns make changes throughout the duration of the campaign,” campaign Chairman Bill Armistead said in the statement. “John made the decision to leave the campaign last Friday — any representations to the contrary are false — and we wish him well.” . . .

News of Rogers’ departure came one day after President Trump all but endorsed Moore and defended him against any charges of inappropriate behavior, telling reporters at the White House, “Roy Moore denies it; that’s all I can say.” (Read more from “Spokesman for Senate Candidate Roy Moore Resigns” HERE)

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‘Feminist’ Lawyer Vows to Defend Doctor Who ‘Circumcises’ Girls

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A Detroit-area doctor charged with mutilating the genitals of young girls in violation of federal law walked out of jail Tuesday a free woman as her lawyer was able to arrange the largest unsecured-bond in the jurisdiction’s history.

Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, 44, a member of a Shia Muslim sect that practices a form of female genital cutting, posted a $4.5 million unsecured bond after some 15 friends and family members put their homes and other assets on the line. If she flees, they lose their property.

Most of those who pledged their assets are believed to be fellow members of the Dawoodi Bohra, a Western India-based sect within the Ishmaelite community of Shia Muslims.

There are 22 Dawoodi Bohra mosques across the United States [see list at end of this story].

The names of those who pledged to pay the $4.5 million bond were sealed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Stafford. (Read more from “‘Feminist’ Lawyer Vows to Defend Doctor Who ‘Circumcises’ Girls” HERE)

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