Here’s How Many Americans Are Now Saying Mueller’s Investigation Is ‘Politically Driven’

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By The Blaze. The CBS poll says that 53 percent of Americans now say that the Mueller investigations are “politically motivated,” a charge that President Trump has made repeatedly to discredit the probe. . .

This is a significant change from the same poll questioned administered in December, when 48 percent of Americans called it “politically motivated,” and 46 percent said it was “justified.”

In the intervening months, the offices and residence of the president’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen have been raided after a criminal referral by Mueller. Paul Manafort, the former manager of the Trump campaign, was also raided by the FBI.

A majority of Americans, (53 percent) believe Trump should be questioned, while 42 percent believe he shouldn’t. But, even in this measure, fewer Americans believe in the validity of the Mueller probe. . .

Earlier Tuesday, Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti released an astounding accusation against Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, saying that he had received money from a Russian oligarch after he made the payment to the adult film star. (Read more from “Here’s How Many Americans Are Now Saying Mueller’s Investigation Is ‘Politically Driven’” HERE)

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Lawyer Sentenced in Mueller Probe Reports to Prison: Report

By The Hill. A Dutch lawyer who pleaded guilty to lying to investigators examining Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election has reported to a federal prison to serve out his sentence.

Alex van der Zwaan, 33, arrived at a low-security federal prison near Allenwood, Pa., according to a Politico report.

He was sentenced last month to a $20,000 fine and 30 days in prison, and is expected to be released on June 4, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’s website.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to The Hill’s requests for comment, nor did the prison, FCI Allenwood Low, where van der Zwaan is serving out his sentence.

In reporting to prison, van der Zwaan becomes the first person charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe to be incarcerated. (Read more from “Lawyer Sentenced in Mueller Probe Reports to Prison: Report” HERE)

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Why the FBI’s Raid on Michael Cohen Sets a Dangerous Precedent

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. . .It has been long recognized that, for the right to counsel to have any value, clients must have absolute confidence in their ability to communicate confidentially with their lawyers, whether in person, by phone, or on email. That is what is known as the attorney-client privilege, and it is indispensable to the practice of law. After recent events, however, only a fool would place any trust in it.

Like most folks with day jobs, I do not generally follow the ins and outs of the special counsel investigation. But no attorney in America could possibly have missed last month’s news. The FBI, on referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, raided the office, home, and hotel room of Michael Cohen, the president’s personal lawyer, and hauled off “thousands if not millions” of pages of documents. In court filings, the feds further revealed that, for weeks prior to the search, they had been secretly reading Cohen’s emails as he was sending them.

Moreover, prosecutors apparently convinced a federal magistrate to issue this warrant on the flimsiest of pretenses—the so-called “crime-fraud exception” to the attorney-client privilege. If media reports are to be believed, Cohen is being investigated for one or more payoffs to old Donald Trump paramours, payments that, because they theoretically benefitted a candidate for president, could be deemed an unreported “in-kind” campaign contribution.

Folks my age and older will remember the ‘90s edition of Mueller, another budding Inspector Javert named Ken Starr. Starr was originally tasked with investigating a shady Clinton land deal but ended up stinging a White House intern into confessing an illicit relationship with the president. He then produced a salacious report that needlessly humiliated and traumatized a young woman, who still seems not to have fully recovered.

But even Starr never raided a law office. At least not that of a living lawyer. He did try to grab the privileged communications of a deceased one: Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster. At some point, Starr moved beyond the land deal and took to investigating President Clinton’s firing of the White House’s travel staff, a ridiculous endeavor if ever there were one. When the investigation began, Foster turned to the law firm of Swidler Berlin for legal advice. Nine days later, he took his own life, launching a decade’s worth of conspiracy theories. Starr then tried to subpoena Foster’s privileged communications. (Read more from “Why the FBI’s Raid on Michael Cohen Sets a Dangerous Precedent” HERE)

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New Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo Kills 17, Said to Have ‘International Impact’

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By The Blaze. . .Two out of five samples collected from patients were confirmed to have tested positive for Ebola, which the DRC reported to the World Health Organization. With a fatality rate of fifty percent, WHO is mobilizing to act quickly to address the outbreak of the virus. The organization released $1 million from a Contingency Fund for Emergencies in order to help stop the spread.

WHO deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, Dr. Peter Salama, said, “Our top priority is to get to Bikoro [a neighboring province] to work alongside the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and partners to reduce the loss of life and suffering related to this new Ebola virus disease outbreak.

“Working with partners and responding early and in a coordinated way will be vital to containing this deadly disease.” Doctors Without Borders is one of the organizations who will assist the WHO, and the response will be modelled after the methods used in a 2017 Ebola outbreak that occurred in another DRC province.

Since 1976, this is the ninth outbreak of Ebola in Congo. The virus is highly contagious and can cause organ failure as well as internal and external bleeding.

The WHO Regional Director for African, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said, “We know that addressing this outbreak will require a comprehensive and coordinated response. WHO will work closely with health authorities and partners to support the national response. We will gather more samples, conduct contact tracing, engage the communities with messages on prevention and control, and put in place methods for improving data collection and sharing.” (Read more from “New Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo Kills 17, Said to Have ‘International Impact’” HERE)

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New Outbreak of Ebola Kills 17 in Northwest Dr Congo

By AFP. Seventeen people in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have died from Ebola, the health ministry said on Tuesday, describing the fresh outbreak as a “public health emergency with international impact.”

“Twenty-one cases of fever with haemorrhagic indications and 17 deaths” have been recorded in Equateur province, it said, citing a notification to the ministry as of May 3.

It is the DRC’s ninth known outbreak of Ebola since 1976, when the deady viral disease was first identified in then-Zaire by a Belgian-led team.

In Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) said lab tests in the DRC confirmed the presence of Ebola virus in two out of five samples collected from patients.

“WHO is working closely with the government of the DRC to rapidly scale up its operations and mobilize health partners, using the model of a successful response to a similar… outbreak in 2017,” it said in a statement. (Read more from “New Outbreak of Ebola Kills 17 in Northwest Dr Congo” HERE)

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Farmer Charged with Shooting Intruder… Floored by Unexpected Surprise in Courtroom

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According to CTV News, a farmer from a rural area near Calgary fired a shotgun at intruders who were prowling on his property in February. It worked: The suspects fled, and one was later found with a non-life-threatening shotgun injury to his arm. . . .

Government officials want to make an example out of the farmer, but when he arrived at court Friday, he was faced with something neither he nor prosecutors likely expected: a crowd of residents who came to support the landowner and his right to protect his family . . .

“Why do the criminals have all the rights? It doesn’t seem fair to me,” explained one supporter. “They’re telling us that if we live in the country that we should get gates and lock them. We become prisoners on our own land because of criminals.”

In an increasingly litigious time, Americans — and Canadians, for that matter — must know what the law in their area says about the use of force. There are many misconceptions and myths about defense law, and the time to become educated is before a self defense situation arises.

We cannot comment on Canadian law, but many states in the U.S. stipulate that there must be an imminent threat of bodily harm or death for a firearm to be used in self defense. Though Maurice may have been morally right to defend his property from prowlers, the jury is still out — if you’ll pardon the expression — on whether he was legally justified. (Read more from “Farmer Charged with Shooting Intruder… Floored by Unexpected Surprise in Courtroom” HERE)

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War on Men: CNN Website Says Men Are ‘Inherently Violent, Dominant, Controlling’

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An inmate doing 10 years in a California prison for armed robbery is rapidly on his way to making himself a darling of liberals everywhere by putting a spin on his incarceration that appeals to every anti-masculine trope currently running wild among today’s American left, while at the same time dodging responsibility for his own guilt . . .

That’s the takeaway from a commentary piece published by CNN and penned by Richard Edmond Vargas, an inmate of the Correctional Training Facility, commonly referred to as Soledad State Prison.

In the piece, Vargas acknowledges his own actions — committing robbery ostensibly to raise rent money — but manages to slide the blame onto the idea of “patriarchy,” or rather what liberals want to believe is the “toxic masculinity” that makes men unstable, vicious and dangerous.

“Patriarchy is a social system that defines men as being inherently violent, dominant and controlling while rewarding them with power for being that way,” Vargas writes. “It is no secret, especially these days, that we live in a patriarchal society. Why are we continually surprised when a man takes up arms and commits mass murder?”

It’s not an argument unique to Vargas, of course. Feminists love to excoriate what they call “patriarchy,” blaming the concept for everything from social ills to “sexist” treatment of dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club. (Read more from “War on Men: CNN Website Says Men Are ‘Inherently Violent, Dominant, Controlling’” HERE)

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Met Gala Slammed for Mocking Christianity

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Tommy Hilfiger proclaimed that his inspiration for the Met Gala Monday was “In the name of the father, the son and Holy Spirit,” USA Today reported. . .

Just plain mockery of faith, according to a harsh critique from Daily Mail columnist Piers Morgan.

“Next year’s Met Gala is going to have an ‘Islam’ theme. Yes, guests in 2019 will be encouraged to wear skimpy, provocative dresses that ‘celebrate’ the Prophet Mohammad, Islamic clothing including hijabs and burqas, and the Quran,” he wrote. “I can also reveal that the 2020 Met Gala will have a ‘Jewish’ theme. Yes, a bunch of celebrities and models will be posing for the world’s paparazzi dressed in all manner of Jewish attire and regalia, including dressing up as Rabbis and wearing kippahs.

“Oh, wait. Neither of these things is actually going to happen. In fact, just by suggesting it, I’m sure I will be subjecting myself to immediate anger from many Muslims and Jews,” he wrote.

“The Met wouldn’t dream of having an Islam or Jewish themed, but Catholicism is apparently fine. Monday night was titled ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’ and the stars and their designers threw themselves into the theme. Rihanna came as a silver pope. Yet apparently it’s absolutely fine to have a ‘Catholic’ theme, as we saw at last night’s Met Gala.

(Read more from “Met Gala Slammed for Mocking Christianity” HERE)

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Music Superstar Warns About ‘Establishment Pharisees’

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Country music superstar Charlie Daniels is comparing today’s political power structure in Washington to the Pharisees of biblical times . . .

In fact, he’s warning that average “rank-and-file” Americans soon will be facing “dangerous precedents” because of the establishment war against the president . . .

“All of a sudden, as unexpectedly as a July snow, a brash outsider, who minces no words, takes no prisoners and calls ’em like he sees ’em, status be damned, is elected to the highest office in the free world, releasing a swarm of flies into their ointment, disrespecting their traditions, and calling not only theirs, but the media’s bluff, without fear of retaliation,” he wrote.

“Whether you hate Trump or love him, if you will be truthful and look behind the curtain and the impotent protestations of ambitious whiners like Adam Schiff, who is like a cloud which continuously promises but never delivers rain, you’ll find that the old guard and the globalists consider this man to be public enemy number one and will stop at nothing to deemphasize or destroy his presidency, the wellbeing of the United States of America be damned.”

The worst part from the “entrenched bureaucracy, the multi-term senator and congressman, the power brokers and pressure groups that can coerce the powers that be into paying for nine hundred-dollar hammers and building bridges to nowhere,” however, is the “dangerous precedents for rank and file America.” (Read more from “Music Superstar Warns About ‘Establishment Pharisees'” HERE)

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Fair? Now Everyone Makes Cheer Squad… Because of a Single Complaint

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By WND. A cheer squad in East Hanover, New Jersey, is about to get very crowded because one mother complained that her teenage daughter didn’t make the cut.

So now everyone who has an interest in cheerleading will make the team, say coaches at Hanover Park High School.

“All my hard work has been thrown out the window,” complained cheerleader Stephanie Krueger, according to the New York Post. “I tried my hardest. Now everything is going away because of one child who did not make the team, and their parent complained.”

There will be no more tryouts or cuts. The high-school athletic director said the mother’s complaint is the reason for the policy change.

When they received complaints about the new, “inclusive” rule, school officials said the squad would be open to everybody or nobody at all. They threatened to totally disband the 10-member team. (Read more from “Fair? Now Everyone Makes Cheer Squad… Because of a Single Complaint” HERE)

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Everyone Makes School’s Cheer Squad After Parent Complains

By NY Post. A New Jersey mom went to her daughter’s school and complained about her not making the cheerleading squad — so now everyone gets to make the team. . .

Krueger and several other cheerleaders voiced their anger last Wednesday during a board meeting, according to News 12 New Jersey.

“I came up here to state that I did not put in 18 months of work to lead up to this moment, just to be told it didn’t matter anymore,” said sophomore Jada Alcontara.

In response to the outrage, the school board released a statement saying: “In order to facilitate a more inclusive program, the alignment between the various cheerleading squads would be modified to allow all interested students to be able to participate. This decision was made in the best interest of all students and was made to be as inclusive as possible.” (Read more from “Everyone Makes School’s Cheer Squad After Parent Complains” HERE)

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BOO HOO: Obama Responds to Trump Killing His Iran Deal

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On Tuesday, former president Barack Obama, eschewing the time-honored practice of refraining from criticizing his successor (as exemplified by George W. Bush), hastily issued a statement condemning President Trump for quitting the very Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) that Obama and his administration lied about in order to sell to the American public.

Obama hilariously claimed, “The reality is clear. The JCPOA is working – that is a view shared by our European allies, independent experts, and the current U.S. Secretary of Defense. The JCPOA is in America’s interest – it has significantly rolled back Iran’s nuclear program.”

Obama added that some of the countries of Europe have signed on to the deal in the belief that the Iranians (who have proven to be liars) can be trusted: “Walking away from the JCPOA turns our back on America’s closest allies, and an agreement that our country’s leading diplomats, scientists, and intelligence professionals negotiated.”

He didn’t mention that even Saudi Arabia and the UAE approved of Trump’s decision, not to mention Israel.

Obama huffed, “Debates in our country should be informed by facts, especially debates that have proven to be divisive. So it’s important to review several facts about the JCPOA.” (Read more from “Boo Hoo: Obama Responds to Trump Killing His Iran Deal” HERE)

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U.S. Budget Just Made History

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By Daily Wire. In April, the federal government took in a record sum of $515 billion in taxes, according to a newly released Congressional Budget Office report. During that time, we spent $297 billion. Yes, you read that correctly: We actually took in more than we spent — a lot more. That $218 billion surplus is, in fact, a new record, beating the previous record set back in 2001 ($190 billion) by $28 billion.

As The Washington Times points out, the amount of the surplus surprised CBO analysts, who were predicting about $40 billion less, though some of that has to do with a shift in timing of payments. In its report, the CBO suggests that the unexpectedly high tax revenues was a result of “stronger-than-expected” economic growth last year and in early 2018.

“Those payments were mostly related to economic activity in 2017 and may reflect stronger-than-expected income growth in that year,” reads the summary. “Part of the strength in receipts also may reflect larger-than-anticipated payments for economic activity in 2018. The reasons for the added revenues will be better understood as more detailed information becomes available later this year.”

While the news for April is good, a surplus in April is common and some of the record-setting numbers have to do with “shifts in the timing of certain payments that otherwise would have been due on a weekend,” the CBO notes. We are also still behind for fiscal year 2018. (Read more from “U.S. Budget Just Made History” HERE)

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April Was Best Month in History for U.S. Budget, According to CBO Figures

By Washington Post. The federal government took in a record tax haul in April en route to its biggest-ever monthly budget surplus, the Congressional Budget Office said, as a surging economy left Americans with more money in their paychecks — and this more to pay to Uncle Sam.

All told the government collected $515 billion and spent $297 billion, for a total monthly surplus of $218 billion. That swamped the previous monthly record of $190 billion, set in 2001.

CBO analysts were surprised by the surplus, which was some $40 billion more than they’d guessed at less than a month ago.

Analysts said they’ll have a better idea of what’s behind the surge as more information rolls in, but for now said it looks like individual taxpayers are paying more because they have higher incomes . . .

Official numbers are due out from the Treasury Department in a few days, but the CBO is usually accurate to within a couple billion dollars. (Read more from “April Was Best Month in History for U.S. Budget, According to CBO Figures” HERE)

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