Starbucks Gives ‘Disappointing’ News Amid ‘Racial Bias’ Backlash and Minimum Wage Hikes

/0 Comments/in , /by

It’s been a tough year for America’s most ubiquitous latte provider, and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Johnson’s latest news to investors has just added to the overall sense of “disappointment” in the company. Amid continued backlash from the racial bias accusations and more progressive cities raising the minimum wage, Starbucks’ earnings have fallen below expectation. In response, Johnson has decided to shut down some 150 company-operated stores.

On Tuesday, Johnson said in a statement that due to the company’s recent “not acceptable” performance, Starbucks will further “streamline” to improve its “innovation agility” and “re-accelerate growth.”

“While certain demand headwinds are transitory, and some of our cost increases are appropriate investments for the future, our recent performance does not reflect the potential of our exceptional brand and is not acceptable,” said Johnson in a statement Tuesday. “We must move faster to address the more rapidly changing preferences and needs of our customers. Over the past year we have taken several actions to streamline the company, positioning us to increase our innovation agility as an organization and enhance focus on our core value drivers which serve as the foundation to re-accelerate growth and create long-term shareholder value.”

That unacceptable performance, the company revealed, was a disappointing 1% sales increase globally in the current quarter, about a third of the expected 2.9% growth projected by analysts.

As Bloomberg explains, some of the “streamlining” Johnson referenced will come in the form of shutting down “about 150 company-operated stores in densely penetrated U.S. markets next fiscal year, three times the number it historically shuts down annually.” (Read more from “Starbucks Gives ‘Disappointing’ News Amid ‘Racial Bias’ Backlash and Minimum Wage Hikes” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

The FBI, the DOJ and Hillary Clinton’s Huge Weiner Problem

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Remember Anthony Weiner, also known as “Carlos Danger” — the former congressman who kept texting people pictures of well, umm, that part of his name? It all made quite the splash because he is married to Hillary Clinton’s consigliere and constant sidekick, Huma Abedin.

Turns out that Anthony was such a perp — and so enthralled with his own — that he was sexting with a minor. That is a federal offense carrying up to 10 years in prison. So, he got raided by the New York Police Department and the New York office of the FBI. . .

Only a few hours after the New York office of the FBI took possession of the Weiner laptop, on September 26, 2016, the FBI computer expert discovered it contained more than 140,000 emails involving Hillary Clinton. They were from multiple domain names: State.gov, Clintonemail.com, ClintonFoundation.org, HillaryClinton.com and Blackberry devices. The agent had what he told the inspector general was an “oh shit moment” — recognizing that he had found evidence important to the most important investigation — and he immediately reported it up the chain.

According to the inspector general’s report of June 14, specifically Chapters IX-XI, the treasure “trove” of emails covered Mrs. Clinton’s entire tenure as Secretary of State.

We already knew that President Barack Obama was emailing her on her unsecure server at Clintonemail.com, and Cheryl Mills had written an email noting how “obvious” it was to anyone that this was not State.gov and therefore unsecure. The president jolly-well knew it was not a secure communication as he used an alias. (Read more from “The FBI, the DOJ and Hillary Clinton’s Huge Weiner Problem” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Mark Meadows Drops Multiple Bombshells in Hearing About Clinton, Russia Probes

/0 Comments/in , , /by

By The Daily Caller. North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows made two startling claims in a House hearing on Tuesday, asserting that there is “growing evidence” that FBI officials altered documentation of witness interviews in the Hillary Clinton and Russia probes.

The Republican also revealed the name of an FBI attorney he believes is the bureau employee who was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation in February after he was found to have sent anti-Trump text messages.

Meadows made the revelations in a round of questioning with Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz.

On Thursday, Horowitz’s office released a scathing report that documented FBI officials’ mishandling of the Clinton investigation. It also laid out a slew of text messages that FBI officials and attorneys sent criticizing Donald Trump.

“I think the other thing that I would ask you to look into, there is growing evidence that 302s were edited and changed,” Meadows said. “Those 302s, it is suggested that they were changed to either prosecute or not prosecute individuals. And that is very troubling.” (Read more from “Mark Meadows Drops Multiple Bombshells in Hearing About Clinton, Russia Probes” HERE)

___________________________________________________

Republicans Tear Into IG Finding on Clinton Probe

By The Hill. House Republicans on Tuesday took aim at a finding from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) inspector general that anti-Trump bias did not influence the outcome of the Hillary Clinton email probe, during a fractious and extended hearing that pitted dozens of lawmakers against the watchdog.

Although GOP members did not directly criticize the inspector general, Michael Horowitz, they repeatedly made the case that his report showed FBI officials had “prejudged” the outcome of the Clinton probe — a long-held Republican grievance — and suggested that his review was incomplete.

“While we appreciate the [inspector general] and his staff for a very detailed investigation, it is critical for the public to also hear what was not included in the report due to the [inspector general’s] refusal to question ‘whether a particular decision by the FBI and DOJ was the most effective choice,’ ” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) argued that Horowitz should have probed how federal investigators on the so-called Midyear team voted in the 2016 election, as well as who they gave money to or whose bumper sticker they applied to their car. (Read more from “Republicans Tear Into IG Finding on Clinton Probe” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Retired Border Agent: Here’s How to Scare off Illegals

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Tea Party Patriots Action Co-founder Jenny Beth Martin traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border to chat one-on-one with some border patrol agents who are fed up with the federal government and are taking matters into their own hands.

Martin shared footage of her walk and talk along the border with Zach Taylor, a retired border patrol officer and current chairman of Chairman of National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers.

Martin and Taylor walked along the Bryan Terry Border Patrol Station in Bisbee, Arizona, named after the border patrol agent who lost his life in a gun fight with a drug cartel. Martin said a similar attack occurred the very morning of their interview on June 12. A border agent was shot multiple times but was saved thanks to his bulletproof vest. . .

“The whole reason that this push to come to the United States is becoming so violent is because we are turning into a lawless society,” Taylor explained. “There is no downside to violating the law. You can come here illegally, you can act like you’ve been here for 10 years. You can say you’re a DACA person and that’s all you got to do and you get signed up.”

He offered a detailed solution – one he said would strike fear in anyone thinking of entering our country illegally. Let the agents conduct a biography interview of any undocumented person at the border, see if they qualify, and take them directly to an immigration judge, he proposed. Taylor predicted that 80 percent or more would not make the cut. At that point, we should fly them back to home country on military aircraft. That way, their comrades “can see 300 people getting off an aircraft that says, ‘U.S. Air Force.'” (Read more from “Retired Border Agent: Here’s How to Scare off Illegals” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

FL Senate: Yes, Democrat Bill Nelson Could Be in Deep, DEEP Trouble

/0 Comments/in , /by

In the Sunshine State, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, is banking on incumbency and gun control to get him over the top. He’s been lucky throughout his Senate career in facing opponents who haven’t been the best, especially during his 2000 re-election campaign. This year is different—and he knew it. Last year, Politico reported that Nelson met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats ahead what will be a true contest. He’ll be fighting for his political life and he needs money. Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is term-limited, has tossed his hat into the ring. Despite his recent betrayal of Second Amendment rights by signing an appalling law that increased the age of gun purchases to 21, he’s a solid candidate. Independently wealthy, he can fund his own race. He’s also proving himself to be an adept campaigner, hitting Hispanic outreach hard, which is making Democratic activists very nervous. Another startling sign: only 49 percent know who the hell Nelson is in the state. Not a good sign for a three-term incumbent (via Politico):

Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Senate campaign has a Spanish-language web page. Sen. Bill Nelson’s doesn’t.

Scott is advertising in Spanish. Nelson isn’t. . .

For Democrats who recognize protecting Nelson’s seat is essential to their hopes of winning a Senate majority this fall, the veteran senator’s lackluster outreach to one of the fastest-growing voting blocs in the nation’s largest swing state is causing alarm.

The depth of Nelson’s troubles — and Scott’s advantage — came into sharp focus last month in four focus groups conducted in Central Florida’s influential Puerto Rican community, where few knew who Nelson was, despite his three Senate terms and holding elected Florida office for 41 years.

(Read more from “FL Senate: Yes, Democrat Bill Nelson Could Be in Deep, Deep Trouble” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Watch Mega-Actor Preach the Gospel on MTV

/0 Comments/in , /by

Actor Chris Pratt shared a gospel message in an acceptance speech at the MTV awards Monday, interspersing a serious message about God’s love in a list of “9 Rules for Life” for the younger generation.

“This being a generation award, I’m going to cut to the chase and I’m going to speak to you — the next generation — okay,” he said. “I accept the responsibility as your elder, so, listen up. This is what I call ‘9 Rules from Chris Pratt, Generation award winner.”

Some of the rules were humorous or tongue in cheek. “Breathe,” he said. “If you don’t, you’ll suffocate.” Or “Don’t be a turd. If you’re strong be a protector and if you’re smart be a humble influencer.” And of course a poop joke:

“If you have to poop at a party, but you’re embarrassed because you’re going to stink up the bathroom, just do what I do. Lock the door, sit down. Get all the pee out first, and then once all the pee is done — poop, flush. Boom.”

But his points about God were totally serious and seemed to stem from a conservative view of the Christian gospel. “You have a soul, be careful with it,” he said in Rule 2. And later, “God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do.” (Read more from “Watch Mega-Actor Preach the Gospel on MTV” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Democrats’ Border Separation Bill Would Let Nearly All Parents Who Commit Federal Crimes Get off Scot-Free

/0 Comments/in , /by

Democrats’ proposed legislation to prohibit so-called border separations would actually prevent federal law enforcement agencies almost anywhere inside the United States from arresting and detaining criminals who are parents having nothing to do with unlawfully crossing the border and seeking asylum.

Every Senate Democrat has now signed on to cosponsor a bill written so carelessly that it does not distinguish between migrant children at the border and U.S. citizen children already within the United States. The bill further does not distinguish between federal officers handling the border crisis and federal law enforcement pursuing the ordinary course of their duties.

Let’s break down Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s proposed “Keep Families Together Act” to see where Democrats went wrong. The bill provides that “[a]n agent or officer of a designated agency shall be prohibited from removing a child from his or her parent or legal guardian at or near the port of entry or within 100 miles of the border of the United States” (with three exceptions to be discussed later). Four immediate warning signs in this provision should put the reader on notice that this bill is not what Democrats claim.

First, “designated agency” here is defined as the entirety of the federal departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Health and Human Services. The scope of the bill is not limited to those portions of these departments involved with the border crisis, and there is no other limiting factor in the bill that would cabin the prohibition on family separation to immigration-related matters. In other words, this bill is going to regulate conduct across a great many federal offices that have nothing to do with separating children from families arriving unlawfully in the United States.

Second, “agent or officer” is not defined by the legislation, except to say that it includes contractors. Federal law, however, already defines “officer” to include (with exceptions not relevant here) every federal employee appointed to the civil service by the head of an executive agency and ultimately overseen by the head of an executive agency. (Read more from “Democrats’ Border Separation Bill Would Let Nearly All Parents Who Commit Federal Crimes Get off Scot-Free” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

The IG Report on FBI’s Clinton Probe Reveals This Saga May Be Just Getting Started

/0 Comments/in , /by

The media has focused almost exclusively on the conclusion of the Justice Department inspector general’s report on the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email probe, which found bias did not impact the probe, as well as the lack of any newly announced indictments or criminal referrals. The goal of course being to downplay the negative findings of the report.

At the same time, the press gave, at most, passing mention to the statement Attorney General Jeff Sessions simultaneously released. But his statement and the findings of the report make one thing clear: This isn’t over.

Here’s why. Throughout the 568-page report, the IG highlighted several areas meriting additional investigation. And Sessions said the report “reveals a number of significant errors by the senior leadership of the Department of Justice and the FBI during the previous administration,” and stressed “this is not the end of the process.”

United States Attorney John Huber continues his work in cooperation with the IG to review certain prosecutorial and investigative determinations made by the Justice Department in 2016 and 2017. Based on his review of the report and his own investigation, Huber will provide recommendations as to whether any matter not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation required further resources, or whether any matters merit the appointment of Special Counsel.”

Put simply: There is still much to be done and much to come. What is likely over is the possibility the Justice Department will re-investigate Clinton for mishandling of classified information, or prosecute her. That’s a good thing. Clinton is done. While she may never face justice in a court of law, perhaps losing the presidency is a more prescient and proper punishment. (Read more from “The IG Report on FBI’s Clinton Probe Reveals This Saga May Be Just Getting Started” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Mike Pence Slams Schumer for What He Just Said About GOP Solutions for Family Separation

/0 Comments/in , /by

By The Blaze. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday that Democrats would reject Congressional efforts to ban the policy separating migrant children from their families in order to keep the focus on President Donald Trump. . .

Schumer addressed the crisis of families being separated at the border on Tuesday, but rejected two bills that Republicans had offered as solution to the policy some called “cruel.”

“There are so many obstacles to legislation and when the president can do it with his own pen, it makes no sense,” Schumer said to reporters Tuesday. “Legislation is not the way to go here when it’s so easy for the president to sign it.”

Democrats have accused the administration of purposely changing immigration policy in order to separate families as a deterrent against illegal immigration, but the Trump administration has argued that the law was enacted prior to his term.

“Again, the president can change it with his pen,” the Democratic leader continued after being asked if Democrats would support a Republican bill to keep families together at the border while seeking asylum.

(Read more from “Mike Pence Slams Schumer for What He Just Said About GOP Solutions for Family Separation” HERE)

_____________________________________________

Obama Security Chief Napolitano Saw Separating Families at Border as ‘Bad Idea,’ She Says

By Fox News. Janet Napolitano, who served as Homeland Security secretary under President Barack Obama, said in an interview Tuesday that she once considered the option of separating families at the border but decided “pretty quickly that it would be a bad idea.”

Napolitano, now president of the University of California system, told the Los Angeles Times that the idea was considered while the Obama administration worked to create a safe area at the border.

“As you work through and you realize the difference between handling these as civil deportation matters as opposed to criminal prosecution matters, it was pretty clear off the bat that this would not be a good idea,” she said. She also said the plan was inconsistent with American values.

Nearly 2,300 children have been separated from their families over a six-week period in April and May after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new “zero-tolerance” policy that refers all cases of illegal entry for criminal prosecution. U.S. protocol prohibits detaining children with their parents because the children are not charged with a crime and the parents are.

The Trump administration has been sending babies and other young children to at least three “tender age” shelters in South Texas, the Associated Press reported late Tuesday. (Read more from “Obama Security Chief Napolitano Saw Separating Families at Border as ‘Bad Idea,’ She Says” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Nikki Haley Pulls the U.S. out of the UN Human Rights Council With a Scathing Statement

/0 Comments/in , /by

US Ambassador the United Nations Nikki Haley offered a scathing assessment of the UN Human Rights Council as the announcement was made to pull out of the organization.

In a statement given alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Haley derided the Human Rights Council as biased and counterproductive to the cause of human rights.

“Human rights abusers continue to serve on, and be elected to, the council,” Haley said. “The world’s most inhumane regimes continue to escape its scrutiny, and the council continues politicizing scapegoating of countries with positive human rights records in an attempt to distract from the abusers in its ranks.”

“When a so-called Human Rights Council cannot bring itself to address the massive abuses in Venezuela and Iran, and it welcomes the Democratic Republic of Congo as a new member,” she continued, “the council ceases to be worthy of its name.

“Such a council, in fact, damages the cause of human rights,” she concluded.

(Read more from “Nikki Haley Pulls the U.S. out of the UN Human Rights Council With a Scathing Statement” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.