State Department Identifies Numerous Violations, Security Incidents Concerning Clinton Emails

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The State Department revealed Monday that it has identified “multiple security incidents” involving current or former employees’ handling of Hillary Clinton’s emails, and that 23 “violations” and seven “infractions” have been issued as part of the department’s ongoing investigation.

The information came in a letter to Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is responsible for overseeing the security review.

“To this point, the Department has assessed culpability to 15 individuals, some of whom were culpable in multiple security incidents,” Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, wrote to Grassley. “DS has issued 23 violations and 7 infractions incidents. … This number will likely change as the review progresses.” . . .

“In every instance in which the Department found an individual to be culpable of a valid security violation or three or more infractions, the Department forwarded the outcome to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Office of Personnel Security and Suitability (DS/PSS), to be placed in the individuals’ official security file,” Taylor wrote. “All valid security incidents are reviewed by DS and taken into account every time an individual’s eligibility for access to classified information is considered.

“This referral occurred whether or not the individual was currently employed with the Department of State and such security files are kept indefinitely,” Taylor added. “Consistent with the referral policy, for individuals who were still employed with the Department at the time of adjudication, the Department referred all valid security violations or multiple infractions to the Bureau of Human Resources.” (Read more from “State Department Identifies Numerous Violations, Security Incidents Concerning Clinton Emails” HERE)

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Pentagon Approves Sending 1,000 More Troops to Mideast After Oil Tanker Attack

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released new images Monday showing the aftermath of mine attacks against two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week, including some images purporting to show Iranian forces removing an unexploded device from the hull of one of the vessels.

Hours later, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he had approved a request from CENTCOM to send approximately 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East “to address air, naval, and ground-based threats” in the region.

“The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region,” Shanahan said. “The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. The action today is being taken to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests.”

The military says that some of the 11 new images taken from a Navy helicopter show members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy removing a limpet mine from the side of the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous oil tanker. Other photos show a large hole on the side of the Courageous, above the water line, that officials say appears to have been caused by another mine.

In a statement, Central Command reaffirmed the Trump administration’s previous claim that Iran was responsible for the attacks on the Kokuka Courageous and the Front Altair “based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine.” (Read more from “Pentagon Approves Sending 1,000 More Troops to Mideast After Oil Tanker Attack” HERE)

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LOL: Here’s How Many People Attended Swalwell’s Gun Confiscation Speech

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By Breitbart. Roughly 18 people attended Democrat presidential hopeful Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) speech Monday near the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.

On June 14, Breitbart News reported that Swalwell would be delivering a speech on his gun controls near the NRA headquarters.

A video published by Politico shows that Swalwell used the speech to push confiscatory laws for AR-15s and other commonly-owned semiautomatic rifles, as well as a repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). That act protects gun manufacturers from suits in cases considered frivolous, such as when a legally manufactured and legally sold gun is stolen and used in a crime.

(Read more from “LOL: Here’s How Many People Attended Swalwell’s Gun Confiscation Speech” HERE)

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Democratic Presidential Candidate Eric Swalwell Releases Gun Control Plan

By CBS News. Rep. Eric Swalwell released an extensive gun violence prevention plan Monday that includes an assault-style rifle ban and buyback and new legal requirements for gun ownership.

Swalwell, a Democratic presidential candidate, has repeatedly said his presidential platform would be centered on gun violence prevention, and on Monday called for significant investments in mental health and safety programs. The plan does not go as far as some other Democratic gun control plans, such as Sen. Cory Booker’s proposal, which would require potential gun owners to go through a process that includes an interview, passing a gun safety course and background check, and being fingerprinted.

Swalwell’s plan calls for those who refuse to give up their assault rifles to be prosecuted unless they keep those guns at hunting lodges or shooting ranges. He also took aim at gun manufactures, saying the Protection for Lawful Commerce in Guns Act, a federal law that protects gun manufacturers from civil liability, should be repealed. Additionally, he said gun companies should be forced to stop manufacturing assault-style rifles. . .

But Swalwell’s plan also includes the creation of a national firearm registry, a policy pro-gun groups like the NRA have long opposed. (Read more from “Democratic Presidential Candidate Eric Swalwell Releases Gun Control Plan” HERE)

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‘Stomp on Jesus’ Professor Running for Elected Office

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By Breitbart. A Florida professor who instructed his students to “stomp on Jesus” for a class assignment is running for an elected position.

Deandre Poole, 32, is running in 2020 to become the Palm Beach County supervisor of elections, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

He is running for the position vacated by Susan Bucher, who was suspended and later asked to resign by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2018 for failing to report the election results on time.

Poole gained infamy as a professor at Florida Atlantic University in 2013 when he asked his students to write J-E-S-U-S on a sheet of paper and step on it. . .

The assignment not only backfired on him at school, it also caused a university-wide investigation and attention from then-Gov. Rick Scott. (Read more from “‘Stomp on Jesus’ Professor Running for Elected Office” HERE)

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FAU Instructor Who Taught ‘Stomp on Jesus’ Lesson Is a South Florida Candidate in 2020 Election

By The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Deandre Poole, who was the object of intense scrutiny for a Florida Atlantic University class exercise that became known as “stomp on Jesus,” is running in the 2020 election to become Palm Beach County supervisor of elections. . .

Poole, 32, has never run for office before. He said his involvement in Palm Beach County politics, community activism and grassroots organizing “are the kind of skills that this office needs.” . . .

Few students actually stepped on the paper. One upset student complained to the media, and conservative outlets picked up on the controversy. . .

“It was an exercise that was misinterpreted. If I could do it over again, I would have made it my point to be more vocal and to do more interviews about it,” he said. “Looking back, that was one of the areas that I could have improved on.” (Read more from “FAU Instructor Who Taught ‘Stomp on Jesus’ Lesson Is a South Florida Candidate in 2020 Election” HERE)

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Beto Tells Black Leaders They Need Protection ‘from Their Own Country’

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Beto O’Rourke said black Americans need to be shielded from their own country.

Appearing before a gathering of 10 black community leaders and activists at Park Circle Creamery, the 2020 presidential candidate addressed the lack of trust in the law enforcement community that has arisen from incidents of police brutality.

“I don’t know the right word to describe what we need to do as a country, but it’s not just leveling the playing field. It is protecting people from their country and those who hold positions of trust, including in law enforcement right now,” the former Texas congressman told the group. “And it’s protecting from a criminal justice system, it’s protecting from a kindergarten classroom, it’s also protecting from who’s polluting the air that we breathe and the water we drink,” he said, making an apparent reference to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

O’Rourke is participating in a 10-stop, three-day swing of South Carolina, an early-voting state where candidates are investing time and resources courting the black vote. His remarks were made in response to a question probing the contender for his “opinion on what black people can do as individuals or as a collective in order to catch up.”

“We have these very specific proposals about ensuring there’s more capital in the community, capital in society, making sure everyone has access to it,” O’Rourke said. “I understand that it’s much larger than any given policy proposal or any part of the system because it is systemic. And I will in all humility admit I don’t have the answer.” (Read more from “Beto Tells Black Leaders They Need Protection ‘from Their Own Country'” HERE)

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Are Hong Kong’s Days of Freedom Numbered?

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The murder in Taiwan of a 19-year-old Hong Kong woman at the hands of her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day 2018 seemed routine enough. Another tragic story of a love affair going terribly wrong.

But Chinese authorities seized on the year-old incident to try and push through a new extradition law that would allow some crimes committed in Hong Kong to be prosecuted in China. The Beijing government badly miscalculated the reaction by citizens to this blatant attempt to curtail Hong Kong’s “special relationship” with the Chinese government in their semi-autonomous province. This led to massive demonstrations which some estimates placed at over a million demonstrators.

On Saturday, China’s puppet, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, apologized for introducing the law but resisted calls to withdraw it entirely and step down. “The government understands these views have been made out of love and care for Hong Kong,” according to a statement from an unidentified government spokesman.” . . .

It isn’t just that Hong Kong residents identify far more with their city than China. People in the city have a very different concept of “freedom” than the Communists in China. They are hyper-sensitive to any effort by Beijing to impose their political culture on Hong Kong residents, as evidenced by the massive demonstrations against the proposed extradition law.

In short, Beijing simply doesn’t care about the unrest. The murderers who killed thousands in Tiananmen Square in 1989 aren’t squeamish about busting a few protesters’ heads. Hong Kong is about to get a lesson in why Communists were once in control of half the planet. They will keep pressuring residents until the vast majority throw up their hands and give in to the tyranny. From Poland and Eastern Europe to Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the relentless drive for total control by Communists eventually wears people down and they give in. (Read more from “Are Hong Kong’s Days of Freedom Numbered?” HERE)

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Planned Parenthood Builds Clinic in Alabama Despite Pro-Life Law

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By AP. Planned Parenthood is building the stage for another possible fight over abortion in Alabama: a large women’s clinic that’s under construction despite the state’s passage of a near-total ban on abortions.

Located beside an interstate highway in downtown Birmingham, the 10,000-square-foot structure is now nothing but a steel frame and roof. Workers under the constant watch of security guards appear to be installing electrical wiring, plus heating and cooling units.

The new facility could be complete around November, which is the same time the new state law will take effect unless blocked by courts. Abortion critics vow to oppose the opening, but a spokeswoman for the women’s health organization said neither the new law nor opponents were a factor in the project. (Read more from “Planned Parenthood Builds Clinic in Alabama Despite Pro-Life Law” HERE)

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Liberty Vittert: Why Can’t Planned Parenthood Just Tell Us How Many Abortions It Provides?

By Fox News. Whether you are pro-life, pro-choice, anywhere in between, or extreme, there is a continued and serious issue with the reporting methods of Planned Parenthood (PP) that allows for serious misconceptions to be exploited on both sides of the debate. . .

Let’s take a closer look using only data from Planned Parenthood’s own 2017-2018 Annual Report.

The 94 percent assertion comes from taking the total number of abortions performed in a year by PP (332,757) and dividing it by the total number of services PP provides that Hatch and Johnson deem “pregnancy services” (prenatal services, adoption referrals, and abortions) totaling 344,646 services. Using this terminology, actually 96.6 percent of the pregnancy services provided by PP are abortions.

But in no way is that the real truth: this calculation completely ignores the over 9 million other services PP provides per year and paints a very unfair (or rather, downright wrong) picture of the work of Planned Parenthood. . .

This number comes from taking the total number of abortions performed by PP in a year and dividing that by the total number of services provided by Planned Parenthood in a year (including cancer screenings, pregnancy tests, STI testing/treatment, contraception, and even services to men) which is over 9.6 million. Using this terminology, Planned Parenthood is able to say that only 3.4 percent of the services they perform are abortions. (Read more from “Liberty Vittert: Why Can’t Planned Parenthood Just Tell Us How Many Abortions It Provides?” HERE)

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Feds ‘Actively Working’ on Crackdown on Welfare-Dependent Immigration

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Federal immigration officials at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency are “actively working” to enforce President Donald Trump’s recent crackdown on welfare-dependent legal immigration to the U.S.

In a memo last week, Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli said that staff would “develop and implement guidance” on Trump’s presidential memorandum signed last month that mandates American taxpayers be reimbursed when a legal immigrant uses public welfare. . .

Cuccinelli’s memo to staff reads:

As part of USCIS’ implementation of this memorandum, USCIS officers will now be required to remind individuals at their adjustment of status interviews of their sponsors’ responsibilities under existing law and regulations. Our officers must remind applicants and sponsors that the Affidavit of Support is a legal and enforceable contract between the sponsor and the federal government. The sponsor must be willing and able to financially support the intending immigrant as outlined by law and regulations (see INA 213A and 8 CFR 213a). If the sponsored immigrant receives any federal means-tested public benefits, the sponsor will be expected to reimburse the benefits-granting agency for every dollar of benefits received by the immigrant. [Emphasis added]

Over the next several months, federal agencies will develop and implement guidance on the presidential memorandum to make sure that agencies enforce these requirements. USCIS will do our part, and we are actively working to implement the President’s directive with our federal partners, including by updating policies and regulations. We continue to advance the President’s directive to enforce the public charge ground of inadmissibility, which seeks to ensure that immigrants are self-sufficient and rely on their own capabilities and the resources of their families, their sponsors, and private organizations rather than public resources. [Emphasis added]

(Read more from “Feds ‘Actively Working’ on Crackdown on Welfare-Dependent Immigration” HERE)

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Ex-Iranian Diplomat Blames Israel for the Oil Tanker Attacks

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By Breitbart. A former Iranian diplomat claimed that Israel [was] responsible for Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an Iranian media outlet reported.

Without offering any evidence, Hamid Reza Asefi, who served as Iran’s ambassador to France and Foreign Ministry spokesman, claimed the motive behind the attack was “clear.”

“I think the directing of such incidents in the region are done by the Zionist regime and this has no hidden dimensions,” Asefi told Iran Online in an interview cited by the Tehran Times.

srael benefits the most from accusations against Iran, Asefi theorized, and therefore “logically the Zionist regime is the agent of this incident.”

He added that Israel seeks to drag the Islamic Republic into turmoil with the rest of the world. (Read more from “Ex-Iranian Diplomat Blames Israel for the Oil Tanker Attacks” HERE)

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Oil Prices Rise After Tanker Attacks Stoke Middle East Tensions

By Reuters. Oil prices rose on Monday after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington will take all actions necessary to guarantee safe navigation in the Middle East, as tensions mounted following attacks on tankers last week.

Brent futures had climbed 26 cents, or 0.4%, to $62.27 a barrel by 0314 GMT. They gained 1.1% on Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $52.68 a barrel. They rose 0.4% in the previous session.

Prices had jumped as much as 4.5% on Thursday after the attacks on two oil tankers near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

It was the second time in a month tankers have been attacked in the world’s most important zone for oil supplies as tensions increase between the United States and Iran. Washington blamed Iran for Thursday’s attacks, prompting a denial and criticism from Tehran. (Read more from “Oil Prices Rise After Tanker Attacks Stoke Middle East Tensions” HERE)

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WATCH: Transgender Track Champion Claims HE Has the Disadvantage Against WOMEN

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. . .Telfer — formerly known as Craig — as recently as January 2018 ran with the Division II school’s men’s track & field team. Telfer started going by the name CeCe while competing with the men before transitioning to women’s competition. Telfer is the New Hampshire school’s first women’s track & field champion. . .

Telfer just told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that “if anything, me competing against cisgender females is a disadvantage”:

“My body is going through so many medical implications … It’s going through biochemistry changes. So, being on hormone replacement therapy [results in] muscle depletion … your muscles are deteriorating. You lose a lot of strength because testosterone is where you get your strength, your agility. So I have to work twice as hard to keep that strength, and if I slack a day, that’s like three days set behind. So … I have to keep up all my workouts … I can’t drink … I can’t eat unhealthy, or else it’s gonna impact me harder.”

. . .

The NCAA has had a policy for transgender athletes for years. It is legal under NCAA bylaws for a biological male to compete in the women’s division if that male has suppressed his testosterone levels for one year.

A guidance document on the issue published by the NCAA took the stance that it is not accurate to assume that a male who has transitioned to become a transgender female has an unfair advantage over a biological woman, saying “it is important not to overgeneralize.”

(Read more from “Transgender Track Champion Claims HE Has the Disadvantage Against WOMEN” HERE)

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