Committee Votes to Confirm Kavanaugh – Flake, Murkowski Demand Delay on Final Vote

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By Townhall. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Friday morning 11-10 to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. All Republicans voted for Kavanaugh and all Democrats voted against.

A procedural vote will be taken by the full Senate on Saturday afternoon. A final and full Senate confirmation vote has been scheduled by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for Tuesday, October 2.

Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) announced Friday morning he will vote for Kavanaugh, solidifying his ability to make it past Committee. Friday afternoon, he called for a one week delay of the full Senate vote for an FBI investigation. He also said he is not comfortable supporting a full vote of Kavanaugh until the investigation is complete.

(Read more from “Committee Votes to Confirm Kavanaugh – Flake, Murkowski Demand Delay on Final Vote” HERE)

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Murkowski Sides With Flake on Delaying Kavanaugh Vote for Investigation

By Townhall. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told reporters Friday that she agrees with fellow moderate Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (AZ) in his call for an FBI investigation that would delay the Senate floor vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for up to one week.

Murkowski believes there should be an investigation that is “limited in time and scope.”

During the Senate Judiciary Committee vote to move Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate, Sen. Flake insisted that he did not think they should have a full vote on Kavanaugh until there has been a week-long FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh. (Read more from “Murkowski Sides With Flake on Delaying Kavanaugh Vote for Investigation” HERE)

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U.S. Mid-Terms: Hackers Expose ‘Staggering’ Voter Machine Flaws

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By BBC. Voting machines pose “serious risks” to US security, hackers are warning.

A report outlines major flaws in voting hardware, weeks before US mid-term elections.

One ballot machine, used in 23 US states, carries a cybersecurity flaw that was reported over a decade ago, the hackers claim. . .

In August, the Def Con conference in Las Vegas ran a “Voting Village”, where participants were encouraged to uncover flaws in US election infrastructure by hacking into various computer systems.

More than 30 voting machines and other pieces of equipment were made available to attendees of the conference, including the M650 electronic ballot scanner, which is currently used by 23 US states. (Read more from “U.S. Mid-Terms: Hackers Expose ‘Staggering’ Voter Machine Flaws” HERE)

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Voting Machines Are Still Absurdly Vulnerable to Attacks

By WIRED. WHILE RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE operations in the 2016 US presidential elections focused on misinformation and targeted hacking, officials have scrambled ever since to shore up the nation’s vulnerable election infrastructure. New research, though, shows they haven’t done nearly enough, particularly when it comes to voting machines.

The report details vulnerabilities in seven models of voting machines and vote counters, found during the DefCon security conference’s Voting Village event. All of the models are in active use around the US, and the vulnerabilities—from weak password protections to elaborate avenues for remote access—number in the dozens. The findings also connect to larger efforts to safeguard US elections, including initiatives to expand oversight of voting machine vendors and efforts to fund state and local election security upgrades.

“We didn’t discover a lot of new vulnerabilities,” says Matt Blaze, a computer science professor at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the organizers of the Voting Village, who has been analyzing voting machine security for more than 10 years. “What we discovered was vulnerabilities that we know about are easy to find, easy to reengineer, and have not been fixed over the course of more than a decade of knowing about them. And to me that is both the unsurprising and terribly disturbing lesson that came out of the Voting Village.” (Read more from “Voting Machines Are Still Absurdly Vulnerable to Attacks” HERE)

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Educators Must Accept Students Chosen Gender Identity, Leave Parents Out

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By The Blaze. Educators in New Jersey must accept the declared gender identity of students and aren’t required to inform their parents of changes in gender identity, according to new rules issued by the New Jersey State Department of Education.

“It’s a big deal for transgender students in New Jersey,” Aaron Potenza, director of programs for Garden State Equality, an advocacy organization for lesbian, gay and transgender people, told USA Today. “This is probably the strongest guidance we’ve seen out of any state.”

State Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet told the news outlet that educators are obligated “to provide a safe and welcoming school environment so all students throughout the state can achieve their full potential.”

He said teachers and other personnel should have “open yet confidential discussions” with transgender students about their chosen name and privacy matters. (Read more from “Educators Must Accept Students Chosen Gender Identity, Leave Parents Out” HERE)

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New Jersey Issues New Guidelines for Schools on Transgender Students

By American School and University. The New Jersey Department of Education has issued new guidelines for how schools should follow a 2017 law that reinforces protections for transgender students, including a provision that expressly forbids districts from keeping students out of the bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.

NJ.com reports that the new rules also settle how schools should handle other hot-button issues, such as what name to call transgender students, whether birth names should be printed on school documents and how much schools should tell parents about student’s gender identity. . .

“New Jersey continues to stand with our LGBTQ community, and that includes the youngest and most vulnerable residents: our children,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says. (Read more from “New Jersey Issues New Guidelines for Schools on Transgender Students” HERE)

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Why Does the Kavanaugh Accuser Have Numerous Gofundme Accounts?

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By Daily Wire. GoFundMe donations for Christine Blasey Ford have skyrocketed since the she mentioned the campaigns during Thursday’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Just two of the 17 accounts on the crowdfunding site relating to Ford have brought in nearly $700,000.

Answering questions concerning the funding for her legal team and travel since the allegations became public, Ford mentioned that she’d be collecting money donated to her from GoFundMe accounts. “I’m aware that there’s been several GoFundMe sites,” she said. “I haven’t had a chance to figure out how to manage those because I’ve never had one.”

One such account dedicated to Ford “jumped from about $179,000 to $305,000 and counting merely 30 minutes later, according to the publicly displayed funds counter,” reported MarketWatch on Thursday.

Those numbers have since spiked further. One account has collected over $475,000 for Ford’s legal fees and another has brought in over $200,000 for the accuser’s “security costs.” (Read more from “Why Does the Kavanaugh Accuser Have Numerous Gofundme Accounts?” HERE)

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Prosecutor Who Questioned Christine Ford Says She Wouldn’t Prosecute Brett Kavanaugh

By USA Today. Rachel Mitchell, the Arizona prosecutor who questioned Christine Blasey Ford at Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee, privately told GOP senators she would not prosecute Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh based on the evidence she heard, according to the Washington Post.

That detail was spotlighted Friday by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, whose office sent out a news release Friday referring to Mitchell’s conclusion.

Mitchell was hand-picked to lead the questioning of Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when both were high school students in the posh suburbs of suburban Maryland. (Read more from “Prosecutor Who Questioned Christine Ford Says She Wouldn’t Prosecute Brett Kavanaugh” HERE)

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Think Progress Editor Tweets Republicans Should Be Confronted in Their Homes. Shapiro Issues One Hell of a Warning.

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On Friday, Ian Millhiser, justice editor at the hard-left site Think Progress, who got his law degree from Duke University, decided to wax militant regarding Republicans, tweeting they should be confronted not only where they eat, but in their own bedrooms:

(Read more from “Think Progress Editor Tweets Republicans Should Be Confronted in Their Homes. Shapiro Issues One Hell of a Warning.” HERE)

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Check out the Sign Alyssa Milano Brought With Her to the Kavanaugh Hearing

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By Daily Wire. While many noticed that actress-turned-left-wing activist Alyssa Milano landed a prime seat for the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing on Thursday so she could display solidarity with Ford and make a “power statement” by “staring down” Kavanaugh, some missed one key detail: the sign she occasionally flashed at the hearing.

Adding to the “circus” feeling of the Kavanaugh confirmation process, Milano was invited to the hearing by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee who sat on the allegations by Ford for weeks before submitting them in the eleventh hour of the proceedings to the FBI. (For that delay, Feinstein came under heavy fire from Republicans Thursday.)

Her presence at the hearing was certainly appreciated by many on the Left who have deemed Kavanaugh guilty despite no corroborating evidence and all named witnesses denying the claims, but not so much from those who felt that the Democrats had already made a mockery of the process:

(Read more from “Check out the Sign Alyssa Milano Brought With Her to the Kavanaugh Hearing” HERE)

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Alyssa Milano Describes Being in the Room for Ford-Kavanaugh Hearing: “There Was a Lot of Rage”

By Hollywood Reporter. The actress and prominent #MeToo activist, who attended Thursday’s hearing, tells The Hollywood Reporter how the mood shifted from a “feeling of hope” to one of anger during Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate testimonies.

Alyssa Milano had a unique vantage point during the riveting Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh testimonies. The actress and #MeToo activist was in the room when the Supreme Court nominee and his sexual assault accuser shared their conflicting stories before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

“I wasn’t there with any political agenda. I was there to support a survivor of sexual assault,” Milano tells The Hollywood Reporter on Friday morning. “As a survivor, it literally is all of our worst nightmares come true. This is exactly the reason why we don’t come forward, or we don’t report. Because of the scrutiny. Because a man’s word will always mean more than our word. And it’s disgusting.” (Read more from “Alyssa Milano Describes Being in the Room for Ford-Kavanaugh Hearing: “There Was a Lot of Rage” HERE)

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We Have the Votes on SCOTUS

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With the Senate Judiciary Committee holding a vote at 9:30 A.M. tomorrow, a Senate insider has told Townhall that Kavanaugh has the votes to make it out of committee and the votes to be confirmed on the floor for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Sens. Flake (R-AZ), Collins (R-ME), Murkowski (R-AK), and Manchin (D-WV) are expected to vote in favor of Kavanaugh. All the Republicans are voting yes. Also, in the rumor mill, several Democrats may break ranks and back Kavanaugh. That’s the ball game, folks.

It was an intense and hellacious day at the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Judge Brett Kavanaugh of an attempted rape while at a high school party, told her story of her alleged sexual assault. It was intense. It was emotional. And it still lacked evidence, witnesses, and other corroborating details. It’s an unprovable allegation, which is what Democrats want; it allows them to delay and run out the clock on this nomination. The FBI investigation talking point has been beaten to death by Senate Democrats, another delay tactic that has been undercut by past remarks by none other than Joe Biden. When he chaired the committee during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, Biden famously said that FBI reports are inconclusive and should not be relied on during sexual misconduct allegations.

Brett Kavanaugh testified later this afternoon, giving an emotional and fiery defense of his character and career after it had been under a sustained assault by the Left for over a week. Kavanaugh said that the allegations—all three of them—were false and have irreparably damaged his reputation and damaged his family life. He said this process had become a national disgrace, with Democrats replacing advise and consent with search and destroy. Kavanaugh needed to come out swinging. He needed to be tough. And he did just that.

(Read more from “We Have the Votes” HERE)

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Man Sues to Obtain Minority-Owned Business Status After DNA Test Claims He’s 4 Percent Black

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Ralph Taylor of Lynwood, Washington, looks white. But after taking a DNA test showing that he is 6 percent indigenous American and 4 percent sub-Saharan African, he began to identify as multiracial and applied for minority-owned business status to win more business from state and federal government contractors.

Taylor’s application was denied, and now he’s suing. . .

The test concluded that Taylor was 90 percent Caucasian, but Taylor considers the results showing his multiracial heritage to be proof that he is a minority. In 2013, he applied for his business, Orion Insurance Group, to be recognized by the state of Washington as being minority-owned.

His application was first rejected by the state’s Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises on the grounds that he was not “visibly identifiable” as a minority. But after he appealed, the Office eventually approved his application before reversing its decision again and ultimately denied him the certification in 2014.

In issuing its decision, the state of Washington dismissed the DNA test, questioning its accuracy. The OMWBE wrote, “The documentation that Mr. Taylor provided was insufficient to prove that he has held himself out to be a member of either [the Black American or Native American] group(s) over a long period of time.” (Read more from “Man Sues to Obtain Minority-Owned Business Status After DNA Test Claims He’s 4 Percent Black” HERE)

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Christine Ford Testifies Kavanaugh ‘Sexually Assaulted Me,’ Rejects Mistaken Identity Theory

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By Fox News. Christine Blasey Ford, appearing in public for the first time Thursday to testify on her allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, told lawmakers in no uncertain terms that the Supreme Court nominee “sexually assaulted me” and insisted she is not mistaking him for another person.

But in one curious exchange, Ford acknowledged she didn’t personally pay for the polygraph examination she took in August, and said she doesn’t know who did.

Thursday’s dramatic hearing was convened by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which plans to call back the nominee to address the accusations ahead of a potential vote in the coming days. Kavanaugh’s accuser voiced confidence, under sustained questioning, that the judge attacked her.

“So what you are telling us is that this could not be a case of mistaken identity?” Feinstein asked.

“Absolutely not,” Ford replied. She added she’s “100 percent” certain it was Kavanaugh who attacked her. (Read more from “Christine Ford Testifies Kavanaugh ‘Sexually Assaulted Me,’ Rejects Mistaken Identity Theory” HERE)

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Brett Kavanaugh Admits to ‘Juvenile Misbehavior,’ Denies Sexual Assault in Testimony

By Washington Times. Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh will admit to “misbehavior” and excessive drinking during his high school years, but will tell the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday that he never sexually assaulted anyone then or since.

In the Supreme Court nominee’s prepared opening statement, shared by the committee on Wednesday, Judge Kavanaugh calls sexual assault “morally wrong” and “contrary to my religious faith.”

He said he does not question accuser Christine Blasey Ford’s claim that she was sexually assaulted at a high school party, but denied he was involved in any way.

“I spent most of my time in high school focused on academics, sports, church, and service. But I was not perfect in those days, just as I am not perfect today,” the judge says.

He adds: “I drank beer with my friends, usually on weekends. Sometimes I had too many. In retrospect, I said and did things in high school that make me cringe now. But that’s not why we are here today. What I’ve been accused of is far more serious than juvenile misbehavior. I never did anything remotely resembling what Dr. Ford describes.” (Read more from “Brett Kavanaugh Admits to ‘Juvenile Misbehavior,’ Denies Sexual Assault in Testimony” HERE)

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Deja Vu: Poll Claims This How a Trump/Hillary Race Would Go Today

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. . .The poll was conducted by Hill.TV and HarrisX, and found that in an election with only Trump and Clinton as the options, 40% of voters would vote for Trump while 50% would vote for Clinton. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

In an election including third parties and the choice not to vote, 36% of voters said they would vote for Trump again, 44% said they’d vote for Hillary, 4% said they’d vote for Gary Johnson, and 2% said they’d vote for Jill Stein.

In comparison to the polls conducted around the 2016 presidential election, these numbers are similar. In several polls leading up to the election, Clinton was ahead by as much as eight points. In fact, on the day before the election, 19 out of 21 polls had Clinton winning the popular vote. (Read more from “Deja Vu: Poll Claims This How a Trump/Hillary Race Would Go Today” HERE)

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