Watchdog Finds Widespread Fraud at U.S. Census Bureau

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baniDozens of government employees at the U.S. Census Bureau have been billing taxpayers for time they never actually worked, wasting more than $1 million.

The 40 officials were supposed to be performing background checks on the census personnel who walk door-to-door throughout the country to collect information about Americans. Instead, they “engaged in pervasive misconduct over several years,” according to an investigation by the Commerce Department’s inspector general.

The watchdog found at least one employee in the Census Bureau’s employment office who “used his official position as a personal hiring vehicle for friends and their families.”

That employee, who was not identified, “was involved in a sexual relationship” with a contractor he personally interviewed, hired and supervised . . .

The inspector general found that dozens of employees claimed to have worked at least 19,162 hours during which they actually did not work at all between 2010-14. The “time and attendance abuse” drained nearly $1.1 million. (Read more from “Watchdog Finds Widespread Fraud at U.S. Census Bureau” HERE)

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Here’s the Recorded Breaking Number of People Who Watched CNN GOP Debate

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Republican presidential candidates pose before the start of a Fox-sponsored forum for lower polling candidates held before the first official Republican presidential candidates debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign in ClevelandWednesday’s prime time GOP debate averaged 23.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in CNN’s history . . .

These are NFL-level ratings — affirming that the Donald Trump fueled Republican debate slate is one of the most popular television shows of the year.

For comparison’s sake, CNN’s most-watched presidential primary debate before Wednesday was a Democratic debate on January 31, 2008. It had an average of 8.3 million viewers.

CNN’s most-watched program overall was a special “Larry King Live” episode in 1993. The episode featured Al Gore and Ross Perot debating NAFTA and averaged 16.8 million viewers.

Wednesday’s matchup easily surpassed that total. (Read more from “Here’s the Recorded Breaking Number of People Who Watched CNN GOP Debate” HERE)

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No Hike: Fed Keeps Benchmark Rate Near Zero

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635780239793728506-AP-YellenCiting global economic weakness and financial market turmoil, the Federal Reserve agreed Thursday to keep its benchmark interest rate near zero despite the rapidly improving U.S. labor market.

But Fed policymakers’ forecast indicates they still expect to bump up the federal funds rate this year for the first time in nearly a decade, with meetings scheduled for October and December. Their projections, however, show they expect to raise it even more gradually over the long-term than they previously signaled . . .

The decision capped the most dramatic run-up to a Fed meeting in recent memory, with economists split on whether the central bank would raise its key rate, which has been near zero since the 2008 financial crisis and affects borrowing costs for consumers and businesses across the economy.

“An argument can be made for a rise in interest rates at this time,” Fed Chair Janet Yellen said at a news conference.But she added, “We want to take more time to evaluate the likely impact on the United States” from the overseas slowdown and market gyrations . . .

In a statement after a two-day meeting, the Fed said, “Recent global economic and financial developments may restrain economic activity somewhat and are likely to put further downward pressure on inflation in the near-term.” (Read more from “No Hike: Fed Keeps Benchmark Rate Near Zero” HERE)

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Valerie Jarrett Meets With Black Lives Matter Leaders at the White House

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130117_valerie_jarrett_ap_605President Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett met with Black Lives Matter activists yesterday at the White House, the latest sign that the Obama administration is involved with the controversial protest group.

Jarrett met with three organizers for Campaign Zero. DeRay Mckesson, Brittany Packnett, and Johnetta Elzie as well as Phil Agnew of the Dream Defenders and Jamye Wooten, an organizer for Baltimore United for Change were there, according to a senior White House official who confirmed the visit to Buzzfeed . . .

“Great meeting, Brittany. Truly appreciate your leadership!!” Jarrett [said] on Twitter. Packnett has six recorded entries of visiting the complex long before the protests in Ferguson. She also was among the select group of Ferguson activists that met with Obama in December 2014. “I could tell he is taking this very personally,” Packnett explained after the 45 minute meeting with the president in the Oval Office. “He wants to see some clear, thoughtful action come from this.”

She also revealed that Obama sympathized with the movement, thanks to his background as a community organizer in Chicago.

“He offered us a lot of encouragement with his background as a community organizer, and told us that even incremental changes were progress,” she told reporters after the meeting. “He didn’t want us to get discouraged. He said, ‘Keep speaking truth to power.’” (Read more from “Valerie Jarrett Meets With Black Lives Matter Leaders at the White House” HERE)

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Trump Was Right — in Book, Jeb Credits His Wife for His Immigration Views

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President Bush Is Sworn In For A Second TermIn the first two sentences of Jeb Bush’s book, “Immigration Wars,” the former Florida governor credits his wife Columba with shaping his views on immigration.

That might come as a surprise to some voters, after Bush demanded that Donald Trump apologize Wednesday night for making the same point.

Bush was asked during CNN’s Republican primary debate what he thought about Trump’s statement to CNN in July: “If my wife were from Mexico, I think I would have a soft spot for people from Mexico.”

Bush, whose wife was born and raised in Mexico, demanded an apology from the real estate mogul.

Despite Bush’s apparent irritation, in the opening lines of his 2013 book, “Immigration Wars,” he admitted that his wife Columba had in fact shaped his views on immigration. (Read more from “Trump Was Right — in Book, Jeb Credits His Wife for His Immigration Views” HERE)

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Ann Coulter Sparks Outrage Over ‘Anti-Semitic’ Tweet, Rant About Jews

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Ann CoulterAnn Coulter is being blasted as a bigoted “idiot” after she shocked social media users late Wednesday with a tweet that many are calling anti-Semitic.

The rightwing pundit went on a Twitter tirade during the Republican presidential candidate debate, accusing participants of kowtowing to special interests when she wrote: “How many f—ing Jews do these people think there are in the United States?”

The tweet, which was shared nearly 2,000 times, prompted criticism from hundreds of people, including actor and comedian Seth Rogen . . .

The sharp-tongued commentator told her nearly 660,000 followers on Twitter that she was instead calling out the GOP “panderers” for repeatedly reiterating their support for Israel during the debate.

“I like the Jews, I like fetuses, I like Reagan. Didn’t need to hear applause lines about them all night,” she tweeted. “Cruz, Huckabee Rubio all mentioned ISRAEL in their response to: ‘What will AMERICA look like after you are president.'” (Read more from “Ann Coulter Sparks Outrage Over ‘Anti-Semitic’ Tweet, Rant About Jews” HERE)

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White House Campaign Urges Legal Immigrants to Become (Voting) Citizens

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us-immigration-legal-immigrants-citizenshipWhite House officials announced the start of a nationwide campaign on Thursday to encourage legal immigrants to become American citizens, which could add millions of voters to the electorate in time for the presidential election next year.

With about 8.8 million legal residents in the country who are eligible to become citizens, White House officials said they were trying to make it easier to complete the final steps to citizenship.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency in charge of naturalizations, will offer practice tests on cellphones for the civics exam that immigrants must pass, but which many find daunting, and will hold preparatory workshops in rural areas. Applicants will also be able to pay the fee, still a hefty $680, with a credit card.

The White House is working with regional immigrant groups to organize more than 70 citizenship workshops and about 200 naturalization ceremonies in the coming week alone. Four citizenship ambassadors have been named, including Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born former pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers who recently became an American citizen after many years in the United States.

Also in the works are local initiatives to make immigrants feel more welcome, and a revision of Justice Department regulations that would make it easier for people who want to help immigrants naturalize to obtain credentials to provide basic volunteer legal assistance. (Read more from “White House Campaign Urges Legal Immigrants to Become (Voting) Citizens” HERE)

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Round 2: GOP Rivals Try to Ding Trump at Debate – Front-Runner Hits Back

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trumpbushinternalBy Fox News. Donald Trump once again found himself the lightning rod of the Republican presidential race Wednesday, as he tangled with a debate stage full of rivals trying to position themselves as the best alternative to the GOP front-runner.

The second Republican primary debate veered into serious policy territory – covering everything from Iran to Russia to Planned Parenthood to immigration. But, at times to the visible frustration of candidates trying to stick to those issues, few segments passed without a sparring session between Trump and one of his opponents. Almost every time, Trump hit back – and it was unclear whether any candidate would be able to dent his front-runner status.

The candidate perhaps most eager to knock the billionaire businessman down a peg was former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who lost his lead to Trump over the summer. Repeatedly, Bush challenged Trump on his record and past comments.

He told Trump to apologize to his wife for suggesting her being from Mexico makes Bush more sympathetic to Mexicans – Trump refused.

He accused Trump of once giving him money as he sought casino gambling, unsuccessfully, in Florida. (Read more from “Round 2: GOP Rivals Try to Ding Trump at Debate – Front-Runner Hits Back” HERE)

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Let the Sparks Fly: Carly Fiorina Takes on Donald Trump

By MJ Lee. For once, it wasn’t the Donald Trump show.

The billionaire businessman’s uneven performance at CNN’s prime-time Republican presidential debate Wednesday gave Carly Fiorina and Jeb Bush openings to seize the spotlight. And they did, putting Trump in the unusual position of being on defense throughout the evening.

Fiorina, who fought her way onto the main stage with a breakout debate performance last month, pointedly confronted the real estate mogul. She was stern when asked about Trump’s recent assessment of her appearance, when he told Rolling Stone: “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?”

Fiorina shot back during the debate: “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”

The exchange left Trump in an unusual position: uninterested in hitting back. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Boehner and His Allies Prepare Fall Battle With Conservative GOP Critics

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130226_john_boehner_1_605_apHouse Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is bracing for what could be the toughest weeks of his speakership as several dozen conservatives in his party are threatening to topple him unless he is more ferocious with Democrats during the upcoming fiscal showdowns.

That internal feud has increased the chances that Washington, for the second time in two years, could stumble into a shutdown of the federal government.

The speaker’s lieutenants are openly girding for battle with the small but influential bloc of anti-Boehner conservatives who have signaled that if Boehner cuts any deal that they don’t like with congressional Democrats and President Obama, they could seek to remove him from the speaker’s post. It is a threat that Boehner and his allies are taking seriously.

“The people considering this are being totally irresponsible, but Boehner’s guys, we’re getting ready for whatever may come — not out of fear, but with exasperation about what some Republicans are willing to do to their own party,” said Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), who is part of the speaker’s circle of unofficial advisers.

Talk of unseating Boehner is not new, but this latest uprising is getting a jolt from the Republican presidential campaign, in which anti-establishment sentiment has driven two non-politicians, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, to the front of the pack. (Read more from “Boehner and His Allies Prepare Fall Battle With Conservative GOP Critics” HERE)

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Vet Group Hosting Trump Lost Nonprofit Status

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Donald TrumpThe Internal Revenue Service revoked the nonprofit status of the veterans benefit organization that hosted and sold tickets to a foreign policy speech by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump aboard a retired U.S. battleship, The Associated Press has learned. The group’s endorsement of Trump at the event also could raise legal problems under campaign finance laws.

Trump’s campaign did not respond to questions from the AP about whether it was aware that the IRS had revoked the nonprofit status of the Veterans for a Strong America, which sold tickets to Trump’s event for up to $1,000 as a fundraiser. The IRS issued its decision Aug. 10, citing the group’s failure to file any tax returns for three consecutive years, according to IRS records reviewed by the AP.

The group’s chairman, Joel Arends of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said the organization was appealing the IRS decision. He would not provide AP with copies of any tax returns, which would show how much money the group has collected over the years and how it spends its money. By law, such records are supposed to be available to the general public for inspection. (Read more from “Vet Group Hosting Trump Lost Nonprofit Status” HERE)

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